Before your Chihuahua puppy comes home, buy a small crate or playpen, a soft harness (not a collar for walking), a lightweight leash, shallow bowls, the same puppy food the breeder feeds, a litter tray or pads, an enzyme cleaner, a warm bed, a sweater and a high-calorie gel for low blood sugar. Most families spend roughly $300 to $600 on these new Chihuahua puppy supplies.
Most generic puppy lists are written for a 15 lb Labrador at 8 weeks. A Chihuahua puppy at the same age can weigh less than a can of soda. Sizes that are "small" in a pet store are often too big, and a few items on standard lists are actually risky for toy breeds. The table below is the list we would buy ourselves.
The Chihuahua puppy checklist: items, sizes and rough costs
Prices are typical US retail ranges in 2026 and vary with brand and store. Buy sizes for the puppy you have, not the adult it will become. Most adult Chihuahuas stay under the 6 lb limit in the breed standard, so the upgrade later is small.
| Item | Why you need it | Size or spec for a 2 to 4 lb puppy | Rough cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crate | Safe sleep, potty training, travel to the vet | 18 to 22 inch long wire or plastic crate; a divider if larger | $30 to $60 |
| Exercise pen | Safe area when you cannot watch the puppy | 24 inch tall pen with bars no wider than 1.5 inches apart | $40 to $90 |
| Harness | Protects the windpipe on walks | XXS or XS soft vest style, chest about 8 to 12 inches | $15 to $30 |
| Leash | Walks, house training on lead | 4 to 6 ft, 3/8 inch wide, small light clip | $10 to $20 |
| Breakaway collar and ID tag | Identification only, never for leash pressure | 6 to 8 inch neck, lightweight tag | $10 to $25 |
| Puppy food | Avoids stomach upset during the move | Same small-breed puppy kibble we feed, small bites | $20 to $40 a bag |
| Food and water bowls | Easy reach for a short muzzle and short legs | Shallow stainless or ceramic, 1 cup or less | $10 to $20 |
| High-calorie gel | First aid for hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) | Nutri-Cal or similar, one tube | $10 to $15 |
| Litter tray or pads | One consistent toilet spot | Low-sided tray about 16 by 20 inches, paper pellets | $20 to $40 |
| Enzyme cleaner | Removes urine scent so accidents do not repeat | One 32 oz spray bottle | $10 to $20 |
| Bed and blankets | Warmth and a den feeling | Small bolster or cave bed, 18 inches or less | $20 to $40 |
| Sweater or fleece | Chihuahuas lose heat fast | XXS, chest 8 to 12 inches | $15 to $30 |
| Microwavable heat disc | Safe warmth in the crate at night | Pet-safe disc with fleece cover, no electric heating pad cords | $20 to $30 |
| Chew toys | Teething, boredom | Puppy or "petite" size, soft rubber, nothing small enough to swallow | $15 to $30 |
| Grooming kit | Nails, coat and teeth from week one | Small nail clipper, soft brush or comb, finger toothbrush and dog toothpaste | $20 to $35 |
| Carrier | Vet visits, car rides, travel | Soft carrier about 16 inches long, airline cabin size | $30 to $60 |
| Baby gates | Blocks stairs and off-limits rooms | Narrow bar spacing, pressure mounted or hardware mounted at stairs | $30 to $60 each |
Skip retractable leashes, rawhide, cooked bones and heavy chain collars. All four cause injuries in toy breeds that we hear about every year. For the potty setup, our guide to potty training a Chihuahua puppy explains how to arrange the pen and tray.
Why a Chihuahua puppy needs a harness, not a collar
Chihuahuas are one of the breeds most often affected by tracheal collapse, a condition where the rings of cartilage in the windpipe weaken and flatten. Signs include a honking cough, especially when excited or pulling. A collar puts pressure right on the trachea every time the puppy lunges or you correct it. A harness spreads that load across the chest.
Pick a soft vest harness that buckles at the back. Two fingers should fit under every strap. Recheck the fit every week, because a Chihuahua can gain a full size between 10 and 16 weeks.
How to puppy-proof your home for a toy breed
Stairs and drops
A fall from a sofa or a stair is the single most common serious injury we hear about in Chihuahua puppies. Their leg bones are thin, and front leg fractures from jumps of only 2 or 3 feet happen often. Gate the top and bottom of every staircase. Many Chihuahuas also have a molera, a soft spot on top of the skull that may stay open into adulthood, which is one more reason to prevent falls and never let children carry the puppy while walking.
Furniture height
Most couches sit 17 to 20 inches high and most beds 24 inches or more. That is several times the puppy's height. Either keep the puppy off furniture completely or add pet steps or a ramp, and teach the puppy to use them from the first week. Watch recliners and rocking chairs, which can trap a small dog underneath.
Cords, small objects and toxins
Get down at floor level and look. Phone chargers, lamp cords, hair ties, earplugs, dropped pills and sugar-free gum (xylitol is toxic to dogs) are all at a Chihuahua's eye level. Run cords through covers or behind furniture, and keep bathroom and closet doors shut.
Other pets
A friendly 60 lb dog can break a Chihuahua puppy's leg in play without meaning to. Introduce bigger dogs on leash with the puppy in your arms or behind a gate, and supervise every interaction for the first months. Cats usually sort things out with a hiss, but keep the puppy's food away from cat food, which is too rich, and lift the litter box out of reach.
When to schedule the first vet visit
Book a visit within 48 to 72 hours of bringing your puppy home, before you need one. Bring the health record we send with you, a fresh stool sample and a list of questions. Our Chihuahua health guarantee explains the exam window it requires, so read it before you book.
Most vets follow a core vaccine series of distemper and parvovirus combination shots every 3 to 4 weeks until about 16 weeks, with rabies given at the age your state's law requires. Ask about a dental check plan too: small breeds often keep puppy teeth that need to come out later.
The first 48 hours with your Chihuahua puppy
- Arrival: carry the puppy straight to its toilet spot before going inside. Then let it explore one small room only.
- First afternoon: offer a small meal of the food we send home. Do not worry if it eats little, but watch for lethargy. A puppy that skips two meals in a row needs a call to the vet.
- First evening: keep visitors away. The puppy has lost its mother, its littermates and every familiar smell in one day.
- First night: crate beside your bed with the blanket from our house and a warm disc. Set an alarm for one potty trip around 2 am.
- Day two: follow the feeding and potty schedule to the minute. Short naps every hour or two are normal and needed.
- Within 72 hours: the vet check described above.
Keep the puppy home for the first week. Pet stores, parks and other dogs' yards can carry parvovirus, and your puppy is not fully protected until the vaccine series is done.
What we send home with every puppy
Each of our puppies leaves at 8 to 10 weeks with a starter food sample of the kibble it has been eating, enough for the first several days while you transition. We also send a small blanket that has been in the whelping pen with its mother and littermates. That scent is the most effective comfort item there is for the first nights.
Paperwork includes the puppy's vaccine and deworming record, a vet exam record from our vet, AKC registration paperwork where it applies, a signed copy of our puppy contract and the terms of our 1-year health guarantee. If anything on that list is missing on pickup day, ask us before you leave.
Our opinion: the two things owners skip most often are the high-calorie gel and the stair gates, and they are the two that prevent the worst emergencies. Buy them first. If you have not chosen your puppy yet, see our available Chihuahua puppies, read about Chihuahua puppy delivery options, or check our Chihuahua puppy cost guide to budget for supplies alongside the puppy itself.