[topknot]

Wow, you girls have been busy today.

I agree about becoming active with someone that is experience, join the local breed club if you have one, go to many shows and watch -listen -learn.
This is how I started out back a long time ago - I got a puppy and then ended up adopting two more because their owner was moving out of the country and due to quarentine could not take them with her. I worked as a vet tech and that is how they knew me. She actually approached me, since she knew I ahd one yorkie all ready (my first baby was from the MacStrouds line). Boy that brings back old times. Well, I decided to learn more about pedigrees, the standard, etc... There just wasn't enough around for me to read - what I am saying is that I read everything I could get my hands on! Now this was the late 70s. I was very lucky and met some great people in the show world and they took me under their wings and mentored me. I had some of the best in our breed. I was smart enough to listen Very carefully and watch everything. Then the next dog I got I bought well and went to the show ring myself. Then the handler came next for me, since I was still learning myself. I learned a lot from my handler too - how to handle and groom correctly. I listened more. I went to club meeting and helped, sat on the board, helped to put on Fun Matches. You learn as you go. But you do have to be very patient and learn all you can - to do it right. When I was finally decided to breed - I knew about the standard - my first ever breeding - I bred one of my girls to a champion that was compatible.

And yes, way back then - a persons word was gold. You did not have to worry much. That is not true today. With all these new registries - anyone can say anything they want. I look - I see a lot. You can also even be here and see all the goings on that happens. Not good. So yes, things have gotten really hard for a newbie to get their first good yorkie to show. We just really care about our breed and our dogs so much - we have to be overly cautious today.

And yes, you can see many - way too many websites out there - it just proves many people are just breeding and not caring what they have. Ugh!! I have seen some pretty bad web sites out there and looked at their sires and dames - oh... it makes me cringe! There are some really bad representation of the breed and they are breeding them - for what main reason - one guess - $$ or they are pretty studid! I have never made money - in fact just the opposite - and always in the hole. I say I work for my dogs. Shows, testing, food, care expenses are high. I pay it because I know it is the right thing to do - I am proving the quality of my dogs, I love the hobby, and especially I love my dogs. I have met some really great frineds this way too.

When I returned to showing/breeding (and I hate breeding too - it makes me too nervous. One reason I do not do it often) after my long break I tried to find a local breed club in my area, since we moved from where we lived to another state. No luck - we have no yorkie club in my whole state. So I did the next best thing - I joined my all breed AKC club. I am active and participate, and learn more. We have some great speakers every month. I also just ran my first silent auction. I did not know at first what to do - but you just have to get there and help. I actually had a lot of fun! I also showed my two hopefuls and was a great learning experience all around. We also put on a pointed show twice a year in conjunction with two other clubs - so we have three shows together. It is a pretty big show. One should always be learning. I have two champions now and hopefully more on the way. Not bad for just three years being back into showing/breeding.

And it was a lot of work to catch up on researching the new lines. I would actually trace the different lines back to what I knew from the first time I use to show. It was a lot of research, but well worth it!