Chinese Crested puppies

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Chinese Crested puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A toy breed puppy at eight weeks is small enough to be genuinely fragile. It can be hurt by a jump off a sofa and by being stepped on, and toy breeds are prone to low blood sugar, so it needs frequent small meals rather than two big ones. Expect moderate energy, in short bursts separated by long naps. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Primary lens luxation, in which the lens slips out of place and can cause glaucoma, detectable by DNA test
• Progressive retinal atrophy, rod cone dysplasia type 3, detectable by DNA test
• Patellar luxation, a slipping kneecap, found on a patella evaluation
• Legg Calve Perthes disease, a degeneration of the hip joint head in young dogs, which shows on x-ray
• Glaucoma and other eye disease, screened by an ophthalmologist evaluation
• Missing and crowded teeth in the hairless variety, which makes routine dental care important

From Chinese Crested breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/chinese-crested/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Your Chinese Crested puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Toy for a Chinese Crested.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 3.6 to 5.4 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Other toy breeds

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