What age would a chi pup be ready to go to its new home approx?

Dogs as tiny as that, usually around 12 weeks at earliest.

The Chi breed clubs code of ethics states 12 weeks.

I would say 12 weeks, its the same for yorkies usually,but some breeders depending on circumstances let them go at 8 weeks.

My Pomeranian's go at 12 weeks and seeing as they are a similiar size Chi's should be the same!

i got mine at 12 weeks old

Any member of the BCC and regional chihuahua clubs is bound by the code of ethics not to let pups go to new homes before the age of 12 weeks.  Beware of anybody offering pups out at 8 weeks - bad breeders!

Ive always got mine as late as possible, over the past 25 years they have been aged between 3 months and 5 months old.

I love your avatar - I've been trying hard for a very long time now to get a picture of my lot all lined up like that - but they won't sit still long enough! :)

Thanks for all your replies.
A friend is supposed to be getting a Chi pup tomorrow, she thinks it's 6 weeks old :-(
I told her 6 weeks was FAR too young, but wasn't sure what the right age was, I can now point her to the Breed Club Code of Ethics

I definitely wouldn't get this breed at that age, they can take to different problems easily that a larger breed wouldn't such as hypothermia etc.  Please advise her not to go there!

Mini.....Thanks,i was really lucky in getting the picture,we were in S Ireland a few years ago and were we stayed they had a glass patio door, i went outside for something and the girls were all watching me, so i got the camera and took a picture, its one of my favourites!

Cocopop, please dont let your friend get the pup that young. Hypoglycemia is a major problem when they are young, also soft spot on head,its much too early!

Hi cocopop

I know of a girl who got her chi at 6 weeks.  She is now four years old and it's been an expensive four years, behaviouralists (3), vet bills and food.  The dog is still extremely under weight (you can see its ribs and hind quarters through her skin) and has no interest in food what so ever, it practically has to be force fed.  She can't introduce another dog as it is so socially inept depsite all of the expensive training.  Basically, this dog is a constant worry for her.

All this could have been avoided over a measely 6 weeks extra with mum and siblings.  STAY WELL CLEAR.

It's such a great picture - I have a few iffy ones - there's always one who turns at the last minute or blinks :)  One day....

Ive had chis for 25 years now and only managed it in 2003 by pure chance,lol.

> Beware of anybody offering pups out at 8 weeks - bad breeders!

Dont agree!! Everyone has different opinions, i got my yorkie at 8 weeks and she is a top breeder in the yorkie world, knowing ozmillion very very well... so its circumstances that led me to take sparky early and he is fine!! You cant go around accusing breeders of being bad just because they let a dog go at 8 weeks, its proposterous!

> I know of a girl who got her chi at 6 weeks. 

Now, in this case, this is possibly a breeder who doesnt understand dogs and doesnt understand the health implications of letting a puppy go so early, that is ridiculous 6 weeks!!

I don't know about yorkies, but all chihuahua club code of ethics bind its members not to let a pup out of their homes until 12 weeks.  Unfortunately, the majority of bybs don't realise that these dogs need longer with their littermates than other breeds and some let them go at 6 - 8 weeks.  If somebody is advertising a chihuahua pup ready for a new home at 8 weeks that is in my opinion a sign of a breeder with little knowledge of the breed and highly irresponsible so I would be very wary of buying a pup from this kind of situation.

If breeders are "forced" into a set of circumstances that mean they have to let pups go early that is very different to somebody readily advertising dogs ready to go at 8 weeks simply because they've had enough and want the cash!

Pomeranian's also do not get rehomed so early so definitely don't think Chi's should.

All i am saying is, it doesnt mean they are bad if they are a recognisable breeder and very well known, they know a lot about the dog and they have some idea if they can let them go at 8 weeks, as opposed to 12, sparky was probably about 9 weeks, but its around the 8 mark.

However advertising at 6-8 weeks, i totally agree, this is definatly a money thing and they have no idea of the health implications and the stress on the poor dog and side effects etc,.. this is a sign of a bad breeder, as even if a reputable breeder had problems at this age, they would NEVER let a dog go at this age... in my opinion anyway...

I know i would never dream of letting a dog go at this age, its barly been born and its just so obviously wrong! So yes i do agree and i see what you mean now, i thought you were judging all breeders by one rule.. :)

No-one is saying that all breeds should not leave until 12 weeks or even all toy breeds (Yorkies are in fact a Terrie really).  Some breeds are not mature enough and the people that breed these and form the breed clubs and have drawn up the codes saying they should not be homed until, e.g. Poms 10 weeks, Chi's 12 weeks truly know their breeds.

My breed are really ready by 8 weeks (so our club states not before 7 weeks) to start their new lives, other similar size breeds are only just getting there etc.

Erm... yorkies are actually a toy dog, not classed as terrier.. even though they are yorkshire terrier...

I find this really interesting, as when I came back to dogs a number of years ago EVERY book or website I looked at, and also my vet, recommended between 7 and 9 weeks, and not once was that qualified by breed.

I think it's fascinating that quite a large category of dogs, which probably also includes some of the breeds most often bought by people without doggy experience, should remain with mum for longer and yet puppy guides never mention this. Of course, a good breeder should tell you this, but as we all know not all breeders are good and if some think they can get their money a little sooner by selling a younger pup.......

I agree with you there Mark, i think there needs to be more awareness in the breed books and things that its not set in stone a certain time limit and i think more awareness needs to go towards the dogs health and things which can happen if it does leave its mummy too early.. i dont think any of this is 'advertised' enough and i think thats where so many people go wrong when buying a puppy

In fact, a number of puppy books stress the fact that you should never take a puppy who is older than nine weeks old, as you may have problems with socialisation etc. Even Gwen Bailey in the Perfect Puppy (which I think is probably the Bible to many people) says that you should only consider a puppy older than eight weeks if you are absolutely sure it has been well socialised. Things like this would put me right off a 12 week old, even though clearly that would be a mistake on my part.

> Erm... yorkies are actually a toy dog, not classed as terrier.. even though they are yorkshire terrier..

They are classified as a toy breed I know, but they are a bred down terrier and a lot tougher than some toy breeds, and certainly can't really be compared to Chi's or Poms.

Interestingly they are in the Terrier group in some countries.

> In fact, a number of puppy books stress the fact that you should never take a puppy who is older than nine weeks old, as you may have problems with socialisation etc. Even Gwen Bailey in the Perfect Puppy (which I think is probably the Bible to many people) says that you should only consider a puppy older than eight weeks if you are absolutely sure it has been well socialised. Things like this would put me right off a 12 week old, even though clearly that would be a mistake on my part

That is because many of those advising assume that pups are likely to come from bad breeders who do not provide the socialisation pups need, this should not apply at all,a nd especially to a decent breeder.

One of my pups went to Australia at 14 weeks and then spent a further month in Quarantine.

She was then picked up from Quarantine and had to fly to her new home with new owners.  She bounced out of her kennel made friends with everyone at the airport and was at a show taking Best Baby puppy in Group a few days later.

Of course she was well socialised before she left me at 14 weeks,a and even with that months solitary to 20 weeks had enough socialisation to be confident and outgoing.

They are classified as a toy breed I know, but they are a bred down terrier and a lot tougher than some toy breeds, and certainly can't really be compared to Chi's or Poms.

I might be completely wrong here, but aren't all toy breeds a smaller version of another category of dog. I don't mean they're just shrunken breeds, but surely if they weren't so small wouldn't they find a home in one of the other categories ? I'm talking off the top of my head, but I'd always assumed that was the case.

HAHA oh right!! Thought you were saying they are a terrier group haha

My mistake :)

But you are right, they cant be compared to chis they are so hardy and tough! But then again, i have seen poms that would definatly square up to a gsd or something lol!

Strange, i never knew that about other countries... odd isnt it

I'm not sure I understand what you mean Mark.  Certainlly some are descended from larger dogs a long time ago but there is not a standard sized dog for every breed of toy dog.  Sorry, I've just got an image of a lab sized chihuahua in my head :)  I suppose some could find classification in other categories if the toy classification was removed e.g yorkies as discussed above but they are mainly companion breeds, but then, aren't most dogs?  Each to their own interpretation!

I guess the Toy Dog classification has always confused me, because it's determined by size whereas the other groups are more to do with genetics or purpose. So regardless of the breeds background, if it's small  then it's a toy breed. I'm not thinking about specific breeds, but if a pastoral breed was small enough, would it become a toy breed, even though its history is pastoral? If that is the case, then presumably all of the toy breeds are closely related to breeds in the other groups, and it's just their size that makes them part of the Toy group.

I suppose it makes more sense if I think of the Toy Dog group as being the Companion Dog group, but then as you say most dogs these days are kept as companions (probably).

> Strange, i never knew that about other countries... odd isnt it

In all the FCI countries Youkshire Terriers and English Toy Terriers are in the Terrier Group

So regardless of the breeds background, if it's small  then it's a toy breed.

Not quite. Tibetan Spaniels are certainly toy sized for instance, smaller than Cavaliers for sure, and they are NOT a toy breed. Others include German Spitz Klein -very small breed indeed and Toy Poodle -all Utility breeds. Also various Terrier breeds, for instance Norfolk and Norwich, are smaller than the largest toy breed = Cavalier.

I thought toy poodle, was classed as a toy breed??

Maybe i am wrong, gosh its so confusing isnt it... could of sworn it was lol!

Think my brain is not with me today, im telling you! Im a mess! haha

I thought toy poodle, was classed as a toy breed??

No, all Poodles are utility. http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/5

I did look on there but toy poodle was highlighted out, so i got all confused, but then i think i realised that its cos i clicked it haha

I assumed the chi's were held onto by the breeder for longer because of their delicate size and the fact they can get so cold so easily.  I would assume the same was for italian greyhounds because they are easily breakable - I couldn't imagine having an 8 week old italian greyhound in my house, it wouldn't last.  Yorkies I would say are bigger and more sturdy than chi's.

Toy poodles are in the Utility Group alongside the other poodles because the standard is exactly the same, they have to have the same qualities and temperaments so to judge that fairly in a Group situation (such as the group ring at Crufts) they have to be in the same group for showing.

Mondays are like that :(  I hate Mondays (and Tuesdays, and Wendesdays, and Thursdays)

The Toy group is composed of those canines that were bred specifically to be companion animals. They were developed to be small, portable, and good-natured, the sort of dog that ladies of the court could carry with them. These dogs were largely pampered and treasured by aristocracy around the world.

I've never tried to carry all five.

They were developed to be small, portable, and good-natured,
How strange that so many of these Small portable and "goodnatured" dogs are owned by little old ladies and are ....carried around..too fat... and very snappy...so that clarification has not done them a lot of good in my eyes!
They have legs and minds too.
Not sure about sending pups off at 12 weeks. I can see the reasoning behind it and am sure the breed councils know their stuff, but my breed are rearing to go at 7/8 weeks at the latest, little bruisers they are at 7 weeks LOL!
Aileen

As an owner, I agree.  Their "portability" can ruin it for them.  Keep them on the ground and they learn to look up at the world, keep them up in your arms and they look down on the world and everything else in it.

i agree with that mini :-) but they do need to be treated as a small dog, not as a bigger dog because they are so delicate. my chi lives and plays with my gsd,my gsd is very carefull with him she plays much more softly than she would with a bigger dog, but most dogs we meet on walks get too rough with him and i do have to step in.i dont baby him at all but he is only tiny compared to other dogs and could get hurt so easy!

I have Cavaliers and I have bought them at 10 weeks old, so when I had a litter that's the age I sold them at too. They are the biggest of the Toy group, but in spite of their spaniel ancestry (some can and do work as gundogs) the vast majority are very much in the 'lapdog' category - but then I know Dallies and Danes that are lapdogs too! :-D

Just to update, Friend got Chi pup at about 8 weeks, she is fine!
They already have one, (older spayed bitch) and they get along great. :-)

> Not sure about sending pups off at 12 weeks. I can see the reasoning behind it and am sure the breed councils know their stuff, but my breed are rearing to go at 7/8 weeks at the latest, little bruisers they are at 7 weeks LOL!
> Aileen

That's the point my breed and yours are more than ready between 7 and 8 weeks, but soem toys not until 12.

> I think it's fascinating that quite a large category of dogs, which probably also includes some of the breeds most often bought by people without doggy experience, should remain with mum for longer and yet puppy guides never mention this.

The Champdogs Chihuahua Breed Guide states "do not consider taking a Chihuahua pup home until it is at least 12 weeks old"