First of all, I'd again like to thank everyone for taking the time to respond here. I really do appreciate it.
Dodobelle: Thank you for the input, but it seems your breeder is based in Kansas and requires pick up (which is a good thing in reality, but a bit tough for me to get to!). So it wouldn't be an option for me anyway. If I was going to make a trip to Kansas, I saw an adorable rescue litter of Morkies on petfinder last week that I would have scooped up right away!
Reese1: That is true, even I didn't realize the pet store I was at was supplied by something as traumatizing as a puppy mill. :/ Luckily for me, I always do *a lot* of research before a huge purchase and I uncovered it in my pursuit of knowledge. I felt so bad that I even thought about purchasing from a person like that, even if I was uninformed at the time. I would love for a shelter to come through and bring my furbaby to me, but it is proving difficult.
JeanieK: Well I've done a lot of research and reading, and I've also met purebreds of both types in person which led me to a few conclusions. Some of them are shallower reasons I'll admit it (I'm an honest person like that) and some are not.
The reasons I wouldn't want a purebred Yorkie include, but are not limited to, the fact that they are notoriously difficult to potty train. I live with my parents still (instead of dorming while I'm in college to save money) and my mother doesn't take well to messes. Now I've discussed with her the rules of potty training and that there will be accidents and it will take awhile, but I've read it is not uncommon for Yorkies to be quite a bit more difficult to train in that area. I'm sure this applies to training in general as well? They are also known for being more energetic and I'd like a little bit of a more mellow personality. And for the shallow reason, my mum didn't like the look of them as much as the Morkie and she does have some say in the purchase.
The reasons I wouldn't want a purebred Maltese include, but are not limited to, the fact that the few I've met were so lethargic to the point where I didn't really consider them dogs anymore... They acted more like cats, which is fine if that is what you're looking for! Another is that my mum had a purebred Maltese when she was younger and loved it to bits, but then it tragically passed away and that was what made her swear off dogs up until this point when she felt ready for another! She made me promise no purebred Maltese though. :/ And the last (and I admit completely shallow reason) is that, in general, I don't like all white fur dogs.
Morkies are easier to potty train because of the Maltese in them (or so I read/hear), are colored (although it can vary from black/tan, to gray/silver, to caramel, etc. basically half a dozen things because they are mixed), and have a bit of spunk in personality from the Yorkie side, but are a bit more mellow thanks to the Maltese. I've seen this first hand as well, but I realize every pup is different and I would need to meet my forever friend before committing to her (chances are I would just accept any deviance from anything listed here...because I'm a sucker and just love the furballs :P). Plus, that little guy in the store just melted my heart... and it is hard to let go of something once you fall in love with it.
Now this is not an extensive list of reasons either, but I feel this should be sufficient enough. Even if my reasoning was, "I just want one" it is a personal choice that should be respected.
I'm a bit more thorough than that though!
DvlshAngel985: Thank you for the kudos, I really am trying! I swear I'm not some evil puppy mill feeding menace. <3
I know that they vary in everything due to the mix. Like I said I've done a TON of reading. I will admit I was surprised to find how much they change as they age. You can start with a tan/black pup and end up with a silver adult. Luckily, appearance isn't everything
Although, I will admit I would prefer the tan/black combo. Size is relatively important too as my mother did not want a large dog (we would have bought a purebred lab from my aunt if that was the case). I would be happy with anything below 15-16lbs and it seems Morkies fall well within that.
I have put my name in at some breed specific rescues. There weren't many I could locate in my area (although there were many many more "toy" rescues, so I put in at those). I did find quite a few breed specific rescues in Ohio though so I put in for those (as they are within my 5 hour drive limitation I set for myself). I haven't heard of your two suggestions though, so I will definitely look into them this week!
Funny you should post petfinder links. I was recommended to that site right away by a friend and I've been checking it, but no luck with the Maltese/Yorkie mix in the 5 hour radius so far for me. I did get a hit on a beautiful 1 yr. old girl, but the rescue said that she was pending when I contacted them (they offered to call me if it didn't pan out, but it's been a bit since then so I assume she was snapped up).
LOL I already put in a request on Bonnie earlier this week (we'll see how it works out, these little guys are pretty popular. This being my first dog often pushes me to the lower end of the preferred list, maybe I should tell them it isn't my mum's first dog?).
As for Sandi, my mom already vetoed earlier this week for various reasons. She in reality gets the final say. Also, we have a cat (Suki) who may or may not take advantage of the potential blind spot >_<
The "no name" requires a home visit. "As such we request potential adopters be within 1 hour traveling distance." I'm not eligible due to the distance, and I can't put in for Pebbles because she is a special needs dog and she deserves the extra care she needs (which I don't think I could adequately give her).
Surprisingly, the required home visit for rescues and the distance they are willing to travel is often the kicker because while I will travel 5 hours to get my potential furbaby, they cannot travel 5 hours to do a home visit :/
Thanks again for all your input guys! I'm still searching for my forever friend, but I have faith I'll find her soon. ^_^