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How to Avoid Chihuahua Mixes
How to Avoid Chihuahua Mixes
When buying a chihuahua puppy, don't be fooled by a cheap
chihuahua mix.
by Bill Knell
contributing writer
November 25, 2004
As a Chihuahua Breeder with many years of experience, I get
letters and emails from people all the time with questions
about this fabulous breed. One of the most often asked questions
I get from people is about size and weight. People who did
not buy their Chihuahuas from me ask why they have a Chihuahua
that weighed so little as a young pup and now tops the scales
at fifteen or even twenty pounds? Many also wonder why their
ears and snouts are so extended? The answer is a simple, but
not happy one. They were scammed!
Many unethical Breeders use an old trick to double their
profits on toy pups. They breed Chihuahuas mixed with Mini-Pinchers.
Why? Because both breeds have pups that look almost identical
during the first eight weeks of life, but Chihuahua-Mini Pin
mixes produce eight or more pups, compared to purebred Chihuahua
females which usually have litters of one to three pups and
rarely more then four. That means more profit for them, but
a mixed pup for you. The difference between the purebred and
the mix becomes very obvious as time passes.
Purebred Chihuahua pups have a unique look to them, but one
that can be shared with Mini-Pin pups up to a point in their
development. The differences start to become obvious by the
time the pups reach nine to twelve weeks of age. Mixed pups
feature ears and heads that seem much too large for their
body frame. Snouts on mixed pups are very extended, much more
so then one would expect to find on any type of Chihuahua.
The two basic body types of purebred Chihuahuas are Appleheads
and Deerheads. Appleheads tend to have shorter snouts, while
Deerheads have elongated snouts. Still, the Deerheads have
much shorter ears and snouts then the Chihuahua-Mini Pin mixes.
Those trying to sell mixes as purebreds will often tell unsuspecting
customers that the reason for a pups larger snout is that
it’s a Deerhead. But mixes have much longer snouts, extremely
over-sized ears and heads that seem much larger then their
bodies can support.
One might think that purebred papers will guarantee a purebred
pup, but that isn’t always the case. In many instances Breeders
have been able to manipulate various purebred registries and
get papers for pups from mixed parents. Looking at the parents
also doesn’t work. Most unethical Breeders will have bogus
parents with similar colors all ready to be viewed.
The key to making sure a Chihuahua is what it’s supposed
to be is proportion. Whether the Chihuahua pup in question
is a longhair or shorthair, they should have a body that is
evenly proportioned. No matter how young the puppy is, its
ears, head and body should look proportionate with ears and
a nose that do not seem unusually large or long. Because Chihuahuas
are ancient dogs that weren’t created by any known genetic
manipulation like other toy dog breeds, there can be a lot
of diversity when it comes to color and length of hair. But
body proportions on most Chihuahua pups are very even at almost
any age.
Most of the people who have reported this scam to me bought
their pups from unethical Breeders in Southern California
(San Diego and L.A.), Southern Arizona (Tucson and Nogales),
Texas and Missouri. These places are also notorious for being
locations of puppy mills and unhealthy dogs sold on the street
that have been brought in from Mexico. As a Breeder located
in central Arizona, I hear horror stories all the time from
people who have bought pups from these other areas and ended
up with mixed breed dogs or animals too ill to survive, so
buyer beware!
The basic colors for purebred Chihuahuas are white, fawn,
black, tan, red, blue, the super rare merles or a mixture
of any of the above. Most of the mixes take on the black and
tan color of the mini-pins. But because many Chihuahuas are
also black and tan, the key to noting the difference is an
overfill of tan color on the face of the pup just below the
nose and around the mouth, instead of an even coloring.
While some Chihuahua mixes are wildly popular like the Peke
Chi’s (Pekenese and Chihuahua mix), most people dislike the
Chihuahua-Mini Pin mixes because they just get too big to
be considered toy dogs. These mixes also love to bit on and
chew everything they can find, compared to purebred Chihuahuas
which are not known for that type for behavior.
- Bill Knell
A native New Yorker now living in Arizona, Bill Knell
is a forty-something guy with a wealth of knowledge and
experience. He's written hundreds of articles on a wide
variety of subjects. A popular Speaker, Bill Knell presents
seminars on a number of topics that entertain, train and
teach. A popular radio and television show Guest, you've
heard Bill on thousands of top-rated shows in all formats
and seen him on local, national and international television
programs. Contact Bill at his website: http://tiny.azpuppies.com.
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