# Must ask questions when buying a chihuahua pup?



## succo (Oct 30, 2012)

Going to view a little girl tomorrow. Had a very good long chat with the owner on the phone. Shes 5 gen pedigree, very small. Her parents are also their pets. She has been wormed/flead. Im sure this has been covered but im having problems with my browser and searching is difficult so I was just wondering if there are any must ask questions i can take with me?

Thanks!


----------



## pupluv168 (Mar 7, 2012)

1. ”What is your primary goal in breeding—do you breed primarily for conformation (the physical structure and appearance of the dog and how closely it fits the breed standard) or temperament?” 

A good breeder breeds for both. A responsible breeder breeds to eliminate physical traits that can cause health problems for the dog (weak backs or hips, overbites, allergies) and also tries to produce dogs of sound temperament—dogs who are not aggressive, who do not snap or bite out of fear or nervousness, etc.

2. “Why did you breed this particular litter? What are you hoping to accomplish in your breeding program?"

With this question, you can find out a lot about how serious this breeder is and how careful about breeding negative traits out and positive traits in. A breeder who can’t answer these questions is not a breeder you want to deal with.

3. “How long have you been involved with this breed? What can you tell me about the breed’s history, its strong and weak points, and whether it might be right for me?”

Everyone has to start somewhere, so the length of time a breeder has been breeding dogs is not the most important fact to know. But asking this question will help you eliminate the breeder who says this is his first dog and what he knows about the breed is that they’re really cute and fun to be around. Look for someone knowledgeable. Good breeders love to talk about their breed! And in answering this question, a good breeder will ask you questions!

4. “How old are your puppies when you sell them? Will the puppy have had all of the necessary inoculations when we get it?”

Reputable breeders do not release their puppies until they are at least eight weeks old; in some states, it is illegal to sell a puppy before that age. A breeder who is willing to sell you a dog younger than eight weeks old and who says they will tell you what further shots will be necessary either doesn’t know, or doesn’t care, what he or she is doing.

5. “What are the most common health problems with this breed?”

Look for a breeder who will answer questions about health honestly and knowledgeably.

6. “What happens if we buy a puppy from you and it doesn’t work out?”

A good breeder will not only say it’s OK for you to return a puppy that isn’t working out—a good breeder will demand it. Good breeders want to guarantee that their puppies will not end up in kill shelters or wandering along the side of a busy highway.

7. “Do you provide any incentives for new owners to spay or neuter puppies they buy from you?”

A good breeder understands how difficult breeding a sound dog can be. A good breeder understands the pet overpopulation problem. A good breeder will encourage you to spay or neuter the pup. An excellent breeder will not allow you to register the pup with the AKC until you have provided proof of the surgery.

8. “What kind of help can we expect from you after we have taken a puppy home?”

Expect a good breeder to be willing to offer advice on housebreaking, obedience training, and dealing with problems after you have bought the puppy. Good breeders care about what happens to the dogs they produce and will want to do whatever they can to ensure that their puppies are doing well in their new homes.

9. “May I meet the parents? See the parents’ health records? The pup’s health records? The area where they dogs are kept?”

A good breeder will be proud to show you where the dogs sleep and eat, the parents (if they are on site; a stud might have been imported for breeding a litter), and any and all records. Beware of any breeder who asks you to wait outside while they bring the puppy to you. What are they hiding?

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, a good breeder will ask questions about you. The breeder may want to know whether you have children in the home, how old, whether they have been exposed to dogs before, and whether they have been, or will be, trained in respectful treatment of pets. Breeders may also ask what kind of home you live in, whether you have a fenced yard—and if not, how you plan to exercise the dog, what your experience with dogs has been, and even why you want a dog and why a dog of this particular breed. Good breeders will also ask for references—they are not about to let one of their pups go home with a stranger about whom they know nothing at all.

A good breeder should also offer you a five-generation pedigree for your dog, so that you can see that the breeding programs that produced your pup have been solid. Saying that the parents are “AKC” is meaningless; just about any dog (and even cats, as was proved by the producers of an investigative report on puppy mills on Dateline NBC) can be registered with AKC for a fee. AKC registration is no guarantee of sound breeding or the quality of a dog.

From Breeder Checklist

These are just some of the many questions I would ask.


----------



## pupluv168 (Mar 7, 2012)

The only thing I would change from the post I copied above is that a responsible CHIHUAHUA breeder should keep puppies until they are 10-12 weeks old. 8 weeks is too young for such a small breed like a Chi.


----------



## succo (Oct 30, 2012)

Thank you for your reply and info. During our phone call she answered quite a few of those questions without me even asking and invited me around for a coffee just to met her, she does seem like a very genuine person and was very enthusiastic about all her dogs and their well being which is good.

I'll be sure to ask lots of questions tomorrow


----------



## succo (Oct 30, 2012)

Shes almost 11 weeks old


----------



## pupluv168 (Mar 7, 2012)

Sounds great! Good luck! Let us know


----------



## succo (Oct 30, 2012)

Will do! We are so excited


----------



## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

Ashley's advice is perfect! I can't wait to hear how it goes. I hope she and the breeder are everything you hoped for!


----------



## Buildthemskywards (Jun 16, 2012)

Fantastic advice from Ashley as always. I'd also want to ask questions like...


How do you socialise your puppies? 

What food do you feed?
Can you tell me about the personality and temperament of the pup I'm looking at?
Are they crate/puppy pad trained?

These are just things I'd want to know. She sounds good though let us know how it goes!


----------



## succo (Oct 30, 2012)

Thanks alot everyone. I hope it goes well i will let you know.


----------



## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

Great advice given here! 

I'd also follow Melissa's advice and ask about what the puppies are fed and what food she generally recommends. Nutrition is an area where its apparent when corners are cut. If she is feeding Purina puppy chow or science diet, I'd pass and look for a breeder who has done more research into nutrition.


----------



## succo (Oct 30, 2012)

Ive brought her home and couldnt be happier! Her name is Poppy. I'll post more pictures tomorrow  Thanks everyone.


----------



## Buildthemskywards (Jun 16, 2012)

Glad you're happy. What's she like? What was the breeder like? Did the questions help  I look forward to the pics tomorrow. And welcome to the forum by the way


----------



## succo (Oct 30, 2012)

Buildthemskywards said:


> Glad you're happy. What's she like? What was the breeder like? Did the questions help  I look forward to the pics tomorrow. And welcome to the forum by the way


Thank you  Yeah the questions were a big help although i didnt really need to ask many as the breeder pretty much covered everything in the time i was there which i think was 2 hours or so. They were a very nice couple and you could tell they really cared about all of their dogs and pupps. They had 7 chi's altogether, one was only 2 weeks old though but they were all friendly and lovely dogs.

I got home quite late and im up quite early so shes been asleep so far and hasnt met Ozzy yet who is quite unwell this morning  He had diarrhea yesterday and this morning hes been sick a few times and seems a little withdrawn. I suspect hes eaten his diarrhea and maybe thats caused his vomiting  I am abit worried, going to call the vets for some advice when they open :-|


----------



## Zippo (Aug 22, 2012)

Congrats on the new puppy! She's very cute.

Sorry to hear about Ozzy though. Hope he gets better soon.


----------



## succo (Oct 30, 2012)

Zippo said:


> Congrats on the new puppy! She's very cute.
> 
> Sorry to hear about Ozzy though. Hope he gets better soon.


Thanks. He seems ok now thankfully


----------

