I know it's crazy! there was a page on FB floating around a few months back, that was apparently a puppy brokers webpage, she was selling dogs to people for thousands of dollars and they were getting shipped sick dogs and dogs that did not even match the descriptions, now in some ways if you're dumb enough to buy a dog like that from a person selling 6 different breeds at the same time.. well not much can be said about that right!

It reminds me of Texas teacups.. ha ha remember them?
I didn't pay anywhere near that much for my babies I just paid the average regional price for registered pedigree dogs where I live.

Love you and those ChiWees too mama!

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I think there is a huge difference between a small Chi from a responsible breeder and a 'tiny' from a BYB.
To me a 'tiny' (I refuse to use the term 'teacup') is a very small Chi who was bred just to be small. BY breeders breed two very small dogs together and charge more for the smallest puppies. These are the dogs that are going to have issues, because they were not selected for anything other than diminutive size.
When a responsible breeder pairs a normal sized bitch (and a responsible breeder isn't going to breed from a tiny bitch under 4 and a half pounds, and often they will keep bigger bitches just for breeding) to a much smaller dog, there will be a range of sizes in the resulting litter. A dog bred this way that ends up weighing less than 3lbs is no more likely to have health issues than one weighing 5lbs. This is because the parents are selected for all the correct reasons, not just size.
My Mouse has had a litter with her previous owner. She is a poor example of a Chihuahua, she is nowhere near standard and she has an undershot jaw. I couldn't understand why they would have chosen to breed from her when they had other, much nicer (in terms of breed standard) bitches to choose from. (They didn't keep a puppy either, so it wasn't because they loved her and wanted more like her.) The only reason I can think of is that she is small. I'm sure her pups would have been labelled 'Teacup' and sold for a hefty price.

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Here all the breeders I've seen have sold the small ones for more. Not ridiculous prices like some I've seen, but still more than the bigger of the litter. Even KC assured breeders. Mylo I got because he was a more average size because I thought there would be less problems in the future when I have children. He'd be less easily hurt. I went for Willow just because I liked her and her breeder. I didn't actually realise she was so small until I got there and then I was afraid of breaking her! She's, if anything, much healthier than Mylo. She doesn't seem to get sick or have tummy upsets the same way Mylo does and she's so brave, almost like she purposely doesn't let her size stop her. Her mum and dad were small (mum was around 4.5lbs and such a lovely, friendly little dog). I haven't weighed Willow but from the weight she was when we got her she's charting to be 4lbs. Saying that, Mylo grew so much so quickly and she's hardly grown in comparison. I don't really have the facilities to weigh her.

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Some breeders do charge a bit more, I think it can be logical as long as it's not extreme and ridiculous you know? Some of those little ones have a slower start and need tube feeding and around the clock care to prevent sugar crashes.

They're both adorable! It's funny how we can have ideas about the sort of dog we want and then we see one that we just know is the one! I never imagined I would have a long coat chihuahua I was certan I was shopping for a short coat and then I saw Bijou!

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I think you're right. I just kind of fell into getting Mylo and it couldn't have been a better decision. He's a little over the average weight (strangely not that big in size) but I think he's beautiful and I love his personality. Same goes for Willow. She's such a cutie but more than anything I love her little personality. I can see why you went for Bijou when you saw him, he is absolutely adorable! Such lovely colours and beautiful little face! I'll have to look for those pics you were talking about because I've only seen the pics in your siggy.

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Yeah it's crazy what people will do and pay. I'm not going to be anyone's "sucker." I could never choose a dog solely for size either. Of course we all have our preference, but I don't want a sickly dog that was bred God knows where. It's just utterly sad to me that there are people that will stop at nothing to have a tiny Chi. I wanted mine within breed standard, and with 4 tinies I do have a soft spot for them, but I'd choose health over size anyday.

Girl, we came across a few wacky breeder websites. And a few BYB's that cracked me up. Remember the lady that sent you a pic of a Chi that sitting in her lap almost covered her entire lap, and told you the dog weighed about 2 lbs. Whoever fell for that, I've got some Ocean front property for sale. So much misinformation out there regarding weight and size. But the whole subject and controversy does my head in.

Thank you my friend! xxx

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If you aren't part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

That's just it, it can be so hard to find them within the standard unless you're dealing with show breeders for the most.

I almost forgot about that!! ha ha ha honestly it feels like a century ago doesn't it? At the time it was very frustrating but looking back now at least I can laugh at all of it! I agree about it doing the head in it's not a topic I ever raise anymore myself, because I find people get really defensive, and I just don't get it! at the end of the day if you have a dog you love and are happy with, nothing else matters! It just sucks when someone has a certain thing in mind & they end up duped because of things they have read online or poor info people have given them. It still fascinates me though and I'm always so eager to share the things I've learned.

We're having another blizzard here as I type, hubby was shoveling the terrace earlier & I tried to let them outside with him, HA! they were not having ANY of that! anyhow. Mimi & Bijou send snowy kisses to the Wee's and are very envious of their Texas sun right about now.

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A lot of people in my area have fatties also.

And someone I knew once had a fat chi who's teeth were quite literally rotting from its head and saw no problem with that. The person worked with animals, there is NO excuse. The dog was young too.

It's quite sad how obnoxious people can be about the size of our babies...and the shape of their heads.

Once I was at the store and someone turned to their friend and very snidely said, "That's a deer head." Like it was some kind of crime. He has a rounded skull but longer muzzle, all the better to keep his teeth IMO. I prefer a slightly longer muzzle because the shorter ones seem prone to tooth loss.

Then sometimes you get nice comments..I overheard someone gushing at the store about Douglas.

Too bad people can't just get along. All dogs deserve love. I went looking for a very small chi and ended up with the larger end of the standard, but love him anyway. (part of the reason for size preference is travel and I live with ferrets..a dog the same size will get along much better than one who sees them as something to eat)