[* Bailey & Kahlua's Mom *]

I am 100% POSITIVE they were only breeding for money. Especially since the mom wasn't even supposed to be done weaning her first litter, let alone already pregnant with her next!!!

Now however, Bailey is healthy, happy, clean, adjusting well and a total pleasure to have in our home (when he isn't having potty issues lol). He is spoiled rotten and very well loved!

I wish I could find out how is siblings are, if they are even alive. Its sickening! :foxes15:

 

[unchienne]

This actually makes me feel really good about the breeder I met a few days ago. I just went to her house to be cheered up, but I had thought that I might purchase from her in the future. All the dogs were kept in their house with them. Most were running around loose, but the two dams who had babies were crated. She only saw me because I was recommended to her by the vet (who I think is hoping I will get a dog to help me with Poppet's death). She keeps in touch with all but two of her buyers. Won't sell puppies until they're 15 weeks of age. Keeps smaller ones longer to make sure they're healthy and cautions all owners about the dangers of low blood sugar in the smaller chis. All of her dogs were friendly...more so than even my good natured boys. They actively came up to me within seconds of meeting me and were jumping into my lap, giving kisses, and pleading to be petted. I saw the dams, and they were friendly too. The owner reached in and gave her a little pat while I was there and let her out for a spell to give her a break from her pups. The pups came out and sat with us too...so cute! They were adorable and hyper little things: running around and chasing each other, playing tug-o-war, and occasionally stopped by for a refill of kisses. It really made my day.

 

[chilled100]

Chihuahua Puppies in London

Has anyone heard of a lady in London who travels around the country buying pups and then brings them back to london for sale? it's bizarre.

 

[voodewlady]

Thanks

I have updated my list of questions for the potential breeders I am going to call soon with most of these questions. I now have like 15-20 questions to ask. I sure hope the people I call can answer them with knowledgeable answers and that I get a positive vibe from them. If anyone has any other advice or questions I can ask, I am all for it! Thanks! :thumbleft:

 

[Vivid]

My dog, although i love her to death, is one badly bred dog. She has several health issues such as food allergies, seasonal allergies and a possible heart murmur. As she grew older she matured into looking like a mixed breed rather than a purebred american pit bull terrier. Some people cant even guess her breed. I brought her home when she was almost 6 weeks ( too early) and she hadnt been to a vet once. None of her issues were told to me when i inquired about her health and the health of her parents.

This is a short list of what i will look for in the next breeder i buy from.
**dogs that are health tested
**Keeps a records of all their dogs and puppies
** Keeps in contact with people who bought pups from a previous litter
**Has a contract that protects all parties ( buyer, seller, dog)
** Is truely dedicated and loves their dogs

Dogs must:
*smell like a puppy and not like scented doggy cologne
*be active and not lumped in a corner
*Have bright eyes with no discharge and an overall healthy appearance

Things to be weary of:
**A breeder who wont let you in to check out the enviornment the pups and parents are kept in or sets up the meeting in a parking lot, park, mall, etc
**A breeder who thinks its ok to breed just because they have a male and female who are both intact
**A breeder who doesnt keep records of their chihuahuas vet visits and vaccinations and especially one who wont give you the contact information to the vet they use.
** A breeder who doesnt know about the diseases that chihuahuas may have or isnt well informed on/ doesnt do health testing.
** Someone who lets chis go before 8 weeks ( not only is it illegal in my state but it could prove damaging for the pup)

I know my reply was rather long but i hope it helps someone

 

[Terri]

This is helpful, i will be armed with even more questions now when i go see the breeder.
I am keen but dont want to let them see that till i know all is as should be.

 

[kitsinya]

I almost got conned out 300 pounds by somebody advertising puppys for sale, they emailed me asking where I lived what kind of home would she be going to and without any answer from me, wanted to know my phone and address for postage, I thought all this was strange and not right but I gave the telephone number and was called by a south African bloke asking for bank details straight away when I asked about the dog he was vague and didn't wana answer questions I put the phone down and luckily didn't give any bank details out, there's loads on the net if the price looks to good to be true then trust me it IS!

 

[Yoshismom]

I edited the Mia's original post to put in a few good links helping you know what to ask a breeder and what a breeder should ask and also how to recognize an unethical breeder ;-)

I will post them here to

http://www.phouka.com/dogs/bdr_irres.html
http://www.phouka.com/dogs/bdr_questions.html
http://www.phouka.com/dogs/bdr_owner.html

 

[Aquarius]

I edited the Mia's original post to put in a few good links helping you know what to ask a breeder and what a breeder should ask and also how to recognize an unethical breeder ;-)

I will post them here to

http://www.phouka.com/dogs/bdr_irres.html
http://www.phouka.com/dogs/bdr_questions.html
http://www.phouka.com/dogs/bdr_owner.html

Brilliant sites Michelle!

 

[Chihuahuasloveme]

If the pups are good enough to go (deemed by the vet) at 8 weeks why should they be kept til 10 weeks? also not all puppies are born with worms if a fecal sample is given to the vet and they saw it's negative they won't deworm the puppies.

 

[Yoshismom]

I just added those links to help some that may have questions. As for the vet, most vets do not do breed specific homework and they look at all dogs the same. They will tell you that there is no reason not to breed your dog because they are healthy and pretty to. I have also seen them come right out and say you should breed. Vets do not always give the best advice other than medical advice. ;-) Also that article stated that the dogs should not leave their littermates until 8 to 12 weeks old. The average pup being usually 8 to 10 wks and Toy breeds being 10 to 12 wks.

 

[AC/DC Fan]

I'm kind of embarrassed to be from the "land of puppy mills," but what're you gonna do. Don't misunderstand--I'm happy to live in Oklahoma--love it here--just can't stand the puppy mill owners.
I bought Mia and Skylar (5 months apart) from a breeder in southern Oklahoma. I really don't think she's running a puppy mill but anything is possible. We did meet about half way between her place and mine since we're a few hours away from each other. We've met her and her husband--they seem like very nice people (early-mid 30's, two young children). I've heard several breeders say that they don't let people come to their property because of having puppies stolen and, as my breeder told me, she had a friend who had a visitor who was apparently carrying some sort of disease and it wiped out half her puppies.
I got each of my girls at exactly 8 weeks (not one day earlier). Mia was perfectly healthy and well adjusted. She is THE sweetest dog on the planet. Skylar was basically healthy, and well adjusted, although she did have giardia (but I don't think that's uncommon in puppies)--nothing a round of antibiotics didn't clear up. After that she developed slimy colitis. Forti Flora, and later yogurt, cleared that up. Knock on wood, I think she's since outgrown it. I am curious as to why Mia's dew claws were removed and Skylar's weren't but can never remember to ask the breeder (we stay in touch via e-mail). The breeder sent Mia home with me along with something to sprinkle on her food and some sort of liquid antibiotic (I think it was) in case she needed it but I never used either of them. Overall, they were both happy and healthy (Skylar never acted ill) and ate and drank like old pros. We couldn't be happier with them. I found this breeder on Pet adoption: Want a dog or cat? Adopt a pet on Petfinder, I believe it was.

Now for my story of stupidity...I bought my daughter a Yorkie last December to be a companion to her other Yorkie. I found her, Lily (3 months), in the newspaper (it NEVER occurred to me that puppy mills advertise in the newspaper as just regular people--I know that sounds stupid but I just didn't realize it). We met the couple half way between their place and ours. Well, Lily had several health issues (nothing that couldn't be treated fortunately) and she didn't seem very well adjusted (although Yorkies are quite different from chihuahuas personality/temperment wise). Her vet even said that he thought she came from a puppy mill. Sooooo, I filed a complaint with the USDA (the couple are licensed breeders) stating Lily's health problems and my suspicions. I've subsequently requested to know the findings of their investigation, but the government being the government, who knows how long it will take to get that (it's been months already). So I could really kick myself b/c I probably should have known better but didn't. I'm happy to report that all Lily's health problems cleared up and she's far better adjusted than she was initially. My daughter (23 y.o.) loves her to death!
I might also add that it was Mia and Skylar's breeder who provided me with the information on filing a complaint. I e-mailed and consulted with her beforehand regarding the situation. She was very helpful.
Anyway, those are my stories. Best of luck to everyone looking for a new baby!

 

[sugarbaby]

If the pups are good enough to go (deemed by the vet) at 8 weeks why should they be kept til 10 weeks? also not all puppies are born with worms if a fecal sample is given to the vet and they saw it's negative they won't deworm the puppies.

here in Australia a vet will worm a puppy no mater what , they also like animals to be wormed every 3 mths .
i also worm any new pets as soon as they come in and also my other pets at the same time , sadly i have never seen a puppy not have worms .

 

[KittyD]

Worms are dependent upon the mothers status.
AJ never had worms and has never been dewormed, that said he was born in a kitchen, and the only dog in the house was his mother, his mother had never been infected with worms herself.

Worms are normal and common in any breeding program, kennel environment.
So it does depend what kind of environment your dog came from.

 

[sugarbaby]

one way to look at it my vet says is if your dog has had fleas it has worms

 

[MyLittleCici]

To be honest I'm the same with your Jolie, I think Cici was from a puppy mill. It's her buisness, and she had LOTS of chihuahuas, but she seemed so nice and as if she really loves all of her chihuahuas :/ who knows. Either way, I love my little Cici, and now I know next time what to look for when I get a chihuahua xx

 

[totally-rhea]

I think this post is good, but I think a breeder is also a case by case thing. Emerisle has been (and still is, I think) cat breeder of the year. She has been for the past 10+ years, and she breeds 4-5 different breeds, has 30+ cats in her home with even more co-owned living elsewhere. She uses talcum powder to groom, so hers always smell really nice. Whilst at first she may appear to fit the generic 'animal mill/back yard breeder' she actually does right by the animals and you shouldn't add someone to a category based on what they do, but also on what they don't. I understand cats are different, but it always irks me when people say someone is a backyard breeder because a person says that someone who does 'this' is a bad breeder.

Every breeder is a 'bad' breeder because no-one is perfect and no-one does everything. People who breed for sporting purpose (such as agility, fly ball, obedience) are criticized because these dogs are very rarely show quality, where as show breeders get criticized because there dogs spend little time getting down and dirty or are kept caged/inside a lot. New owners just need to decide which they can live with and what they want ahead of looking and should only consider puppies who meet those requirements. A cheaper but badly bred pup costs you more in the long run - my mum has a Lhasa Apso and recently spent £5000 getting both his hind cruciate ligaments repaired and then I also had to sleep on the floor with him for a week whilst they healed. I can guarantee a well bred dog wouldn't have surprised her with that bill!

 

[mybug]

Its so sad around our area for puppy mills and backyard breeders! Before we got our 1st chihuahua we had thought about getting a sheltie since my husbands mom owns one and he was such a neat dog. We had called a guy that lived within a 45 min drive from us as we had seen a post in the newspaper with pics of his puppies and he "sounded" like a really good guy. So we took the trip to his country home and were in shock when we pulled up. He had a barn type structure if you could call it that with these 10 to maybe 12 feet long wire runs coming out of them. They were about 3 ft off the ground and 2 cages high on both sides of the buildings. Each side had probably 12 wire runs. they had a small door the dogs could come in and out of the building but once inside there was just a small nesting box area. Definetly not big enough for one sheltie to fit comfortably in but somehow three would manage to squeeze into it to avoid the weather or cold as thats how they were kept year round. He had to have had at least 20 different breeds of small dogs ranging from doxies to sheltie size. The poo under these runs was so gross almost touching the buttom of the runs. Our youngest son I think insulted him (which was true) and said OOO gross all that dog poop stinks. He just gave him a dirty look but never said anything. My husband and I both immediatly asked had the puppies ever had contact (which insulted him again) with people or had ever been out. He said yes but we knew it was a lie. He took the puppies out which were already a good 4 months old and they freaked out as soon as the grass touched their feet!! They had no clue how to react. As much as an animal lover I am and wanted to take them all I told him no thank you. And we left. This isnt the first time we have seen dogs in these conditions around us and we have reported a bunch of them, but they are never shut down and continued to allowed to breed dogs. Its so sad and I dont understand it.

 

[Yoshismom]

I would call the newspaper about them too and tell them to check it out, maybe that would help shut them down?

 

[I<3burbujas.n.kim]

Actually when burbujas and kim had puppies I would only bathe them if they got dirty specially when they started pooping by them selfs. I miss the puppies, kim used to run and do her buisnes and ate and drank water when I got close to the babies. I guess she saw mw as a babysitter. Funny thing is that sh wouldn't do that with anyone else. I remember when she bit the repair guy xD cause he was a bit too close to the puppies.