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Originally Posted by LuvMyPuppE  i completely agree with you. i've never wanted a dog until recently because i was too busy with school, work, and 2 small children. it's been a very hectic 6 years! 6 years old is how old my oldest child is - her brother is 3. i went to school full time, worked full time, and took care of them when i was fortunate enough to be home.
point being - to say the least, i was never educated about dogs. although i loved them - i knew the last thing i needed to do was take on a pet i had no time for. since i've graduated and am able to stay at home with my children (at least until my youngest starts school and i find a job) i have started researching puppies. i first started looking for yorkies because my neighbor when i was a child had yorkies and i adored them.
i googled "teacup yorkie" MANY times because as i said, i was not educated about dogs at all! i had seen the tiny pups on t.v. and thought they were adorable. after doing a lot of reading - i did find out that teacup is not an appropriate term and there is really no such thing according to the AKC. i was being responsible and researching the breed rather than buying a "teacup" on impulse - reading about temperament - interactions with children, etc. during that reading, i also realized that while breeds have certain traits - you can't guarantee a dog will be good with children or anything else simply because the breed is known for that - they are just like people! furthermore, i learned that breeders who breed for size usually ignore the health risks involved in doing so. health risks? what health risks? that's what i would've said before i started researching! i had no clue.
now that i know better, i am doing better. i have adopted a puppy from the shelter (a terrier mix) because i must admit, i was impatient in wanting a puppy. i went from being on the go non-stop to being bored to death at home. in my search for a yorkie - i found my puppy which i LOVE! i am still looking for a yorkie or a morkie or a maltese because i DO want a smaller puppy - and i don't think there's anything wrong with that.
i will not buy a yorkie that i feel is too small to live a healthy life - especially being around children. in fact, i don't like the idea of buying dogs at all when there are so many dying every day in shelters. since becoming informed about the "teacups yorkies" which is exactly what i called them when my search began - i have decided to hold off and search for a healthy yorkie that is right for me and my family. hopefully, i can rescue one who really needs a good home instead of giving into my impulse to line someone's pockets.
moral of the story: not everyone is a yorkie expert - everyone starts somewhere. i could've easily made a post just as this one referring to "teacup yorkies" before i did my research - and i'd hate to think i'd be fussed at because i'm a true dog lover - i just wasn't educated. |
Thank You for your positive responce. That is awsome that you adopted a puppy in need. I looked into doing the same thing, but my Husband who is in love with my Mom's yorkies wanted a full bred yorkie puppy as our first dog. For our next dog, which will surely be a yorkie, I will do better research and deff not buy one from a breeder advertising teacups. Who really knows how big or small they are going to be anyway. The charts are not an exact science in every case. I will always hope for a healthy one. Hunter was about 3 pounds and towards the middle of his life he developed kidney stones, and had to have surgery more than once. Toward the end of his life he had a skin condition, which was healed thank goodness. He ended of dying of an enlarged heart. So, I understand why it is said that the smaller ones have more problems. I lived through that. Austin, who is about 6 or 7 pounds, has had no issues. Except he got sick after being borded one time, so we don't bored him anymore. If my parents have to travel and he can't go, then I drive home 6 hours to watch him. We are that serious about our dogs.