# Are breeders charging too much?



## Rosiesmum (Oct 14, 2007)

Having too much time on my hands and browsing the online puppy adverts...

I was chatting with my husband and he was commenting on the prices of the puppies for sale. While there are some male pups "cheap as chips" bitch pups and some other male puppies are over a £1000...Which for a pet quality Chihuahua and make no mistake almost all sold online fall into that category, is just over pricing in my thoughts.

Even the "better" ones as far as breed standard goes, at 8 or 12 weeks can surely only be possible show potential.

To be frank, I think breeders are charging too much if they sell a pet puppy for over £1000, because by most peoples standards, that is an awful lot of money.

Not everyone who buys a Chihuahua does so with the intention of breeding and recouping their purchase price 

x


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## OurCheekyChihuahuas (Nov 18, 2009)

It all comes down to the bredding quailty i charge from £750-£900. They're healthy happy, well structured puppies. I wouldnt charge over £1000 yunless they was of very good quality!


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## rache (Nov 10, 2009)

i wont be breeding from billy. I think we will have him neutered at 6 months. Your right about the prices tho. They are extremely expensive in the uk. A tiny little thing like Billy ( not that i'm complaining) cost me £800 but my lovely big dopey dalmatian (he is kc reg) was only £450! I suppose it depends where the demand is though. If there is a high enough demand for something the price will always go up. Show quality or not.

Just my opinion. x


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## Yoshismom (Jul 6, 2005)

IMO...yes they are charging to much for the quality of the Chihuahuas they are producing these days, now this opinion is for out of standard, non health tested dogs.


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## MarieUkxx (May 19, 2009)

I personally think they are yes. I love my dogs as you all know and they are so well looked after. But I couldn't afford £1000 or more for one. I just don't have that kind of money. It was sad after I lost Ben because after a while I wanted another but just could not afford one. And I had such a loving home to give one.

It's a lot to lay out to get a Chi plus you need worming and injections and the stuff for a puppy. It's a lot of money.


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## OurCheekyChihuahuas (Nov 18, 2009)

Thats why i give free extensive puppy packs and mine are wormed and de-flead before leaving to reduce as many extra costs of raising a new puppy! The only thing Rache didnt get which i didnt get time to print out that night was my Care Sheets lol sorry bout that :


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## sullysmum (Mar 6, 2004)

The chihuahua i want at the moment is local to me, a little 2 year old white s/c girl, bit smaller than but the image of my Fynn, only they want,wait for it .............. £2,400!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Pinkchi (Nov 21, 2008)

Yes they are very expensive. I've yet to get my first chi, feels like i've been waiting forever, but although they cost soo much I know she will be 100% worth it when the time comes. Call me stupid but i'd happly pay up to £1500 for my perfect baby. As long as shes happy and healthy thats all that matters to me, price is irrelevant x


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## phoebedog (Sep 19, 2009)

I think alot are charging to much. When I contacted a breeder they were charging from £1200 depending on the colour. For me I wanted one as a family pet nothing more. I'm not interested in breeding or showing so that is alot of money I feel. I did get chi for more than half the price of that from someone else.
In saying all that I did pay £1050 for my pug and to be honest she is worth every penny and I would pay that again for another one (my mom was mortified when she knew how much we had spent)
I know that might sound really bad because I would pay more for a pug than a chi but pugs are my favourite breed of dog.


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## Lin (Jun 7, 2006)

I think they are overpriced and I can't help but think that doesn't contribute to the byb business. If people could afford well bred dogs, they wouldn't have to resort to bad breeders. 

BUT, on the other hand, breeding and animal care is very expensive for folks who feed top of the line and everything else that goes along with it. I'm getting a good taste of that with our does. My sis just had to buy a more expensive food, because the one she bought just wasn't cuttin' it. I know that is true with the breeding of most animals.


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## Rosiesmum (Oct 14, 2007)

sullysmum said:


> The chihuahua i want at the moment is local to me, a little 2 year old white s/c girl, bit smaller than but the image of my Fynn, only they want,wait for it .............. £2,400!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Now that is PURE GREED 

Too many breeders are putting money before the happiness and welfare of their dogs. Poor little girl, she would have the best life with you too...

x


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## Rosiesmum (Oct 14, 2007)

phoebedog said:


> I know that might sound really bad because I would pay more for a pug than a chi but pugs are my favourite breed of dog.


Not at all, breeders are simply charging more for some dogs than others. If pugs become more popular than Chihuahuas, there will be a price reversal!

Back to my original post 

**** I think many breeders pass too much of the expense of breeding on to pet owners, when really it's something they should be willing to accept themselves if they breed with the idea of keeping a puppy to show or breed from.Of course those that breed with the total intention of selling whole litter are another matter entirely  It's all about profit. ***
x


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## Terri (Aug 21, 2009)

Sadly most of these people are just in for the money.
I wouldnt pay a thing over £1000 for any dog.
Darla was £800 and worth every penny.
I cant believe what i have seen on some of those ads online.
Definately pure greed.


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## reenie (Jun 1, 2009)

I think breeders are definitely charging too much. Here the price is between €1000 and €1400, but perhaps they think the price is justified when BYBs are charging €450-€600.

I have no problem paying ongoing costs for a dog, but I think that asking for €1400 for a pet that I have no intention to show or breed from is ridiculous. But I don't want to support BYBs, so the options are limited. 

Perhaps it's cheaper to fly over to the US and pick up a puppy there!


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## sugarbaby (Dec 21, 2009)

im getting my girl for $600 AU ,my breeder normally sells them for $1000 AU ,im only getting my girl cheaper due to my cousin buying a chi from her at the end of last year and she has seen how our dogs are treated .

I inquired about a gorgeous white female puppy for $500 before i put a deposit on my girl ,
and im pretty sure it was a scam as the puppy is still for sale as is all the other puppies that were on the site .


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## Lin (Jun 7, 2006)

But reputable breeders here are charging very high. At least from what I've seen. I don't think you would get a good deal over here either.


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## sugarbaby (Dec 21, 2009)

I forgot to add that i think some are over priced , i would have loved to get a puppy that had the profile of zoey (she is stunning) but here i would have been looking at around $1600 for one .


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## michele (Jan 12, 2009)

Have seen some that reduced ? is this because people can't afford them now ? normal price i see is £900-£1000


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## *Princess* (Feb 7, 2009)

I agree Breeders are charging too much. but i would pay that for a little one. Id have to trust the breeder too


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## Amanda Kennedy (Nov 5, 2008)

in negotiations with a breeder about a short haired pup, she is non reg, and hes looking for 550 eu, iv offered him 400, see what he says


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## WeLoveHiro (Apr 14, 2009)

hiro is my discount puppy he was 700. the breeder apparently sold his littermates for over 2000 dollars each.
she didnt register him ( or his litter i believe)...even tho his parents are registered and previous litters were registered. i didnt ask why. i didnt care. i just wanted him so bad.
he was the only one not to sell til i got him. he was a dog no one wanted. she told me he would be about 4lbs and even tho he was show quality he was to be a pet and i signed papers saying id keep him as a pet and get him neutured. ( which was fine... i just wanted him to be my lil buddy and i didnt want to breed etc)
the story was that she didnt want her kids attached to him and just wanted him gone asap one way or another. especially since the others were gone...she offered him to me on a discount to get rid of him faster...she didnt want to keep him any longer
i couldnt afford him i didnt have all the money so i borrowed money and my mom gave me a little bit of the money too..so that i was able to come up with the rest of the money. i would have died of heart break if i couldnt have got him. i travelled about 8 hours total to get him including a 100 dollar ferry ride.
funny thing is... i wasnt looking to get a dog, my previous dog died years before and i didnt have the heart for a new one. i had him about 15 years. i inquired out of curiousity becuase i fell in love with his pic.
i couldnt afford another pup with the prices breeders charge. and thats the honest truth. no matter what kind of love and home i can offer...no matter how much id love another.
i am greatful for my lil man tho. i dont think life would be as good without him in mine. i do wish the experience on how i got him was different tho.
he mightve been the dog no one wanted. but he ended up being the dog i love forever.

ps: hes 6lbs or so...and not show quality but he is my lil shining star.


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## Amanda Kennedy (Nov 5, 2008)

thats a nice story, still no word back


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## Rosiesmum (Oct 14, 2007)

michele said:


> Have seen some that reduced ? is this because people can't afford them now ? normal price i see is £900-£1000


I don't think that it's always that they can't afford them, more that people won't pay silly/greedy prices!

As I've said anything over a £1000...Which is still a lot of money is rediculous for a pet quality puppy bitch...don't pay it!

x


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## Emma_H (Jul 1, 2009)

I agree, although I paid a lot for my two, especially considering my two other rescue dogs were around £100!
I couldn't find smooth coats anywhere trustworthy in Scotland besides where I got mine, which was from a fellow dog behaviourist friend of mine so I knew they'd get amazing socialisation.
£1200 for my female and £1000 for my male.
I'd already fallen in love with them before I found out the price :|
But they are perfect 

I might be wrong but usually I see the long coats are cheaper, I wonder why that is :S


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## rubia (Jul 3, 2008)

In my opinion, in theUS...some are charging too much. When people get a "pet shop" pup..they are getting it from a breeder (usually far away) who get very little for the pup. I have heard as low as $100 per...so imagine what sort of breeder can afford to sell at $100 and still make a profit. These puppies are shipped from rural areas in the US, the mid-west or south to the urban areas where pet shops get anywhere from$ 1800-$2800--sometimes more.. for that dog who was taken from their mother ( at way too young of an age)and shipped in crate to the pet shop dealer.

So is that too much to pay ? Oh yes. That is why we have puppy mills here in the States. There is a market for this sort of thing. People buy there pups on impulse, or with benign ignorance. They think that because the pup came from a breeder, or comes with papers everything is okay. But honestly what kind of care do you think any breeder can afford to give in a market like that ? 

I do understand that breeding is expensive and that one should expect to pay for certain standards of care, liceneces, kc registration, vet certificates, etc. As far as the brokers and pet shops and puppy mills who ship all over go ...they are asking too much and the price is paid by the puppies more so than the $$$ that the owners part with to be part of that ring.


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## Rosiesmum (Oct 14, 2007)

That's bad, it's awfult that so many breeders see pupppies as money makers 

x


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## Amanda Kennedy (Nov 5, 2008)

the breeder is holding out for his 550 eu, he waited till this morning to tell me, i wish him luck, :foxes15:


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## Rosiesmum (Oct 14, 2007)

I think it's good that people are starting to say no to silly prices for Chihuahuas and all breeds to be honest. The more us pet owners pay, the more it encourages them to charge.

I doubt anybody here denies puppies are expensive to rear, but £1,200 £1300, £1400 + for pet quality puppies...To be honest, I'd be embarassed to look people in the face when I took their money 

There are more and more people advertising their puppies at birth and weeks before due to be sold now, a reflection on the difficulty they have in selling I guess?

It's upsetting when you see tiny new born puppies or those only weeks old advertised on puppy sites, where will it end 

x


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## catz4m8z (Aug 28, 2008)

It is ridiculous at the mo. Quadruple figures is my cut off point, thankfully Adam and Heidi were 950 pounds each!(both plain ol' pet quality tho).
I could afford more but would feel i was being taken advantage of. 
Where I live Chi pups are big business and there are alot of people churning out sub standard pups for silly money.
What gets me is that when I picked up all 3 of my dogs I was not asked any questions about my lifestyle or dog experience, just handed over the cash. I think a good breeder would charge less and care more frankly.


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## ~*~ Angela ~*~ (Nov 17, 2009)

I had a good breeder friend many, many years ago who charged a lot for her puppies and as I got to know here more I asked her why her dogs were so expensive and she said one, because she used higher end dog food and it was very expensive to raise a litter and two, if someone could pay $1500 then they would be able to pay for the care of the dog. I somewhat see the logic, but then there are those of us that can't afford $1500 but would do anything to take care of their baby. I have a vet bill now that I am paying off slowly for over $2500 because one of my IGs broke her leg and it required surgery. I think it all depends on the breeder and you have to pick through the good and bad by asking lots of good questions.


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## rubia (Jul 3, 2008)

Absolutly Angela. I would rather pay a great breeder for outstanding care, attention to breed standards and kc registration, etc. than to pay a pet shop or the like for a pup that was bred under sub-standard circumstances. 

I did pay more than most people that I come across did for their chi (outside the show circut that is . but I chose to do that , and felt like I knew what I was getting into. I also took way longer than most to buy a dog. 

In the US there seem to be a large number of mills, pets being bred, "alternative" registrations (apri, ckc, etc) and people are paying for something that they aren't getting. People are paying for what should be good breeding and care and it isn't always there. This sort of situation is way over priced.


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## OurCheekyChihuahuas (Nov 18, 2009)

Yes it is bad yet People are Still breeding their PETS!!!! Why do it? It costs money to have a litter and raise one too. Especially if your unluncky and have medical bills too. and not many people see this side of breeding especially when you loose all the puppies and its even possible to loose mum too! Its a big risk and not enough people are taking notw of this! Its not all money making, rainbows, fluffy bunnies ans sunshine, From my puppies i barely make a profit. Im not breeding for money, its for the love and to improve the breed because people ARE breeding their pets and producing low/bad quailty puppies! So people out their for heaven sakes DONT breed your LOVED PETS!


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## OurCheekyChihuahuas (Nov 18, 2009)

rubia said:


> Absolutly Angela. I would rather pay a great breeder for outstanding care, attention to breed standards and kc registration, etc. than to pay a pet shop or the like for a pup that was bred under sub-standard circumstances.
> 
> I did pay more than most people that I come across did for their chi (outside the show circut that is . but I chose to do that , and felt like I knew what I was getting into. I also took way longer than most to buy a dog.
> 
> In the US there seem to be a large number of mills, pets being bred, "alternative" registrations (apri, ckc, etc) and people are paying for something that they aren't getting. People are paying for what should be good breeding and care and it isn't always there. This sort of situation is way over priced.



Totally, breeding low quailty puppies and selling them so for ££££ is ridiculous! This is why people bred when they shouldnt they see prices for sale on epupz, pets4homes etc and they dont know the cost side until they breed and get in trouble! It is better to buy from someone who knows what they're breeding not from a person who has one pet dog and has bred it regardless whether it mets the correct standards or not!


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## Rosiesmum (Oct 14, 2007)

Unfortunately it's not just about people breeding from their pets but people simply breeding from their pet quality dogs 

Just because a dog or bitch has Champions in their line, it doesn't mean that they are worthy of being bred from.

Personally I would only advise anyone looking for a Chihuahua that will look like a Chihuahua to go via the British Chihuahua Club 

x


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## OurCheekyChihuahuas (Nov 18, 2009)

Yes but my bitches have around 15-18 international champions, theyre healthy and im going to breed from Hope anyway there's nothing wrong with her.


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## Yoshismom (Jul 6, 2005)

What Rosiesmum is saying is that even dogs that have both a Ch. Sire and a Ch. Dam with Champions throughout their pedigree does not nec. mean that all puppies from that litter are breeding quality. This is why they have shows, it is to judge breeding stock (all be it, even that is not full proof with so many politics in the ring these days) but what these breeders do is judge the puppies that should be used as show quality pups and then sale the others for companions on a spay/neuter contract. Then those show pups will go on to the ring to prove that they are up to breed standard in the conformation. This is what keeps our breed looking like what the breed is supposed to look like. Between this and the health testing and the breeders watching their line's closely and being careful what they are bred to is what breeding is all about. These breeders have been working hard for ages to create the line's that they are proud of and always breeding for the better of their breed and not to go backwards.


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## OurCheekyChihuahuas (Nov 18, 2009)

exactly i wouldnt breed her if i felt she wasnt up to standard!


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## Yoshismom (Jul 6, 2005)

Sorry Cheekychis... that wasnt directed at you. I just went into a little more detail off of Rosiesmums statement to help those that are reading it understand a little more of why Ch's in a line isnt everything.


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## tiny- dog- luverr (Oct 28, 2005)

If this is all the case how would I know when im buying a puppy that it is a good puppy? like healthy and everything I dont plan to bred personally, Does a cheap puppy mean its a bad puppy or whatever?


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## OurCheekyChihuahuas (Nov 18, 2009)

They are healthy, happy but consider they may be shy with new people. Parents available to see. Usually a wet nose is a very good indication that they are healthy. But obv not wet and full of snot! They know about their breeding and are happy to answer quaetions you have and ask questions about your lifestyle etc. Cheap puppies usually indicate- quick money making schemes = breed, raise, sell.


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## Rosiesmum (Oct 14, 2007)

tiny- dog- luverr said:


> If this is all the case how would I know when im buying a puppy that it is a good puppy? like healthy and everything I dont plan to bred personally, Does a cheap puppy mean its a bad puppy or whatever?


There are so many poor quality puppies being bred by inexperienced people now that I'd personally recommend that people source a breeder via The British Chihuahua Club. the breeders show their dogs and strive to produce puppies that look like a Chihuahua should.

Personally if a person is breeding and not showing and/or a member of breed club, I'd genuinely wonder what their motives are and it's not hard to figure it out unfortunately 

Many people believe that they are breeding from goood quality dogs simply because they are KC registered and have Champions in their line 

Look at the dogs they are breeding from and an experienced Chihuahua pet owner can see that though their dogs are sweet pets...They shouldn't be bred from.

To be honest, I think that because there are so many poor look a like Chihuahuas around now, many buyers don't know what they should be looking for!

http://www.the-british-chihuahua-club.org.uk/Care/Buying.php

x


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## Rosiesmum (Oct 14, 2007)

OurCheekyChihuahuas said:


> They are healthy, happy but consider they may be shy with new people. Parents available to see. Usually a wet nose is a very good indication that they are healthy. But obv not wet and full of snot! They know about their breeding and are happy to answer quaetions you have and ask questions about your lifestyle etc. Cheap puppies usually indicate- quick money making schemes = breed, raise, sell.


Tiny-dog-loverr ~ In my experience with rescue puppies, the pups if born into a good home should not be shy but outgoing and keen to make friends with visitors. Some puppies will perhaps be more reticent and some more outgoing, but in general the litter should be interested and curious to say hello.

Many good breeders do not own both parents and will have used a stud dog outside their own to better and compliment the qualities of the mother.
If they have a stud dog of their own, he may be used, but expect him to be of excellent quality and to have been shown. Not just a male dog they use on all their bitches regardless!

Puppies should not leave until 12 weeks in such a tiny breed and expect them to be vaccinated and insured. KC papers should be available.

Parents should be happy and of good temperament and be Chihuahuas, not just look like them.
My advice would be for anyone thinking of buying a puppy, take a good look around and don't buy the first puppy you see. Ask the breeder as many questions as they should ask you.

Do they show?
Belong to a breed club?
How many years have they been involved with the breed?
Will they give you a receipt etc. etc.

Price is often not indicative of quality of breeder or Chihuahua. So probably best not to give to much thought to that! Some good breeders ask a sensible price, some bad ones silly prices!

x


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## Yoshismom (Jul 6, 2005)

I agree with Rosiesmum but would like to state that if you are in the US then you would want to go to the Chihuahua Club of America site. Also you can go to infodog.com and find shows near you, go to the shows and watch the Chis in the ring sometimes smooth coats are on at a different times and in different rings than long coats. Look at the Chis if you see something you like then wait until the Chi's are finished in the ring and approach the handler/breeder sometimes the person that is showing the dog uses a handler so you may approach them or watch where they take the dog once out of the ring so you will know who to talk to. 

As said above the shy dog is not the one to pick (even though you may feel sorry for it) also you may want to steer clear of the bully or more aggressive of the pups depending on your lifestyle. I usually choose a dog that plays and will come to me when called and I especially like the one's that are playful and come to me and plop down to be loved ;-)

Stay away from clubs like ACA, APRI, CKC (Continental Kennel Club) as the first 2 are made up fairly new clubs that are just not savory and the CKC is a club that will accept ANYTHING, I know people that have resuced dogs that have no background and still have been able to register them with this club (things like this defeat the purpose of having a club) Please note (NOT ALWAYS THE CASE) if a breeder uses this club for registries is because the AKC will not accept them.

Now keep in mind that there are some good hobby breeders that use CKC maybe because their first breeding stock arrived through this and could not be registered with AKC but have bred up and really do care abou their dogs and breed correctly to the breeding standards of watching health and conformation. If you are looking for a pet only then this should be fine but make sure that they care enough to ask you what your homelife is all about, etc.. and that they health test, check the puppies environment, never purchase site unseen, never solely go on reviews as these can easily be fudged. Always keep in mind that a huge beautiful website means absolutely nothing as some of the largest puppymill busts had beautiful websites that sucked people in that way. If you want a puppy you see on a site and are not in that area you should either fly/drive down to see personally or try to find someone you trust as such as someone off of this site that is in the area so they can check them out for you. If you opt to go to the Chihuahua Club of America then you can look them up and find other people in the club that can verify if they are legit and take care of their pups to.

Also googling the kennel name can help you find people that may have had problems with the kennel as such as selling sick dogs, or dogs with genetic issues. There is a site http://www.ripoffreport.com/ that shows lots of kennels that have done people wrong in more ways than one.


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## Yoshismom (Jul 6, 2005)

I also wanted to add that there are show breeders out there that if they get to know you and like you they may actually GIVE a puppy to you. Some really only breed for the ring and when they have a litter and they have puppies not ring worthy they will just want to find the right home so if you look in the right places you can run across breeders that either will sale very cheap or free to the right homes ;-)


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## amyhedd (Aug 6, 2009)

when looking for poppy i noticed there were a lot of chi pups that was over priced, considering most were cross bread with jack russels etc.

I think its very sad that people are just trying to make money off of the chi name and breading as much as they can so that they can charge a fortune.
xx


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## Rosiesmum (Oct 14, 2007)

It seems people are struggling to sell Chihuahua pups in our area at the moment, given the conversation I had with someone today...It will be interesting to see how the prices drop.

x


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