A little more backstory is in order.....
I have talked in email with Sherry in the past. She has been by my best ability to determine via email and website monitoring a responsible breeder. She breeds to better the line. She shows her dogs, one of which was invited to show at Westminister. She won't breed merles because that is a Dachshund trait not a Chihuahua trait. If a female has to have a c-section to deliver, she never breeds that dog again. All of these little things add up to create a pretty good picture of a responsible breeder.
Sherry has by her report about 35 dogs in her breeding kennel. Her main focus is the Chihuahuas, but they have a few English Bulldogs too as pets. The family also owns a separate onsite dog boarding facility. They had quarter horses before too, but not now due to the expense. Sherry's husband is currently laid off. Sherry's daughter and granddaughter, who is about 2 years old, live in the lower level of their home.
When we got to the house, there were 4 Chihuahuas in the home running around....Luca, Minnie-Me, Tru, and Gracie. Luca and Minnie-Me were very much "in your lap immediately" type of dogs. Both had eye discharge, which happens sometimes with Chihuahuas and it's not usually from infection, and Luca had horrible breath. Tru was very shy, but did come around for some attention. Tru had some major health issues as a baby and due to lack of bloodflow on more than one occasion isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. Gracie was Gracie. She flinched at every noise. She had loads of anxiety and shook like a leaf, but she bonded with Corey really well. Gracie had bad breath and a little eye discharge.
The one thing that I didn't check, which I have never not checked on a dog before taking it home, the teeth. If I had looked, I would have been mad right then and there. I was so mad at myself yesterday at the vet's office, you have no idea. Part of the reason that I think that I didn't look was Gracie's anxiety level and the story that Sherry told us about the guy that had come earlier in the day to look at one of her older boys that she is also trying to sell named Laddy. Laddy is a beautiful chocolate and tan long haired male. Laddy wasn't purchased, but had been by her report manhandled....lifted by the scruff of the neck and thrown onto his back for a full inspection. As fragile as Gracie seemed, it did seem a bit wrong to mess with her anymore than absolutely necessary.
We were in their home for 2-1/2 hours. Everything in the home was clean and smelled fine, even with a couple of puppy pads on the floor in the livingroom. Since the Chihuahuas in the kennel had already been locked up for the night, we didn't ask to go down there. The pups she brought out that she is hand raising that are crated in her office in the house were beautiful. Laddy was brought out briefly and he looked good as well.
She does her own vaccines. She uses Advantix. We forgot to discuss heartworm preventative. We talked about vets. She said that her vet charged $300 for dental work every 6 months and she couldn't afford that. So, we knew that dental care had been neglected, which I understand and don't understand all at the same time. We don't take our dogs to have their teeth cleaned either, but we provide them with proper foods and chewies to help keep their teeth clean and we check them at least once a month to make sure that everything looks ok. So far, both of our girls have had baby teeth removed when they were spayed, but no other dental issues have come up with any of them. So, even though Toy sized dogs tend to have dental issues, regular dental care with the vet is not always necessary....IMHO. If one of mine seemed to be developing a problem, I would take them into the vet's office ASAP to deal with it before it ever got to where Gracie's mouth is at.
By her own admission, Sherry never expected to have more than 10 dogs in her breeding facility. She has been around for over 10 years and has dogs that she has retired from breeding that she has kept still. She had one that had gotten so old and sick that she just had to put her down a few days ago. She lets the dogs go out in separate pens....one for the boys and one for the girls. She watches over the dogs when they are outside, however, Gracie's mom was killed when Sherry had left them outside without supervision for a few minutes and several of the dogs ganged up on her and killed her.
Gracie's mom was originally owned by a breeder in FL. That woman's husband became ill and the woman had to give up her dogs. Sherry said that Gracie's mom was a very shy dog, like Gracie. When Gracie and her siblings were born, they were handled a lot to help socialize them. The sibs all turned out ok, Gracie is Gracie. Gracie had one litter and was spayed because she required a c-section.
Honestly, I can't see a scar on her belly and her nipples do not look like she ever had pups. I saw pictures on Sherry's website of pups that were listed as being her pups, so I am going to trust that what she has told me is correct. I found the puppy pics by looking at her directory and the names attached to the picture files, she didn't show me the pictures.
Knowing that Gracie needed a better place to be and knowing that we could provide that for her was the reason that we took her. Now, knowing about her dental issues and the fact that Sherry isn't doing all that she should for her dog's dental health, well, that's another reason to feel good about taking Gracie out of that situation. Having dealt with drama in the past from rescuing more than one dog in my lifetime, I know that this breeder isn't going to offer to do anything. That's part of the reason she went on the defensive. She acted sort of concerned, but was definately defensive. The call that I made was like this...."Gracie is making little baby steps toward being more comfortable with us. This morning, the vet said she needs 3 tooth extractions, has a fever and conjunctivitis and she is going to need eye drops and Clavamox to make her better. You need to watch your dogs' eye discharge and if it gets goopy and or very profuse, you are going to need to get them some drops too." She was quick to point out that the cost of the preventative dental care had been discussed and that she had let us know that the $300/dog every six months was unaffordable. I told her that I knew that and that I wasn't mad, but I was calling just to let her know how things were going and what she needed to watch for in her other dogs. She still seemed defensive and said that none of her dogs had ever had conjunctivitis, which I find hard to believe.
I am mad and Corey is severely pissed off, but I am also wrapped up in providing Gracie with a lot of love and attention right now. Corey just left for the airport, so all of this is on me for the next two weeks. I am strongly considering reporting her, but I am not quite sure who I report her to yet. I think it's the state department of agriculture that licenses breeders and kennels. At any rate, I have no desire to ask Sherry for anything. There will be nothing good that comes out of it. Gracie is ours now and we love her. She is in a better place with us were she is going to get her needs met and be spoiled rotten.
Our bed is only SO big, tho, so I can't imagine where we would all sleep. And our youngest is spoiled ROTTON, and she completely calls the shots at our house, for two legged and four legged alike. I wouldn't want to piss her off! 
I am very excited! We are going to drive up there tomorrow evening to meet her. She has a very shy personality and has been bounced around a bit, but I think that she is probably going to fit into our lives quite well. I am hoping that she likes us. I am going to be ok, if she doesn't. It's more about making the dog happy than making us happy. I am willing to drive 5 hours total and come home with no dog, if it's in her best interest. Corey will be with me, so that we both have a chance to meet her and decide if she is going to fit into our little herd.
Good luck! 
I'm sure she'll be very happy being part of your herd. 
I'm boiling over.
