Interview with Chielle Chihuahuas

How did you first get involved in Chihuahuas?

I purchased a "pet" Chihuahua puppy in 1998, without knowing anything about the breed, and while he was a darling puppy and I loved that boy with all my heart, Yoda's physical and emotional problems remain a constant reminder and inspiration to me of how important it is to breed responsibly! The love I had for that poor, nervous, riddled with problems, ill-bred little boy led me to the passion I have for this very special breed and wanting to have a positive impact on its future as well as to allow others to know joys of sharing life with a well-bred Chihuahua.

What was the most appealing part of Chihuahuas?

Absolutely precious, adorable, snuggly, affectionate, silly, fun, feisty, saucy, all in wrapped up in a tiny, take anywhere, wash and go package!

What were the drawbacks to the breed?

Some Chis can present difficulty in housebreaking, some can be very stubborn and willful when it comes to barking and/or other training issues, early socialization is a must for a friendly adaptable Chihuahua as they do tend to become very set in their ways as adults and if not exposed to different situations and people other than their immediately family they will often reject anyone who is not part of their day to day world, and either hide or bark furiously when visitors come.

Would you recommend Chihuahuas to the novice dog owner?

Not the super tiny size, but a sturdier one at the larger end of the breed standard, yes. They make a wonderful minimal grooming responsibility (even the longcoat variety) companion to the responsible novice or long-time dog owner desiring a constant shadow and bed warmer.

What are the known problems in Chihuahuas?

Breed related health issues include luxating patellae, heart murmur, hydrocephallus, hypoglycemia (esp. in puppies and tinies). As for temperament, they tend to be sensitive, can be stubborn, and must be trained by motivation not a heavy hand or overly stern voice. Some can be on the yappy side, while others are just your garden variety good watchdog barkers.

What are you doing to help with those problems?

Health testing and screening of breeding dogs for known and potential hereditary problems is paramount, as is follow-up on development of offspring to stay informed of any problems being produced and making appropriate breeding decisions, always striving for offspring that not only meet the breed conformation standard but that are also healthy, sound and well-tempered.

Sadly there are pet stores/backyard breeders nearly everywhere now, you do you get people to understand about the quality of your dogs compared to those?

In addition to including important breed (and breeding) information on my website, I talk with potential Chi owners regarding breed and dog related issues, why it is important to get their new family member from a knowledgeable breeder who does their homework on the breed and their particular dogs and someone who is concerned about breeding for the standard and away from known health/genetic disorders - in other words a breeder who TRULY cares and is passionate about the BREED and whose breeding choices are motivated by that passion and a desire to do things RIGHT.

What added problems are seen in the backyard bred/pet store dogs that are not in well bred dogs?

Higher incidence of health and genetic problems as well as bad temperaments, and of course dogs that do not even come close to meeting the breed conformation standard. Chihuahuas are NOT supposed to look like the Taco Bell dog!

Do you recommend Chihuahuas to people with children of all ages?

In general no, tho I would have to say this depends more on the responsibility level of the parents than the age of the kids. No, a Chihuahua should not be purchased as a pet for a young child. But as long as young (even well-behaved) kids are not allowed to interact unsupervised with the Chihuahua and as long as the Chihuahua is not super tiny and fragile, supervised interaction with even a very young well-behaved child can be permitted by the parents. The responsibility lays squarely with the parents to keep a Chihuahua safe in a family w/children setting.

What type of excercise schedule to you recommend for Chihuahuas?

These little dogs get enough exercise for their daily requirements just running around the house but I do recommend daily supervised outside time and they do enjoy going for short walks down to the mailbox, etc. Always supervised as they can fall victim to birds of prey and other larger mammals.

What type of feeding do you recommend for Chihuahuas?

Premium foods, no by-products, no soy, no wheat, no corn, small enough kibble so they can easily chew it as they need to get the most nutrition per meal.

When selling a puppy, how do you decide on the sale price?

How the dog conforms to the breed standard, pet or show/breeding purpose; I do not adhere to the "what the market will bear" mentality, as I feel a family pet should be reasonable but not free or so cheap that people who are looking for a "bargain basement" dog are encouraged, as generally people with this mentality or who do not have even a minimal amount to spend on a pet will generally dump the pet at the first problem or need for medical treatment (emergencies can happen) or may simply not have the money to give their pet proper care.

What is your greatest expense with your dogs?

Chihuahuas really are easy keepers, the biggest expenses come from breeding and showing and the occasional vet emergencies. As far as keeping as a pet and barring emergencies, for a Chihuahua, once an owner has gone through the puppy vaccinations, altering, extraction of any retained puppy teeth, dental cleanings would be the most expensive routine procedure; feeding a quality dry kibble and routine at home dental care (brushing, dental hygiene water additives) can lessen the regularity with which dental cleanings by the vet are required. With Chihuahuas dental hygiene is one of the most important areas for maintaining good health into adulthood as those tiny teeth are prone to tartar build-up and bad teeth can cause a host of other health issues.

Would you recommend Chihuahuas to people with other animals?

Generally not with larger (esp. aggressive) animals. But again this would depend on not only the individual animal(s) but also the responsibility of the owner and whether they allow interaction or keep the bigger animals separate from the Chihuahua which is ALWAYS recommended. A big dog can severely injure even kill a Chihuahua IN PLAY with just one swipe of a paw. Please believe it can and does happen to people who thought it never would!

Would you recommend Chihuahuas to someone without a fenced in yard?

They make great indoor pets, and since they should not be allowed outside unsupervised anyway (they are easy prey for hawks and owls, etc.) it is not so very important that a yard is present. Wee wee pads and apartment life lend themselves well to the breed.

What is the best way to keep a Chihuahuas coat looking great?

Quality food and regular bathing with a gentle dog formulated shampoo. A clean coat is a shiny coat. In long coats, not overbrushing as this can break off the coat and pull out too much of the undercoat.

When your dogs have finished with their show career and are no longer being bred, what do you do with them?

I wish I could keep every one of my "retired" dogs but it is just not possible and it is one of the heartaches of being a responsible breeder with a breeding "program" with a purpose, but I do not overbreed my girls and retire them young while they still have a whole of life to live with their new forever families. Retirees are place already altered in companion homes.

What measures do you take to screen potential puppy buyers?

Application, which includes references personal and veterinarian, is the first step, then phone, in person "interview". Then if all seems to be a good fit, the Chihuahua can be adopted.

Anything else you would like to add?

Chihuahuas sadly seem to attract greedy miller types and backyard breeders because they are small and easy to keep and many of them can be kept in smaller areas (often in these sad situations they live their entire lives in cages stacked one on top of the other. First of all dogs are NOT a commodity. These are living, feeling, loving, precious little beings that depend on us to make the right decisions for them. They are here to be LOVED, not to be exploited for personal gain. Secondly, the world has too many poor quality dogs and poor quality dog breeders. Therefore if we choose to become involved with a breed we absolutely owe it to the breed and the dogs to do it RIGHT. This means learning all we can about the breed in order to make educated breeding decisions (this includes attending dog shows as this helps us gauge if we are going in the right direction with our program, learn about proper structure, movement, and network with other knowledgeable breeders to learn and grow as breeders and improve our breed), it means building a solid foundation and breeding only to the highest standard of quality in conformation, health, soundness, temperament, it also means taking care when we place our dogs/puppies, placing pets already altered or on strict spay/neuter agreements, providing written health/genetic guarantees, lifetime breeder support, and a return home for the dogs/puppies we place if the new owner is no longer able to keep them. These precious little creations are our responsibility, and they deserve our utmost dedication to their well-being. To anyone considering breeding, PLEASE breed responsibly or DON'T BREED AT ALL. Thank you.