Hello and welcome to Yorkie World!! It sounds like you have a good mindset for someone just starting out. Breeding these wonderful creatures can be one of the most rewarding (though not monetarily) endeavors you will ever pursue but I will tell you it is the rare breeder that hasn't dealt with some heartache along the way.
Your medical background and your vet being a Yorkie owner are both pluses but neither will completely prepare you for breeding. Misty is right in that a mentor will offer you invaluable experience and knowledge that you just won't get anywhere else. The breeders you got your pups from may be able to offer some guidance.
It may be difficult to obtain breeding stock with champion backgrounds without there being line breeding in their pedigree. While there are some champions that are open pedigreed, it's more likely that most champions are the result of line breeding. While it's not something that should be done haphazardly, I think you will see as you go along that line breeding has its place and is not the awful thing some think it is.
Beyond the necessary health testing to ensure you have sound dogs, you will need to develop a critical eye as they mature to see that they are good representations of the breed and to identify any faults. There is no perfect Yorkie and you want to watch that you don't breed two dogs with the same fault. You may find that your male and female may both grow to be beautiful dogs but are not a good match for breeding to each other. They may have a shared fault or may just be different types that may not mesh well together.
A couple of books that I would recommend are The New Complete Yorkshire Terrier by Joan Gordon and The Joy Of Breeding Your Own Show Dog by Ann Seranne. They are both excellent books that I refer to again and again.
Best of luck in attaining your goals. I'm sure I've only scratched the surface and others will add much more. Yorkies are a fascinating breed and no matter your experience, there is always more to learn. |