We have a mall near by that has a pet store that sells these small "designer" puppies. They take the puppy away from the mom at 5 to 6 weeks of age so it is very small. No one can tell what size that puppy will mature at (should it survive at all) but they tell people that it will be very small. So many of these puppies end up on Craigs List to be re-homed. The people are disappointed when the cute little puppy grows larger than they thought or it is just inconvenient when the cuteness wears off. I can't imagine why anyone buys a puppy of any kind from a pet store.
When I purchased Gracie from a breeder I expected she would mature at about 8 to 9 pounds. Well, she is almost 2 years old and weighs just a bit over 5 pounds. She was so tiny during the first year that I was always trying to protect her from herself. A dog that small is not meant for a busy family. There are just so many ways that they can get hurt. I don't have kids in my home but just under ordinary circumstances a tiny dog is at risk. I have had both Maltese and Shih Tzu dogs but they were not as tiny as Gracie. How could someone sell a dog that they thought would actually be very tiny to who ever has the money? I'm afraid that there are many people wanting to copy the Hollywood trend of carrying a puppy around in a bag as an accessory rather than putting any thought into the health and safety of the animal. |