Have you been a victim of puppy scammers? I hear every single day from someone who was heartbroken because of a puppy scammer. Especially since the pandemic crises, puppy scammers have been cropping up everywhere.

I’m not talking about backyard breeders or puppy mills. Much has been said here, and most everywhere about those, and most people are aware. I’m talking about scammers that sell puppies that do not even exist!

These despicable scammers (although I have an unprintable name for them) will appeal to your emotions, take your money, and leave you with no puppy and no way to get your money back. They prey on people that are desperately looking for a pure-bred puppy to love and care for.

Why So Many Scammers Now?

As puppy buying rises, so do scams. According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), red flags can help spot bad actors online.

“Puppy scammers post fake litters online or pretend to be someone they’re not, usually an existing breeder”, AKC officials say. If you aren’t careful, you could send a “breeder” money and never receive a puppy or follow-up communication. Fake listings appear on bogus websites, Facebook pages, as well as on legitimate sites like Craigslist. Some scammers pose as reputable breeders by stealing those breeders’ personal information.

I’ve seen puppy scammers posting on Chihuahua Facebook groups and pages, that they are looking to “re-home” a puppy for one reason or another. Appealing to kind-hearted souls that hate to see puppies without a loving home. These then get shared with friends and family that may be looking for a puppy. But, they are actually unknowingly exposing them to puppy scammers.

Interview With a Reputable and Responsible Chihuahua Breeder

Because I know how difficult it is to find an actual breeder that is not “in it” for the money, but for the love of the breed, I have done some research myself and have a resource page with a list of just such breeders. (Please read “Is It Wrong To Adopt A Pure-Bred Puppy?”)

One of those breeders is Christy from BonBon Chihuahuas. I have had the privilege of interviewing Christy on this subject. She too, has had many people reach out to her and told her the sad story of how they were scammed when looking for a Chihuahua puppy.

Interview With BonBon Chihuahuas

Q: Christy, how long have you been breeding Chihuahuas and why did you choose this breed?

A: “I’ve been breeding for 14 years and I adore chihuahuas because of their personalities. The personality is so important to the breed that I’ve seen Chis with a huge personality beat a nicer-looking chihuahua in the show ring!”

Q: How often do you have litters and what criteria do you use when deciding to have another litter?

A: “We have litters a few times a year when they work well for our family’s schedule. Raising a litter the way I think is best is very time-consuming and I never want to do it during a particularly busy season of our lives. I want to make sure each and every puppy is properly socialized so they are well-adjusted for their new family.”

Q: If someone wants one of your puppies what is the process and how do you know if they will be loving and caring puppy parents?

A: “It’s a gut feeling for me. I have to talk to them. Multiple conversations and video conversations are preferred. I refuse to do it all by text and or email. I ask a lot of personal questions about their lives and I also ask what they are looking for. The personality they are looking for is the most important thing I need to know. I don’t want to place a shy, quiet puppy in a family with kids nor a “hot mess” puppy with a quiet retired couple!”

Q: Do you breed your Chihuahuas as pets or show dogs?

A: “Both. I like to make sure that at least my adult males are spending time in the show ring. I always want to make sure I’m getting as close to that perfect breed standard as possible. Puppies that I don’t keep will all go to a pet home.”

Q: How do you determine which ones will be sold as pets? Show dogs?

A: “I don’t sell a “show dog”. I might keep a puppy and show it or work with another breeder friend. You cannot evaluate a puppy and call it a show dog until at least 16 weeks, in my opinion. All of my puppies are spoken for by the time they are 8 weeks of age.”

Q: To assure they are dealing with a responsible breeder and not a puppy scammer, what are some questions that someone should ask a breeder before they choose a puppy to buy?

A: “Can I see additional photos and video (preferably a live video chat) of the puppy? What is the projected adult size? Do you have photos of puppies from the previous mating between the parents? What do you do to socialize your chihuahua puppies? Asking about socilaizing is super important for this breed. Can you tell me about your health guarantee? Can I come to see the puppies in person?”

ChiChis And Me: I’m so glad you mentioned socializing! I wholeheartedly agree with the importance of asking about how the puppy has been socialized. I’ve stated here on my blog many times the importance of training and socializing Chihuahuas!

If you don’t, you are asking for an unhappy Chihuahua with behavior issues. Socializing should start with the breeder and continue throughout their lives with the new family. The training is the responsibility of the new pawrent and should begin as soon as the new puppy has acclimated to his/her new environment.

How To Spot A Puppy Scammer

Q: let’s talk about how to spot puppy scammers. As a Chihuahua breeder, I think you have a unique perspective and can give my readers some insight on what to look out for. Approximately how much should a purebred Chihuahua cost?

A: “This is all over the place, I’ve paid as little as $200 for a great dog, and as much as $8,900.”

Q: If someone finds one at a bargain price, is that always a red flag?

A: “No, absolutely not! Sometimes you’ll find a breeder that held a puppy back, hoping it would be their next show dog, and after a few weeks or months, they reevaluate and decide it’s not a dog they want to invest thousands of dollars into. This is why I always suggest calling and asking if the breeder has any older puppies.”

Q: Wow! Showing dogs is an expensive endeavor! Before someone adopts, should they be able to see the puppy before they put down a deposit?

A: “If you are local or willing to travel, then I think the breeder should be able to show you the puppy. If however, they don’t have their first round of vaccinations, or you aren’t local then live video chat is best.”

Q: How many puppies does a legitimate breeder usually have for sale at one time?

A: “This is a tough question. Our females will line their heat cycles up with each other. So it could be puppy-free in my house for months and then BAM! three litters at one time and if each dam has a litter of 5, then I might have 15 puppies at one time!”

Q: What if a breeder says you can’t visit because of Covid? It sounds reasonable with the social distancing protocol in place. Might that be a red flag?

A: “Visit outside. Have them bring the puppy out in the yard and just hold it so you can see it. Ask for lots of videos!”

Q: What if they can’t send you a photo of the puppy or they say they only have one photo?

A: “Then don’t give them your money.”

Q: Is asking for you to pay a deposit by western union, money gram, or on Facebook a red flag?

A: “Yes. Most breeders will ask for a deposit via PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, or Square.”

Q: I’ve seen websites that have photos of these adorable Chihuahua puppies and you just choose one and “add to cart” right then. Is it always a red flag if you can choose a puppy and just “add to cart” to pay for it?

A: “Yes! If the “breeder” doesn’t care to know about the new home of their baby, then it doesn’t matter if they are a scammer or just a terrible breeder – either is bad.”

Q. Many breeders online say they have teacup, micro, mini, or pocket-sized Chihuahua puppies for sale. Should you buy a teacup or pocket-sized Chihuahua?

A: “According to the Chihuahua Club of America “Teacup, Pocket Size, Tiny Toy, Miniature or Standard – are just a few of the many tags and labels that have been attached to this breed over the years……They are not, and the use of these terms is incorrect and misleading.

These are made-up terms and thus have no actual meaning. There is a breeder in my area who will sell you a “micro chihuahua” and it could be a 10 pound Chi when fully grown! Occasionally a litter will have a runt, and those have a greater chance of staying under 4 pounds. — AKC Breed Standard, Teacup Statement.“

Q: What other clues can you give us that may be a red flag, that who you are dealing with is actually a puppy scammer?

• When you see ON SALE and a $3000 price is slashed to $500.
• If you can’t visit before putting down a deposit. Even if you aren’t local, ask anyway.
• Lots, and I mean LOTS of puppies available. If you see over 20, then start looking closer.
• None of the puppies are on hold or spoken for already.
• When they only have a single photo. Or multiple photos, but if you look closely they don’t quite look like the same dog. Look for eye color, nose color, small markings on the feet, and make sure they match.
• If payments are only accepted on Western Union, MoneyGram, and/or Facebook.
• A new Facebook page. Go to their oldest post and see when that was.
• “Add to cart” on their page. If you can purchase without even speaking to them!
• When using the terms teacup, micro, mini, or pocket. A legitimately responsible breeder would never use any of those terms.

“Most important, TRUST YOUR GUT — this is the most important thing I can tell you. Every single person I’ve spoken to, who has been scammed said the same thing, “something didn’t feel right but, we were just so excited”

ChiChis And Me: I might add, don’t get emotionally invested in one puppy until you know for sure that you are not dealing with a puppy mill, backyard breeder, or a puppy scammer. These people play on your emotions. It is easy to fall in love with a photo of a beautiful little Chihuahua puppy. Then it’s twice as heartbreaking when you discover not only are you out $$$, you also don’t have “the” puppy that you fell in love with.

Christy, I thank you for your insight and all the valuable information that you have provided! You have helped us arm ourselves against being fooled by puppy scammers. Knowing what to look for, we are now better equipped to avoid being scammed!

As my readers already know, I now have 4 beautiful Chihuahuas, and that’s the most I can properly take care of, but if I’m ever looking for a puppy, you will be hearing from me!

Be sure to visit her website: BONBON CHIHUAHUAS. (Tell her ChiChis And Me sent you 🙂 )

Have you met my four beautiful Chihuahuas yet? Read how ChiChis and Me got started and meet my four Chihuahuas HERE