How to Care for
Your Puppy ?

Congratulations! You have decided to take the next big step in expanding your family – soon you will be welcoming a four-legged bundle of joy into the family!

Bringing a new puppy home for the first time is an incredibly exciting time for the whole family and it’s a big change for you and your puppy – from your puppy being with mum and siblings to getting used to a whole new house, lifestyle and family. With a bit of preparation, you can make the transition easier. This puppy guide will serve as your go-to resource for everything you need to know about raising a happy, healthy four-legged family member, from her first day home to her first birthday and beyond.

FEED THEM A HEALTHY DIET

  • Choose puppy foods that offer high-quality nutrients and little to no fillers.
  • Give several small meals. Depending on their age, your puppy should be given up to three small meals a day at scheduled times.
  • Always give your puppy their food in the same bowl placed in the same place. This will teach your puppy good eating habits.
  • Feed your puppy a highly digestible food, precisely formulated for its age, size, breed.
  • Follow feeding guidelines on the puppy food packaging or consult with your vet.
  • Make sure your puppy can always access clean, fresh water.
  • Avoid overfeeding.

Nutrition for the Growing Puppy

Need for nutrient-density – His kibble must be nutrient-dense. In other words, his food needs to have more protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamins, minerals, and more calories packed into fewer kibbles. In general, small dogs should consume more calories per pound than larger dogs do.

Fast metabolism and limited energy reserve  –  Small breed dogs tend to have such fast metabolism rates and don’t store up as much energy as larger dogs can, your puppy may benefit from smaller, more frequent throughout the day, especially if he’s very active or a puppy. A rapidly growing small breed puppy’s metabolism rate can burn through meals extremely quickly, so they require a formulated-for-puppies dog food with feeding occasions spaced out over 2 to 3 times a day.

Prevent Hypoglycaemia

Hypoglycaemia is when your puppy’s blood sugar level drops to an abnormally low level. It usually occurs in small breed puppies when they are young (from 6-12 weeks of age), because they’re less able to store and mobilise glucose (sugar).

Adult dogs who are overly exhausted due to sustained exercise or activities, and those who have certain underlying diseases, can suffer from hypoglycaemic attacks as well.

Teacup puppies are prone to hypoglycaemia, so keep some oral glucose paste (available at drugstores) handy.

Common causes of hypoglycaemia are things that may happen rather frequently (e.g. the puppy is too cold, too hungry, too tired, or has an upset stomach). It can happen without any warning to a healthy puppy.

DOGS HAVE NUTRITIONAL NEEDS THAT ARE DIFFERENT TO OURS

ALWAYS USE A HARNESS AND A BELL

Invest in a harness and bell for your teacup puppy. By attaching a bell to their collar, you’ll always know where they are. A bell will help to keep your puppy safe, especially as they love to chase your feet.

When you take your puppy for a walk, attach a lead to a harness rather than a collar. It’s much more comfortable and safer for your pup to be attached to a body harness.

KEEP YOUR PUPPY SAFE

Help to keep your teacup puppy safe around the home by buying puppy stairs that go up and down the main pieces of furniture. This will help them get safely on and off things like the sofa and prevent them from falling from a great height.

Watch children with your puppy

Most children love dogs, especially puppies and especially tiny, adorable teacup puppies! Supervising children while they’re playing with your teacup puppy is a must, teach children to be gentle and careful with their new puppy.

INTRODUCING KIDS TO PUPPIES

Kids and puppies have lots in common: They’re inquisitive, impatient, and easily excited! This is why it’s important to carefully supervise first encounters between a new puppy and your children. But the rewards are wonderful — a truly close bond and a lifelong love of dogs.

CREATE A COSY SLEEPING SPACE

When you first bring your puppy home, make sure they’ve got their own safe and warm room to explore. It can be intimidating for a puppy to suddenly have access to a massive house!

Let your dog adjust to their new home slowly by putting them in 1 room to begin with. They always need to have plenty of fresh drinking water available and a comfortable warm bed that they can easily climb on and off.

CONSIDER BUYING A PUPPY PLAYPEN

A puppy playpen is a great idea, even if you’re home all day with your puppy.

It gives you peace of mind that your puppy is in a safe, contained place when you’re busy or away from home.

PUPPY STAIRS

Help to keep your teacup puppy safe around the home by buying puppy stairs that go up and down the main pieces of furniture. This will help them get safely on and off things like the sofa.

START TRAINING

The basics include:

  • Basic Obedience. Puppies can start working on basic obedience as soon as you bring them home. Use positive reinforcement to start working on basic dog training commands, and soon your puppy will be able to sit, lie down, and come on command.
  • Positive Reinforcement. Puppies respond well to positive reinforcement methods of training, rather than punishment. It’s easy to get your puppy to repeat the behaviours you like by rewarding her with praise, treats, and games.
  • House Training. The principles underlying housetraining are very simple. You want to teach your puppy to eliminate on a specific surface or in a specific location, while at the same time preventing her from developing a habit of eliminating on any unacceptable surfaces or areas.
  • Routine. Create a routine for your puppy that schedules, approximately the same times daily for feeding, playing, training, toileting and rest.
  • Socializing. It’s about getting your puppy out and about to experience new people, places, and situations. Puppies that are well socialized tend to become more well-adjusted adults.

Once you’ve got these great behaviours established, you can teach your dog to play and even do tricks.

Watch out for bad behaviour, like constant barking. You’ll need to discipline gently to discourage such behaviour. For extra support, you could try a professional dog trainer.

LIKE ANY OTHER DOG, TEACUP DOGS NEED GOOD TRAINING

LET THEM CHEW

When they’re teething, your teacup puppy will want to chew to ease the pain they’re experiencing. To prevent them chewing anything you don’t want them to, stock up on teething toys. Look for toys that:

  • Are interactive and move or make noises.
  • Have different surface types, like rubber knobs and rope.
  • Can be put in the freezer for soothing relief.
When does a teacup puppy start and stop teething?
4 Months Old

The incisors begin to grow in.

5 Months Old

The canine teeth begin to grow in.

6 Months Old

The molars begin to grow in.

8 Months Old

All their teeth ascended and stop teething.

*Some puppies are late bloomers,
so teething may last a little longer.

GROOMING

Brushing helps keep your puppy’s coat shiny and healthy. When washing them,  use only puppy-safe shampoo. You’ll need to trim your puppy’s nails regularly too.

Depending on the type of teacup puppy you choose, they’ll have different grooming needs.

Long-haired Coats

If your puppy has long hair, they’ll need frequent grooming to prevent matted and tangled hair that could limit their movement. Use a slicker brush to smooth them out and safety scissors to trim their hair.

Short-haired Coats

These types of coats are very easy to look after – they need just occasional brushing.

PROVIDE THEM WITH TOYS

Giving your puppy toys will help them stay busy and not look for non-toys, like your shoes, to play with. Teacup puppies love small chew toys, balls and soft squeaky toys.

GET A DOG CARRIER

Keep our pup safe when you go outside by carrying her in a pet carrier bag.