How to Sell Chiapom (Pomchi) Puppies in the United States

What US rules apply when you sell Chiapom puppies?

• Federal licensing: under the Animal Welfare Act, a breeder with more than four breeding females who sells puppies sight unseen generally needs a USDA license. Sellers who meet every buyer face to face are generally exempt.
• Minimum age: about 28 states and Washington, DC set a minimum sale age, usually eight weeks. Pennsylvania, for example, bans selling or transferring a dog under eight weeks.
• Lemon laws: about 22 states have them. In California, for example, a breeder who sold three or more litters or 20 or more dogs in the past year must offer a remedy if a vet certifies an illness within 15 days or a hereditary condition within one year.
• Local rules: many cities and counties limit dogs per home or require a breeding permit; Los Angeles, for example, issues breeder's permits.

Rules change, so check with your state agriculture department and your city or county animal services before you advertise.

Which Chihuahua and Pomeranian should be bred together?

Buyers of a cross can judge it only by its parents. The two breed clubs ask for overlapping checks, so test both dogs and publish the results with the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA).

• Do not breed a dog with slipping kneecaps. The American College of Veterinary Surgeons says dogs diagnosed with patellar luxation should not be bred.
• Skip a dog with a goose-honk cough, which PetMD links to tracheal collapse, or one that has lost many teeth young.
• Ask your vet about the skull. VCA Animal Hospitals advises against breeding dogs whose soft spot stays open past three to four months, even though the Chihuahua standard accepts a molera.
• Do not pair the smallest dogs you can find. A veterinarian writing for PetMD links breeding for extreme smallness to low blood sugar, fragile bones, liver shunts and hydrocephalus.

How do you keep tiny Chiapom puppies safe before they leave?

1. Keep them with their mother until at least eight weeks, and longer for any puppy that is not yet eating well on its own.
2. Feed small meals often. PetMD says Pomchi puppies need three or four a day, and the AKC says toy puppies under 12 weeks can run low on blood sugar when cold, active or stressed.
3. Book a vet exam for each puppy, with first vaccinations, deworming and a check of the heart, knees, mouth and soft spot. Chewy and PetMD both list patent ductus arteriosus, a heart defect that needs surgery, for this cross.
4. Microchip each puppy and give buyers the number.
5. Socialize them gently with visitors, sounds and handling; Chewy says early socialization may help curb the cross's barking.
6. Get them used to a soft harness, which is kinder to a toy dog's windpipe than a collar.

Put together a puppy pack: the vet record, microchip details, a few days of food, a written meal schedule, the signs of low blood sugar (trembling, weakness, wobbling, sleepiness or seizures) and your contract.

How should you price Chiapom puppies?

Chewy and PetMD say breeders charge anything from several hundred to several thousand dollars, so compare current Chiapom puppies for sale near you. A price far below the local range attracts resellers and scammers who copy your photos, while one far above it needs tested parents and a strong contract behind it.

• Charge the same for the smallest puppy as for its littermates; a size premium rewards the very risk buyers should avoid.
• Say what the price includes: vet checks, vaccinations, microchip and any health guarantee.
• Agree any deposit and its refund terms in writing before you take money.

How do you write a Chiapom puppy ad that buyers trust?

• What they are: a Chihuahua and Pomeranian cross. Say plainly that the AKC does not register it, and that designer-dog registry papers, if you have them, are not health records.
• Parents: which is the mother, each parent's adult weight and coat type.
• Health: the parents' heart, patella and eye results with registered names, plus each puppy's vet check.
• Size: an honest estimate based on the parents, with no teacup, micro or pocket labels. Chewy puts adults at 3 to 7 pounds.
• Ready date: the birth date and the date each puppy can leave.
• Photos and video: recent pictures and a short clip of the puppies with their mother.

You can post your Chiapom puppy ad for free, and buyers can message you through the listing. Keep your phone number and home address out of the ad text until you have spoken to a buyer.

How do you screen buyers for a Chiapom puppy?

• Who lives at home, and how old are any children? Chewy says older children are safest with a dog this small.
• How long will the puppy be alone each day? Chewy warns of separation anxiety.
• Are there larger dogs at home? Chewy notes that big, boisterous dogs can hurt a Pomchi by accident.
• Will barking bother neighbors or a landlord?
• Can they feed three or four small meals a day and brush teeth daily, and who is their vet?

Careful buyers often follow how to buy a Chiapom puppy, so expect the same questions back about the parents and their results.

How do you take payment and hand over safely?

• Hand over in person, at your home or theirs, with another adult present, and never ship a toy puppy alone.
• Accept cash or a payment you can confirm before the puppy leaves. The FTC warns about fake checks written for more than the price with a request to send back the difference.
• Sign a contract with both names, the puppy's description and microchip number, the price, a health guarantee, any spay or neuter terms and a promise to take the dog back.
• Remind buyers to register the microchip in their name; the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup shows which registry holds it.