My wife and I visited a home-based breeder/broker who had two long-haired, male, chihuahua's (brothers) about 8 weeks old. We liked them and inquired about purchasing both. One had good hair, but watery eyes. The other had clear eyes but a patch of hair that was growing back. The breeder said she'd have her vet check out the dogs before we purchased them, as they came from one of her breeders a week or so ago. At first it seemed obvious that we shouldn't purchase these dogs, but then my wife and I thought maybe we could give them a proper, loving home and they would grow out of any issues they have. Should we run the other way? Or purchase?

Before I purchased them I would have her show you the vet papers stating the conditions they might have and how healthy they really are.

You have rattled my cage but good. I would be inclined to call back and tell them to go (I decided to edit it out). Then I would call the state revenue service and ask if they are paying sales tax on their business. Perhaps the IRS too. We are slaughtering 10,000,000 dogs a year for lack of homes. Maybe it is apparent that I am upset about it. Many of them come from puppy mills and lead a short, miserable life and often after breaking a family's heart with their insoluble problems. I hate to condemn those 2 to joint the other 9,999,998 this year, but buying one would be like petting a dog that jumps up on you. Refusing to buy puppies from them is one way to put those low lives with a cash register for a heart out of business. I hate them.

I have been around here and other sites for 7 years, a long time in net years. I can't describe the misery I have seen from such puppies. Eight weeks is a good time to remove a puppy from its mother and litter. Likely those puppies were removed weeks ago before they learned to live with others. They could never learn to relate right with other dogs and people.

If they were forced to live in their own filth, as many puppy mill puppies are, they can be very difficult to housebreak.

If you want a dog to love, and your heart says a long haired Chihuahua, look at a rescue dog. These are dogs that lost their home, but were taken into a foster home
To be retrained as necessary and placed in the right home for them. You may
Find a rescue near you starting at American Kennel Club - Breed Rescue (http://www.akc.org/breeds/rescue.cfm) The rescues charge a fee to help cover their expenses, but is much less than the price of a puppy plus all its medical expenses the first year.

Your local shelter and Petfinder.com: Adopt a pet and help an animal shelter rescue a puppy or kitten. (http://www.petfinders.org) are good places too. You risk more problems than from a good rescue, but many people love the dogs they have gotten there, and you are still saving the life of a dog. Count on me to help you all I can. Of course if your heart insists on one of those puppies, I will still do my best.

I just finished reading The Other End of the leash by Patricia McConnell. She discusses how our survival as a species depends on wanting to nurture babies including other species. You are biologically hardwired to want to take one of those puppies home and care for it. Please look elsewhere to follow your heart.

As I am ready to post, I noticed ads for Cabbage Patch Dolls. Another good example of people wanting to nurture the needy.

Run. Cage mange can come in many forms. Watery eyes, patchy hair. All bad signs. Agree with labman. So many breeders, breeed these dogs so often and a lot of times with their own litters, it is disgusting. I have 3 dogs. One I bought from a Rotty breeder of 27 years, and one of the dogs was a mut. I have had so many problems with the pure bred. From mange, to worms to a limp that the vet can't figure out. Their answer is my dog was bred with its own blood. Also had a lot of other problems. He is fine now, but it costs us a lot of money. The mut dog... never one problem, got her from our local dog shelter where they examine and treat and care for all these animals before they sell them. Stay away from that breeder