Safe Breeder or Not?

[babymomma]

RG.. er, I mean 6xlegz ...lol

I would lean toward a larger, more sturdy chi if you want to take him running with you..

My keely(Yorkshire terrier) is from an excellent breeder but she is over the standard at 8.5 lbs. But I still consider her tiny. But she is also very very sturdy and can handle runnign with me and even loves to run along side my bike .. Sometimes breeders have dogs that will be a little out of standard so its something to think about.

Was it you that posted on the other forum about seeing the man running with his chi? Is that what drew you to the breed? lol.. If I were you I would not go under a 5 lb dog. The smaller they are the more steps they need to take to catch up with you. lol.

 

[FoxyWench]

Hello Foxywench,

Thank You for taking the time to get back to me. WoW, you've got oodles of great info here!!

The lady at the Chi meetup here, has a 3lb'er & he is very tiny too. Maybe not so much of a run around get going type of dog? She says he is active...active for something so tiny? I am wondering too of whether you take him with you most places? I am home all the time, unless at the Doctor's, or therapist's, grocery shopping, longest I am away from home, is a couple of hours, other places I go for much longer, I am always able to bring a pet with me. I travel with my dad sometimes on trips, & we've looked into some of the animal friendly places.

I am more so curious as to what you mean by difficult for a first timer...? Health wise/carefulness/handling..

What are some of the best qualities you've found about the Chinese Crested?

my 3lb er can keep up no problem...(and is happy to tell me when hes done)
but i also always have to pack a bag for him. as a frist time wowie owner you need to be very aware of the risks of hypoglycemia, its comon in ALL chihuahuas before the age of 6 months, but those under 4lbs have a tendency towards lifelong problems.
i free feed my pack, it works well for them wihtout any issues but doesnt nessicarily work for all, the smaller the chihuahua the more frequently they need to eat to keep their blood sugar up. hypoglycemic shock is an incredibly dangerous and often deadly condition and more common in a 3lb chihuahua than it is in a 5lb chihhuahua.
knowing the symptoms and the "tricks" to stopping a hypoglycemic episode shoudl definatly be on the list of things to learn no matter what the estimated adult size is...but its more so common in dogs with an adult weight under 4lbs.

also when your not used to something so tiny around the house, relearning how to walk, particularly with a young puppy, chihuahuas tend to LOVE feet and even myself who greaw up aroudn the breed took a while to reteach my feet to shuffle rather than step. even at a shuffle its still possible to kick your chihuahuas halfway across the room (especailly on hardwoords or lino), and the smaller the chi, the more likely even the smallest of impacts can do some serious damage.

another thing to keep in mind is that all wowies are different...one may love 2 mile hikes another may walk for 5 minutes and be begging for up...i live with 3 and each one has a completly different energy levele and attitude towards excersize. dodger (the 3lber) HATES walking, hell walk for about 5 minutes then he will spend the next 5 minutes walking but complaining about it (he talks) then hell simply refuse to move his little legs. he loves being out in the garden though and likes to patrole his yard, but hes not big into playing...
rosie will walk for hours at a steady pace, she wont run though...however get her home and IN the house and shes running round like a lunatic playing fetch...wont run in the garden though...
and vixie...shell give you a good 1/2 hour but obviously doesnt enjoy it...bring her home and she wants to run around the garden all day with the cresties playing chase...

in terms of health concerns though that those new to the breed dont often understand...
hypoglycemia...in chihuahuas this can be a deadly situation, nutrical and frequent feedings are your friend!
the good news is for most chihuahuas mide weight range and up they grow out of this by 6-8 months of age.

open molera...at one point it was breed standard that they HAD to have. (this is essentially a soft spot in the skull where the plates havent yet filled in)
while common and ususally no problem (and some like dodger will have an open molera their whole lives) its also something to be aware of, a bump directly to that soft spot is a bump directly to the brain and i know of a few who after freek accidents have lost their chis to head trauma
just watch when puppy is running around, head long collissions into things arnt good lol.

knee problems...luxating patella is the biggest health issue in an adult chihuahua...

retained baby teeth...these arnt so much of an issue as there usually pulled when puppy goes in for spay/neuter, but they also add to the cleaning routein as nastyness builds up and teeth rot faster in the tiny areas casued retained baby teeth...

once you get them past 6 months they are typically a healthy and VERY long lived breed...make sure your ready to give 15-20 years to this dog!
there still puppies untill 3 years old, and a long haired wowies coat isnt fully in untill 3, there "slow to mature"

as to what it is about cresties...
honestly its one of those "theres just something about them"
i got ruby as a temporary foster...in the few weeks she was in my home she constantly made me laugh at her sillyness...(dont get me wrong, my wowies are fun, but she was something else) then after a badly failed rehoming attempt for a week, she came back to me a shell of what she was, the outgoing love everyone insane little dog was terrified of her own shadow, and yet despite the fear she still had that spark, she was so silly playing with the chihuahuas, her method of asking to go out was to bop you with her paw then spin around in a circle...and she was just so loving and gentle...
i was origionally going to let her stay untill i got her back to where she should be, but she got attatched to me incredably quickly and i to her, it wasnt long before she was alerting to my seizures and at that point i knew she had to stay. then i moved out of my parents and in with my boyfrined of the time...the wowies wernt interested in comming with me...but ruby did and she was lonely...this sweet silly little thing made such an impression on me that when an old aquaintence presented me with an oportunity to own a hairless male i took it.
im INLOVE.
jsapers a silly nut too...there truly entertaining, his current favorite activity is to sit on the arm of the couch and try to bite and lick at the fish in the tank at the end of the sofa...he LOVES the fishies and they seem to have fun tormenting him...nothign like seeing a 4" cichlid swim upto the face of a dog flash his fins and then do a little dance only to swim to the other side jasper following to repeat...lol. or the little tiger barb who inssits on trying to bite jaspers nose right back through the glass lol.
plus they have a zest wowies dont, seeing a dog of 10lbs bolt straight up a tree and catch a chipmonk 10 ft off the ground...well its just inspiring...

not to mention there the ultimate in dress up dogs, they BRING you clothes then it gets cold out lol

 

[~Jessie~]

Welcome to the forum

As you've already been warned, please stay away from breeders like the ones you listed.

The "type" of chihuahua you like is the same that you'll find with any good, responsible breeder. Apple domed head, short snout, between 2-6lbs, cobby body is what the breed standard calls for anyway.

I have three chihuahuas, all between the ages of 4 and just under a year. If you do a search for my picture threads or click the link to my blog, you can see/read about them. Tucker (my long coat) and Rylie (my fawn short coat) both weigh 4lbs. Chloe (the white one) weighs 5.5lbs.

All three of my chis are very, very active. They're outgoing, loving, and overall great little dogs.

Feel free to send me a PM if you have any questions or would like any help choosing breeders.

 

[Squishy22]

Wow, how could I forget about the hypoglycemia? lol. When my little guy was still a young puppy I had to give him caro syrup once in awhile. I let him lick it off the tip of my finger. I remember one day he was seeming a bit sluggish and not himself, but after the caro he was back to normal. I was kind of over paranoid about it I think, because his breeder warned me about it and Ive never had a dog that was as tiny as a mouse. My last pure bred chihuahua was 6 months old when I got him and already 4 pounds, so he wasnt as much of a risk.

Truffles has an open molera. I checked it just the other day and its smaller than the tip of my pinky finger (nearly closed up). But on the other hand, my 4 pound chi had a molera that was larger than the tip of my thumb. Unfortunately I lost him about 4 years ago when I broke up with my boyfriend, who insisted that he take our chi. I am still mad about that. LOL. Jerk...

 

[Squishy22]

I think that is overboard too. I think a cute lil hoody to give them some extra warmth, or booties for sensitive feet in the snow(on for a pee, off again inside, unless pee pads. But the dress, they don't wanna be placed in that, in my opinion. Or those silly wigs, or glasses.....:doh: lol



I've also been told they can keep up no problem. One time this past Summer, I saw a very tall fit looking man out for a run, on the trail, & guess what was Pulling him? This Teeny lil Chi!!! It was the cutest thing!

I guess I just feel I need more back up because my dad thinks that because they're smaller that they can't do much. Yet, when we went to the Chi meeting's, and there were around 20-30 of them, running, galloping, jumping around, I think he was thrown aback.

Squishy, your Chi, is also VERY ADORABLE!!

Thank you!!! I was actually planning on showing him, but things didnt work out at the time. Hes my fly and spider catcher instead. haha.

 

[Laurelin]

Just curious what causes the open molera? Any other breeds have them?

 

[FoxyWench]

its just like the soft spot on a babies head, the skull plates dont close completly... or take longer to close, likely caused by the extreem domed shape of the skull.
ive heard of occasionally other toy breeds having a soft spot but for most it closes by the time there 6-8 weeks old.

of my 3, vixies was about dime sized untill 8 months then seemed to just randomly close, while dodger still has one a little bigger than a dime....

 

[6XlegZ]

RG.. er, I mean 6xlegz ...lol

I would lean toward a larger, more sturdy chi if you want to take him running with you..

My keely(Yorkshire terrier) is from an excellent breeder but she is over the standard at 8.5 lbs. But I still consider her tiny. But she is also very very sturdy and can handle runnign with me and even loves to run along side my bike .. Sometimes breeders have dogs that will be a little out of standard so its something to think about.

Was it you that posted on the other forum about seeing the man running with his chi? Is that what drew you to the breed? lol.. If I were you I would not go under a 5 lb dog. The smaller they are the more steps they need to take to catch up with you. lol.

lol.. I kept RG on another forum too, but I thought I would try this one out here, as it is the name of a business I am putting together.

I am thinking that I may want to lean towards the wee bit larger size...

Oh no, I have been on the look out for this breed for the last few years, probably for about 5-8 years now, I have been on & off interested with personal research, & what not. I like to use that story for my dad, or anyone else that I tell that I am interested in a Chi, and their first comment to me is, "that's NOT a REAL dog". Do your research, is all I can say. Or I list all the reason's that they do go the distance.

*more*

 

[6XlegZ]

my 3lb er can keep up no problem...(and is happy to tell me when hes done)
but i also always have to pack a bag for him. as a frist time wowie owner you need to be very aware of the risks of hypoglycemia, its comon in ALL chihuahuas before the age of 6 months, but those under 4lbs have a tendency towards lifelong problems.
i free feed my pack, it works well for them wihtout any issues but doesnt nessicarily work for all, the smaller the chihuahua the more frequently they need to eat to keep their blood sugar up. hypoglycemic shock is an incredibly dangerous and often deadly condition and more common in a 3lb chihuahua than it is in a 5lb chihhuahua.
knowing the symptoms and the "tricks" to stopping a hypoglycemic episode shoudl definatly be on the list of things to learn no matter what the estimated adult size is...but its more so common in dogs with an adult weight under 4lbs.

also when your not used to something so tiny around the house, relearning how to walk, particularly with a young puppy, chihuahuas tend to LOVE feet and even myself who greaw up aroudn the breed took a while to reteach my feet to shuffle rather than step. even at a shuffle its still possible to kick your chihuahuas halfway across the room (especailly on hardwoords or lino), and the smaller the chi, the more likely even the smallest of impacts can do some serious damage.

another thing to keep in mind is that all wowies are different...one may love 2 mile hikes another may walk for 5 minutes and be begging for up...i live with 3 and each one has a completly different energy levele and attitude towards excersize. dodger (the 3lber) HATES walking, hell walk for about 5 minutes then he will spend the next 5 minutes walking but complaining about it (he talks) then hell simply refuse to move his little legs. he loves being out in the garden though and likes to patrole his yard, but hes not big into playing...
rosie will walk for hours at a steady pace, she wont run though...however get her home and IN the house and shes running round like a lunatic playing fetch...wont run in the garden though...
and vixie...shell give you a good 1/2 hour but obviously doesnt enjoy it...bring her home and she wants to run around the garden all day with the cresties playing chase...

in terms of health concerns though that those new to the breed dont often understand...
hypoglycemia...in chihuahuas this can be a deadly situation, nutrical and frequent feedings are your friend!
the good news is for most chihuahuas mide weight range and up they grow out of this by 6-8 months of age.

open molera...at one point it was breed standard that they HAD to have. (this is essentially a soft spot in the skull where the plates havent yet filled in)
while common and ususally no problem (and some like dodger will have an open molera their whole lives) its also something to be aware of, a bump directly to that soft spot is a bump directly to the brain and i know of a few who after freek accidents have lost their chis to head trauma
just watch when puppy is running around, head long collissions into things arnt good lol.

knee problems...luxating patella is the biggest health issue in an adult chihuahua...

retained baby teeth...these arnt so much of an issue as there usually pulled when puppy goes in for spay/neuter, but they also add to the cleaning routein as nastyness builds up and teeth rot faster in the tiny areas casued retained baby teeth...

once you get them past 6 months they are typically a healthy and VERY long lived breed...make sure your ready to give 15-20 years to this dog!
there still puppies untill 3 years old, and a long haired wowies coat isnt fully in untill 3, there "slow to mature"

as to what it is about cresties...
honestly its one of those "theres just something about them"
i got ruby as a temporary foster...in the few weeks she was in my home she constantly made me laugh at her sillyness...(dont get me wrong, my wowies are fun, but she was something else) then after a badly failed rehoming attempt for a week, she came back to me a shell of what she was, the outgoing love everyone insane little dog was terrified of her own shadow, and yet despite the fear she still had that spark, she was so silly playing with the chihuahuas, her method of asking to go out was to bop you with her paw then spin around in a circle...and she was just so loving and gentle...
i was origionally going to let her stay untill i got her back to where she should be, but she got attatched to me incredably quickly and i to her, it wasnt long before she was alerting to my seizures and at that point i knew she had to stay. then i moved out of my parents and in with my boyfrined of the time...the wowies wernt interested in comming with me...but ruby did and she was lonely...this sweet silly little thing made such an impression on me that when an old aquaintence presented me with an oportunity to own a hairless male i took it.
im INLOVE.
jsapers a silly nut too...there truly entertaining, his current favorite activity is to sit on the arm of the couch and try to bite and lick at the fish in the tank at the end of the sofa...he LOVES the fishies and they seem to have fun tormenting him...nothign like seeing a 4" cichlid swim upto the face of a dog flash his fins and then do a little dance only to swim to the other side jasper following to repeat...lol. or the little tiger barb who inssits on trying to bite jaspers nose right back through the glass lol.
plus they have a zest wowies dont, seeing a dog of 10lbs bolt straight up a tree and catch a chipmonk 10 ft off the ground...well its just inspiring...

not to mention there the ultimate in dress up dogs, they BRING you clothes then it gets cold out lol

Hello Foxywench, I was not aware of Hypoglycemia in the smaller sized Chi's & puppies throughout the first 4-6 month period, as well as on-going for the smaller sized adults.

I was only aware of the Molera, Smaller mouth & crowding of teeth, and that they are one of the longest living breed of dogs. I am guessing that one of the reason's as to why I haven't heard back from the Chi meetup host is because I did mention to her, that even though I knew of these problems/disorders that I was still wanting a smaller type. I am guessing that would lead someone to questioning why would I want to put myself through that and or the dog. (I know I am very analytical, I mind read too much)

I was also reading some more info on the BlueBoyChi's page about how to go about asking about the breed, & being interested in a breeder's Chi's. That sometimes even if not asked with any interest, she may still tell someone that she doesn't have a litter or puppies when she does.. I am kind of bummed that I may have gone about it the wrong way with the breeder in Montreal.

So basically Hypoglycemia is like an adult or child with diabetes. I don't have diabetes myself, but my Grammie did & I eat 6 smaller meals a day due to a health style change. It is definitely something that would need to be learned & considered.

I am guessing that it is something that either way I would need to learn just how to handle. I am wondering too, if this was a condition that one of the kittens I was fostering had. He had symptom's just like this & it made me feel so awful, like I had done something wrong with his care. When I brought him back into the the Humane Society, they checked him out & worked with him, they were unable to identify the problem, but it was a success!

Maybe I do want to lean away from it with a 4.5-6 lb Chi. Although in learning how a Dog reacts to certain things or how a Chi reacts, or needs to be handled, in the time that I decide I can handle another Chi with a few years down the line, I would still need to learn how to deal with those symptoms. Definitely some new grounds to think about & be discussed at home here.

I've grown up with cats, I realize they are not as small as a *smaller Chi* I had/have one that follows me ABSOLUTELY everywhere I go. (he lives with my dad) I can't say that it has never happened, stepping on, or giving a bit of a kick across the floor on accident, because there have been times. I also lived in a 550 sq ft apartment with quite a few pieces of furniture, so not a whole lot of walking room to begin with.

With fostering kittens, I was told to keep them in the *bathroom*. I had a couple of litters that had about 6 kitten's at one time. I kitten proofed any area's that they would be entered. Once they started to bond with me (they were also a lot of the times *wild*) so it took a lot of patience too. They followed me everywhere. Constantly crawling on me. lol

Not all 3lber Chi's will always have the Open Molera? For some, will the plates close? Of course not ever knowing which one's those will be? Is there a better chance of knowing with genetics?

Don't most purebreds have their own disorder's & diseases to also watch out for? Just simply because of the over-breeding to get them to that certain standard?

WoW, so the Crested have quite a bit more funk & energy...I like a little more docile. That may seem contradictory with the running, but I feel it is different.

I heard that the Mini-greyhounds (if that is what they're called) are kind of similar to both the Crested & Chi, that they are kind of odd- ballish & entertaining to have, yet shake for attention like the Chi's... I'd get a kick out of them watching the fish.


*more*

 

[6XlegZ]

Welcome to the forum

As you've already been warned, please stay away from breeders like the ones you listed.

The "type" of chihuahua you like is the same that you'll find with any good, responsible breeder. Apple domed head, short snout, between 2-6lbs, cobby body is what the breed standard calls for anyway.

I have three chihuahuas, all between the ages of 4 and just under a year. If you do a search for my picture threads or click the link to my blog, you can see/read about them. Tucker (my long coat) and Rylie (my fawn short coat) both weigh 4lbs. Chloe (the white one) weighs 5.5lbs.

All three of my chis are very, very active. They're outgoing, loving, and overall great little dogs.

Feel free to send me a PM if you have any questions or would like any help choosing breeders.

Hello Jessie, thanks for the welcome & responding to my post that I sent you.

Yes, I would say common sense plays a roll, and mine kicked in, I think I was still clinging to hope there. The sites that I've been lead to now, seem to be much more up front, and have a completely different tone to them. I have a much better idea as to what is a con that what I had previously thought.

I have found a lot of Chi's online through the breeder's site's just like such, but only been really interested in a handful. I am guessing there are a lot out there like that, and that is good to know.

I did happen across your blog, I will check further into it!

Thanks Again.

Thank you!!! I was actually planning on showing him, but things didnt work out at the time. Hes my fly and spider catcher instead. haha.

I had a cat like that, he ate the Spider's...

*done*

 

[JennSLK]

Im glad your looking on.

Dont worry about being picky. My next doberman whont even be bred till next fall, so its a long wait. Its worth the wait for exactly what you want tho