YorkieTalk.com Forums - Yorkshire Terrier Community - View Single Post - Isn't it unfortunate what many Yorkie owners have done to the breed?

Mom2Milo · 02-03-2008, 08:38 PM

Every time I've called the ads in the papers and online about buying a Yorkie, I usually ask the same questions other people do but with different beliefs about what I want to hear.

There are a lot of people out there, which I know from reading this forum a lot, who are disgusted at people who label dogs as "teacups" or who let puppies go at 6 weeks or so. The breeders are to blame greatly for this, for sure. Like anybody else though, they want to make money, and they know that the public is, in general, not so much concerned about the animal's health as much as what is aesthetically pleasing to them.

Do most people out there who want a Yorkie care that the tiniest dogs that people label as "teacups" are more likely to have health problems and are more likely to be seriously injured in an accident?? Do they care that these preferences to have tiny dogs that they can fit nicely in a purse or take to the mall to have everybody "oooo" and "ahhh" over it, has made breeders actually try to breed dogs to be as tiny as possible??

Of course they don't. It's really such a disservice to the animals that breeders do this, but how much of the blame really lies on them? In a world where many people would view an 8 pound Yorkie as undesireable simply because it's not a "teacup", I'm just not sure.

On another issue, does the general public care that puppies should not be going home with them until they're fully ready? (12 weeks or so by most standards). Do they care that taking puppies much earlier than that can cause problems and severe anxiety with the puppy?? Again, you'd have to assume the answer is no, because people seem to generally want a puppy as early as they can get it.

To me, it's sickening. Absolutely gross this culture that's been created.

For me, if I'm calling on a dog there are the usual questions I ask. I want to know how old he/she is...I want to know the approximate weight....and there are other questions of course. For me though, if the puppy is 7 weeks old and they want to sell him or her...the conversation is done. I'm not going to lecture, because they KNOW it isn't right to sell the puppy at that age...but I won't support it. On the weight issue, if I'm ever told the dog is a "teacup", that's the end of that conversation too. Again, breeders know better and they're just being deceitful and preying upon people's wishes to compete to have the tiniest little dog possible.

Do these things bother anybody else as much as they bother me? It's just so frustrating to see people looking for puppies for the wrong reasons and just ignoring the best interests of the dog.

02-03-2008, 08:38 PM	#1
Mom2Milo BANNED! Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: St. Louis Posts: 58	Isn't it unfortunate what many Yorkie owners have done to the breed? Every time I've called the ads in the papers and online about buying a Yorkie, I usually ask the same questions other people do but with different beliefs about what I want to hear. There are a lot of people out there, which I know from reading this forum a lot, who are disgusted at people who label dogs as "teacups" or who let puppies go at 6 weeks or so. The breeders are to blame greatly for this, for sure. Like anybody else though, they want to make money, and they know that the public is, in general, not so much concerned about the animal's health as much as what is aesthetically pleasing to them. Do most people out there who want a Yorkie care that the tiniest dogs that people label as "teacups" are more likely to have health problems and are more likely to be seriously injured in an accident?? Do they care that these preferences to have tiny dogs that they can fit nicely in a purse or take to the mall to have everybody "oooo" and "ahhh" over it, has made breeders actually try to breed dogs to be as tiny as possible?? Of course they don't. It's really such a disservice to the animals that breeders do this, but how much of the blame really lies on them? In a world where many people would view an 8 pound Yorkie as undesireable simply because it's not a "teacup", I'm just not sure. On another issue, does the general public care that puppies should not be going home with them until they're fully ready? (12 weeks or so by most standards). Do they care that taking puppies much earlier than that can cause problems and severe anxiety with the puppy?? Again, you'd have to assume the answer is no, because people seem to generally want a puppy as early as they can get it. To me, it's sickening. Absolutely gross this culture that's been created. For me, if I'm calling on a dog there are the usual questions I ask. I want to know how old he/she is...I want to know the approximate weight....and there are other questions of course. For me though, if the puppy is 7 weeks old and they want to sell him or her...the conversation is done. I'm not going to lecture, because they KNOW it isn't right to sell the puppy at that age...but I won't support it. On the weight issue, if I'm ever told the dog is a "teacup", that's the end of that conversation too. Again, breeders know better and they're just being deceitful and preying upon people's wishes to compete to have the tiniest little dog possible. Do these things bother anybody else as much as they bother me? It's just so frustrating to see people looking for puppies for the wrong reasons and just ignoring the best interests of the dog.