Yeah @haopee you make some good points. I agree that it's really nice to know about your dog's medical history, that is a definite plus. I also even thought that getting mine as a little puppy ensures you have the maximum time with them possible. Training is a huge plus as well, if you have the patience to do it right. I don't think I was perfect by any means, but I get comments all the time about what a nice chi I have. People are usually surprised because they expect chis to be unfriendly and yappy, which mine isn't at all. I really feel that how I trained her and socialized her had a big impact on how friendly she is now. This is how I justify it to myself anyway, in the back of my mind, I always feel a little guilty though because every time you support a breeder, that means one more dog is sitting in a shelter somewhere...