Perfume

I'm not intending to show, I want one as a pet/companion. As far as Chihuahuas are concerned, I do prefer the apple head and the shorter snout, it doesn't have to be ultra short but definitely not long and pointy.

Yes, you have a point in thinking I don't quite know what I want right now. I find all three breeds appealing and have researched their needs and temperament extensively and although they're very different, I know I could cope with each and everyone of them. No different to people who own more than one breed. I've had a chihuahua before so I know what is expected. My friend had a sheltie and I used to baby sit him when my friend travelled interstate on business. I've never had much to do with the JS but through my research and the advice I received from DOLers I have a pretty clear idea on what to expect. :)

I'm open to either a Japanese Spitz, Shetland Sheepdog or Chihuahua. In this case, the pup with a couple of missing incisors is a Chihuahua. They're supposed to have 6 incisors and this pup has 4. Beautiful in every other way and exactly what I'm looking for.

I'm keen to get a puppy but not in that much of a hurry, if I were I would have purchased a pup by now without asking questions. I am taking my time and doing my research hence why I also ask questions when speaking to breeders. :)

I found another pup which I really really like and spoke to the breeder at length. Very nice person, breath of fresh air. I really want this pup, the breeder was going to keep him for showing but he has 4 instead of 6 incisor teeth on his top jaw. Anyone had experience with this sort of thing? Should I or shouldn't I go ahead?

Thank you so much everyone Your words mean a lot to me

Reread the post. OP said 24 Hadn't lapsed but decided the puppy was wanted. Thank you twodoggies2001

We had an understanding and that is that if someone was to come forward and show a real interest in the pup, the breeder would give me a call and advise me, this didn't happen. If the breeder had not said that I would not have had any expectations. A promise is a promise, at least I thought so. The daughter, whom the pup belonged to, was nice….her mother, on the other hand, was rude and abrupt from the onset. I guess, as most of you have said, I have dodged a bullet, it is sad that there are such people like her in the breeding world and it can be definitely off putting but I won't let this negative experience deter me from continuing in my search.

I enquired about a puppy, asked a few questions and was relatively happy but needed some time to think about a few things. Breeder was very nice and said she would give me 24 hours to think about it and that if any serious enquiries were to take place she would let me know but would give me first preference. 24 hours haven't lapsed but I had decided I definitely wanted to go ahead with the pup so I called the breeder's mum as I was unable to find the actual breeder's phone number besides which the pup was staying with her mother. I excitedly told her I wanted to purchase the pup only to be told the pup had been sold and was picked up today. I feel as though the rug was pulled from underneath me. I explained that the daughter was giving me first choice and would have called me to advise me of such, the woman said she took matters into her own hands and sold the pup regardless. Nice attitude. To say I am shocked is an understatement.

Any normal person would have exercised some common sense and when asked to stay away, would have gladly opted out instead of encroacing on your personal space and literally force his unwanted attention onto you. That is not normal behaviour, he was clearly harassing you. Your husband didn't say anything to this tosser? No, my husband treats me like the independent adult that i am and lets me deal with my own problems and i'm happy that he doesn't take over; if someone were physically abusive then that would be a different matter. Personally speaking, I would have expected my husband to speak up but clearly we're not all alike, you husband knows you better than anyone. It's all good :)

When it too often involves an animal, I never want to master that ability. Beyond comprehension some humans. The ONLY reason I never mastered that ability is because I never felt the necessity ESPECIALLY when it involves animals. Had I been there, I would have made my presence felt.

You can't educate stupid!! I never did master the ability to suffer fools.

Any normal person would have exercised some common sense and when asked to stay away, would have gladly opted out instead of encroacing on your personal space and literally force his unwanted attention onto you. That is not normal behaviour, he was clearly harassing you. Your husband didn't say anything to this tosser?

I admit I was concerned about my rant, thought I'd be torn to shreds but instead I found a level of understanding I didn't quite expect. Thank you so much to each and every one of you who understood my plight and frustration.

This thread has brought back memories….. I used to own an apartment and had a Papillon pup. He was house trained so I thought I could step out for an hour and not worry about him soiling the carpet. When I came back an hour later he proved me right in that he didn't poo or pee but instead decided to topple a pot plant upside down which I recently watered and drag it all through the lounge room which was carpeted. I came home to a carpet that was indeed soiled with wet potting mix, I would have preferred if he had peed or pooped instead.

OMG, if my dog did that I would have WW3 in my hands with my OH. Does your sister have a husband and if so how did he react?

The boys are more likely to cock their legs to pee unless you train them not to. At club - there's a mix. How well they do seems to have more to do with the trainer than the sex of the dog. Some girls of any breed are just as good as the boys in 'cocking' their leg and/or marking territory. My standard Poodle was desexed at 18 mths of age yet he squats and isn't interested in marking territory (touch wood). I guess not having other male dogs in his company helped somewhat, lol. I was more or less interested to know which of the two sexes is more affectionate or does it depend on the individual dog…..

If I could have my way I would most definitely have one of each but my husband has other ideas, lol. I do love the look of both, perhaps the white coat of the JS has me entranced that little bit more but I think the sheltie is more what I'm after due to being more responsive to training. Is there any real difference between the girls and the boys?

Raising one litter at a time does not take all day unless we're talking about multiple litters which, in my opinion, is wrong. If a breeder can't be arsed keeping her website up to date, don't have one and more importantly don't lead people up the mulberry bush.

Ditto!! It's bloody rude to direct people to a dead end!

I cannot for the life of me understand why breeders who advertise on DOL state that they have photos of current litters on their website yet when you go to said website there are no photos of puppies, in fact you're met with the message that there are no pups available. This is so darn frustrating. In my opinion, if you have a website why not post photos of available puppies and even more so if you tell people to check website to view photos of available puppies when they know there are no such photos. What's worse is a fair few breeders no longer have a website yet it still appears on their ad.

Hugo is so cute, I'm sure you'll have many wonderful years together.

I haven't been to a dog show in years but the pups I see advertised appear to have a narrower head and a pointier, longer muzzle.

Having had a chihuahua before, I always find myself looking at photos of Chihuahuas and have found a trend towards the Deer type. I would love a nice apple head with a shorter nose, preferably a cream.

Having had a Chihuahua before, I found her quite easy to keep in check being such a small, dainty breed. They don't seem to require the amount of exercise a SS or JS does. A lot less shedding too although a slicker brush put to good use every day would have kept the others from shedding excessively. The truth is all three breeds appeal to me but I also have to take into account how my husband feels and he has a penchant for smaller dogs.