Just seen another ad on Pets4Homes for 'micro teacup' chihuahuas. Two weeks old 'weigh less than an ounce, 5cm long'. £2,000. And they can't even spell chihuahua properly.
that is crazy, yes i love my small dogs but one that size is unbelieveble. I would never pay more just because a dog is smaller than the rest. Also i can only picture all the things that could happen to a dog that size. One of my chi's iss about 3 pounds and i worry about her all the time.
everyone is right, 'tea cup' or 'micro' chihuahua is just a fancier term used by breeders for the word runt! I am a big chihuahua lover and I only plan on buying from KC breeder, not one of these clueless breeders that sell bad quality chihuahuas just for profit!
Betty come from very small parents but not as small as these. TBH I am not sure I would want to be responsible for such a small dog that will surely need special care all it's life.
As if Chi's aren't small enough already? If they want a pet that tiny they could get a pet mouse I reckon. It's a shame because healthy Chi's are feisty little dogs, very spirited and not unlike my min pin Bella going by the ones I know. Russian pal of mine nearby has one that is about 5 years old now and it's one of the best trained dogs I've ever met. I have never ever seen it on a lead it follows her everywhere never straying from her side and obeys every command. But has quite an independent temperament and she says she really wishes it WOULD sit on her lap and let her dress it up a bit in cold weather! She adores it but it isn't a stupid pampered pooch.
Poor pup. I'd be too worried about squashing it! I do like chis and would quite like one one day, but normal sized is small enough (maybe too small for farm Life!) never mind a micro-sized one!
That just reminded me of our late rosie chi, we were on holiday on a farm and she started barking furiously, dashed to see what was up and she had a cow by the nose ! When we removed her she had a mouth full of cow fur, cow appeared unhurt but didn't put her head over the wall again while we were there !
LOL! My OH lives on a farm, and I haven't even taken the cresteds up there yet as I worry about them being too small, never min a chi! Theres over 100 cows and near on 1500 sheep, I'd feel a bit nervous in case they got squished!
I have 6 chi's ranging from 3 to 10 lbs. One of them, at 3 1/2 lbs., is my service dog. None of them need a leash as they stay right by my feet. If one strays a little I only have to say, "feet" and the dog comes right back. A few of these dogs I got as adult rescues. I find them to be intelligent enough to readily learn my commands once they settle in to the pack. None are snappy or yappy. Chihuahuas are wonderful little dogs with a big dog attitude.
I've had chis for over 40 years and I have been secretary of one of the breed clubs and involved in rescue. I am absolutely fed up with telling people that other is no such thing as a teacup chihuahua. They are runts and look as if they have lots of health issues. Yes you can get small chis that are sound but some of these look like they have health issues. Chi puppies I've had are usually between 2 and 4 ounces when born and have ended up at between 3 and 6 pounds. Chis are incredibly robust for their size, they can out walk you and probably can only be caught by a greyhound or whippet once they start running. They are highly intelligent. They also love cuddling up in lots of blankets on the sofa and going to bed at night. However they are noisy!!! Pet breeders with no interest but money have a lot to answer for.
Just a query, on a chihuahua forum I belong to the "good breeders" are telling me I got Betty too young and all chis need to be kept with their parents until 6 months, hypoglycemia is "normal". Trying to decide if they are all mad or am I wrong in treating Betty as a normal but small dog who can do anything others can do ?
I do not let puppies o to new homes until they have had all their jabs - at least 12 weeks old. I have run some on, as do quite a lot of others who show, to see if they are good enough for the ring. I have had a tiny who went hypo - she was 2 3/4 lbs as an adult. I gave her some glucose in her food every day and fed her twice a day, as I do with all of mine, and she lived until she was 15! I do give mine prozyme, a probiotic which has glucose in it, on their ready brek in a morning, and have not had any problems for years. I have a litter of 7 week old Jap Chins who are only penned when we go out, or when they are eating and they are running around with the adults and are already house trained - they follow the big ones. I don't use paper or puppy pads - they simply tear them to shreds. I have a rubber backed mat - that you can buy at supermarkets or Dunelm -in next to their basket in the pen and they use that and then when they are ready mum takes them to a similar mat in the conservatory and later outside. The mats wash easily. My lot are already out in the garden. Chis and Chins are dogs that do all of big dog things and more besides. But chins are a lot quieter than chis.
Betty must be unusual lots of people remark on how quiet she is, I don't let my bigger dogs bark and annoy others so won't have that in a small dog either. Living in a flat you have to be considerate of others.
I think the most disturbing thing at the 'breeder' in the original post was not the size but the fact they would deliver for petrol money!!!!! Seems they are willing to palm them off on anyone no questions asked, you won't be able to see the environment they were raised in or the parents. Although the size is pretty shameful too, they'd need pretty special care I imagine and I'd be really worried about things like hypoglycaemia in a dog that teeny.
You've summed it up beautifully! They are indeed tremendous little dogs in the right hands. My daughter's 2 boys are spunky little fellas, although the younger of the 2 is a bit of a so and so as he was not socialised properly by her. The elder one, Gucci, lived with us as a pup and a young adult and is therefore properly socialised with both other dogs and people. He is a high ranking little devil, controlling both of my 2 male mal crosses - he growled at ben the other day, and Ben backed right off! Gucci is smaller than Ben's head, so it was very funny. My husband used to walk him for 5 miles every day along with Ben and Tai, and he had to keep up or get left behind, so he did! He is as tough as tough can be and absolutely adorable. I detest with a vengeance people who treat these dogs as lap dogs, dressing them up with clothes and handbags and mollycoddling them. They deserve better, much better.
talking of walking chis. theres no doubt they've gained popularity in the last few years, but I've yet to see one being exercised. p.s. loathe the word "teacup"