Breeding: "line-breeding, in-breeding and Crossbreeding"
According to the American Kennel Club, the AKC has a standards for the Chihuahua. The Chihuahua is somewhat a natural breed and the gene pool is very wide open. That is why you will find so many different looking Chihuahuas, the only thing that they have in common is that they are the same breed. Chihuahuas do not have a universal "look" in size, temperament. The perfect goal is for the breeder to establish a consistent line, this is achieved by "inbreeding" and line breeding, crossbreeding. At one time this was must.
This was how certain traits were carried on, because of this, one could almost recognize a certain breeder when seeing the dog.
The breeder wants to produce good qualities in their line, they look at the certain qualities and try to breed the best, breeding back to a relative to "lock in these traits. One has to remember , the said can be reproduced with negative traits also! So you have to be careful and honest with all the traits that the dog has to offer. This is called "Line Breeding". Remember the puppy produced will carry 50% of genes from each parent. Litter mates bred together will produce a dog with an IC "INBREEDING COEFFICIENT" of 50%. The ideal composite of line breeding from generations of line breeding rather than immediate inbreeding. The ideal IC% consensus should range between 15% to 20%. It is best not to breed littermates, or parent to child. Genetic traits often skip generations, they will pair of differently, so it is best to go back to grandparents or aunts or uncles.
Sometimes when a breeder feels it essences to add certain qualities to the line, that they will often go to a dog that is of no relations. This is referred to "Outcrossing", please take when doing this, you are introducing genes that are literally unknown, and because you might have two dogs that look identical from different lines, remember that the gene pool is different and the offspring they produce can be risky, the gene inheritance is 50/50, so you cannot reliably predict the results of an outcrossing without in-depth knowledge of both lines and genetic factors. Inbreeding and line breeding does not automatically produce defects. Doubling up on negative traits carried by both parents, regardless of their relationship produces these defects. So remember, before you breed, do your research, check out your lines, get indepth knowledge on both lines and genetic heritably factors , and only breed to better your line. As you can see there is more to breeding than just putting to cute dogs together to ensure good health and a long life. Good breeding requires much study and some science, good morality and ethical behavior to keep from becoming a back yard breeder or puppy mill. Remember, the health and quality is the main reason to breed, improving each generation with upstanding litters. If you want to breed and show, contact an ethical breeder to be your mentor, not someone who is breeding for monetry reasons.
BREEDING YOUR TOYS
When time is right to breed my bitch, I always stay with her. When she ready to whelp, I don't make any plans but to be with her, I bring her into my living room, I have everything I need, on hand. She is never alone. After she has finished, I place her and the babies into a playpen and they are kept there until at least seven weeks old. They can see everyone and not be afraid of strangers or children. They become part of the family and are around people at all times. This way people can look at them and not pick them up. This works for everyone around, you can watch them and make sure they are growing and thriving.
I hope that if your little girl weighs less than four pounds, that you consider to have her spayed. This will save you from heartache and the life of your baby girl. Because these little girls have such a hard time delivering , most of the time, a c-section is required, you don't want to take a chance of losing your little girl, or the babies. Most breeders will tell you that the girls seem to deliver in the middle of the night and on weekends, this then requires you to take her to emergency clinics where it will cost you over a thousand dollars and you can still lose you baby. Your best bet is not to breed her at all. You can breed her if she is over four pounds and you use a small male, this way you can get smaller puppies. Always have your vet name and number close at hand, stay in contact with them through out her pregnancy. You never know when you might need them. Have a good rapport with your vet.
A widely used euphemism to describe a small Chihuahua OR Imperial Shih Tzu is TEA-CUP or Pocket pet.
Please remember that this is a description only. This is not a special breed of Chihuahuas or Shih Tzus .Remember that these little one can be hard to raise, as they are prone to heart and lung problems, and hypoglycemia. If no one has explained this to you before these are premature puppies, as the mom can breed between her ninth and fifteen day of of heat, she can conceive on these days, thus it's possible for puppies to be conceived a week apart, making one older than the other, as the labor starts, all the puppies are born at the same time, this is why you have different size puppies in the same litter. There are no runts, just "younger" puppies. They will generally catch up by six months of age. Judge your puppies by the size of parents. If you can, go for the larger puppy (gestational older), choose with caution unless you have the financial means and time to invest in your new baby
The same goes with your male, if he is going to be over six pounds have him fixed. This way you can keep the standard of the Chihuahua. Strive for the best in conformation and temperament. Don't breed if they have faults, this will only bring more unwanted puppies into the world., This will also help you enjoy your male as he won't be marking his territory in your house.
Don't breed your girls just because you want to see what they will throw, or your family wants a puppy from you, remember to only breed to improve the lines. There are plenty of puppies that need good homes.
Netured Males!!!!!!
I want to mention to new owners about your netured dog, don't be alarmed if you find that your male can still breed, don't worry!
He is Sterile!!! He just retained a lot of his hormones, but he cannot produce puppies. He will out grow this as he gets older. So please don't worry.
Training
Don't let anyone tell you
that Chihuahuas are hard to train,
they are one of the smartest dogs
that I have ever worked with.
They learn very fast and can be taught
many tricks
and be housebroken in a couple of days.
If you are diligant with your training,
both you and your pet will be very happy