# Questions about a Chipoo



## owners inc. (Dec 8, 2008)

hi. im new to having dogs for pets.
i have only one. she's Chiclet. she's a Chipoo. (Chihuahua-Poodle)
i have a few questions:

1. she has long curly hair, what can i use to groom her? is there such a thing as dog fur gel? and, how can i tie her hair (assuming i want to)?

2. i get out of my house a lot. i have school. so, i keep her inside. it gets pretty dark at times. and im scared her eyes maybe blurring. is that possible? can dog eyes blur because of being kept in the dark? (she gets out daily.) 

3. she's more than a year old. and i think she had her menstruation (is that what it's called?) today. so, my sister wants to get her pregnant. since she's a cross between a poodle and a chihuahua, is she limited to breeding with either of those breed? or not? what other breed may be good for her?


i have lots, but thse are the most pressing (yet). thanks so much!!


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## rosemaryninja (Sep 28, 2007)

owners said:


> 1. she has long curly hair, what can i use to groom her? is there such a thing as dog fur gel? and, how can i tie her hair (assuming i want to)?


You may be better off visiting the grooming forum. 
http://www.dogforums.com/4-dog-grooming-forum
I've never heard of dog fur gel, though.



> 2. i get out of my house a lot. i have school. so, i keep her inside. it gets pretty dark at times. and im scared her eyes maybe blurring. is that possible? can dog eyes blur because of being kept in the dark? (she gets out daily.)


No, I don't think that will be a problem. Dogs are usually quite adept at seeing in dim light.



> 3. she's more than a year old. and i think she had her menstruation (is that what it's called?) today. so, my sister wants to get her pregnant. since she's a cross between a poodle and a chihuahua, is she limited to breeding with either of those breed? or not? what other breed may be good for her?


I have to caution you against breeding this girl and many of the other members will do the same. Breeding is NOT easy at all. It's extremely expensive, and VERY dangerous -- more dangerous for the female, and even more dangerous for small dogs. Unless you get a breeding mentor to show you how to do things -- which I doubt will be easy as she is a mixed-breed dog -- Chiclet could very easily die from the birthing procedure. Rearing a litter of puppies is a lot of hard work, too, and shouldn't be messed with if you're not exactly sure how to go about doing it. Please spay your pet.


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## skelaki (Nov 9, 2006)

Rosemaryninja is absolutely correct about the risks of breeding. In addition, even if all went well, you'd be just another backyard breeder like the one you got your pup from. I'm sure she's adorable but the fact is that she's a cute mutt. So, unless you have the knowledge, time and money to spend working towards developing a new breed, which takes many many years and many tough decisions, please spay your girl. You'll be happier if you do and so will she. Plus, she will not develop certain cancers, never have pyometria, etc.


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## Pai (Apr 23, 2008)

Yeah, small dogs are hard to breed, many things could go wrong.


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## eastearly (Jan 3, 2009)

just going back and reading...are u saying our bichpoo is a mutt?


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## MegaMuttMom (Sep 15, 2007)

eastearly said:


> just going back and reading...are u saying our bichpoo is a mutt?


Yes, it is a mixed breed dog, otherwise known as a mutt.


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## eastearly (Jan 3, 2009)

i guess ur right but my mutt is the best


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## MegaMuttMom (Sep 15, 2007)

eastearly said:


> i guess ur right but my mutt is the best


Couldn't possibly be better than mine


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## myminpins (Dec 20, 2008)

No one is being derogatory about your dog being a mutt. We love mutts here  

We just don't like to see them being bred. I hope you can find somewhere to get her fixed. I have no idea what it's like in South Korea, how expensive it is to get a dog fixed, how easy that is to get done, etc., but it's better for the health of your dog if you get her fixed now that she's old enough


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## eastearly (Jan 3, 2009)

i dont understand why dont you like to see them bred ?


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## GroovyGroomer777 (Aug 21, 2008)

Go to the thread "I truly don't understand" it is one of many that will answer your question. Besides obvious reasons.


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## eastearly (Jan 3, 2009)

as i said in another post....mixes are great, they (generally) make great family, all around dogs....just not for the price that people seem to think they are worth, and all breeding really needs to be brought down.....purebred or mix, there are just too many "unwanteds" out there.....im aware and understand this, my mutt is from an opps litter so i cant consider the owners backyard breeders or breeders in general, sure i paid for the pup 300.00, enough to cover his vet bills up to this point i consider this a reasonable rehoming fee after looking for small dogs on petfinder who ask about the same nor was i looking for a purebreed for show or a status symbol, that gets me mad. I would never ever think about sending him to a pound or just get rid of him because he didnt turn out a certain way. I looked for months for a small dog locally and i wanted a puppy, everytime i checked the pound or humane society, no puppys so i went elsewhere, so if its true which im sure it is that these dogs end up for adoption or other misfortunes then I have just saved a life. I also must add there are restrictions to what i can have weight and sizewise because of my own health issues. So is it wrong to say i feel i adopted my mutt ? I didnt choose him for a status symbol or breeding purposes, i dont have the knowlege or DESIRE to bring more dogs into the world with so many homeless. yes he will be nuetered for sake of not breeding again and controlling the pet population. did i miss the point here?


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## trumpetjock (Dec 14, 2007)

eastearly said:


> did i miss the point here?


Yes.

You gave money to a backyard breeder who is pumping out these fad dogs for the sheer profit of it. It doesn't matter whatever sob story you have, it is not acceptable. There are dozens of small breeds that would've fit exactly what you wanted. If you're going to get from a breeder, get from a responsible one who isn't just trying to make money.


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## eastearly (Jan 3, 2009)

How can u make such a blanket statement, how can u say the family i got my pup is a backyard breeder, finding good homes for sheer profit ?, how do u know...OMG ... no matter what anyone said u would find something negative/wrong with it, ur all high and mighty about your "mission", ill leave it at that. My intentions are good. This topic has been hashed and rehashed and only results in hurt feelings or excessive smugness - depending on the dog(s) you own.

Let's let it go, huh?


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## myminpins (Dec 20, 2008)

> How can u make such a blanket statement, how can u say the family i got my pup is a backyard breeder


Because backyard breeders and ONLY backyard breeders call their mutts "cutesy" names like Chipoo, etc. There is no such thing as a chipoo. It's a mutt. 

The people here are defensive because there are way too many dogs in the USA who are killed every day because people want a "cutesy" "designer" dog and don't care that they're contributing to the euthanasia of wonderful dogs of mixed breed already in shelters everywhere.

No one here has a problem with ANYONE owning a mixed breed dog, whether it's a chihuahua poodle mix or a golden lab poodle mix but they DO have a problem with people who buy these dogs from so-called breeders. The only reasonable place to get such a mixed breed dog is from a rescue, shelter or your neighbor for free possibly who had an accidental litter before having his dog fixed.

The fact that you want to BREED this mixed breed dog is reprehensible to people here who are trying their best to discourage such a thing.

You don't even know how to groom your dog yet you want to breed it? That's just irresponsible and foolish.


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## Cheetah (May 25, 2006)

There are way too many animals dying in shelters these days for us to be purposely breeding more mixed breeds. The ONLY breeding that should be taking place right now is to better a breed, and BEFORE that breeding should ever take place, the animal should either be from good, proven working stock (herding, hunting, police work, service dog) or have conformation or performance titles (or both). Each animal should also be HEALTH TESTED (not "vet checked," it's vastly different) for any problems common in the breed and pass those tests, and have sound temperaments.

I've worked in a shelter and seen so many good animals be euthanized, because there just aren't enough homes for them, so why take away more homes by breeding more than we should? The people here at DF aren't against mutts by any means (I have a mixed breed myself), but we are so against the purposeful breeding of these designer mixes because we are aware and care about all the lives lost in shelters because of the current overpopulation problem. I've seen a ton of designer mutts looking for homes, sitting in shelters and rescues. Why not save them?


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

> =eastearly;445046].....after looking for small dogs on petfinder who ask about the same nor was i looking for a purebreed for show or a status symbol, that gets me mad.


Why does showing a purebred dog get you angry? 



> So is it wrong to say i feel i adopted my mutt ? I didnt choose him for a status symbol or breeding purposes, i dont have the knowlege or DESIRE to bring more dogs into the world with so many homeless. yes he will be nuetered for sake of not breeding again and controlling the pet population. did i miss the point here?



No, it's not wrong, given that your puppy was an "oops" litter produced by mistake, not on purpose for making money. But, it's also not wrong for someone to get a purebred dog of choice from a responsible, ethical breeder, whether they show the dog or not. For example, I've had mutts all my life (over 50 yrs.), and loved them all. For the past 7 yrs., I've had purebred Standard Poodles, of which I now have 3, the latest from an excellent responsible breeder, who will be shown, if it suits her. (Not all show quality dogs like the show ring; we'll see.( She's all things Poodley that I love, fabulous temperament, with her own individual personality, but the Poodle traits are all there. My male is a rescue, my other female from a good breeder. I don't see them as status symbols, but as beloved members of my family. By choosing my breed of choice, I know what I am getting, and I get what I paid for.


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## Westhighlander (Sep 28, 2007)

owners said:


> 3. she's more than a year old. and i think she had her menstruation (is that what it's called?) today. so, my sister wants to get her pregnant. since she's a cross between a poodle and a chihuahua, is she limited to breeding with either of those breed? or not? what other breed may be good for her?


I think you need to get past biology first before you think about breeding. I don't know what they are teaching you at school but if you can't answer your questions in #3, I would concentrate on school first.


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## trumpetjock (Dec 14, 2007)

eastearly said:


> How can u make such a blanket statement, how can u say the family i got my pup is a backyard breeder, finding good homes for sheer profit ?, how do u know...OMG ... no matter what anyone said u would find something negative/wrong with it, ur all high and mighty about your "mission", ill leave it at that. My intentions are good. This topic has been hashed and rehashed and only results in hurt feelings or excessive smugness - depending on the dog(s) you own.
> 
> Let's let it go, huh?


I find it extremely hard to believe that this 'oops litter' just happened to be between a bichon and a poodle, which just happens to be a cash cow designer breed. I also find it really hard to believe that this 'oops litter' had enough vet procedures and food provided to warrant 300 a puppy.

You made a poor decision. It's not that big of a deal. Accept that fact, let go of it, and allow yourself to be educated and grow as a dog owner. Your hang ups on this do nothing but hold you back from learning more, and potentially helping others.

I did nearly the same thing with Rocky (only difference is he's a purebred from a BYB, not a mix), and I totally regret it, and will never do it again. It doesn't make me vindictive towards people who condemn byb's. If anything, it makes me want to champion this even more, because I know how easy it is to fall into.


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

Visit any shelter, preferably on euth day, and you'll see many mutts/crossbreeds/so called designer breeds...ie, mutts, being put down because there aren't enough homes that are willing to be good, responsible owners. Often the dogs are dumped because they are difficult to housebreak, or they barked, chewed up something, snapped at an abusive kid, clashed with the new furniture, shed on the carpet, too time consuming, etc. 

If you opt to breed your mutt (and it IS a mutt, as there is no such breed as a Chipoo, then you are endangering your dog's health/life, bringing more mutts into the world which means that there will be more dogs euthed, because there are only so many homes for dogs. So either ones at a shelter will not get adopted, or somewhere down the line, your dogs puppies will end up in a bad situation.

Breeders should breed to better the breed. Only dogs that are health tested, temperment tested, and the best representitive of their breed should be bred. There will always be enough strays/accidental breedings to provide people just wanting a pet a dog to choose from. Leave the breeding to professionals.


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## Amphrodite (Sep 5, 2011)

I come to look for advise on my new puppy and all see is serious hate here... Calling cute little mix puppies mutts and pure breed owners arrogant. What kind of thread is this?! So my puppy is a cocktail.... (and yes, it was from an OOPs litter- I happen to have a chihuahua and a poodle and things well... happen) but I love my puppy!! I don't care what breed she is.... she's the sweetest thing ever. I have no regrets, no excuses, just love for her.. and she has the unconditional love a puppy has for its owner. You all should be ashamed of yourselves!


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## cshellenberger (Dec 2, 2006)

Off to a great start by attacking the members of a forum in your first post.


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