I am only speaking about what I'm comfortable doing:
I own 12 so off the bat take the routine vet care you pay for one yorkie (dentals, shots, food, toys, vitamins, pee pads, grooming supplies, flea prevention, heartworm prevention and any other unexpect vet bills that may come up) per year and multiply that by 12 and that's what I pay; mabye a little more because my vet specializes in canine reproduction. Then add to that the xtras I do because I want so badly to make sure that i don't breed one with hereditary defect that can take away from the quality of life or be life threatening. I have all my Yorkies BA tested, my females have vaginal swabs and progestrone tests done prior to matitng to make sure I breed them at peak. I dont' just breed them for days and hope they take. Once bred, I have my female ultra sounded and then xrayed a copule days before due date. Because I work full have my moms-to-be stay with a mid-wife that my clinic has. She has a set up at her home to keep expecting moms on labor watch for 24 hrs round the clock. I send my mom's there 2 days before they are due so taht they can be monitored and watched by someone experience who can handle any situation in my absense. That alone costs me $80 a day. Then a c-section if there was a problem. Once the puppies are here I pay to have tails and dews done, all shots are done by my vet they have at least 2 sets before leaving. Stools are checked, they are on flea prevention, and will have a full blood panel to clear them of LS any other health problems that can be seen in the blood. I aslo alter my puppies before placing them now. I also have a VERY nice pupppy kit I send home. I offer a full guarantee for 1 yr for hereditary defects but lifetime support, you can call me any time. My Yorkies range from $1200-$2500 females are more expensive becuase the spay is done by Laparscopy which costs twice as much as the traditional spay. If i have a tiny puppy I do charge more becuse I have to keep them longer which is more money I have to pay. the money i make covers expenses for my Yorkies. I COULD charge more but that means I would have a smaller selection of homes and I wouldnt be able to be as picky. I try to be fair but I need to recoup my expenses too.
I get a lot of grief from some breeders because I do all this.
But it's my choice, I'll tell ya, I can sleep better at night doing it this way. It's just how I am. I'm not saying this is the only way or that anyone that doesn't do things the same as me is a puppymill or byb or disreputable..it's all personal preference.
Hugs,
Wini and da' million dollar gang
