We show and breed the chihuahua because we love and enjoy the breed, want to improve it and provide people with healthy, well-socialized chihuahuas that are wonderful representations of the breed.  However, there are many individuals out there that breed chihuahuas carelessly and/or for profit only.  I urge anyone that is interested in acquiring a chi to PLEASE go to a reputable and ethical breeder. Here are some tips to remember:
 
A reputable breeder will:

Ask you questions:  Some may seem a bit personal, but remember: we love our dogs and want them to go to the best homes possible.  We have done so very much more than simply pairing a male and female.  If what is behind your prospective puppy does not concern you, then perhaps a hamster or another short-lived pet might be best for you.  Fifteen years is a long time to live with an unhealthy or mean dog.

Answer your questions:  He or she will be patient and willing to speak with you at a time convenient to both parties.  If the breeder states that no genetic/hereditary problems have ever plagued her lines, she is dishonest. 

Have nothing to hide:  The breeder should allow you to see his or her chihuahuas and where they are housed if seperate from the home.  The dogs should be clean, well kept, and appear healthy. The house may not be spotless, but the dogs should be. If the house stinks, the dogs are covered in filth, the cages are disgusting - leave and leave quickly.

Stay in contact:  He or she will be available for questions or conerns throughout the dog's lifetime.  The breeder should also offer to take the dog back if ever the buyer cannot keep the dog.  The breeder is responsible for the dog she/he created.

Preferrably Exhibit their dogs:   Breeders that show their dogs are adhering to the written standard for the breed and judging their dogs accordingly.  This means that a chihuahua will look like a chihuahua, and act like a chihuahua.  Breeders that do not show are likely not very knowledgeable not only when it comes to how a chihuahua should look - but on important health and genetic matters as well and you may very well pay for their mistakes!  There are exceptions of course, but if you want a chi that looks like a chi go to a show breeder.  On the other hand, if the show breeder is obviously more interested in ribbons and awards and her status than in her individual charges, seems unintersted in or brushes off your questions pertaining to potty training and other pet-related issues - go elsewhere.  Unfortunately, there are those breeder/exhibitors who are more interested in winning than the well-being of their dogs.

Contracts:  A contract outlining what is expected of both parties at the time of purchase and beyond.  Many breeders state that said pup should be seen by a veterinarian within a certain period after puppy is obtained/purchased.  Often general care is mentioned and what to expect if the dog becomes ill or dies or simply needs to be placed elsewhere.  A breeder SHOULD ALWAYS take back (not necessarily buy back) one of his or her dogs if the situation arises.   There should be a clause to this effect in the contract.  The breeder brought the dog into this world and he/she should be responsible for the dog's entire life. 

Stand Behind his or her dogs:  A good breeder will offer a refund or replacement puppy should the puppy become ill, disabled, or die strictly due to a hereditary problem.  Examples, crippling patellar luxation, hydrocephalus, epilepsy. This is an ethical breeder's worst nightmare and he or she should work with you and honor the contract.

Watch out for the following:

Stay away from individuals offering the following:

- Rare colors or patterns for higher prices.

- Guarantee of adult size (not possible!)  An educated guess based on experience and one's lines is all you can offer new owners!  A guarantee is crazy and probably goes along with a "T-cup".   Hmmm, perhaps I should start up a new type of chi for financial gain....nah, I'll stick to the BREED STANDARD!

- Teacups, short hair, long haired.  These terms are not used in our breed.  We have smooth coats and long coats.  Again, teacup is not a recognized term.  No knowledgeable breeder will use it.

A NOTE ON MERLES:   There is much controversy over the merle pattern in chihuahuas.  I will not go into detail about the genes responsible or the problems such as blindness, deafness, that can occur from two copies of the merle gene.  What I will say is that I believe that the merle pattern was created very recently by crossing the chihuahua with another breed that is known for carrying this pattern, such as the dachsund.  What this means is that the merle chihuahua is likely not a purebred.  There are those that disagree but the majority of pro-merle folks are "pet" breeders.  Pet breeders are not typically as concerned about lineage or true type.  It is very possible that the first merle was created in a puppy mill where the chances of mixing breeds is higher due to mass breeding.  Puppy mills (as well as unscrupulous breeders) have no qualms about falsifying documentation.   And we already know that their first priority is money.

The debate over merles has become such a nasty, hateful ordeal.  Although I have no interest in the pattern itself, I can understand that some breeders may like this look and want to incorporate it into their breeding program.  But these breeders need to consider the very real probability that they will be introducing unpure genes into their bloodlines, thereby taking many, many steps backward in their quest for true type.  I personally do not believe it to be worth the risk, all health issues aside.  I do not want what I have been diligently working toward tainted by questionable lineages.  Those that say merle has been in chis all along are being delusional -  merle is not a recessive gene - meaning it has not been hiding out there in various chis waiting to be brought about via some fateful breeding.  Although I have been a serious chihuahua fancier for only 11 years, I have been a student of all purebred dogs since about eight years of age.  I NEVER saw a merle chihuahua before the last few years.

Therefore I simply cannot accept merle in our breed and choose not work with anyone who is incorporating this pattern into their lines.  These people are not looking to the breed's best interest.  Period.

Poor Quality Breeders:

There are so very many sites on the internet by these breeders.  These are typically the first to come up on search engines under general searches or sites dedicated to breeders - and lots of them!  They often have kennel names such as "Cuddley" or some other silly name and do not show their dogs or even care about the breed standard.  Often these dogs barely resemble a chihuahua and the prices are astounding!  They may love their dogs or they may just flat out rip folks off.  They may not be serious about breeding, not study like they should or keep up with the health issues pertaining to their breed.  Better to search for personal breeder sites and ask breeders if they show in conformation.  Showing is not elitist and is not a beauty contest.  Breeders who disregard this important element are often breeding indiscriminantly and carelessly.

Puppy Mills:
A puppy mill does not have to be huge (but many are) to be a puppy mill.  These people offer many breeds and likely sell to pet stores.  They breed for profit only and care nothing about the dogs.  A person who breeds many breeds cannot possibly be taking the time necessary for continual education, socializing the puppies, and they most certainly do not exhibit their dogs.  These places are only breeding for profit, and do not care if their charges have health problems or even if they resemble the breed.  Many dogs from such places will have issues with house training, poor temperaments, and even crippling genetic defects such as luxating patellas.  Remember - a person who loves his or her dogs will NEVER, EVER place them in a pet store to be sold.  And if they don't love them, why would they care if they are sound?

Backyard Breeders:
A backyard breeder is a person that has a couple of chis and decides to breed them perhaps for the fun of it or for the kids to see.  The dogs are probably not breeding quality, the people know little about chihuahuas, and you will likely find their ad in the newspaper classifieds.  Again, they usually know nothing about what is behind their dogs, whether they are sound, or if they even look like chihuahuas.  While these folk are certainly not evil such as the puppy millers and internet breeders, buying a puppy from BYB's is not recommended.

Internet Breeders:
I have seen so many "internet breeders" promising a happy, well adjusted pet with just the click of a button.  The difference between the "Poor Quality" breeders above and the internet breeders is that the full intention of IB's is to scam, while the PQB may love dogs but not know what they are doing. Internet breeders have photos of chihuahuas galore, and for the reasonable price of only $1200!!!  Or more!!  It is sad, these sites have pathetic looking chis and some have hundreds!  I have noticed some that even warn of puppy mills.  Nice try. They ARE puppy mills.  A reputable breeder does not have dozens of puppies available at all times. It would be impossible to properly care for, socialize, and evaluate dozens of puppies at a time. These are simply the internet version of puppy mills.  Some reputable breeders may have but one or two litters a year - BUT they can and should refer you to another good breeder that does have puppies available.  There are plenty of good, ethical breeders out there!  Please do not support these "internet breeders" as they are doing great harm to the world of purebred dogs.

Finally....mixed breed producers:

The mixed breed has become popular as a designer breed.  Poos and puggles and on and on.

This is sad.  The animal shelters are full of mixed breed dogs and you won't pay rediculous prices.

These are not breeds.  They are mixes, or mutts.  It is irresponsible and dangerous to do this and

those that continue to breed mixes are inconsiderate and moronic and simply out for profit.  Don't be

a sucker.  If you want to spend a good deal of money - buy a purebred.  Uneducated folks throwing two breeds together are asking for trouble.  All of our AKC recognized breeds were bred for a specific

reason.  For example, herding, hunting/retrieving, or simply companions.  Many of the breeds when crossed can produce horrible temperaments and other health issues. 

Bottom line, it is stupid to buy a mixed breed dog.

A chi is a chi is a chi....six pounds and under.
If a "breeder" advertises teacup chihuahuas - RUN!  Why?  Because there is no such thing as a teacup chihuahua.  But the price the term commands is real enough!!  A true breeder adheres to the written standard of the breed which states that a chihuahua is not to weigh over six pounds.  That's it.  The word "teacup" was created by those less ethical and greedy to lure in prospective puppy buyers with very small dogs.  Truth is, you can not breed for size.  A very small chihuahua can occur in any litter and a large one can occur from two tiny parents.  A very tiny chi that weighs less than three lbs. may not be healthy or may not live very long. 

 I know someone that saw a woman at a flea market carrying a puppy that appeared to be a terrier of some type.  My friend approached the woman and asked her what kind of puppy she had.  The woman replied, "a very rare teacup chihuahua".  Trying to keep a straight face, my friend asked politely, "how old is he? how much does he weigh?"  The woman answered proudly, " three months and eight pounds".
There is a lesson or two to be learned here.  Read and learn everything you can about your chosen breed before buying, and do not promote the irresponsible breeders such as the one where that poor woman bought her puppy.  For additional info regarding the term T-cup click here.

Pricing/Adoption fees:

You will find much variation in pricing for chihuahuas.  There are internet sites as mentioned above that offer chis for outrageous prices.  Many use gimmicks and false advertising.  Most barely resemble a chihuahua!  I can think of one in particular (email me for the kennel name) that states "For those who can afford the best".  This is laughable because she does not show her dogs and many don't even look like chihuahuas.  (Her kennel name is mostly vowels - four letters -starts with a vowel, ends with the "sometimes" vowel.)   People such as these do not have the breed's best interest at heart and simply want the money.  You also have the ads that advertise that celebrities own their dogs.  Well, to put it bluntly, celebrities can be stupid too!

Be careful and ask questions.  Be smarter and well-informed. There are always people ready to rip you off.  Why not buy from a breeder with outrageous prices or the celebrity gimmick?  Because money is the most important factor in their breeding practice and in order to make money breeding dogs you MUST be doing something wrong.  Improper care, poor nutrition, filthy facilities, careless matings, the list goes on and on.

Some people ask me how much my chis are and when I tell them they say something along the lines of "I'm not wanting to spend that much".  That always baffles me because my adoption fees are VERY reasonable.  In fact, I paid what I am asking now over ten years ago!  These folks will likely go the newspaper classifieds route.  And sadly, they will get what they pay for and then pay more in vet bills and/or have people ask them what kind of dog they have.

Don't go this route.  You will be sorry in the end.  Asking price for most reputable breeders is not much more than your back-yard-breeder will ask and MUCH less than what the rip-off artists command.

Please, do your homework and find a responsible,ethical, show breeder.  You will have years of love, lifetime support, and the pride of a beautiful, well-bred chihuahua!

Please help us protect purebred dogs, email this page to anyone interested in buying a purebred!