The documentation which can come with your new puppy explained. Before we explain to you regarding documentation related to the purchase of a puppy please bare in mind the old saying which I'm sure you are all familiar with and that is "it's not worth the paper it is written on"
What Documents are Important and What They Mean
This can be so true with many things in life should we come across any problems after a purchase so before you buy your new pup you must decide what you as a buyer want from your new family member. Now as always controversy exists with anybody's point of view but due to Chihuahua World's passion for public awareness you need to understand what each piece of paper can actually do for you and the possible pit falls of dishonest breeders paperwork.
We like to think that every buyer's number one priority is knowing their pup is free from disease and current health issues so the documentation we want here is written confirmation from a registered vet saying what they have checked and that the pup has cleared all checks with no problems. This should be in the form of a health certificate signed and letter headed from the vet. These cost the breeder money so make your own mind up there.
Pedigrees unfortunately can come into the old saying category as just because there could be multiple champions in the pedigree doesn't mean the pup you brought will grow to be of the same quality due to the Chihuahuas habit of rogue genes popping up every now and then to produce an abnormality, this could be anything like height, weight, jaw problems, and indeed health issues. Again we can go back to the uncontrolled breeding which is happening out there where a breeder will buy a dog of quality bloodlines and then mating it with a dog they have which maybe of very poor breeding quality thus now introducing what could possibly be a bad combination of blood. The offspring will of course have half the pedigree of the quality dog which may look like a great pup on paper but until adult hood you may not know what you are going to have.
KC Papers
What are they used for you may ask and why should i want them. Well if the floors in their regulations that we have pointed out to you were not an issue then they could be a safe guard regarding your pups true identity and family tree as well as the requirement to enter shows regulated by the KC.
If you are buying a pet then KC papers mean nothing! Quite a bold statement but due to the publics perception of paperwork definitions must be blunt. Read More.
All paperwork costs money as someone has to check, edit and produce a document so bare this in mind.
With KC registered dogs the club actually take care of paperwork which has been submitted by the breeder, an honest breeder? What is meant by this is due to the regulations imposed by the KC club their breeders are bound by their breeding guidelines which restrict the number and frequency of litters their females have. But what if the breeder submits different paperwork from another dog? for example if they had a female Chihuahua which was mated by a Chihuahua cross then rather than aborting they could submit the registration papers from one of their pure breed stud dogs and no one is any wiser so you can see we are back on the topic of honest breeders. This is unfortunately a reality and backs up why pedigrees can fall into this category.
The frequency restriction with the KC club regarding females breeding is a great way of thinking but unfortunately what you see in adverts today are some of their accredited breeders advertising litters which are worded with phrases like "mum and dad KC registered but pups will not be" WHY?
Can it be that due to the restrictions applied by the KC? the litter can't be registered because the mum was over her litters produced limit or this was a season she was supposed to be rested! This is not to say every breeder does this as we all know there are some great breeders out there but as in every aspect of life there are always those who find the loop holes.
Insurance
Yes very important especially as we all know you will not see a poor vet. A breeder should provide you with your however many weeks free insurance as the companies actually supply it free of charge in the hope you will carry on the policy after the free period. In recent times we have seen the weeks offered free decreased which for me points to possible causes such as bad breeding of health issue dogs, expensive vet fees etc.
Microchips
Chihuahua World would like to see all breeders be made to microchip their pups before they leave for their new homes as this would help in so many ways especially with issues in the law, a subject that would take a few pages to explain so we will stop here. As a buyer having a microchip obviously gives you the knowledge that you dog has identification that says he belongs to you so do keep his microchip paperwork safe.
Lastly a subject that we have been involved in talks with multiple vets and animal drug companies and that is the issue of vaccinations. These were an absolute must in the past when dogs roamed our streets freely and going places where disease was writhe but thankfully we live in a much cleaner society and our pets no longer wander the streets. I'm not saying don't inoculate as that is your choice but the real question for us being a Chihuahua breeders is WHEN?
After losing a good few pups over the years due to reactions from chemicals administered into them our personal views and beliefs are Chihuahuas should not be vaccinated until at least 12-16 weeks of age or until they have reached a stable weight if they are extremely small. We can even tell you stories of customers who have gone against our advice and listened to their vet who then charged a fortune a few days later to try and nurse a sick puppy back to health, all which failed.
Most drug manufacturers will not stand by their guarantees with their drugs if the full dose is not administered so now you can ask yourself well if that is the case why bother? Don't take a chance with your new pup if you are unsure, just wait until your pup has matured a little before any inoculations.
Do your research on the Internet and you will read many horror stories relating to Puppies Chihuahua and Chemicals. Just because a Puppy has just had it's first innoculation and a Vaccination Card to prove it there is no guarantee that in the coming days there will not be problems.
Finally we would like to say that you have spent a lot of money on your Puppy so now you want to spend a lot of quality time with him you will begin to realize why his Vet Health Certificate is so important.