[Rascal]

Hi everyone, i am loving this site.
I am going to have a look at some chihuahua puppies today, does ne one know what to look out for? :scratch:

 

[luv4mygirls]

make sure they are active and not lethargic (keep in mind though puppies sleep A LOT) taking naps and being lethargic is 2 different things. if you wake them up and show them a toy or treats they usually perk right up. watch out for dirty ears, crusty eyes with discharge (tears and discharge are different too) wet nose is ok but greeny discharge from nose is not, hair loss, sneezing, coughing, diarrhea, vomiting all are red flags! make sure their environment is clean all the dogs look in good shape...

 

[Rascal]

Thanx for your reply.
I read on one of the links that the puppies should stay with their mother until twelve weeks, but the owner of the pups has said that they will go at six.
(They are four weeks at the moment)

 

[luv4mygirls]

six is waaaaay to early to be leaving their siblings and mother! at 8 weeks i was able to bring my boy home but that's because i work at my breeders and he got to know me from 5 weeks of age and every day i was there playing with him. he let us know he wanted to come hom with how he eacted when i would leave for the night. he was eating on his own and not interested in his mother at all at 7 weeks old, he played with his siblings and everything but i knew it would be ok cause i have my girl who is 8 1/2 months old so she's still puppyish as far as playing goes.

why does she want the puppies gone at such a young young age?

 

[Mia]

6 is far to young, i would seriously question wether this is a good breeder, one of our members recently lost her beautiful little chi because it was given to her too early, puppies should go between 10-12 weeks, altho some breeders will give them at 8 weeks, but the puppies should be of good size and feeding well.
I really wouldn't trust a breeder trying to sell a pup this young, try and do a bit of research on the breeder to make sure they are not a puppymill, try and find it if they have alot of dogs or puppies avaliable. Puppymill puppies are often in poor health and unsocialized.
If you actualy visit the breeder, ask to see where the pups and other dogs are kept
mia
x

 

[BonnieChi]

You should also make sure the pup has been seen by a vet and given a clean bill of health. Ask for documentation of this. You should also ask to see the parents, make sure they are in good health, free of genetic defects, and that if the pup begins to display any defects or abnormalities that you will get a refund (of course this is hard to do because often by the time these kind of things show up you're already attached to the pup and can't let it go!)

 

[Cooper]

I'd also look at the breeder and ask a lot of questions to see how knowledgeable they are on the breed. If I don't feel I can trust the breeder, I don't want to get a dog from them.

Cooper was 6 1/2 weeks when I took him home. I'm going to contradict what the Countess' mother said and say the breeder I got Cooper from didn't use age as a deciding factor in when he released pups but instead, he used weight and overall size. Of course, he wouldn't send a 2 week old pup home with you but some litters, he kept for 6 weeks and others, he kept 10-12, depending. So it varies from breeder to breeder on why they release pups - you might ask and see what the breeder tells you is their deciding factor.

I'd look at the cleanliness of the pup's environment, the interaction of the pups with each other and their mother if she's still kept with them, and just get a general feel of the place and the breeder. I go by instinct in these situations.

But definitely do your own "health check" on the pups. I would also ask if there was a health guarantee, a certificate of health from a vet, etc.

Good luck!!

 

[Ms_P]

This is an excellent article about the development of puppys at different ages, and why they need to be with their mother and siblings.

http://www.chihuahua-people.com/viewtopic.php?t=31

 

[Rascal]

Hi everyone
I just got back, the puppies seemed to be of good health and the owner had many other chihuahuas. Although the surroundings were not bad i feel they could have been better.
I really dont know what to do, the puppies were addorable.

 

[Chico's Mama]

I think 6 weeks is to young to be taken away from the mother.

When my cat had kittens, they didn't go to their new homes until they were 16 weeks old because I wanted to make absolutely sure they were ready and they were fully litter trained.

I agree with Cooper, ask the breeder a lot of questions to see how much they know about the breed. In my opinion, asking questions is a way to tell the good, honest breeders apart from the backyard breeders. The breeder I got Chico from only spoke Spanish, so my husband did all the talking, but this man was very knowledgable (sp?) of chi's.

 

[chimom]

I think six weeks is way too young to be taken from the mother and siblings. Even if they are eating well on their own, in my opinion they still need this extra time with their mother and siblings for socialization. Occasionally, in special circumstances only, it might be acceptable but as a general rule, no younger than 8 weeks. Ideally, 10-12 weeks is best.

I would have serious questions about a breeder who insists the puppies go at 6 weeks of age.