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[bookwh_ore]

Hi, I'm Kay, and I just adopted a chihuahua. Her name is Mina (my sister said she looked like a bat, which brought us to Dracula, and since we already have a Lucy, we had to have a Mina). She is so darn adorable. My boss has a chihuahua and I frankly cannot stand it. She's yappy and mean and she bites, so I never felt the desire to ever get one (

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Getting ready for puppy

[rozae]

Now, because this was an impulse buy, you didn't get the chance to prepare in advance for a new puppy. It's never too late to become prepared, though. :]

Once shots are up-to-date, obedience classes would be worth looking into. If nothing else, some at-home training would be really beneficial to both you and your pup. Teaching a dog obedience (things like 'sit' and 'stay') is a great way to bond. It also keeps your dog's mind as active as its little paws, which makes for a well-rounded dog. Plus, these commands can come in real handy. They could even save your dog's life. (e.g. A dog that knows to come to you when you say "come" can easily be called back if it gets loose.)

You need to start socializing your pup soon, too. The critical period of socialization (that's the most important time to socialize) ends at approximately 13 weeks of age, so you've got until then to make the biggest impact on her. This is the time where you'll want to expose her to many new things, situations, people, dogs, and animals. This will help her immensely when she's an adult. Socialized dogs are less likely to be fearful or shy of new strangers, act aggressively towards strangers, or have poor interactions with other dogs.

Here are some links I thought might help you out:
http://www.jamesandkenneth.com/behavior_problems.html - Articles on various common dog behavior problems
http://www.clickertraining.com/dogs - Answers to all sorts of doggy dilemmas
http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/our_pets_for_life_program/dog_behavior_tip_sheets/crate_training.html - Crate training. It's a great way to housetrain a puppy.
http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm - "Nothing In Life Is Free," a great way to set rules, reinforce good behavior, and live harmoniously with your dog
http://www.shirleychong.com/keepers/Lesson6.html - Training a rock solid recall (coming to you went called)
http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_BiteInhibition.php - Teaching bite inhibition. This is an important part of raising a well-mannered dog.
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc_poisonsafe - A poison safe home
http://www.petalia.com.au/Templates/StoryTemplate_Process.cfm?specie=Dogs&story_no=257 - Human foods that can poison pets

I hope these help. :]