This is an old NY Times article, but I just had to shed light on this blue Chihuahua issue. To get smaller, cuter, and rarer dogs, backyard breeders in Japan are doing screwed up things like mating dogs repeatedly with their own offspring to make rare recessive traits show up more often. Pictured here is one of these blue-tinged chihuahuas that were so very trendy a couple years ago. People paid up to $10,000 for these. And of course, horror stories that come with excessive in-breeding abound: some of these pups have brain disorders that make them just run in circles all day, and others had "bones so frail they dissolved in their bodies." Apparently, genetic defects in dogs are 4x more common in Japan in the US or Europe.
Good thing Ruby's a red minpin, not a blue chihuahua.
The never ending supply and demand. It is interesting how it will make people do things, they wouldn't normally do.
Only when a buyer asks questions, morality might have a chance. (Of course morality is subjective.)
Posted by: vagrant | May 06, 2008 at 08:04 AM
I also wanted to add to this topic:
Blue Chihuahuas also do happen by accident. Me and a breeder decided to mate our chihuahuas (both were 4 lbs, not related). During the birth all 3 babies died, and subsequently, they were all gray (blue). I was mortified for I heard about the blue's before. I never mated my Chihuahua again in fear that more dead blues would be the only outcome. However my friend did breed his with another and thankfully those babies were born normal.
Posted by: Victoria | January 16, 2009 at 07:16 PM