Hi, I am new here. We are thinking about getting one, possibly two chihuahuas, and if everything goes accordingly, maybe breed them later on. I have done a lot of research, but i still have a few questions, maybe you could help me? Would it be a good idea to get a male and a female at the same time so they could grow up together? My problem with this is, I would not be sure how big they would get, and obviously the female has to be bigger for breeding. (Just so everyone knows, I have done my homework, and I am not a backyard breeder, nor do I condone it, and if we were to breed, it would be because I felt I could improve, and produce a strong, healthy litter!) So if we do end up getting two pups, they would be from reputable breeders. Also, I am also reading that chihuahuas have to have C-sections more often than not, is that all of them, or mostly just the really small ones? I have more questions, but, I will leave it at those for now...thanks!
I have never bred any dogs that I have owned, so I don't have any good information to give you. I know there are others here that have more knowledge on this subject that I do. It does sound like you have done alot of reading about breeding and thats a great start :)
I dont think it would matter hugely which way you do it; getting them both together as pups or not. It would be a lot more fun for them if you did as they'd have someone to play with and it'd no doubt build a great bond between them, but you could also get one and see how he/she turns out before taking the plunge and getting the second.
Generally speaking it's better to breed a smaller sire to a bigger dam, but that doesn't necessarily guarantee a natural birth. As far as I can tell the occurence of C-Sections is variable and all depends on luck really. If you have a lot of unborn puppies the dam might have to face a C-Section. Saying that, if you have a small number, say one or two pups, they will be bigger usually than if it were a larger litter, which means the mother will have trouble passing them. I think it is a common procedure for smaller breeds, Chihuahuas in particular, but not always necessary.
I have no doubt others will chip in soon enough, but I hope that has reassured you a little.
Thanks for the replies, at this point, anything is helpful! I have gotten more advice and help from everyone here, than many, many hours on the internet! While I am here, can anybody shed some light on this....How many times do you have to get up in the middle of the night to let the "baby" out for a piddle? I have heard that you have to every three hours. Any help would be appreciated, Thanks!
How many times you let them out depends on which method you're using for housetraining. Puppies usually need to eliminate once evry 1.5 and 2 hours. If you're training them to do their business outside I feel it's worth trying to teach your pup that they dont 'go' during the night. Night time is for sleeping. It might take a while but it can be done and I think is worth it. I did this by puting Ellie in her travel crate during the night as dogs will not foul their own bed. I gradually reduced the confines til she was safe to be out all night. To begin with, for the first month or so, you might need to let them out a couple of times as very young puppies dont have full control over their bodily functions. This should be better by about 4 months and at that age it's more about training as the pup would have probably got used to 'going' whenever they want.
At any rate, your puppy will usually tell you when they need to 'go' but you have to know the signs. Such as sniffing around and circling the floor. And at a later stage, whining by the door.
Same for my 5 pups. (Once potty trained) they are locked up at night and dont get to potty til morning. We never feed them right before bed, and always take them out and make sure they go before bed. dont leave food in with puppy at night or they will have to potty more. hope it helps!
