Chihuahua Puppy Care

A Chihuahua puppy can be a great choice of a family pet for many folks, as long as you exercise some caution in deciding where you will get your puppy. Pet stores will advertise, “Chihuahua puppies for sale!” and people will flock to the shop to get their pet. However, pet stores that sell dogs are really nothing more than a broker who is working for commercial breeders and puppy mills that are interested in nothing more than taking your money for a substandard dog. These places do not care about breeding animals that are healthy or well socialized. Purchasing a dog from a pet store is simply asking for trouble.

However, breeders of Chihuahuas are not all created equal either, and you need to be able to determine whether the breeder you select is a reputable one or one that you would be better to stay away from. It is also a fact that some “breeders” offering Chihuahua puppies for sale are merely con-artists that want to take your money and run, but by doing your homework you can protect yourself from these shady types as well.
Finding a breeder is the best way to purchase a Chihuahua puppy for sale, but not all who claim to be breeders really are. To find out for sure, check the registration papers for the mother of your puppy. If the person’s name is on the papers, then he is the legitimate owner of the dog. If not, you are dealing with a broker, which takes you back to the problems listed above.

If you can determine that you are indeed working with the actual breeder, there are then some other red flags to watch for. First, bad breeders will not have veterinarian records for their dogs, often because they are trying to cut corners by cutting back on vet visits. Next, a breeder that does not allow you to see the place where the puppies are being cared for may not be keeping his puppies in a clean environment. Puppies that live in their own waste can be very difficult dogs to housetrain. Finally, no Chihuahua breeder should allow you to take a puppy home until he is at least ten weeks of age, due to the frailty of these small pups.
There are plenty of ways to identify a bad breeder, now let’s look at the ways to recognize a good one. A reputable breeder with Chihuahua puppies for sale will never sell them without ensuring that the people purchasing them will be able to provide them with good homes. It’s not all about the money for a good breeder, but about the betterment of the breed and the best care for the dogs. A good breeder will be willing to take a dog back at any time in the dog’s life because he never surrenders the responsibility of his dogs entirely.

You will know a good breeder because he will let you see where his dogs are raised, and the area will be clean. A good breeder will willingly provide references for you and happily answer all of your questions about his dogs because this shows that you care about the dogs as well. Reputable breeders usually belong to breeder clubs and register all of their puppies with the AKC. By knowing what to look for in a breeder, you are more likely to find a healthy Chihuahua puppy that you can enjoy for many years to come.

Although all Chihuahua puppies are cute, you want to make sure that you get yours from a reputable breeder. If you do your homework in regards to responsible breeding practices and Chihuahua puppy care you will be ready for a long and happy relationship with your new puppy.