Beware signs:
Look out for a breeder who says "After you get one of our dogs, you'll never want any other".
This breeder is obviously kennel blind. Kennel blindness is an ailment that is unfortunately common in a wide number of breeders.
An honest breeder will tell you the good points and bad points of each dog, and YES, chihuahuas do have bad points. There
are a lot of good breeders out there, and anyone who tells you you should purchase one of their dogs and nobody else's is
definitely obsessed with money, not the good of the breed or the satisfaction of the purchaser.
Beware of the breeder that uses the term "Teacup chihuahuas". There is NO such thing
as a teacup chihuahua. This is a sales ploy to give some unethical breeder an excuse to charge over a thousand dollars for
the runt of the litter.
Beware of the breeder that sells spayed/neutered dogs for sky-high prices. Spaying
and neutering pets is a good idea for any breeder to do, but there are those that have older spayed/neutered dogs for sale
for thousands of dollars. This is not right. What is the point exactly of selling a spayed or neutered pet for $1200 or more
when you cannot even show the dog?
Beware of the breeder who charges thousands of dollars based on color or size. The
only exception should be those colors that are troublesome to breed, and requires a lot of research on the breeder's
part, like merles. And a real good breeder will research a line or color very well, and know all the in's and out's before
breeding that color.
One common misconception breeders get about other breeders is the misconception
that it is wrong to breed 2 or more breeds. While we only work with chihuahuas here at Luv-A-Puddy, there is nothing conceivably
wrong with breeding 2 to 3 different breeds. A responsible breeder will keep excellent records of what is being bred, and
will not breed an unplanned litter. The type of breeds the breeder decides to breed is up to them, and when they take on 2
different breeds, a good breeder will take on the responsibility. To some other breeders, they will say one breed is enough,
two breeds is difficult. Difficult, but not impossible. Three different breeds is closer to impossible, but definitely four
breeds is impossible. Any more than three different breeds with a single breeder is a red flag sign for the consumer.
Signs of a good breeder:
A good breeder will give you a health guarantee with each puppy. This health guarantee
is good for 5 years or more. Chihuahuas are prone to health problems, such as thyroid problems, patella luxation and dislocated
elbows. While it is unconrollable that the dog will suffer arthritis problems in it's old age, a good breeder will offer to
take the dog back within the 5 year period, or help the new owner out with the medical bills incurred on the purchased dog.
A good breeder will not try to hide a puppy's bad points. A pet-quality puppy will
always be sold as pet quality. Such puppies will even come out if both parents are show-stopping champions as Nature plays
no favorites, and knows no blue ribbons.
A good breeder will help the consumer with puppy problems no matter what. We at
Luv-A-Puddy like to keep in touch with anyone who purchases one of our babies, and we will answer as many questions as we
can. We can answer some questions about ailments, but we are not vets, and giving vet information is immoral. A real
good breeder will not try to take the place of the vet (unless that breeder happens to be a vet).
