[MyFairLacy]

Originally Posted by tippielou

Yes, I have been to the YTCA website.
I will be meeting a breeder this week that is in the YTCA.

I had started talking to the breeder mentioned in this thread before I discovered YTCA.


Do you know any details of the testing that YTCA requires of their members?


I am choosing to support only a reputable breeder. I think that breeder will be one of the best that YTCA has to offer

Thanks for your input!!

The YTCA doesn't have a requirement on health screening but do say in their code of ethics that their members should be screening. I'm going to tell you though that many do not health screen like they should be doing. So ask lots of questions.

I'm like you...I don't want to just hear "no we havent had any problems" ESPECIALLY if they've been breeding for 20 years! I almost guarantee there has been some problem before. I'd rather hear "we had this problem and this is how we fixed it". Even the best breeders that do health screen may get a puppy with a problem, but it's what they do then that shows whether or not they are ethical. Do they lie about it and just act like it never happened or do they spay/neuter the dogs in the line and start over? I can understand why a breeder wouldn't want it to be common knowledge if they had certain problems because gossip is pretty rampent in the yorkie world, but they really need to be up-front with potential buyers. I want to hear the truth...

Good Luck in your search. It's a very very difficult one, I know. Even among YTCA members, there are a few that I would definitely not buy from. You've really got to be cautious. Ask to see proof of any health testing if they claim to have done it...don't just take their word for it