is 700 too expensive for a chihuahua?

[tokameaki]

hi everybody....my chihuahuas had 5 babies...3 i am keeping...and two i want to give them to a good home i am just asking for 700$ each...i dont think i am selling them because i want the person who adopts my pups to offer follow up emails, and if in any case the person who adopts the pups doesnt want them for x reasons in the future i am offering them to give it back to me because i dont want them to end up in a shelter...i dont want to give them free either because i dont the pups to end up in a lab...petstores want thousands for chihuahuas...i spend 3 thousand dollars for my two chihuahuas...i am very upset because this lady in craigslist just remove my ad...u guys think its too much money?...

[carrier]

I myself paid 450.00 for my pure-bred Scottish Terrier. Honestly, I don't think I would pay over 500.00 for a dog unless it was a show-quality animal bred from champions that I was interested in breeding or showing myself.

Asking 700.00 is absolutely your right, and if that's what people will pay then that's great for you. HOWEVER, craigslist has a strict policy prohibiting animal sales...and in my own opinion 700.00 for a dog is a sale. Reasonable adoption fees can be listed, but in your case I'm not surprised your ad got removed.

[beckyg]

I would just list on there for people to call for the adoption fee. It is your choice what you want to charge. I agree with Carrie, I wouldn't pay that much. Craigslist does state that while it is prohibited to sell animals, a small adoption fee is okay. I personally would just charge enough to cover their vet bill, food, and to get them fixed, because I wouldn't want them to be used as breeders.

[Eliza]

$700 is too high for an adoption fee IMHO.

True: you can go to any pet or puppy store and expect to pay $1000 for a chihauhau or other small breed dog. Pet or puppy store dogs may have come from puppy mills or backyard breeders. Doesn't matter if the dog came w/ AKC papers and it means nothing if the dog is registered w/ the CKC.

If you can, hold on to the pups until they are old enough to be spayed or neutered before you adopt them out. That way you can guarantee that they will not be bred.

As others have said, Craigslist has a no animal sales policy. You might try listing on hoobly.com instead.

[tokameaki]

thanks guys....yeah i will lower the adoption fee to 500...and i hope to find them good homes...its so hard to let them go...my dog its getting fix in february...thank god...but the lady who flag my ad wanted the chihuahuas for free both of them...it was wierd how she made such a drama in my emails but the moderator of craigslist told me the same thing u guys told me....thanks

[LauraO]

I think you can ask whatever you want for your babies. However, Craig's List is specifically for adoption, which requires a very minimal adoption fee. I don't think making people call for the fee is appropriate. You can advertise on sale based websites or the newspaper.

I would also not expect that you are going to keep track or ensure your puppies won't end up in a shelter or multiple homes. No matter what you are asking for your pups, you are selling them and people's lives change and will likely not keep you updated. Even with a contract, there's not much you can do about that. I'm wondering why you bred your pups and will you be doing it again?

[Tango's_Mom]

If you were a qualified breeder, with registered dogs and an idea of their bloodlines, (assuming they are good bloodlines), then $700 would be a very reasonable price. However, from what you have described, you are a backyard breeder, with dogs purchased from a petstore, which means you have no idea of the bloodlines, no registrations and no papers. And I hate to say it but in many if not most cases, dogs in petstores came from one of two places, puppy mills or other backyard breeders, in these places dogs are bred indiscriminantly with no consideration for genetic fitness, or compatibility, so in all likelyhood they lean much closer to the poorly bred side than the wellbred side. This is especially a problem in popular breeds like the chihauhau, as there is a high enough demand that people get away with it and end up screwing up the breed by continuing to breed dogs that genetically speaking, weakend the breed. Asking $700 hundred dollars for this kind of pup is unreasonable, yes petstores get away with it, it's not right, but it happens, mostly because there are enough ignorant people out there to believe that it's reasonable.

To put it in perspective, I worked for one of the top breeders of Giant Schnauzers in Canada, this is a much rarer breed, at last count there were only 11 registered breeders in the country. Pups from his best *****, if they were going as pets, went for $1500, that was the highest price that pups going as pets went for, this was a dog with superior breeding, papers, where both parents had all the appropriate screening to guard against genetic disease (hip dysplasia among many, many others) with papers. The **** was the canadian grand champion for 5 years running, and her sire was the champion before her, she already had a couple of very succesful litters on the ground. Unless you can say that your breeding dogs of anywhere close to that quality (remembering that you've got a breed where there are more than twice as many registered breeders, it is a common dog to be found in petstores - I've heard of one giant schnauzer in a petstore before in my life and it was a cross - and where backyard breeding is rampant - true of many small breeds) then $700 is way too much.

More on par maybe with the chihuahua breed, the same kennel also bred mini schnauzers and pugs, more popular breeds, both of which have similar problems to the chihuahua (puppy mills, petstores indiscriminant breeding leading to genetic health problems) pups from these dogs, whose quality was on par with what I described earlier (champion parents, papered, genetically screened) went for from anywhere from $700 to $1200. So I really think that you need to really reconsider your idea of what is reasonable.

I'm sorry if this feels like an attack, but one of my greatest passions is against indiscriminant, inexperienced and irresponsible breeding, there are enough dogs out there without homes, enough dogs that suffer from genetic conditions that could have been prevented had the person doing the breeding known what they were doing, and taken the appropriate steps to ensure that their dogs were genetically suited to being bred to compound the problem with even more irresponsible breeding. Just because a young dog appears healthy, doesn't mean anything as most conditions won't become clinical until later in life, and parents can carry genes never expressed in the parent that can be passed onto the offspring and cause the condition in them, and just because someone intends that a dog will have a good home, and maybe ensures that it goes to one in the beginning does not always mean that it will always have one. Once you sell/give away the dog you loose control over what happens to it, and you might ask people to give the dog back if they can't keep it, but in most cases, the fact is, that's not gonna happen, it happens when people sell dogs, happens with horses, I see it all the time, and nothings changing.

[tokameaki]

hi....i am not a breeder...i dont think i am one...i got my chihuahuas like 4 years ago...i was never planning to breed them when my lucy was with her period i keep the dogs in different places...so the wont breed...my male would cry for my female chihuahua and i try to distract him by taking him more often for walks...but when my male chihuahua stop crying for my female chihuahua i put them together again...so i guess it was a big mistake i tough he was not crying for her because she was done with her period...but it looks like i was wrong...she got pregnan and we cant make her have an abortion right?...even though i was thinking of it...but my family and i fed her more baby food and table food because i spend days and days reading about how can she be strong in her pregnancy because chihuahuas are very weak sometimes...she had the pups and she had 5...we are keeping 3 babies...but 2 we have to give out for adoption....i do have my chihuahuas papers and bloodlines...i got them from different good breeders one in jersey and the other in north carolina...i wont breed again...right now i am not working and i have time to always check the pups...and check on my female chihuahua more often...i talked to my vet and he will fix her in february...i was just asking 700 so i will know that the person adoptin them is willing to spoil them like i spoil my dogs....but yeah i cant help finding them a really good home...its really heart breaking i'm trying to give them to people around me...not craigslist anymore...i really hate watching those adds from people rehoming their dogs and etc....but yeah breeding its really hard...wont do it again....the pups are cute healthy active and chunky they are very cute

[beckyg]

My family had an "accidental" litter of Chocolate and Yellow labs a couple of years ago. My brother's Chocolate Lab got to the families Yellow Lab, and eventually out came a litter of 11 pups! You read that right, 11!! They were beautiful, but we had so much trouble finding homes for all of them. We had them in the paper for $250, if I remember correctly. One thing we did was to go to the families house that is adopting them. If the person wouldn't let us go see where the animal was going to be living, then we wouldn't let them have one. I know this isn't fool proof, but you can only do so much without keeping them yourself.

[graushill]

FWIW reading some of the post above I felt that classifying Tessie as a backyard breeder was unwarranted. I don't disagree with Jenna's comments on the huge problems created by inexperienced, indiscriminate breeding, and I don't think anyone who's ever seen a puppy mill would feel anything but anger and contempt for the people who could treat living creatures with such cruelty in the name of money, but Tessie had explained that her dog was getting fixed in February and from her posts at least I felt she is being sincere in her efforts to do the best she could for the puppies she can't keep personally. Accidents happen, and yes, sometimes the consequences are lamentable, but what you do afterwards should count for something I think, and I didn't feel Tessie had to defend herself.

Gloria

[Tango's_Mom]

I appreciate the sentiment Gloria, and agree that Tessie does seem like a kind caring person, and I appreciate that she intends to get her dog spayed and is doing what she can for the pups. However, what else would you call someone who randomly allows their dogs to breed when they have no experience or qualifications, whether it was planned or not, I call that backyard breeding. Nowhere did I say that it was equal to a puppy mill, it's definately the lesser of those two evils. I think it's wonderful, that she's trying to find good homes, although I maintain that $700 is too much for an adaption fee, just because someone has money to burn does not mean they will provide a better home, and just because someone can't afford a $700 lapdog does not mean they won't provide a wonderful home. And it's great that she wants to get her dogs fixed, although alot could have been avaided by getting them done before sexual maturity. Not only because of pregnancy problems, but we can discuss pyometra and cancer and hormones and behaviour issues and a whole host of other things later. So say what you will, but nothing I said was untrue, I was simply making my case, I've seen too many wrongs, to look at problems in the pet world and take them lying down.

[Janie]

When I got my last dog 13 1/2 years ago, my vet told me she could be spaded before her first period (which we did when she was 9 months old). That was "news" to me and music to my ears. Many years ago vets recommended that a dog go through her first cycle before spaying. I've since heard that dogs can be neutered/spayed before they are 6 months old and if and when I get another dog, I'll do it that early.

[mjm8321]

When I got my last dog 13 1/2 years ago, my vet told me she could be spaded before her first period (which we did when she was 9 months old). That was "news" to me and music to my ears. Many years ago vets recommended that a dog go through her first cycle before spaying. I've since heard that dogs can be neutered/spayed before they are 6 months old and if and when I get another dog, I'll do it that early.

Janie, not that I am in the market for a dog (becuase we all know I need another animal like another hole in the head) but last time i visited the Humane society, there were puppies there that could not have been older than 2-3 months old and had been spayed/neutered. However I just read here http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/pdf/juvenilespayneuter.pdf that they can be spayed or neutered as early as 4 weeks.

I had my youngest male cat spayed at 12 weeks old with no ill effects.

Many places offer low cost spay and neutering which might be something to think about having done before adopting out/selling the dogs.

[Janie]

Janie, not that I am in the market for a dog (becuase we all know I need another animal like another hole in the head) but last time i visited the Humane society, there were puppies there that could not have been older than 2-3 months old and had been spayed/neutered. However I just read here http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/pdf/juvenilespayneuter.pdf that they can be spayed or neutered as early as 4 weeks.

I had my youngest male cat spayed at 12 weeks old with no ill effects.

Many places offer low cost spay and neutering which might be something to think about having done before adopting out/selling the dogs.

MJ, I was erring on the side of caution but that is exactly what my vet told me a few weeks ago......2 to 3 months (or younger) is fine for spaying/neutering. I asked her because a friends dog was just neutered at 4 months old and she said that earlier is fine.

[tokameaki]

hi...well i didnt get offended because i know i am not a bakcyard breeder...lies dont offend anybody....only a black truth can offend...it was a mistake...thank god nothing is imposible and like becky said i will drive to houses of the people that will give them the puppies...have 1 lovebird and 1 parakeet that i adopted...and i always send their previuos owners emails with pictures telling them how good their birds are doing with me...i would love the people that adopt the pups will do that too...but not everybody is like that...i have had really hard times in life like everybody...hard times that if i was not responsable i could have give my dogs for adoption...but they are my babies i cant give them away no way i love them...i tell everybody "not without my dogs, and my bird, and my cat"...my cat and dogs spleep with me and my boyfriend lol...and if a man doesnt like my dogs and he wants to leave me because of them....bad for him because if u love me, u love my pets...i was thinking about breeding lovebirds because my boyfriend gave me the idea....he is crazy he even wants me to breed my fish...but then i receive the advise of everybody here and it not a good idea.....all my friends say "gosh tessie u are not working, u love shopping i dont see u shopping for u anymore....u just shop for ur dogs, cat, birds and fish"...and nobody tells me to do this things u know, i do them because it comes out of me....i grew up in lima peru....i had like 10 cats and like 10 dogs in my 11 years in peru....they only lasted me 1 year because in peru nobody really cares about pets...the goverment poisons ur cats and ur dogs....because in peru cats love to go out at night and dogs love to hang around outside of ur house...all the cats and dogs i had were stray...i never had a full breed cat or dog...and i always remember my dogs and cats i had....i guess thats why i wont let my pets have that sad life many pets have in peru because it is a poor country...my family always had many pets around and the lucky ones were the birds, the doves....we still have our birds alive...well now i am hunting for animal friendly aparments...i am done with my home health aid classes and i will be working very very soon...and hopefully the pups will have a good loving home...i will give them to their new owners in february still because the pups still nursing and i will not give them away younger than 12 weeks...and like all chihuahuas they are a month old and already barking!!!

[graushill]

I personally had no idea whether $700 was a reasonable adoption fee or not. From the comments and opinions Tessie had received it did seem like it was not, I think even Tessie commented that Craiglist's moderator had informed her pretty much as others, including you, at the board had commented and she had accepted.

My objection was mostly to Tessie being called a backyard breeder on the basis of her post. To me breeder implies a business intent, whether for profit or other reasons. Backyard breeder is, to me and I would say from your post even to you, a derogatory term that implies carelessness, ignorance and indifference.

I have a pair of lovebirds that raised one chick, my Piccolo. In my case the fact that Piccolo hatched was really more of an accident than any planned event (I don't regret it by the way but I have tried my best not to repeat it). In the same way that I don't consider myself a breeder I don't think Tessie is one either, much less a backyard breeder. I did think also that a lot of assumptions were made about her knowledge concerning her dogs and their provenance. This is of course just my opinion and since Tessie, to whom the post was directed, didn't object, it's probably a moot point. We disagree, there's nothing more to it.

Gloria

[tokameaki]

hi.....i wont give them for 700...i will give them for 250 to people around my area...no problem guys...i didnt get offended and no one should...breeding is breeding no one can change the action but it wont happen again...not with my birds...my lovies are males, and the parakeet is a female but i wont get her a male....i do want en english budgie but it will have its own cage....but it looks like my urpi the female parakeet is inlove with chichi lol....my cat is a female she is the only cat in the house and she is fix already...