I have been looking for a short haired chihuahua now for a very long time and have enquired with a pet store east london puppies to whether they have any and they said there will be some ready from the breeder in February. Do all puppies bought from shops grow up badly? This one has a very good reputation and many years of businness. Also if you buy a puppie from a shop is there any guarentee or anything? Has anyone else bought a puppie from a shop? If you could help me out that would be great.

You should not buy from a pet shop.When buying a puppy you should always buy from a reputable breeder and see the pup with the mother.
Most pet shops who sell puppies are no better than puppy farms.A caring breeder does not sell to ust anyone who walks in and pays the money.Do not by from this place...you are encouraging the exploitation of these poor little creatures who are used to produce the puppies.
The pup will not have KC registration(any other registration isn't worth the paper its written on) and the parents will have had no health tests done. A pup from here will not neccessarily grow up to have health problems but the chances are much greater than if you buy from a reputable breeder.It could cost you thousands of pounds in vets fees and much heartbreak.
Put your name on some waiting lists...it will be worth the wait
Archer
 

Please don't get your Chihuahua puppy from a pet shop, usually they aren't bred carefully - what breeder would sell puppies to a pet shop?? after rearing them with love and care they would want to know the people who were buying the pups ;)

If you follow this link you will find all you could wish for about Chi's and links to other clubs in the UK.  If you contact the clubs they will be able to put you in touch with good breeders, but you may have to wait for a good healthy pup, remember pups cannot be bred to order unless the breeder has large numbers of bitches and if they do the care of bitch and puppies will suffer. It will be worth the wait :)

http://www.the-british-chihuahua-club.org.uk/main2.htm[/link]

Please don't buy any puppy from a third party - such as a shop. If you think about it, what sort of breeder will let a whole litter of puppies go, never to know where they went, what happened to them or if they are in need of rehoming? Only a breeder who is not bothered about welfare, health or the breed and is only interested in profit. Think what it must do to the pups themselves, taken away from Mum (usually too early) & stuck in strange surroundings, susceptible to any viruses or germs in the environment and then passed on to yet another home - all before 8 wks old. Apart from anything else, you'll probably be paying more for a badly bred unhealthy pup than you would for a KC Reg. puppy from a responsible breeder who will be there to give you help & advice whenever you need it.

I can only emphaisise what others have said - please do not buy a puppy from a pet shop - every time someone does this they are supporting the dreadful and cruel puppy farms who supply these outlets. No reputable breeder would let their pups go to places like this and you have to ask yourself why a breeder needs to place their pups in a pet shop to sell (  particularly in a fashionable and relatively scarce breed like this) . Please be prepared to wait for your new puppy - after all he/she will be with you for maybe 14 years and is worth waiting for :). Put your name down with a breeder who is recommended by the breed club - you can join while you are waiting and find out more about your new breed too. Then when the time comes -go and see your pups mum, ask all the questions you want of the breeder - they will probably have the pups other relatives living there too so you can see what they are like for looks and temperament. Once you have your new friend the breeder will always be at the end of the phone to answer any questions and give advice and will be your pups 'safety net' should anything happen. Because you waited and went to a good breeder your pups parents would have had all the health checks and be registered with the Kennel Club and you will have a Chihuahua that actually looks like the breed ! ( you never know you may be so proud of your beautiful baby that you want to give dog showing a try :D)

If you are not prepared to wait you will of course never get to meet your new pups mum - she will be living out her short miserable life in some dark filthy box churning out puppies until her body gives out :(