What is a Puppy Mill

It is tempting to walk by a pet store and not stop in to look. They are filled with all kinds of adorable puppies. Yes the puppies are cute and you want to take each one of them home with you. If you have been considering buying a Chihuahua, then I am sure you have been looking at pet stores and looking online for your perfect Chihuahua.

The first thing you should know about a pet store is that many pet stores buy their puppies from puppy mills. In case you have never heard of a puppy mill or know very little of them, they are basically puppy farms. They are puppy farms where the owner’s main concern is gaining profit from the puppies they breed and has very little regard for the animal’s well being or health. A puppy mill houses up to hundreds of different dog breeds which live out their entire lives confined to cages, in many cases chicken cages. Chihuahuas at puppy mills are used as breeding machines. They are normally kept outside in tiny cages, no matter how big the dog is. The dogs are forgotten about in extreme cold or extreme heat or rain and many dogs even die. Some puppy mills cram as many dogs as they can into one cage, so that they can make room for more dogs to breed. These dogs are never given a toy, a treat, a blanket, a loving touch or even taken for a walk. Some of these dogs don’t even know how to walk since they never had a need for it living in a tiny cage. Also, once a dog is no longer able to reproduce, it will just be shot or drowned…whichever the owner will find the least expensive and convenient.

Adopt a Shelter Dog!

Think twice about purchasing your Chihuahua at a pet store or even online. Normally these dogs are purchased from a puppy mill, although there are some pet stores that only purchase their puppies from responsible breeders. If you do purchase a Chihuahua from a pet store, ask for documentation to ensure you are not purchasing Chihuahuas from puppy mills. Don’t help support these horrible places that abuse and torture innocent animals all for profit. Instead, consider adopting from your local shelter or rescue group. Shelters are full of all kinds of Chihuahuas both purebred and mixes who all need a loving home. So think twice about where you get your next puppy and adopt a chihuahua. Don’t choose to buy Chihuahuas at puppy mills.

Chihuahua Breeding Complications – Where Will the Puppies Go?

Firstly, let’s consider where your litter of puppies will go. Chihuahuas are among some of the most popular breeds of small dogs. You may think that this means they should have no trouble finding a good home but you’d be surprised. A lot of people buy dogs because of a fad and do so based on impulse or short term interest. As a result, they lose interest and don’t provide them with the care that they need and deserve, often leaving them at shelters.

Chihuahua Breeding Complications due to Greed and Profit

Next think about the fact that some breeders, breed Chihuahuas for the sole purpose of selling them for a profit. Chihuahuas are often times not very profitable. An average litter of Chihuahua puppies is only about three puppies. Since these dogs are so small, there are often medical chihuahua breeding complications with small female Chihuahuas. Some complications involve possibly the need of a cesarean section because the female is so small. Also once you factor out stud fees, prenatal care and registration, the profit margin is often very small and so breeders try to compensate by breeding their females at alarming rates which is very harmful to the poor dog. Even if you want to breed for the love of Chihuahuas, keep in mind that some of the puppies you are breeding may grow up to this awful fate.

Knowledgeable Breeders and Chihuahua Breeding Complications

Another concern is that you may not have the resources available to you that allow you to know where to find a proper stud with all of the best of characteristics for breeding. Breeding Chihuahuas is generally not for Novice Breeders since there are so many things to think about such as the coat type, size of female, and lineage of hereditary illnesses.

If you feel like you aren’t making the same mistakes I’ve just described then I wish you all of the luck in breeding. Just remember to be careful and mindful in order to avoid any unfortunate consequences that come along with breeding such as chihuahua breeding complications.