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  #1  
Old January 2nd, 2005, 06:50 PM
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Momo Momo is offline
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New member - looking for some info

Hello!

I am looking for some information about Chihuahuas. I have done a little research online, but I am not sure how reliable online information is.

Would anyone be able to recommend some reliable websites or books about Chihuahuas? I want to make sure that the breed is right for me before I decide to adopt one.

Thank you!
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  #2  
Old January 2nd, 2005, 07:59 PM
Lucky Rescue Lucky Rescue is offline
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Hi and welcome to the board! Nice to see you're doing research before deciding on a breed.

What I know from my sister-in-law's Chis is that they are very fragile physically and are not good pets for children. They are feisty brave and do make good watchdogs! They seem to bond very deeply with one person and may try and guard that person against others.

They can also suffer defects common to the breed, like luxating patellas and sometimes have dental problems in addition to other health issues.

Of course they are not dogs for extreme temperatures, are quite happy in the house during cold weather and can be litter trained - although they can be difficult to housetrain.

If you decide to go to a breeder, be very careful and if anyone advertises "Teacup" or "Toy Chis" - run the other way.

HERE is a site that has a lot of info, and HERE is a discussion group you can join to talk to owners and fanciers who I"m sure will be happy to answer your questions!
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Old January 2nd, 2005, 10:12 PM
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LavenderRott LavenderRott is offline
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Please oh please don't buy online! Anyone can make anything look good on line. Bad breeders (puppy millers) are great at making their dogs sound wonderful through e-mails and phone calls, but when you get a sick dog shipped to you, you will be on your own.

Your best bet, call rescue groups in your area. Go to a dog show and talk to people showing chi's. (Wait until after they have been in the ring, before hand they are too busy to talk.)

You don't want to buy a pup from someone who ALWAYS has puppies for sale. You don't want to buy from someone who has more then one, maybe two breeds of dogs that they are breeding. You don't want to buy from someone who is breeding their toy poodles to their chihuahuas for cute little mixes.

Chihuahuas for Dummies is a great resource. I have the Rottweiler one. It is very helpful.
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Old January 3rd, 2005, 02:35 PM
mommy3 mommy3 is offline
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on line

I bought our dog on line.
I had done a great deal of research on this breeder and even though i did not actually meet her...I took her at what she was telling me.
YES a lot of things can go wrong.....but not all websites are bad...many are of reputable show breeders.
I made sure we got paperwork on the mom and dad of the pup as well as on our pup.....the parents were health tested...and i have a 3 year quarentee on the pups health in certain deseases.
She is ckc registered and comes with papaers.
What i am trying to say....is do your research on your own...research the breeder...i went by word of mouth on this lady.
We still have an ongoing relationship as she is always interested in our pup and all her puppies
Good luck
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  #5  
Old January 3rd, 2005, 02:56 PM
lil_kirk lil_kirk is offline
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Mommy3: Was your dog Canadian Kennel Club registered or Continental Kennel Club registered in the US? There is a big difference--I am happy that your new doggie worked out though. It's tough when they don't.

As for the Chi's--I agree with Lucky on this one. Please know that Chi's are truly a one person sort of dog. They do not bond with everyone in a family. They take to one person--their choice not yours--and love that person for life. They want all of their attention and with any luck, get it! They are loveable, and very fragile...but of course they don't know it!

Small children won't find a Chi as the best play toy as they are too breakable. If you want a family dog perhaps you may want a dog with more strength and build to it...I'm not suggesting a big dog here by any means, but there are a lot of companion dogs that make great family pets!

Another fact about Chi's is that they can get lonely when left alone. They are very little and as such, the world is a big, scary place for them. They need to be with you.
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Old January 3rd, 2005, 04:09 PM
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Thank you for the great information

I have the website that was recommended by LuckyRescue saved to my favorites and I am going to look for a Chihuahuas for Dummies book.

I have no itentions of buying a dog online, actually there is an organization called Canadian Chihuahua Rescue and Transport that I was hoping to adopt from, but I want to make sure that I will be suited to own a Chihuahua before I make a decision.

Thanks again! Your help is much appreciated!

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  #7  
Old January 3rd, 2005, 04:52 PM
mommy3 mommy3 is offline
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Nina is registered in CKC ...Canadian as i am canadian and so is the breeder...YES i do know there is a difference with ckc in USA.
I really feel strongly that one should not be discouradged from getting a dog from a website.....but you are right many so called breeders will tell you anything just to sell their pups.
As i posted before...GET all the info you can ...YOU need to educate yourself on the breed their temperment ...the breeder...etc
It took me SIX months in research to pick a boxer as the breed of choice and another SIX months to find a breeder i felt comfortable with....YOU as the buyer need to ask the breeder a ton of questions....just as the breeder should ask you a TOn as well.
But please do not feel as though all websites are not truthfull....as I am an example that there are GREAT breeders out there on the net
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  #8  
Old January 3rd, 2005, 05:44 PM
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meb999 meb999 is offline
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Hi there!
first of all, welcome to the board, I think you'll find that everyone here is very helpfull, at least I think so!
One of the best books I have on dog breeds is 'Paws to consider' by Brian Kilcommons and Sarah Wilson -- it's very helpfull, it gives you the good and the bad of all the 'popular' breeds.
There's also the book 'why we love the dogs we do' by Stanley Coren which can be helpfull in finding the right breed for you.
Also here's a web site that'll give you loads of info on different dog breeds - http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/dogbreeds/index.html
Good luck, and congrats on researching a breed before buying...if everyoine did this, there would be less dogs getting put down at the SPCA
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Old January 4th, 2005, 10:19 AM
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Thanks so much!

I'm not at home right now, but as soon as I get home I will also save that website to my favourites (and obviously take a good look at it!).

Even though I don't have kids at the moment, my fiancé and I do plan on starting a family within the next few years, so maybe a Chi would not be right for us.

Also, we plan on adopting 2 Labrador Retrievers once we have a house, because we both love the breed and know that they make great family dogs. Plus we love to do a lot of outdoor activities. I don't think that if I got a Chi right now it would be acceptable of two new large dogs, plus kids in a few years.

I will do further research, but it looks unlikely that I will be getting one. :sad: I don't want to get one just because I think they are cute.

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Old January 4th, 2005, 10:49 AM
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meb999 meb999 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Momo
I don't want to get one just because I think they are cute.
GOOD FOR YOU!!
The most important thing about getting a dog is finding a breed that's right for YOU. No breed is perfect, but if you find the right personnality match, you'll have a wonderfull relationship with your pooch.
You should look at personality first, then cuteness....let's face it...ALL gogs are cute in their own way!
good for you
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  #11  
Old January 4th, 2005, 11:40 AM
Lucky Rescue Lucky Rescue is offline
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Quote:
Also, we plan on adopting 2 Labrador Retrievers once we have a house, because we both love the breed and know that they make great family dogs
All Labs are not good with children, and the belief that they are has resulted in MANY MANY bites involving kids. If you are going to adopt dogs, get ones who are in foster homes and already known to be good with kids.
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  #12  
Old January 4th, 2005, 12:02 PM
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You are right, I am hoping by adopting through Labrador Retriever Rescue Ontario that they will help us find dogs that are compatable with young families and other pets.

Of course, that won't be for at least a year because we want to be living in a house.
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  #13  
Old January 6th, 2005, 07:56 PM
Cflat Cflat is offline
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I cannot fathom buying a live animal online. I'm glad it went well for you but to me any breeder that would sell online to someone they had never met is not reputable.
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  #14  
Old January 6th, 2005, 08:21 PM
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twinmommy twinmommy is offline
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I know that a lot of people will probably jump down my throat at this one....but...o.k. here goes...

In discussing the purchase of pets online, the issue of the new pet owner's credibility and integrity comes about. While I understand how a breeder, rescue, and even a rehome situation would ask for references, home visits and even more than one interview...I play devil's advocate, I suppose, by asking--do you really think that you can avoid bad owners by these methods? Do you sometimes feel almost like socialworkers in that you never really see what is going on? If things look too good, are they then bad? and lastly, at what point do you just have to sit back and have faith that at least the pet is in a home of sorts and that things should be alright?

I don't mean to instigate, I'm just curious.........
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