Pet Shop & Backyard Breeders(BYB) Versus Reputable Breeders:
Pet Shops sell puppy mill puppies - regardless of what they will try and tell you - NO reputable breeder would sell their puppy(s) to a Pet Shop/Broker. BYB's sell puppies from their pet female, bred to whatever stud they can find locally - with no regard for potential health issues created by mating the two. Quite often, the background of the two is not known, so there is no way of knowing if you are doubling up on a problem by breeding the two together. Pet Shops and BYB's have NO intention of improving the breed, nor do they care what happens to the animals once they leave their hands. Both will push puppies out the door asap(in the case of puppy mill puppies, they will leave their Dam by 6 wo so they can arrive at the Pet Store by 7 wo). Letting puppies go before a minimum of 8 weeks old is NOT healthy for them. In the case of Toy breeds, the puppies should stay with their Dam and litter mates for 9+ weeks, depending on their size. But the BYB saves money(and ALOT of work) that way and the Pet Shops get puppies that are still tiny and appealing to the impulse buyers. Both profit by cutting corners. Neither have quality breeding stock and they do not show their breeding stock - quite often their dogs are NOT registered thru AKC(or one of the other reputable registries) and may either be registered with one of the "off" registries(ACA, APRI, Continental Kennel Club etc) or not registered at all.
Many people say "papers aren't important". Even if a puppy is bought as a pet, it should come from a reputable breeder and the parents should be registered with a reputable registry(AKC, Canadian Kennel Club etc). Why? Because being registered with a reputable registry insures that the puppy is from a line of purebred dogs that represent the breed accurately. Dogs from known, true parentage are predictable in size, temperament, conformation and psychological traits known to the breed. Dogs from "off" registries(ACA, APRI, Continental Kennel Club, etc) lack that predictability. Granted, there are good and bad in both and the line is only as honest as it's breeder, but you do stand a better chance of getting what you are paying for if you buy a puppy whose parents are registered thru a reputable registry. Many registries like ACA, APRI, Continental Kennel Club, etc. will accept ANY dog, with the ease of doing it online, with minimal questions, fees, etc. and little to no proof that the dog is actually even close to breed standard. AKC on the other hand does kennel inspections, DNA testing and requires breeders to follow strict record keeping. Unfortunately however, there are many bad breeders that do register their dogs with AKC. This is why you need to do your research to determine if the breeder you are dealing with is the right breeder for you.
Raising a healthy, well-socialized puppy from excellent breeding stock is a lot of work and expense. Please don't contact me asking me if I have a "cheap" puppy or if can lower my prices - quite often my prices are already lower than most BYB's and far lower than Pet Shop(Puppy Mill) puppies.
Breeding Chihuahuas
Breeding Chihuahuas is not a project which should be taken lightly. Breeding a healthy, quality litter of puppies(avg size litter is 1-4) takes a great deal of knowledge, time, work and money. There is also heartbreak involved with the loss of puppies - and sometimes, the mother.
Chihuahuas are one of the most difficult Breeds to breed due to the round dome head, and the fact that Chihuahua mothers are small. Newborns are relatively large in comparison to the mother. The female may have a very hard time trying to pass a newborn and the Breeder must have a reliable vet to call for an emergency c-section or for other possible problems that often require immediate attention. Chihuahuas are NOT a breed to leave on their own to whelp out. Many a Dam has ripped the intestines out of her puppies while chewing the cord off too close to the stomach and a lot of Dams are uninterested in their puppies until YOU get them out of the sack, breathing and cleaned up.
If the Dam requires a c-section, she will be groggy and sore and may not accept her newborn pups for 2 or 3 days. In order to save the lives of the puppies the breeder may have to feed them every 3 hours around the clock until when/if she does decide that she wants them.
It is very risky to breed a female that is under 4 pounds. Chihuahuas this small are at a much higher risk of problems developing, and many can not carry a litter to term (premature delivery) and they usually require a c-section. But, Chihuahuas of any size can have problems, depending on the size of their pelvis or the position of the puppy being delivered(breech, etc).
Unless you do the research and breed responsibly please leave it to the Breeders who are seriously dedicated to the welfare of the breed. Breeding responsibly is not a money-making activity. There are many expenses such as:
Showing(cost triples if you use a Professional Handler), entry fees, travel costs, hotels, crates, x-pens, show apparel(outfits for you - leads and grooming needs for the dogs)health testing, upkeep on your adults(food, training, medical etc), stud fees(incl possibly having to ship to/from a stud dog), x-rays/ultra-sounds, whelping supplies(extra food, supplements, heaters, whelping boxes, bedding etc)C-Sections, problems arising from Mastitis, Eclampsia, etc., website fees, advertising fees, litter upkeep(food, shots, wormings, socializing/training) - AND - if you work, time off for whelping and possible loss of your job, or your litter, if problems should arise and YOU need to hand raise the litter.
People should only breed a litter if they feel that their dog's bloodlines could contribute something to the breed, if the dog closely matches the breed standard, and if the dog has passed all health clearances(such as a patella luxation check). Dogs that are not registered with a reputable kennel club, such as CKC (Canada) or AKC (USA), should not even be bred, as there is no guarantee on the purity of the pedigree and no way of knowing if you are doubling up on health problems.
Even if a dog is registered with a reputable registry, that registration on its own does not guarantee any kind of quality, it only means the Chihuahua is purebred.