"Why do I want to buy a puppy from a show breeder.......I only want a pet." If you are wanting a pet
Yorkie, you already have an idea as to what a
Yorkie is supposed to look like. The AKC
Yorkie Standard is the reputable breeder's guide to a perfect dog.
The reason that breeders show their dogs is easy. The original reason that AKC started having shows was so that breeders could compare their breeding stock to other breeder's breeding stock. There is no better way to learn if their dogs fit within the standard than to show them and have them compared to other representatives of the breed shown by other breeders. They also get a better understanding of the required structure and make-up of that particular breed, in this case the
Yorkie. When breeders do not show their dogs, how do they know that their dogs even fit within the standard? If a breeder does not show how can that breeder know that they have show quality puppies?
When buying from reputable breeders there can be very little difference between show quality and pet quality! The key word here being reputable. Please remember that not every
Yorkie Breeder out there is breeding
Yorkies within the standard which is 7 pounds and under. Nor do some of these breeders care that they are not breeding within the standard because they just want to sell "pets". This would be fine if a big majority of these dogs at least looked like the breed they are supposed to be representing. Sadly, some of these so called pets can weigh up to 15 pounds and more .... and just barely resemble a
Yorkie.
So if you truly have your heart set on a
Yorkie that looks like a
Yorkie your best chance of getting the dog of your dreams is from a reputable
Yorkie breeder."
http://www.foxstonemaltese.com/show_vs_pet.htm