High Point, North Carolina

Holly & Sean

805-794-1447

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Choosing Your Puppy and Breeder

The easiest way to find a wonderful Chihuahua puppy is by finding a good breeder that you can trust .When looking for your puppy, it is critical to know what you are looking for in the breeder’s home, the puppy’s parents, the litter and the puppy itself, in order to make the best choice.   The breeder should be happy to have you come by.  Most breeders will not allow visits with the puppies until they have received there first round of shots.   Never schedule a visit if you are sick or have been exposed to someone sick.

The condition of the  breeder’s home and the environment in which the Chihuahuas are raised can tell you a lot about the potential health and temperaments of the dogs.  The breeders home should be clean and neat with no signs of canine illness, such as vomiting or diarrhea, or inept care, such as mounds of hair, offensive odors, dog stools or urine stains.  The adult Chihuahuas present should be happy, healthy, beloved house pets.

Most Chihuahua breeders  recommend puppies be whelped and reared in the home.  In a kennel is not an environment to whelp tiny Chihuahuas.  Raising Chi puppies in the home exposes them to normal family  activities both through sight and sound.  Raising puppies any place other than a home , separated from human contact makes it difficult for puppies to be housetrained and also they have a hard time learning to trust and love humans.  

While at the breeder’s home observe if organized accurate records are kept for both adult and puppies in regards to vaccinations, dewormings and all other mating and health records.

You should meet the parents and observer the parents temperament.  Judging an adult Chihuahua’s temperament can be difficult even with with well bred good natured Chihuahuas.  Do not expect the parents to greet you exuberantly and try to leap in your lap.  This not the norm for Chihuahua temperament with strangers, especially for a mom.  The parents should allow you to examine them in a controlled situation, they should not bite but do not expect them to love you either.  Chihuahua love there home and there owners.  They are very protective of there family  and make excellent alarms.  You will never need a door bell that works.

The parents health is also an indicator of a breeder’s experience and concern with the dogs.  The parents should look clean, alert, energetic and in peak condition.  One of the best indicators of a good breeder is the condition of the dogs nails, teeth and coat.  You should be able to tell that they are well cared for.  You should not see signs of nasal discharge, cough or goopy eyes, nor should they have potbellies, which is a sign of heavy worm infestation.

Please remember that pregnancies often wreak havoc on a female Chihuahua’s coat especially on a long coat.  Long coated Chihuahua moms normally blow (lose)  their coats shortly before or after giving birth.  The  remaining coat will be stiff and brittle.   There will be short soft coat coming in down at the skin level.  A mom that has blown her coat is not a sign of mistreatment or malnourishment, as long as all other signs of good health are present.

Remember when you come to visit the puppies that they could just have woken from a nap  or are getting ready to go down for one, think of them just like a baby.  You should allow the puppy to come to you.  A puppies behavior with a new person is going to be based on the person.  A person who is loud or grabby can frighten even an outgoing puppy.  Observe how the puppies interacts with the breeder or the breeders family.   Let the breeder know what you are looking for in your puppy.  When it comes to size remember a can only estimate but not guarantee.  Some puppies grow quicker because of litter size being small but slow down later.  Some take longer if the litter size is big but there growth takes off later.  

Okay you found a good breeder, but you are not certain whey the puppy they are offering is labeled “pet quality.”  Are you getting a bad dog?  In most cases no.  The differences that separate pet quality pups from those with show potential are usually cosmetic and won’t affect their ability to be a great Chihuahua companion.  Some of the faults that might make a puppy pet quality rather than show quality  are just personal visual preferences.   Size is always an issue.  Smaller males are always preferred in the show ring, so a male that is 6 lbs might not be kept for showing but might be great with kids.  Now on the flip side a larger female is preferred because you do not want a female that is to small when it comes to breeding, but yet it seems like everyone want the small pocket size Chi if they are not breeders.  You can guarantee if you are a breeder that you will wind up with a small female unless you wait until they are almost full grown.  Some breeders have color preferences.  They might sell as pets dogs that lack flashy markings or are not the color that they want.  A tooth out of alignment can be enough reason not to keep a dog for show, as can an overshot or undershot bite, by this time the pup is usually 6 months old.  Other cosmetic faults include less than perfect head shape, a body that is too long in proportion to height, low tail placement and ears that droop.  Puppy ears will droop while very young and while teething.  The most important thing you as a pet buyer should look for is a puppy that is mentally and physically sound.

No lag time, all information is current.  Web site is changed first then any listings.

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