For your Chihuahua puppy's safety, you need to not only puppy-proof your home and have a regular and emergency vet's number by the phone, but you need to make sure your Chihuahua puppy's name is sensible. Your pup will get into a lot of mischief ? some of it potentially lethal. Your Chihuahua puppy will need to learn to pay attention to you and look to you for guidance. You can't do that if you don't give the pup a name that he or she ignores.

Keep any toxic chemicals, cleansers, people medications or chocolate out of the reach of your new Chihuahua puppy. Get childproof locks for cabinets if you have to. If you keep plants indoors or outdoors, look them up to see if they are toxic. Just a nibble may be lethal for Chihuahua puppies. Get rid of any plant you are unsure of. Spray bitter apple or a dog chew deterrent on any electric wires that you can't move, cover or tape up onto a wall. This spray is available in any pet store.

Chihuahua puppies do not mix well with other dogs, since they can be easily killed by one bite. They need constant supervision, such as any other newborn. They need to be protected from extremes in temperature because of their small size. It is best that they live inside the home with you all the time. Chihuahua puppies (especially the short haired kind) shiver often and very easily. This is not always because they are cold, but also when they are agitated or nervous.

You need to keep a close eye on your Chihuahua puppy's health. Since they are so small, they dehydrate very quickly and can die from it. Any vomiting more than twice a day and any diarrhea needs to be dealt with immediately. Don't give them lots of table scraps or milk as this can give them diarrhea. They need good quality dry and wet dog food. Dog food is actually more nutritious than the stuff you are eating.

Hopefully, you do not have any small children, a large parrot or another dog in the home when you decide on a Chihuahua puppy. They can and will accidentally hurt the puppy. You need to constantly supervise when they are together and keep them separated when you cannot.

You need to have a vet before you bring any kind of puppy home to deal with emergencies, vaccinations and neutering. Keep the vet's number by the phone.

This might sound daunting, but bringing home a newborn human baby is more work than a Chihuahua puppy. They grow quickly and learn even quicker. With a good name, positive reinforcement and a sense of humor, you will be able to voice train your Chihuahua puppy in a matter of weeks or months.

You can't do that with a kid. And they won't drop out of college on you, either.