what do you all think of this website? please help!?
the website is www.midwestchihuahuas.com
i bought my chihuahua puppy from this breeder back in december. I found this website searching for a chihuahua breeder in my state of ohio. i did the responsible thing, went to the home, met the family, saw all the chihuahuas, both the litter of puppies and the adult chihuahuas (there was only one litter of puppies at the time and i had seen that was usually how it was there, only one litter of pups and puppies are not available at all times) the home was clean and tidy, both the adults and puppies appeared healthy and clean and well behaved and good temperament. I picked out my baby girl, went back at 8 weeks to pick her up she had her first shots and has been nothing but healthy since the day i brought her home and has also had a wonderful temperament. my only issue is that the breeder said that the pups would be registered with the ckc and since i have had my puppy i have learned that ckc papers is worth nothing more than the paper it is written on. my question is with all the other bases checking out why wouldnt these pups be registered with akc (i understand that if parents werent registered the pups couldnt be but i mean like if the breeder spends all the time and money that i saw she does why wouldnt the pups come from better lineage. i mean i know she is not just a byb i spoke with her vet, previous puppy owners and what not and they all backed up that she had done testing and what not, far more than some breeders do. also i know that i am not the only one that has paid what i paid for my girl (750) for her to only be ckc registered and having spoke to previous purchasers why do ppl continually go for that . i just dont understand lol where i went wrong. i would just like other ppls opinion on the matter, like it they see and other red flags that i missed. i love my girl and wouldnt change a thing
and for those of you who say that reputable breeders do not advertise online are wrong if you go to the akc breeder referral most of the akc recognized breeders have a website. i have since added an addition to the family from a breeder i found at a dog show and guess what she has a website so thats not true.
9 Responses
b.w.
30 May 2010
♥PoodlePuff♥
30 May 2010
Just from that one picture on the front page I can tell you that they are backyard breeders.
After scrolling down a bit and discovering that they give discounts to US Military members and payment plans I discovered that they are DEFINATELY backyard breeders.
Breeding rights available to approved homes… come on???
They accept PAYPAL????
Did you READ the site before you bought the pup?
Sorry but it has bad breeder written all over it.
Erika
30 May 2010
Personally, if you love your girl and wouldn’t change a thing, then it doesn’t matter what her registration is – CKC or otherwise.
You have her now and she’s yours. Enjoy your puppy.
Red Pony
30 May 2010
Because they can make lots of money and sell their dogs for far more than they’re worth. And, most probably somewhere along the line, there is a cross bred dog in your dog’s pedigree or someone didn’t care enough to register it’s ancestors.
Even if the place was clean and the dogs appeared to be in good health, you got gouged on the price of your dog – but it’s whatever the market will bear. People get so caught up on getting a certain dog, they are willing to pay exorbitant prices for a dog that should sell for far less as a pet quality.
Unfortunately, you learned the hard way, but at least you’ll know what to look for next time. Ask and be sure the dogs are AKC registered. Even reputable breeder whose dogs are AKC will generally have pet quality dogs for sale since few, if any, pups in a litter have show potential.
Better luck next time and even though she’s not AKC, you can love her to pieces and enjoy her for all of her days. Good luck!
K B
30 May 2010
CKC means most any dog can be registered, including mixed breeds. There are very few regulation or policies with CKC – they are to help back yard breeders by offering the "golden papers" that so many people desperately want and are willing to spend $$$ on. AKC requires healthy, registered vetted dogs with lineage to be registered.
This breeder probably went to the local pet shop, bought some puppy mill puppies and began their career as backyard breeders. No one seems to care because they get a puppy and magical papers stating they own a puppy.
Honestly, you could have adopted a healthy puppy and asked the rescue or shelter to make up some adorable certificates and paperwork for you – not have supported a backyard breeder and would have saved a life.
You tried to do the right thing, you just missed the red flags that some of the other people have pointed out in their answers. They were there if you would have read the fine print and understood what it meant.
CKC – what a joke. This is the backyard breeders ticket to screwing the public.
JenVT
30 May 2010
I actually disagree with many of the posters and think they look like a good place to get a puppy from. I can’t understand the value of registering the pet quality dogs as CKC. It’s not like it’s cheaper and they could still have an iron clad spay/neuter contract. Looks like they do register their show quality pups with the AKC or at least that is what they imply. I think it’s nice to give discounts to military families and union members and I don’t think that reflects badly on them. I’d say you have nothing to worry about.
KB- The AKC could care less about health. There are no health requirements put in place by them to register your dogs. You could breed two dogs with severe hip displaysia together or two blind dogs and still register them with the AKC- don’t be fooled. AKC is not a guarantee of a well bred puppy. Just somewhat of a guarantee (assuming the breeder is reliable) that your dog is pure bred. Unfortunately that is the best the "gold standard" or registries can do.
ADD: BW- come into the 21st century. every single one of the breeders I know has a website. people don’t look in the newspapers or go to shows to find puppies, they look on line. What better place to display your show photos and brag about lineage? Of course reputable breeders advertise on line. That what websites are for.
Doc_Sid™
30 May 2010
akc or ckc doesnt matter much.
lots of bybs sell akc registered pups. akc registration can be faked easy too.
its just a common prejudice.
if your pup is healthy with good temperament and you are not interested in showing her in dog shows, registration doesnt matter.
rblankenship_rbl
30 May 2010
Despite the fact that i would never buy CKC, this site seems very legit. They have a puppy Application, guarantee health, breed schedule is space correct & they make a point to tell others there are no such thing as teacups and the difficulty’s when it comes to breeding. They also only give breeding rights to approved ppl.
They look pretty good to me. 
bookmom
30 May 2010
A red flag for me would be health testing. I saw one dog listed at the site as having OFA excellent patellas—but I could not find a single Chi listed on the OFFA.org database with "Midwest" in the registered name. Maybe they aren’t there for some reason—so I would have asked to see the original paperwork for the health tests on the dog.
As for breeders advertising online….yes good breeders do mention litters on their websites. That isn’t quite the same as advertising online—for example, they don’t advertise on "puppy selling" websites. They DO give full information on the parents of the litter, their health clearances and their pedigrees.
For example:
http://www.shomberggsp.com/litters/2009/2009_cortina_duncan/
(okay, not chis, but you get the idea.)
The first red flag would have been that they were advertising on line, responsible breeders do not.
Responsible breeders can show you trophies and ribbons their AKC dogs have won. They can also show you the AKC papers. Remember, AKC does not mean breeding quality. The dogs have to have been shown and proved they meet breed standards. Responsible breeders can also show you test results for the genetic testing that has to be done tosee if the dogs are fit for breeding. Cute & friendly does not make them fit for breeding. Responsible breeders will have spay/neuter contracts and a take back contract that says they will take back the pup at any time in it’s life for any reason so the pup never ends up in a shelter. You were sadly ripped off by a back yard breeder. There were several red flags, unfortunately you missed them. Your second sentence screamed Back Yard Breeder.
ehow has a pretty good check list to find reputable breeders.
Once you have decided on the breed you are looking for, visit the internet and find the NATIONAL BREED CLUB for your breed. Review all the information about the breed and find the web pages or phone contacts of breeders that are listed there. National breed clubs almost always have certain standards and ethics quides for any breeders which are listed on their pages.
Step2Prepare a questionnaire of questions you want to ask the breeder. This is a good one:
What health guarantees do you have?
Can you give me a vet reference?
Can I visit your kennel and if so, when?
How long have you been breeding?
Do you enter your own dogs in AKC events?
Can you send me a sample copy of your contract?
Do you sell your litters to pet stores or brokers?
(there is NO responsible breeder that will sell to a broker or a pet store, since it is too difficult to follow through on who is getting your puppy!!)
The LAST question should be "how much do your puppies cost?" but it is of course an important question
Step3Do make plans to visit the kennel and while there check the following things:
Are the dogs healthy and happy?
Does the kennel owner know each one by name?
Do the dogs have places to run outside their pens?
Are the pens clean and roomy?
(even if the home is a mess or in an uproar and not very neat, the kennels should be clean and all dogs should have food and fresh water available)
Is the whelping area in the house?
(puppies should be raised INSIDE a home for at least the first four weeks in order to get all the necessary social and physical attention needed in the first few weeks)
Do the sire and the dam act friendly and sociable?
(sometimes the STUD dog may not be available, the female may have been shipped elsewhere for breeding)
http://www.ehow.com/how_2256622_responsible-dog-breeder.html