has anyone gotten a "tiny" chihuahua at age 6 weeks?

Question

the person who is sellling one to me said they are selling them at 6 weeks but i heard that they should be off their mother by no sooner than 8 weeks so i was wondering if its ok to get it at 6 weeks. its the TINY ones known as teac ups which ppl on here are so negative about geeze its just a name anyways so if you have gotten one at 6 weeks have they had any kinds of problems? was he/she okay after months llike no health problems?
im really in need for a good answer b/c im spending over 600 just for it so please let me know

Answer 1

It depends on the state you live as to when you can buy or sell them. I bought one last year at five weeks. Mine is fine. She is an adorable three pound white merle. She rules the chihuahua pack here even though she is the smallest.

If you aren't experienced at raising puppies or don't have others to help the new one grow up in a dog pack, I would wait to get her. I like getting puppies as soon as they are weaned, but other people prefer to wait. It does take a lot more work at an early age because you have to make sure they eat at least 5-6 times a day.

Answer 2

Don't waste your money! No responsible breeder would sell a puppy at the age of 6 wks. It WILL have health problems both because of the young age and because the breeder is just out to make money and is breeding dogs without health clearances. Chihuahuas have lots of serious and expensive health problems like luxating patellas. That will cost you a thousand or two to fix on top of the $600. I've seen people buy these puppy mill young pups and then have them come down with parvo. That will cost you a grand or so and the pup will still probably die.

Answer 3

I'd recommend you NOT get the puppy.

There are two red flags here.

First of all, a good, caring breeder will NEVER sell a puppy at less than 8 weeks of age. Many small dog breeders keep their puppies even longer, up to 12 weeks.

Secondly, good breeders would not deliberately breed for ultra tiny dogs. Anyone doing so is to be avoided because either they don't know enough about what they are doing or their ethics leave something to be desired.

When you're shelling out that kind of money, you want to get quality, not an unhealthy puppy from a questionable source.

Answer 4

What is this, ask fifty different but similar questions until you get the answer you want?

Any reputable breeder will not let any puppy go to its new home until the puppy is at least 8 weeks old!!!! Have you not bothered to look up this information yourself? There are hundreds of sites on the web about Chihuahuas, there are also numerous excellent books about the breed. Please read up on the breed before you buy a dog.

Second of all, $600 for a Chi?!?!? Sounds way too expensive for a pet Chi, in my not so humble opinion. My parents paid $300 for Maya, and she came from a reputable breeder.

Here are even more sites about Chis:
www.akc.org/breeds/chihuahua/index.cfm
www.chihuahua-rescue.com

Yes, getting especially a runt at six weeks of age is asking for all sorts of expensive vet bills. And you are helping line the pockets of an unethical, immoral backyard breeder who should be shut down and treated as inhumanely as he or she treats his or her dogs.

Also, I read your profile. You state that you have a baby girl. Are you aware of the fact that Chis are not usually kid-friendly dogs? Yes, there have been ones successfully raised around children; however, this isn't usually the norm. Add to this that it's obvious that you haven't a clue about the breed, you are creating a time-bomb that could explode at any moment, and it will be the innocent dog and child who suffer the consequences of your ill-informed actions.

Another thing, these dogs are super-sensitive to their person's moods. The fact that you pitch tantrums over answers on a website suggests that you are not suitable for owning one of these little tykes. They have a bad enough reputation because of clueless people who get them and then don't properly socialize and train them. Please don't do this breed anymore disservice than it already has.

Educate yourself about your breed of choice and about owning and properly caring for any dog whether it be a purebred, a mixed breed, or a mutt.

Once you've done all this and still feel you are capable of taking excellent care of a dog, providing for its needs and well-being, then find a rescue group or go down to your local shelter and adopt a dog that needs a loving home.

Answer 5

You should put it on hold or have her hold it for another 2 weeks. With small teacup puppies like that alot can go wrong when they are 6 weeks if they are not with their mother. I suggest getting your little baby when he/she is 8-12 weeks old. I would suggest looking in the eyes, ears, nose, and booty area. If these are clean, smell free (minus the butt part) and free of discharge she is probably pretty healthy but do go to a vet a couple days after having her and have him give her a check up just to make sure.

Answer 6

By your own admission, you obviously READ the information given regarding these poor runt dogs.

My question to you is, why are you still, after ALL of the information given, going to buy and support a disreputable breeder?

Do you realize that you can buy a health guaranteed, QUALITY Chihuahua from a responsible breeder for around the same amount?

All dogs NEED to be with not only their mother, but their siblings until a MINIMUM of 8-9 weeks.

Read a little more and please take the advice that is being given to you. The only way to put an end to disreputable breeding practices is for the PUBLIC to stop giving these people money!

Answer 7

Any breeder who will let a puppy go at 6 weeks is not a breeder I would consider buying a puppy from. Even tho many are properly weaned from mom's milk at 6 weeks, those extra 2 weeks with mom and the litter is extremely important for the puppy to have, as they learn so much and manners from mom, etc...

I would say to find a reputable breeder who keeps the pups for a proper amount of time of 8 weeks. My guess is that your seller probably didn't do any proper genetic testing either, no, not just health testing, genetic testing.

Answer 8

I would question any breeder who let a puppy leave it's mother before 8 weeks of age. That is not a good breeding practice. And "teacup" is not just a name...those super tiny pups often have multiple health problems and bring heartache to their owners. I've been in this field for over 20 years and have seen it numerous times. Buy from a reputable breeder, get a health certificate from them, and get a "normal" Chi. You won't be sorry.

Answer 9

the person who is selling them should know better. you dont sound like you much about dogs. first of all teacup is not just a name. it is a misleading term. if a dog is "teacup", that means it is smaller than the breed standard, which is a result of poor breeding usually. which also means the person breeding them doesnt know what they are doing, or just dont care and do it for money. my chih was 300, and was breed standard and a few months old before being taken from his mom/littermates. if someone said "buy my 600 dollar chih, tht is 'teacup' sized and being sold at 6 weeks old" i would laugh and ask them if they are serious.

the pups need to stay with the moms and littermates for more psychological reasons than health. they learn how to be a dog and not to bite hot act, etc. getting a dog that early, it will more than likely be aggressive and have biting tendencies

Answer 10

PLEASE, please, please do NOT get this puppy at this age.

A pup should be with mom until at least 8 weeks and small breeds should stay with their moms a bit longer.

On the Chihuahua Club of America site under "purchasing tips" it says "Most breeders will not sell a puppy until it is 10-12 weeks or older. It is best that the breeder provides a contract for seller and purchaser describing the dog, age, etc. and identifying parents, terms of sale, guarantees, vet record, etc." http://www.chihuahuaclubofamerica.com/purchasing_tips.htm

A few weeks to you or me is nothing, but this is a critical time for a puppy.

Plus, it is illegal to sell a pup this age in many states.

Here is info. on dog laws and on the page you'll find a link so you can see if it is even legal for the breeder to sell this pup.
http://www.animallaw.info/articles/ovuspuppysalelaws.htm

Please research this some more. Dogs bred to be super tiny tend to have health problems to begin with---weaning too soon will mean your pup is short some immunities it needs and more likely to have other problems later on.