[Woogie Man]

I see more where you're coming from now. It's the emotional attachment you get so soon that wouldn't allow you to take hum back. You do want a healthy pup, though, as you already have 2 girls and one of them may need surgery. It can get very expensive if you have more than one with health issues. I bought a very little guy last year knowing that he had 'loose knees' at the time. As he got older, his knees have firmed up and he is fine. All I know about checking the knees is that the vet will get a knee between the thumb and forefinger and see how easy it is to get it to pop out of its groove. Some may be firm, some may wobble a bit and some may pop out. It seems like you would have to develop a feel for it and probably wouldn't know unless it was very easy to get it to move. Since the breeders thought the pup was sick and is the smallest they've ever had, would they be willing to take it to the vet themselves for a health check? That way you wouldn't develop a bond before you knew about the health. It's a little odd that the small one is the one they can't find a home for. With me, it's always my little ones that people want first. Also, what they told you about AKC tracking dogs may seem funny but really should be a red flag to you. If they are having several litters per year, they are breeders and know better. I wouldn't trust anyone once they told me something I knew to be untrue. I think if you looked further, you could find a breeder you could have more confidence in. The area you live in is known for puppy millers so be very careful who you buy from and make sure you're able to see just what kind of conditions the puppies (and dogs) live in.