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BRINGING YOUR JAPANESE CHIN PUPPY HOMEPreparing for your new puppy before she comes home will make your lives considerably easier. You will need to purchase a medium size crate (unless your puppy is flying to you then one will be provided) large enough for your growing puppy to stand up and turn around comfortably. You may also want to purchase a playpen for your puppy. Depending on your situation your needs may be different if your puppy has a room or area that will hers then you do not need a playpen, otherwise a playpen is a terrific aide in training. For smaller puppies a really great flexible play pen is The Great Wall which is a flexible wall that you can shape around any area and move easily. Please see the paragraph below regarding this topic. You will need to decide the best area for your puppy’s home.
You will need to either purchase some sort of bedding or you can use an old folded blanket or pillow. If you purchase a bed be sure to look for something that does not have foam exposed on the bottom. Your puppy will soon learn to turn over the bed and will begin to slowly chew off bits of foam. A completely covered fleece or synthetic lamb skin bed is what we suggest. For personalized blankets and beds in lots of fabrics and styles visit our personalized bedding store by clicking here. Anything you decide should be fine as long as it is soft and comfortable. Make sure it isn't too large as Chins like to curl up in a snug area. You will also need to purchase at least two stainless steel bowls, small dog toys and chew toys, and a collar that is preferably adjustable and fits 8 – 10 inches. Be careful to not buy a collar that is too large because your puppy will be very small and you want to have a collar that fits him now and not in six months. We have collars and harnesses that fit even the smallest pets, by clicking here. You will also need to purchase a leash. Your puppy will arrive with food for one week so you will need to purchase or prepare whatever food you plan to feed in advance.
If you are picking up your puppy try to plan for as early in the day as possible. Tell excited friends and relatives to stay home. Your pup is a baby and needs a day or two to settle in before she meets the world. If you can pick her up at the beginning of the weekend or a vacation, so much the better. The more time you all have together at first the easier the adjustment will be.
Bring a bath towel, a roll of paper towels and some plastic bags for the car ride home. Chances are that you will have an uneventful trip but will all the excitement your pup may make it a messy trip for you. Some puppies get car sick so you can purchase Travel Aid a homeopathic tincture that will reduce any travel related issues. It’s like an umbrella, if you have the stuff you’ll probably never need it.
The best place for your pup to ride is in your lap on the way home so you will need someone else to drive. Put the puppy in a towel in your lap. If she is squirmy put on her collar for easy holding. You do NOT want a puppy loose in the car. If you are not comfortable holding the puppy then bring a crate with you for her to ride home in. Many puppies fall asleep on the ride home, but some whimper, shake or cry for part of the trip. Others spend their time trying to explore everything nonstop. Those responses are normal reactions to the drastic changes taking place.
Once home, take him right to his potty area. Let him sniff around for a few minutes. He may go, he may not. After a few minutes take him into the room that will be his area for the next few months. Put him down and let him look around. Everyone should sit quietly and watch him get acquainted. He has no way of knowing he is “yours” – so give him some time. If he comes over, speak to him sweetly; scratch him gently on the chest. Let him explore at his own speed. I recommend you keep him on an easy to clean surface.
The only thing she can’t do is develop bad habits. Right from the start if she starts to chew the wrong thing, distract her with a clap of your hands and praise her the minutes she stops chewing. Spraying the object with Bitter Apple Spray will also help deter chewing. If she chews on your fingers or toes this is also normal however you may want to discourage this as well or it could become a problem with children. They will grow out of this when through the teething stage. Give her a toy and praise her for playing with that. When she jumps up, gently place her on the floor to pet her. Tell her warmly how good it is for a puppy to have her feet on the floor.
First impressions really do count, so care must be taken when introducing a puppy to your children, dogs and other pets. Great excitement is usually generated when a new puppy arrives home, particularly where children are concerned. Try to diffuse this as much as possible and keep introductions low key, quickly distracting the other occupants of the house as soon the first meeting is over to allow the puppy to explore and the excitement subsides.
It is helpful if you have really young children, to make a rule that the puppy is not to be picked up. This will enable him to learn that children are friendly and nice to be with. He cannot learn this if he is whisked off his feet and held in an awkward, unsupported way each time he meets them.
Also make it a rule that your puppy is not to be disturbed when sleeping. If you allow your children to treat your puppy like a new toy, you will end up with a tired and irritable puppy. Buying the children a new toy or game at the same time you bring the puppy home may help distract their attention and gives the puppy some much needed space to find his feet. After the first few days, the puppy will lose its novelty value for the children and they will begin to get used to their new friend.
Introducing your puppy to any other dogs in your household is best done away from your home, while out on a walk or in your backyard. Exercise your dog well on the way to collect your puppy and keep them separate in the car. On the way home, take them both out to a new area, somewhere your dog has not been before and away from areas where other dogs have been since your puppy is not fully vaccinated yet. Allow them to investigate each other. Try not to interfere too much but distract them if either looks unhappy with the situation.
When you get home take the puppy in first, bringing the older dog in afterward. Pick up any toys, bones, food dishes and bedding beforehand. Keep excitement to the minimal. If you are worried that your older dog may attack him, put your puppy in his confinement area so they can investigate each other safely. Aggression usually occurs because the older dog is frightened by the puppy running excitedly around his legs. When they have settled down, replace the bedding but keep the toys and bones out of the way for a few days. Try to give the older dog more attention and affection than you did before the puppy came and remind the children to do this too.
Usually, introductions between very young Chins and cats go quite smoothly. When introducing your puppy to an adult cat, restrain the puppy not the cat. If you have a cat that stands up for itself, it will probably hiss and spit at the puppy to begin with and the puppy will retreat. If your cat is the sort that will run away from the puppy, be ready to distract the puppy so that he is not tempted to give chase. Make sure your puppy does NOT chase your cat. Continue to restrain him until the cat is accustomed to his presence and the puppy has learned that the cat is not there for chasing. During times when you are not there to supervise them, keep your puppy in his playpen so that the cat can stay away from him if it wishes. Remember to teach your puppy that cats are not for playing with by distracting your puppy by whatever means necessary. If necessary keep him on a leash to keep him from chasing or taunting the cat.
THE FIRST NIGHT
It is helpful to make your puppy as sleepy as possible before he goes to bed. If he has had a long journey and has spent all day with his new family, the chances are he will be tired anyway. Playing with him will help use up the last of his energy, and feeding a warm meal will also help. Remember to take him out to relieve himself for one last time before he finally settles down. Do not be alarmed if your puppy sleeps a lot. Puppies will sleep most of the day and night when they are young, this is normal and nothing to be concerned about. He may only have short periods where he wakes, eats, plays and then goes back to sleep.
When your puppy goes to bed for the first night, take the blanket he came home with and wrap it in a hot water bottle or gel heat pad. Place this into your puppy’s bed, which will be reassuring and familiar to him. Also place the toy that he arrived with in his bed as well so he has the smell of his mother and siblings to comfort him.
You have three options for sleeping arrangements but whatever you decide you must stick with it for the next few months. If you choose to put him in his containment area and leave him alone then if he cries you must not respond to any noises he makes. Puppies cry or howl when they are separated from whatever they are most attached to; initially this is their mother and siblings. When you bring the puppy home, this attachment transfers itself to you. Being isolated is not a natural state for animals that live in packs and is my view that they should learn to be alone gradually. Leaving a radio on may help both of you fall asleep as well.
Another option is to let the puppy sleep in bed with you. If you are going to do this, do it from the start. If you let her cry for an hour or so and then take her into your bed, the pup learns that if she cries for long periods of time something wonderful will happen. Your last and best option is to take a cardboard box tall enough that she can’t climb out of it and place it next to your bed. Place the blanket with heat pad in the box, the toy and then your puppy. A reassuring pat or a quiet word can quiet any whimpering. Do not over-fuss or respond to every murmur.
If he wakes up, cries loudly and tries to get out in the middle of the night he probably needs to relieve himself. Get up and take him to his designated area. Praise him and produce a tidbit if he goes and then take him back to his box until you are ready to get up. Do not give him any further attention while you are down there; you are there to accompany him outside only. Otherwise he will begin to cry for you whenever he wakes up and finds himself alone. Only when he relieves himself outside should you give him attention and praise for doing the right thing.
After the first few nights, your puppy should be settled into your house and have become accustomed to being without his mother and littermates. Consequently, by the end of the second week in your household, if you choose to he should be ready to sleep on his own at night. He may be a bit unsettled for the first few nights in his new room but do not go in to him if cries when you shut the door. Ignore him and he will soon get used to sleeping alone.
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