i got a chihuahua x shih-tzu from the pet store. she is sick,scared,mean,stubborn etc. PLEASE HELPE ME!!!!!!!!

Question

i got a cute little 7 week old chihuahua x shih-tzu from the pet store yesterday. she was $699 and then riduced to $230 i dont know why, she is so adorable!!! i have heaps of probs with her:
she has got kennel cough and her front left foot is limping
she is always hiding behind something
she is pooing and peeing all over my apartment
she growls at me when i pat her and when i hold her, she growls at my friends, she growls when i bend down to give her some dog food (not puppy - to expensive for me).

OK.... what do i give her for kennel cough, the pet store didnt give me anything 4 it?
what do i do for her because she is limping real bad and cries a lot when she walks???
HOW DO I TEACH HER TO GO POO IN A LITTER BOX?
why is she so shy? how do i get her to open up more?
WHY DOES SHE GOWL?

she is annoying when she barks so what can i do to get her to be quiet at night when she wakes me up?

what else do i need for her?

WHAT NAME SHOULD I PICK? - name suggestions help! Ty!

krystal: i asked if she was from a dog farm and they promised me and said no.

OMG!!! she bites me.. i buy her for $230 not $700... and she bites me. i give her what she needs and wants!!!

she isnt a devil she is just scared ok. but i really need to kno wat to do because she is such a hassle and a problem.

my mom says i should just throw her away because she is worse than i was when i was a kid!!! LOL!!! but really.. i need help and telling me that i bort her from some place realli doesnt help a lot.. omg.. OK.. she just did a poo on my $1800 sofa!!!!!! UGH!!!!!!!!!!!

plumcouch: i dont have a car yet because my sister took it for the day and i dont have any money for a vet yet. i got a 3 day health warrinty on her but they said they cant take her back for any injuries she suffered before she got there, or any hireditery diseases she might have! i cant afford a law suit lol. the pet store GAVE me adult food for her because they said that is what they feed all their pups. the adult food she gave me was $29 and she said puppy food is not good for puppies!!!
Luke: my friend has a nice chihuahua, dont bag them. if she has a broken foot, toe or leg - OMG!!! i only have a few hundred in the bank and my credit card is almost maxd out i duno how 2 pay for sergery. well, my friend litter trained her chihuahua x shihtzu.

lenore: i asked y she is limping at the pet store and they said coz she is so small thats what small breeds do when they r young! they said she was already treated for her vacinations and they gave her 1 tablet for kennel cough but it wont take effect for another week. They also SAID, that their vet looked at her and said she was 100.1% healthy and ready for a loving house to go home to. they said the kennel cough was temporary and the leg should heal within a couple days if not, take her to the Emergency room ASAP?

it wasnt cheap!!!!!! $29 for dry dog food and wet dog food, not puppy. i trusted them when they say she is healthy and she doesnt need to go to the vet for her foot. i will take perfect care of her i just need advice, i have only had one family dog before and he was so different!! he was a geran shepard x greyhound!

raysin: i didnt kno , they said 7 weeks is good age to go to a home. 8 weeks is ok as well but they needed to make room for an upcoming litter of spoodles!!
their vet said it was OK and tehy gave her a dose of a tablet but it wont work for a week or 2. the leg they said would heal on its own and i shouldnt worry 2 much.
they didnt say they mistreated her, i asked if they did because she was limping there and she has discharge from her eyes and her eyes have a bit of hard crusty stuff on them.

THE PET STORE SAID I CANT GET MY MONEY BACK FOR VET BILLS OR INJURIES!! OR HERIDITARY DISEASES OR THE KENNEL COUGH OR THE LEG!!!

Answer 1

I don't mean to be rude, but your first mistake was buying a dog from as pet store. In many states it is illegal to sell a dog before age of 8 weeks, so I suspect that your pup is older than 8 weeks and probably has been at the pet store for longer than you were told, which is why they sold her at a discount.

I also hate to tell you you, but the dog needs a vet ASAP. I lost a puppy that I adopted from a local shelter. She started out with Kennel Cough and I took her to the vet the next day. To make a long story short, the Kennel Cough was only a precursor to pneumonia and Distemper. Please take her to the vet ASAP. I don't want you to lose your pup the same way I lost mine.

Of course, or leg will probably need X-rayed, as well. She is probably in pain, which could be one of the reason that she's growling at you.

As for potty training, the best way is to crate train her. Puppies cannot hold their bladder and bowels very long, so you'll have to either take her outside or put her in a litter box whenever she's done eating, when she wakes up, when she's done playing, ... basically every hour or so, depending on the dog. It might take a little longer to train her since she's been in a kennel for so long.

I hope that she feels better soon. Best wishes and good luck to you both.


EDIT TO ADD: I cannot believe that the pet store said that they feed all their puppies adult food. Puppies need the extra nutrients and calories in puppy food. Go to grocery store store and buy a small a bag of Puppy Chow. It's not the best food around and normally, I wouldn't recommend it all, but at least it's puppy food. Just make sure that you don't give it to her all all at once and mix it in with the adult food that she's been eating from he store. Otherwise, you'll end up having to deal with diarrhea on top of your other problems.

Answer 2

Here's the story, and I'm sorry it's too late for you hearing it. MANY pet stores use puppy mills which are horrible to animals!! The pet store isn't going to tell you the truth about that ... also any reputable pet store will give you more than a little 3 - day warranty ... and also, something was already wrong with this little pup's foot or leg. (You said you asked why it was limping in the pet store!) Their answer is ridiculous. You have two decent choices ... #1 - find a good vet and explain your situation and see if they can help. Your little pup is already unhealthy and you may have a hard time with her forever, because of her mistreatment from a puppy mill and a bad pet store. If you choose to keep her, good luck! Choice #2 is: Take someone with you (for support), and your pup, BACK to the pet store and insist on a FULL REFUND! If they refuse, (and remember to remind them that she was already limping AT their store), let them know that you will be taking this dog to a vet AND the local newspaper and will be asking for an investigation of their pet store, so be ready TOMORROW with all their paperwork of where ALL of their animals have come from, how soon the animals left their mothers and make sure all the animals can be traced to every breeder, and make sure the breeders have all the proof they will need. Then say that you hope they haven't been lying to you. IF, and it's a big if ... they take the puppy back, don't worry. It's possible this little dog will never be able to be a good pet. For your own sanity, you need a good pet ... sorry it sounds so bad! By the way ... I know you can't afford a lawsuit, but there are a lot of animal rights groups. That could be a 3rd choice, and THEY would DEFINITELY get an investigation going, plus they'd have your little pup checked out for free. Animals have rights, too!

Answer 3

Let me try and be nice about this situation. You paid $230 for a sickly pup. You say you don't even have her on a puppy food as too expensive?!
You obviously did not even buy a book on puppies. 7 wks old is barely weaned from the mom. Did you get a certificate proving she had been dewormed and first shots? You can not treat her kennel cough which is very contagious and may be why they sold her quick. She is at risk for Parvo which is deadly and highly contagious also.

A sick limping dog is going to act different. You need to call and arrange her first vet visit Monday!! If she makes it over the long weekend. I am serious about that. You may not even have a chance to name her, unfortunately. Pet stores that sell animals could care less for the most part. As someone else answered she is the result of puppy milling. Female dogs kept in little bitty cages all of their lives being bred till they die and producing litter after litter. There is little or no vetting of these dogs. They produce sickly, genetic problems.

Once she sees the vet then you must have her on a puppy food and the vet may specify a certain brand to get her healthy again. She is sick and in pain so she is going to avoid people and growl. She is trying to get you to understand she needs help. I'm sure you may not be so nice if you have a headache or are sick.

The vet may have to alert someone at the pet store after he finds out what your pup has. Sickly animals are sold everyday and for big bucks. Ty, do the right thing by the so cute little pup.

After you have her to the vet and she is getting better then you can ask other questions here. We can't help you undo a big problem that only a vet can.

Answer 4

Don't believe a single word the pet store told you. The dog probably never saw a vet in it's life & is full of God knows what awful diseases. It makes me so mad that pet stores get away with crap like this. Puppies limp when they are little? Give me a break! They gave her "a pill" for kennel cough? I highly doubt it. You have a very sick little dog on your hands & will probably end up paying hundreds in vet bills if the poor thing even survives. She acts the way she does because she's never been around humans before except seeing them thru the cage. Please don't ever buy a dog from a pet store again. They are almost guaranteed puppy mill dogs. Poor things. Hope it works out for you.

Answer 5

First of all, your chi is a little too young to be away from it's mother. The shoppe you bought it from is clearly making unethical decisions.

You need to see a vet RIGHT AWAY. Kennel cough is no laughing matter and if your dog's limb is hurting, the vet needs to check that out too.

This is really a sad story. She's so frightened. That's why she's growling - she's scared and it sounds like the people at the pet store and the breeder mistreated her.

First, go to a vet. Then, get a crate and start crate training her. When you want her to go to the bathroom, take her out of the crate and place her in the litterbox or outside or whatever, wherever you want her to go.

Be patient. Sounds like she's been through a LOT in a very short time. SEE A VET NOW! Then ask the petstore to reimburse you the cost of her vet care if it turns out she contracted the cough and/or leg injury while in their care.

The longer you wait, the more pain your dog will be in, and the harder it will be to get the petstore to take responsiblity for their mistreatment of the animal.

Good luck!

Buy the Small Breed Puppy Food from Artemis ( http://www.artemiscompany.com ). That's what my Chi ate when she came to us from the pound. Do not take any more advice from the pet shoppe you bought the dog from. They are crooks and need to be sued.

Look up Actors and Others for Animals, they often can subsidize the cost of necessary surgery for animals and parents who weren't prepared.

Why did you spend HUNDREDS of dollars on a pet you can't afford to keep? That would be like my buying a Porche but having to live in it because I can't afford my rent.

TAKE THE DOG TO THE VET!!

**UPDATE**

I know these people lied to you darlin' every step of the way. I understand it's not your fault that you believed the bullship they served you. You just sound very young naive and trusting. This is why we are all telling you very strongly to TAKE THE DOG TO THE VET. The vet will tell you what's right and what's wrong. The vet will tell you if the animal was mistreated and what diseases it may have. The vet will tell you whether or not this is a matter of abuse.

We're not picking on you darling, but you really have to stop defending those basturds that sold you the dog, and get it to a vet. Who cares if they told you you couldn't get your money back, who cares what they told you. They've lied every step of the way. They wanted YOU to take the pup off their hands so they wouldn't have a black mark on their record. Guess what? If you do what you should do and go back and make demands, they will make this right for you OR you can write to newspapers, talk to television shows (the news) and smear their name all over the planet which will cost them a LOT more than taking the right care of you will have.

Don't be afraid, don't be intimidated. You do what's right for the pup, and you do what's right for you. That pet shoppe should be shut the frig down.

Incidently, yesterday was Thanksgiving. If they gave you a 3 day health certificate, they knew damn well you couldn't get to a vet within that timeframe given the holiday. VERRRRY shady. I think you should post the name, address and phone number of the pet shoppe here and I think they might just get a few calls or angry letters.

Answer 6

No DO NOT get a puppy from a pet store. The dogs from pet stores are always from a back yard breeder or puppy mill. He is likely to get health problems and may be shy or nervous. If you havn't seen the parents or where he's from than he may not even be a pure bred shih tzu and his parents may have bad temperments or health problems that could be passed on. Look for a reputable shih tzu breeder in your area and get a well bred, well socialized dog or consider adopting. There is always shih tzu's or crosses in the shelter.

Answer 7

First off you have to take her to a vet for kennel cough and the limping. Second try to comfort her by using words like "you are going to be okay," or just humm a soothing song. That is what I did when i got my puppy. Third dogs don't use litter boxes. You have to house break her. Good name would be like Isabel or Maddie, normally that is the trick to getting them to open up! So the barking is easily fixed. Reward her when she doesn't bark during the night and when she does scold her and then if she continues then take her outside. Other things your need are like leashes and a color, name tag, and lots of newspaper. First step in house breaking keep her in the kitchen or somewhere that you can keep her from running around. Get her a soft pillow and stuff too. I hope this helps!

Answer 8

First take your puppy to a vet to have her checked out. Kennel cough should be treated by the vet to prevent pneumonia. Second she is too little to be eating dog food. This is not the correct nutrition for your puppy and can actually cause your puppy to lose weight and give her diahrrea which is dangerous for puppies to get. If this expense is going to be too much for you, there will be other expenses as well. She may be hungry since she is not getting the correct nuturition from what she is eating, and this could be causing her to bark because she isn`t satisfied with what she is eating. Puppy chow isn`t the greatest but it does not cost that much more than dog food and is more nutritional better for her. Also her injured paw may be contributing to her wanting to bite because some dogs react this way because they do not understand why they are in pain. I realize you spent $230 for your puppy, but they are a lot of work and expense as you will have vet bills, plus the extra care of having to clean up their poo and pee. You will have to work with her to get her to go on potty on newspaper. You can litter box train a small dog, but it takes a lot of work and dedication. You should keep your friends away from her until she is used to her surroundings. This is causing her more stress that she is having to deal with.

Answer 9

There should be some type of health guarantee with the purchase. She will need to go to the vet, but you should check with the pet store first, they may have a vet and pay for the visit. As for her temperament, it could be a result of bad breeding or abuse. If it is abuse, it will take time to undo the damage. If its breeding you will need a lot of patience. You can give honey on bread to quite the cough also human over the counter cough suppressant (since its a small dog you should use a cough suppressant for children), until you can get her to the vet. Here's a link on kennel cough...http://www.workingdogs.com/deboerken_cough.htm

I don't know what you've already got for supplies, but a crate is helpful for housebreaking.

As for a name.....no suggestions.

If you need further help, I'm a dog breeder, and may be able to direct you to useful information.

Answer 10

She first needs to be evaluated by a vet.If something is wrong with her that could be the reason for the behavior.Also you should have some health warrenty on her.If not you may have a law suit on your hands.She is not a Dog...Shes a puppy and if you can not afford to give her puppy food then take her back cause it is seriously unhealthy for her to eat dog food.Thats probably why shes pooing everywhere also are you feeding her the same food the pet store did if not thats why shes sick too.He bitchiness if you will is due to the fact she is feeling bad.Dont attempt to pick up a hurt dog.If you can not afford a vet take it back.Dont let the dog suffer.she will not learn anything until shes healthy.