Swank Pets Dog Blog

So you’ve finally decided on adding a new addition to your household. You’ve probably thought about this all day and all night. You’ve probably pondered over and over if you can handle the responsibility of a new puppy. Next, you’ve come to the conclusion that indeed you have the time and patience to own a dog, and you’ve decided on a toy breed dog. Now, all you have to do is find where to buy one. Sounds easy enough right? Just head on down to the local pet shop and look at their selection of Yorkies, Maltese, Chihuahua’s and every other toy breed you can think of right? NO! That’s your first mistake. Most of these pet stores get their dogs from puppy mills. What’s a puppy mill you ask? To sum it up, a puppy mill is a place where people keep hundreds of dogs locked up in pens living in the most inhumane and putrid conditions with one goal in mind. To pump out as many puppies as possible with no regard to these dog’s health. In my opinion, anyone that owns a puppy mill should burn in….you know what. Okay, so we’ve pretty much eliminated pet stores as a source of buying a toy breed dog. So this pretty much leaves independent breeders. Here are 10 tips to ask and look for when choosing a breeder for toy breed dogs.

I advise that you try to contact several independent breeders before making a final decision on a toy breed dog. Talk to each breeder and ask these questions and keep these tips in mind. If they all seem like they pass the test, use your gut feeling and decide which one you feel the most comfortable with.

1. If you arrive at a breeder’s house and you notice 40, 50 or even a 100 dogs either inside or outside the house. (I’ve been to houses where there were 40 to 50 dogs inside the house…and yes I almost puked) This is a very good indication that you’re at a potential puppy mill. I really can’t fathom 1 or even 2 people being able to take good quality care of this many dogs. If you happen to see something like this, leave immediately and even consider calling animal control to check out the situation. You could be saving the lives of many dogs. Furthermore, if you see a bunch of dog pens and cages outside full of dogs, this is another big indication of a puppy mill.

2 . When speaking with a potential dog breeder, try to guage their overall attitude and demeanor. If the breeder seems reluctant to answer questions or pressures you to buy rather than taking the time to answer questions, be weary. These types of breeders are usually in it for the money and probably don’t care too much about the breed itself. Look for someone that knows the breed extremely well. Someone that is passionate about breeding and not concerned completely with the money.

3. Responsible breeders will only sell to people they know can actually properly care for a dog. A responsible breeder won’t just sell to anyone. A good breeder that cares for the puppy will make sure that a potential new owner is actually qualified to own a puppy and able to assume full responsibility to care for a puppy.

Ask the breeder this: “What do you look for in a potential owner?”

If they simply reply, “Heck, if you have the money its yours!” then you already know that the breeder’s main intention is to make money. For toy breed dogs, a new owner must give the new puppy special attention. They need to keep a close eye at all times to avoid fatal conditions such as hypoglycemia, a potentially fatal condition of low blood sugar. You can read more about hypoglycemia in toy breed dogs here. If there are small kids in the potential customer’s house, a responsible breeder should keep this in mind before selling the puppy. Toy breed puppies are delicate and small children usually don’t mix. Just remember that a good breeder doesn’t just sell a puppy to the first person with the money.

4. Ask the breeder when they usually release the pups. For toy breed dogs, anywhere between 10 to 12 weeks is a good age to leave the mother. Of course, the older the better. I would stay away from any breeder willing the let their pups go before this age. Remember, toy breed pups need special care at this young age. They need their mother’s milk and care. Letting a puppy go before 10 weeks of age exponentially increases the risks of hypoglycemia. Greedy breeders in it for the money are only concerned about getting rid of the puppies as soon as possible. Steer clear away from such breeders. In some cases, breeders will flat out lie about a puppies age. One way to safe guard against this scam is to check the puppies teeth. By 10 weeks of age, the puppies teeth should be completely out.

5. Ask what sort of health guarantee the breeder provides. At the minimum, the breeder should allow you 72 hours to take the puppy to a vet to confirm that the dog is healthy and free of any illnesses, viruses or congenital defects. Also, the dog breeder should give at least a one year health guarantee against congenital defects. This means if you discover that your dog has an illness or passes away due to hereditary reasons, then the puppy should be replaced or have the vet bills paid for in order to fix the disorder, not to exceed the cost of the puppy.

6. Ask the breeder to give you some more information about the breed you are purchasing. A good breeder that loves the breed should know everything about that breed. That toy dog breeder should be able to write a book about that certain breed. This lets me know that a breeder actually cares about these dogs and these puppies are not seen as merchandise or simply inventory.

7. Does this breeder give detailed information on how to take care of your new puppy? A good breeder should give you a sort of ‘puppy info pack’ that explains what to feed, when to feed, how to bathe, how to groom, how to potty train, where the puppy will sleep, what signs to look out for in case of hypoglycemia, how to treat hypoglycemia, how to prevent hypoglycemia, etc. As you can see, I put quite an emphasis on hypoglycemia. I can’t stress the importance of this subject. I’ve heard too many horror stories of good people losing their pups because they were never educated about this condition. A good responsible toy dog breeder will outline everything you need to know in order to properly care for your new addition. Basically, you should not be nervous about caring for your new puppy when you bring your little one home.

8. Ask your breeder if they are willing to help you out after you bring the puppy home. Ask if you can call them up if an emergency happens. If you something goes wrong, you should be able to find good reliable information to help you through the situation. A good breeder should be able to provide this. If they refuse, then I would steer away from such a toy dog breeder. Of course, in an emergency a dog breeder can only give you so much information. In emergencies, take dog to a veterinarian or animal hospital ASAP.

9. One of the best ways to choose a breeder is based on their references. Ask for a list of people who have bought from them and ask if you can contact them. Talk to these people and ask about their experience and their thoughts on your potential toy dog breeder. There’s nothing better than hearing first hand about a breeder than from someone who has experienced the whole thing.

10. Trust your instinct. After assessing the first 9 points, see what your gut feeling tells you about this toy dog breeder. Which breeder do you feel made you the most comfortable and informed? Which one has explained everything to your satisfaction? Which breeder do you feel deep down inside has provided you the best feeling about adding this precious new addition to your family. Trust your instinct.

Hopefully these tips will help you choose a toy dog breeder. Remember, don’t feel like you’re hassling the breeder with all these questions. You’re about to add a new addition to your family. A new member that will be in your life for many years to come. This is a BIG deal. You should be satisfied with your choice, and these 10 tips should help facilitate the process.

If you are interested in Cute ‘Teacup’ Yorkies with Babydoll faces, please contact chicyorkies@yahoo.com

We strive to provide the healthiest and cutest Yorkies on this planet!!!

Here’s our Munchkin with her First Place Trophy at Del Mar’s Cutest Dog Contest. Click here for more picture of Munchkin.