You are off to a good start. With the older dog, I think you need a face to face to determine if he is right for you. A grown dog already has his personality...you are not gonna change it much. The only way to know for sure is to actually spend time with it.
Pups, you have the opportunity to train and mold to be the type of pup you want, so you can do a "buy, sight unseen" so to speak, without as much worry. One of these days, I am gonna create a file on what to ask a breeder, since this question comes up a lot, lol. Naturally, you want to know about the parents ect, as you have already indicated, but if possible, find out about the parents parents.....and see if you can see other pups sired by the daddy or birthed by the mom, from prior litters...it gives you an idea what to expect..... See where the pups are being raised. Some breeders will disagree big time, but I honestly feel that an ethical breeder will stick to one or maybe two breeds and no more. An ethical breeder will try to become knowledgeable about his or her chosen breed. There is NO WAY you can learn every thing you need to know about a bunch of different breeds. You can not become an expert in all breeds, but you should attempt to become an expert in your chosen breed. IMO, people who are breeding three or more breeds are in it for the money. In all honesty, and good and ethical breeder will not make profit on their breeding. Yes, they may occasionally come out on top with a litter, but most times, they are barely cutting even once you take into consideration the over all cost. Maybe they made a few hundred on that litter, but it doesn't make up for the litter that costed 2k from c-sections, ect. All in all, there is NOT money to be made from raising pups and long time breeders know that. They breed for the love of their breed and usually end up with less than they started with. Ask anyone who has been breeding for a few years and they will tell you this. What environment are the pups raised in? Do not expect to be able to go into a breeder's nursery. There are often other pups there and their welfare and safety must come first, but a breeder who will not even allow you into their home or allow you to even see any of the other pups than the one you are interested in???? something is wrong...run! Make sure the breeder is willing to be there for the life of the pup no matter what. This does not mean that when you move two years later they are willing to buy the pup back, but it does mean they are willing to take the pup back and/or help find a new home. You should never be on your own after the pup has left the breeder. The breeder purposely created this pup and remains responsible to it for life. Actually TALK to the breeders vet. Don't just take the breeders word for it, ask the vet if they have a good reputation for the care they give to their pets. You can often find out a lot about a breeders true person just by asking the vet how much care and concern they give to their "mutt" compared to their "purebreds", ect. Trust your instinct!!!! This is most important!! If something doesn't feel right, walk away. There are plenty other pets out there! I could go on and on, but I think you already have a pretty good idea of what you are doing.... Marsha ----- Original Message ----- From: Brittany To: [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, December 26, 2006 1:50 PM Subject: [Chihuahuas] Questions when buying a Chihuahua Hello all! I am located in Ohio and have been searching the past few months for a Chihuahua breeder with puppies available. I think I have finally found one but I want to make sure I am buying from a good breeder, what kinds of questions should I ask to find out? What sorts of responses would clue me in to whether they were a reputable breeder or not? I have already emailed her asking some questions about a litter of puppies just born. These are the questions I asked: -Tell me about the sire and dam, both the positives and negatives -What types of genetic/health certifications do the parents have? -How do you evaluate the temperaments of the puppies? -What vaccinations, dewormings, etc. will the puppies have before they leave? -At what age do you let your puppies leave? Also I asked about a 1 yr old she had for sale, what kinds of questions should ask about him? I asked mostly about behavior issues, marking (hes not neutered), and how he does with other animals like cats. Any advice and input you give me would be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much!
