Within a few days of bringing your puppy home, you will need to visit your vet for that all-important first health checkup. Although you may have received a health guarantee and health record from the breeder, your own vet may discover problems that need addressing and should be documented in case you need legal evidence to enforce any guarantees down the road. Treatment of congenital problems or diseases can be extremely costly, so this exam is necessary for your own protection and for the health of your dog.

If you do not have a vet, ask your dog-owning friends, a local groomer, or the breeder for suggestions. Make sure the vet has plenty of experience with toy and small breeds. Bring along your puppy's health records, and ask any questions that pop up. Until the pup has completed its vaccination schedule, you will want to keep it home with your family because it is in the process of losing the immunity protection provided by its mother. During the gap in this protection, it will be highly susceptible to germs and diseases.

The entire subject of dog vaccinations is in flux at present, the general belief now being that dogs no longer need yearly vaccine boosters as the protection given by immunization lasts longer than previously thought. In addition, overvaccinating can be destructive to a dog's immune system. Toy, small, and elderly dogs often react adversely to vaccines, sometimes running a low-grade fever, experiencing muscle pain, and being generally exhausted for as long as two days after receiving their shots. At present, there is a philosophical split between traditional and holistic or homeopathic vets in the delivery of medical care for pets. You need to ask your prospective vet where he or she falls in regard to the changing protocols regarding vaccinations as well as all aspects of veterinary care.

Toy and small-breed pups usually start being vaccinated at six to eight weeks of age, and they are given boosters every two to three weeks until they are four months old. In line with current research and the trend toward holistic care, many vets no longer advise combination shots of vaccines for distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parainfluenza, and parvovirus for dogs in general and especially for small dogs.

No matter what vaccination schedule you and your vet decide upon, your dog needs to lead a sheltered life until it is fully protected against these diseases. Avoid puppy kindergarten, play groups, the neighbor's dog, the grooming salon, the public park, and any other places the young pup is at risk of picking up bacterial and viral infections. An occasional car ride to get it used to travel and to ward off nervous car sickness is a good idea, but other than that, the puppy can get all the attention and socialization it needs at home with you.

You will also want to ask prospective vets other questions about their practice:

• Are they general practitioners, or do they have certain specialties?

• What kinds of surgery do they provide? Are they affiliated with any teaching hospitals?

• Do they give to the community, offering their services to humane societies or rescue groups?

• What about emergency care when they are not available?

• What are the costs for their services?

Finally, you will want to feel a certain bond with this important healthcare provider. Call it bedside manner or personality style, it helps to feel like you are on the same wavelength and that your vet sincerely cares about all aspects of your dog's life. Choose a vet as though you and your dog are establishing a lifelong friendship as well as a doctor/patient relationship.