Shih-Tzu Puppy's First Day in New Home?

Question

I get to pick up my first shih-tzu puppy this week. What sort of
things should I do on her first day to help her get adjusted to her
new home. All advice appreciated!

Answer 1

Let her investigate. She will do that. But be close by because she will want to know where you are every second. Let her know that you are always there for her. Day/Night. I will also mention my biggest mistake. I brought my first puppy home in a crate. I should have stuck to it. Especially at night. I did keep the crate close to my bed, and I should have kept the puppy in it. Well I now have 8 Shih-Tzu's and somewhere on the other side of the bed is my husband.

Answer 2

Make sure you have a crate and a blanket for the crate ready. Also, invest in a crate cover if you're getting the wire crate.

Also, be sure you're feeding quality dog food like Artemis, Innova or Wellness.

Do not let your dog up onto furniture and don't let it sleep with you either. You're going to be establishing yourself as the Alpha from the start to AVOID problems down the road.

Depending on the age of your puppy, make sure you have a harness so you can take it out for walks regularly. If you plan to crate your animal during the day when you aren't home, remember depending on your puppy's age, it's bladder can only hold so long. You need to arrange to come home and let the puppy out to go potty or have someone you trust come over to let the pup out.

Be sure not to walk your dog if he/she hasn't received the proper vaccinations.

http://www.leerburg.com has podcasts on all sorts of puppy training topics. I found his philosophy of training matched my dog's needs and our expectations.

Love love love your dog. Don't scold it if it has an accident, unless you actually catch the dog making the mistake, she simply cannot remember. If you catch your dog making a mistake, simply say NO! and pick her up and take her outside. She'll learn after a while.

Keep your commands simple, consistency is KEY in training your dog. For instance, if your puppy jumps up on you and you say DOWN, then you can't say DOWN when you want them to lay down, because you've already conditioned the animal that DOWN really means OFF.

Keep in mind that a dog should not be corrected for bad behavior unless and until the command has been repeated 30 times. 30 seems to be the magic number.

Love your pet, be prepared to forgive the inevitble, and be consistent. You'll do fine!

Answer 3

Will you be getting anything that she had in her former home? I mean, will those who are giving/selling/adopting the puppy to you give you any particular belongings that use to be hers? If so, this would be great! It would do her good to have things that are familiar to her.

Much depends upon the particular dog. Some adapt very easily. Others not so much. You could try limiting her to a small area of the house at first, such as your bedroom. Leave her in there for a while and give her things that she can call her own (bed, toys, etc...), and then gradually allow her to "sniff out" the rest of the house, if you know what I mean.

Answer 4

A dog should be trained on how to eat, walk with you, not to bark, potty training and sleep on its place etc. You can teach anything to your puppy, dogs get trained easily with some good instructions. If you want some good training tips visit https://tr.im/p7n73

If properly trained, they should also understand whistle and gesture equivalents for all the relevant commands, e.g. short whistle or finger raised sit, long whistle or flat hand lay down, and so on.

It's important that they also get gestures and whistles as voice may not be sufficient over long distances and under certain circumstances.

Answer 5

show her around the house, present her with toys, make sure you have a puppy pad down because she's gonna wanna pee. when you see her squat down make sure you pick her up and put her on the puppy pad. our shih-tzu was really playful when we got her so it was no problem keeping her entertained. i'm sure yours will be the same. enjoy the puppy, you'll love it!!!!

Answer 6

Keep her in one room for a few days, then switch. Do it to all the rooms, except the bathroom, do that for 5 min. Then when you've done that, show her the whole house at once. She might recognize the rooms.

Answer 7

Please take him to the vet. My dogs get really upset if I go away for even 1 night, and won't eat for anyone (even my husband) Sometimes this can actually make them physically sick, so please go to the vet. He could be dehydrated from vomitting,.

Answer 8

Id say... let her to her thing and snoop around but also try and get her use to routine like where to go to the bathroom ,her sleeping quarters, etc. And lots of TLC.

Answer 9

Congratulations! Shih Tzu's are wonderful companions. We have a 1-year-old male Shih Tzu named Milo. Can't imagine our family without him. He is a purebred and we got him from this breeder: www.arizonashihtzu.com

Here is info the breeder gave to us:
Your puppy is probably accustomed to sleeping with their litter mates and now it's all alone. Please be patient and understand your new puppy may be very scared, cry and fuss especially at night. Please don't allow your new baby to cry and stress, as this can cause hypoglycemia, information is included below.

Keep your puppy on his vaccination schedule. It's important to keep this schedule or your vet will have to start the whole series of vaccinations over again. Which will cost you more money and give your puppy more shots, they wouldn't have to have otherwise. Not to mention possibly endanger them if they aren't vaccinated on time.

Your puppy should've been wormed. Once your puppy is old enough, we recommend Heartgard Plus, which needs to be given once a month to prevent heartworm and hookworms. You can purchase this from your vet.

Our puppies have been eating dry Eukanuba Puppy Small Breed - it is small which is important because Shih Tzu's will likely choke on food with bigger nuggets. As tiny puppies we offer them Eukanuba puppy can food four times a day and recommend doing this until they can eat the dry food easily. We keep their dry food available all the time. We recommend that you feed the same food, if you choose to change it, do so slowly by adding the new food into their Eukanuba.

Please remember... your Shih Tzu puppy should be monitored closely first few days in it's new environment, making sure it's eating properly. If your puppy stops eating or just nibbles, it is time for action to prevent hypoglycemia. Have baby food on hand, Gerber strained lamb, chicken or veal, usually puppies will eat this, if not they need to be hand-fed until they start eating on their own. Nutri-Cal given at this time is helpful.

Feeding a premium puppy food will keep your puppy looking good, maintaining healthy teeth and fur. It is suggested that you don't change puppy food or eating habits, during first few weeks with your new Shih Tzu puppy. Any changes should be done gradually to prevent upset digestive system and diarrhea.

In your puppy's new environment you'll need to work with and show him where you want him to go potty. Please be patience, as you would with a toddler, Shih Tzu puppies learn with love and kindness.

If you have a real stubborn puppy who doesn't want to mind, we recommend a water spray bottle. Please never hit your puppy, stern voice when he's naughty and praise when he's done good.

We know how much you want to show off your new family member! Although, for your puppy's safety, we don't recommend taking your new puppy to parks or where other animals are until they have had ALL their vaccinations. PARVO is a silent killer of puppies, so think twice before you take your puppy outside. I'm scared of Parvo so we personally don't our puppies outside at all... until they have all their shots. You'll need to make your own decision. Please do not feed or water your puppy outside since the flies carry Parvo and your puppy can get it through food or water left outside. By all means keep your puppy away from any stool on the ground, they think it's a meal and can catch Parvo or worms from eating it.

Also good to know that often puppies try to eat their own stool, it is called Coprophagia. Our vet says it's a warm meal to them... YUCK! Best way to keep them from creating this habit is to clean (pick it up) as soon as possible. Once they start it is often hard to break, so watch closely.

We use Front Line Plus (we also get at the vet) for fleas and ticks although nothing has been administered since the puppies have never been outside on the ground. For our older dogs we also treat our yard with Seven Dust to keep ticks away, we purchase it at Walmart in the garden section.

As with any baby, you want to keep their important parts clean! Sometimes stool gets on their fur and dries hard which prevents them from being able to pass another bowel movement, so it's very important to check and clean everyday.

Check their eyes everyday, Shih Tzus' often have drainage caused from the fur around their eyes that can often irritate it. Carefully wash with a damp soft cloth, also the fur around the eye to prevent it from staining.

Recently I was asked how often they should be bathed? My vet say's, when they're dirty. I'd say not more than once a week, too often can cause their skin to get dry. Some people bath their dogs only once a month, which if they are brushed often maybe okay. Some believe dogs need dog shampoo for it's special PH balance. I personally like to use "no more tears Johnson's baby shampoo" just in case the shampoo gets in their eyes it won't hurt as much.

Grooming is a must for Shih Tzus! Need to be brushed once a day or clipped into a puppy cut on a regular basis. Watch for matts, these can cause terrible skin problems if unattended. The rule of thought, it's important to have the hair in their ears pulled out since if it gets wet it can cause ear infections. The fur between their pads on their feet needs to be trimmed, cleaned so mud will not dry between their toes and hurt their feet. Of course their nails need to be clipped, careful not to go too short.

If you'd like to read about Shih Tzus, we recommend "A New Owner's Guide to Shih Tzu by JoAnn Regelman." If you can't find it in a pet or book store it is available at Amazon.com often in the used book section. Lots of books out there on Shih Tzus, this book is one of our favorites. *Enjoy Your New Puppy!

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Umbilical hernias and tight/pinched nostrils are relatively common in the Shih Tzu...it is our experience that the swelling caused by teething is frequently misdiagnosed by veterinarians as stenotic nares the condition is almost always outgrown by 6 months of age without veterinary intervention. Umbilical hernias are of little consequence...if you are concerned about these "imperfections", please ask if the puppy you are interested in is affected...umbilical hernias can usually be detected by two or three weeks of age...tight nostrils may not be evident until the puppy is teething. If our veterinarian feels surgery is necessary to correct either problem, we will use our discretion and do what we feel is appropriate for the puppy. We do not feel that the risk from anesthesia warrants surgery that is deemed unnecessary.
Shih Tzu, like many of the toy breeds, are susceptible to hypoglycemia and coccidia caused by the stress associated with separation and travel. The importance of making sure a puppy eats (especially during the first 24 hours after transfer) cannot be emphasized enough. It is imperative that the puppy be made to feel safe and secure during this difficult time. Lots of holding, comforting and loving are a must. If the puppy should refuse to eat or shows signs of depression, please contact us immediately.
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More... Important information on SHIH TZU PUPPIES AND HYPOGLYCEMIA

Basic care and observation is very important during first weeks with your new puppy.

It has been suggested that you purchase a tube of Nutri-Cal available at most pet supplies and vet offices. Giving Nutri-Cal morning and night helps PUPPIES maintain sugar level during this adjustment period, thus helping control hypoglycemia.
Watch carefully for signs of hypoglycemia (this happens when sugar level drops), and may be caused by stress from being in new environment, too much excitement, and/or not eating properly. Signs of hypoglycemia are: Staggering, vacant stare, sleeping , lethargy, shaking head in an unnatural way (actually kinda rolling the neck) Also the gums will be very pale white or blue. Should this occur, quick and calm action is required IMMEDIATELY! If you have Nutri-Cal give it to puppy, if not, use clear Karo syrup, rubbing on the tongue and gums. If neither is available, use plain white sugar. Continue with small amounts until puppy returns to normal. If there is no improvement, contact your veterinarian.

Watch for any signs of diarrhea--this will cause puppy to dehydrate quickly. Stress, change of environment, changing food can cause this. Pedialyte is good to have on hand and may be given, also a bit of kaopectate should clear up the diarrhea. Also can give cooked rice and cottage cheese for diarrhea... please watch closely.

Keep your PUPPY warm and dry. They need plenty of quiet time and frequent naps, and should have their own space for napping, just a nice balance, playtime, naptime... etc.

Our vet advises not to use Nutri-cal or syrup on a long term basis because it may create a sugar imbalance. He says if you have a puppy that will not eat to try Gerber's chicken, lamb or veal baby food. Most of the time they absolutely love it! *Remember to make sure your puppy is drinking enough water!
Please let me emphasize that hypoglycemia is not a disease or sickness nor is it genetic or inherited. Hypoglycemia is very common in tiny puppies and is easily managed with proper care. I trust this page is informative and will prove helpful should your puppy become hypoglycemic.
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More information on... HERNIAS IN SHIH TZU PUPPIES as well as other breeds is very common, and is not a medical condition or cause for immediate concern. Please be informed before you agree to surgical hernia repair on your SHIH TZU PUPPY.

The following information is copied from Bullwrinkle.com and is being offered as an educational tool:

"A hernia is a protrusion or bulge of a part of the body tissue, fat, or an organ through an abnormal opening of the surrounding tissue. There are numerous types of hernias, each type named after its affected area.

A hernia which can be pushed back into the abdomen is called reducible. Hernias which are not reducible are called incarcerated. If the blood supply to an incarcerated hernia is pinched off, the hernia becomes strangulated. A strangulated hernia is an emergency situation and must be brought to the attention of your veterinarian."

The most common types of hernias in Shih Tzu puppies are: "An umbilical hernia is the most common type of hernia found in puppies. In case of umbilical hernias, a portion of fat or internal organs protrudes through an incompletely closed umbilical ring. Umbilical hernias may be present at birth, or may be acquired. The most common means of acquiring an umbilical hernia is a result of the umbilical cord being severed too close to the abdominal wall. In most cases umbilical hernias are small and reduce as the puppy grows. Generally, by the time the pup is six months old, the umbilical hernia will shrink and disappear on its own."