Puppies, Puppies Everywhere and Not a One to Buy
With the current fascination with toy breeds and the continued media exposure that the Chihuahua receives, one thing is certain: The Chihuahua will remain a popular breed for many years. A problem that all popular breeds have is that really good breeders can't keep up (nor do they really want to) with the newest surge in demand for puppies.
Breeding for Profit
When this happens, no matter what the breed, you are going to find that it's human nature for people to try to cash in on this deficit. There will be people who begin breeding Chihuahuas strictly for profit, not because they are interested in improving the breed's conformation, health, and temperament. No, they simply want to make money. Herein lies the problem. Whenever folks get involved in breeding dogs for profit, the dogs are considered (and treated as) livestock.
Who is a backyard breeder?
The term “backyard breeder” is typically given to folks who breed a family pet to another dog. Though their hearts may be in the right place, they don't have any experience with the breed. They rarely know to test for hereditary diseases and can't take a puppy back if things don't work out. The price may be low; however, it is a “buyer beware” situation.
Cash-crop breeders are concerned with increasing their profit margins, which they can do in many ways, including the following:
Limiting or reducing routine veterinary care of breeding animals
Refusing to test breeding animals for genetic or hereditary diseases that could be passed on to the puppies
Breeding marginal animals (those that do not meet the breed standard or may even have disqualifying faults)
Breeding more than one breed of dog to maximize their market
Breeding their animals as often as possible
Advertising puppies as inexpensively as possible or selling to a middleman who will do the same
Marketing any potential buyer whose credit card or check clears
Selling the puppies for as high a price as possible
The Cost to the Dogs
These sources for puppies, often known as puppy mills, are best avoided at all costs. Conditions are often deplorable, with breeding dogs kept in cramped and frequently filthy conditions. Chihuahuas in particular suffer in these circumstances. They need human companionship and aren't physically equipped to handle extremes in temperatures.
One of the best ways to avoid purchasing a puppy from a cash-crop breeder is to never allow a puppy to be shipped to you. Always go to the breeder's home so you can see the surroundings yourself and ask questions in person. If everything checks out (see the reputable breeder checklist on page 32) then you can travel home together with your pup.
What this translates to is that puppies from these sources are poorly bred and raised in squalid conditions. This has a variety of effects, including these:
Makes puppies more susceptible to canine viral infections
Increases risk of inheriting genetic diseases
Makes puppies more apt to suffer from heavy worm, tick, and flea infestations
Increases likelihood of less-than-average conformation (with some pups not even looking like Chihuahuas or coming from mixed parentage)
Creates unstable range of temperaments, from exceptionally timid around humans to horribly ill-tempered. (Buyers cannot know what the temperaments of the parents are or could be.)
