How to find a good Chinese Crested.
The best place to obtain a well-bred Chinese Crested is from a reputable breeder. The key here is “reputable”. At all costs, avoid backyard breeders and puppy mills, who work with poor quality bloodlines which may be genetically prone to a host of health problems. Backyard breeders and puppy mills are only interested in making a quick buck, frequently advertising in local newspapers or selling entire litters to pet stores for resale.
Finding a Reputable Breeder.
Contact the Chinese Crested Club of America, Inc., the American Kennel Club or a local Chinese Crested breed club and request names of breeders in your area. Attend dog shows and talk to breeders, handlers and other owners who may be able to give you referrals on obtaining a puppy. Refer to Chinese Crested publications. Ask your veterinarian or people in your local dog club or training center if they know of reputable AKC Chinese Crested breeders in your area.
Never buy a Chinese Crested from a pet store.
Pet stores Chinese Crested come from backyard breeders and puppy mills. Most likely, you will not know who bred your dog or have anyone to contact if you have questions or a problem. The health of pet store Crested is always at risk because they are not bred by knowledgeable breeders devoted to improving the health and appearance of the Chinese Crested. Pet store puppies are separated from their mothers at too early an age and usually do not have the chance to develop healthy bodies and temperaments. In fact, pet stores Crested often become seriously ill, costing their owners hundreds and thousands of dollars in veterinary expenses. Pet stores do not guarantee the long term health of a puppy. Most pet store Chinese Crested are smaller or oversized than those from reputable kennels and often lack the proper type of skin for a hairless. Despite the inferiority of the dog they sell, pet stores usually charges as much, if not more, for a puppy than reputable breeders of quality Chinese Crested.
Do not get a puppy for Christmas.
Most good breeders do not sell puppies during or even around the Christmas holidays. Many puppies purchased at this time end up being returned resold or abandoned in shelters. Because holidays tend to be busy with people coming and going, this is not a good time to bring a new puppy into your home. A new puppy (or older adopted dog) needs time to rest as well as a consistent, uninterrupted training schedule to be properly housebroken and acclimated to its new home and environment. Additional holiday hazards include the possibility of puppies ingesting fragile, glass ornaments, tinsel, wrapping ribbon, poisonous holiday plants or chewing on electric light cords. Any of these situation can lead to serious injury (including thousands of dollars in veterinarian bills) and even the death of your new puppy. Reputable breeders are usually more than willing to hold your Chinese Crested puppy until after the Christmas holidays. Remember that getting a new puppy should be a unanimous decision for the entire family.
Adopting a Chinese Crested.
Crested Rescue groups are devoted to finding homes for Chinese Crested that have been abandoned or given up by their owners. Many of these Crested end up in local humane shelters and unless suitable homes are found for these animals, they are destroyed. For this reason, Crested rescue groups have been formed in may parts of the country and local Chinese Crested breed clubs may support a Crested Rescue group which tries to find new families for these abandoned Crested.
The decision to purchase a Chinese Crested.
Once you have decided that the Chinese Crested is the right breed for you and you have located a reputable breeder who has puppies available, the next step may be receiving a set of photos in the mail or an invitation to come and see the puppies. Although buyers may sometimes be able to choose between 2 or 3 puppies, it is not unusual for many breeders to select a puppy for each buyer based on what they feel is the best match for what the buyer is looking for and the unique personality of a particular puppy.
Should you choose a male or female?
Males of most dog breed tend to be larger than their female counterparts and take longer to mature. Males also can be more dominate and territorial especially if they are intact. Neutering before one year of age can help minimize those tendencies. Females of most breeds are often less rambunctious and easier to handle. So the differences are often due more to temperament than to the sex of the animal.
Spaying and neutering.
If you purchase a companion pet puppy from a reputable breeder it is usually with the requirement that female will be spayed and males neutered. This prevents adding to the huge over population of unwanted dogs in today’s society. Spaying and neutering is a win/win situation for both you and your Crested. You will eliminate the mess of twice yearly seasons in your bitch as well as helping prevent unwanted pregnancies, tumors and other female disorders. Neutered males also become more settled and are not tempted by bitches in season. Spaying and neutering do not change the “personality” of your pet.
The purchase of a adult versus a puppy.
For some prospective new owners the selection of an adult Crested may be an appropriate choice. Reputable breeders often have adult Crested available who have been retired from the show ring or from the breeding program. In some cases, breeders will place in pet homes males that are still being used in their breeding program with the understanding that the male will remain in the breeder’s name, cannot be neutered and will need to go the breeder’s kennel from time to time to be bred. Former brood bitches that are now spayed may also be placed permanently in pet homes. In both cases, this type of arrangement can work well for the person looking for a good pet Chinese Crested.
Purchasing a companion pet Chinese Crested.
After you have decided that the Chinese Crested is the breed for you it will necessary for you to decide if you want a pet or show quality Crested. The majority of prospective new owners want a companion pet Chinese Crested. Breeders usually sell as pets those Crested that do not come as close to the official breed Standard as other puppies in the litter. Pets may have cosmetic flaws which are not desirable in the show ring. In the eyes of the pet owner these features are rarely seen as flaws. It is also important to understand that pet quality does not mean that a dog is in any way less healthy than a show prospect.
Purchasing a show prospect Chinese Crested.
Good Chinese Crested breeders strive to produce dogs that meet the description of the Chinese Crested in the official American Kennel Club (AKC) breed Standard. When “show quality” Chinese Crested compete against other Chinese Crested at a dog show, a judge compares each Crested against what the Standard defines as the ideal Crested. The Crested that comes closest to this ideal is the one that wins. Show prospects are usually sold for a higher price than a pet quality dog. Some breeders will sell a show prospect outright with no strings attached. Other breeders may sell one for less money but with certain requirements. It is not uncommon for a breeder to want lifetime breeding rights to a particularly outstanding male or to want a puppy out of a good quality bitch, in addition to choosing the sire for her first breeding. If the new owners are novices, the breeder may wish to co-own the show prospect so that he or she has “control” over which bitches a male is bred to or which sire a bitch is bred to. It is not uncommon for a breeder who sells a show prospect to require that the dog be shown to its championship.
Should I breed my Chinese Crested?
“New owners frequently ask, “Shall I breed my dog?” The answer is complicated, for there is much to consider. Breeding is not a casual undertaking. All breeds have genetic defects which can be passed along from parent to puppy. The Crested is no exception. Responsible knowledgeable breeders know these problems and strive to avoid them when selecting mates. Unless you have purchased a “show quality” crested and have a prearranged future breeding agreement with a reputable breeder at the time you purchased your Chinese Crested, it is not advisable to breed your crested. Chinese Crested that are purchased from pet stores or back yard breeders should not be breed because their puppies will not improve the breed as a whole, which is the goal of a breeder.
“Breeding is a commitment. You must have a good understanding of the breed standard and what health problems exist. You must study canine structure and movement. You must breed only the best and be prepared to spend considerable time, effort and money. Crested may have several major health problems, some of which can be detected through testing and others to which he may be predisposed including bloat and immune deficiencies. And of course, one must be very careful with temperament, for this trait is also hereditary. The dog or bitch with known genetic problems should not be used for breeding.
Do not breed your crested for any of the following reasons:
- You love your pet’s personality and want to have puppies like him or her.
- You think it would be a good experience for your children.
- You plan to make money on the litter.
- It will provide a nurturing or sexual experience for your pet.
All of the above are the wrong reasons to breed your pet crested.
A litter should be bred only after much thought, study and research has been done by the prospective breeder and with the help of an experienced breeder who is a mentor. If you do decide to breed your crested be prepared to make the following commitments:
- Have flexible working hours.
- Be able to function on a little or almost no sleep.
- Have at least one person to stay with the puppies at all times.
- Be prepared to keep puppies you can’t place at all times.
- Be prepared to deal with illness or death of any puppies you place or decide to keep.
- Be prepared to keep puppies you can’t place and the possibility of caring for geriatric dogs.
- Be aware that puppies are extremely noisy and require hours of cleaning up after and socializing.
- Be prepared to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars in vet bills if something “goes wrong” with the litter.
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Ch. Rosecrest Wish Upon a Star
