Hi there just want some advise on homing a chihuahua.  I have been looking around for a while with no luck.  I have recently contacted a license breeder and was shocked at the prices of such a little dog.  I was told £1250 for a Kc reg show potential and pedigree and about £850 for an unregistered dog.

This particular person is London based and has breeders lists, these breeders then contact potential buyers directly once he has past your details on.  There are a few of them and they have said that they litter there bitches every season so that is why some are registered and some are not. However, they only do this for the first three years and then reduce to once a year for two years and then spay them for pet only homes. 

Can someone please tell me what the average price of a puppy or young adult is?  I have a really old pug and she does not have much life left in her (well she is 11) and would like another dog now or soon.  Do not mean to sound naive but Im an old lady and do not want to be taken advantage of.

I would not buy from any breeder who is breeding from their bitches every season whether or not they were registering all the puppies. The fact that some are registered and others aren't is suspect! The Kennel Club has a code of ethics which they ask breeders to stick to, it is available on their web site at www.the-kennel-club.org Basically these people are puppy farming.

Have you tried contacting official chihuahua breeders clubs? Or chihuahua rescue?

I really think you should avoid any dealer like this like the plague.   And how on earth he can tell if any (and it's probably a very big IF) are going to be show quality if he's a dealer is beyond me.   I wouldn't be that surprised if they were all sold as show quality at that price!!!!

I'm sure someone will be along soon who knows about chihuahuas, so will give a helping hand.

Jo and the Casblaidd Flatcoats

So they have 8 litters in their first 6 years of life, those poor little things.  This person is only interested in money and not the welfare of the breed.

Sounds to me as if someone is taking advantage of the fact that Chihuahuas are in short supply. The prices sound extortionate to me - especially for unregistered pups. Contact one of the breed clubs listed and ask their advice.