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Originally Posted by NJFamily  Hi,
We are a family with 2 daughters, living in Central NJ. Their boxer passed away this past spring, and after the summer, we are planning on getting a yorkie.
My wife grew up with a one, and had many fond memories. Does anyone have a referral of a reputable breeder in NJ or Eastern PA? |
Buying a Yorkie? READ THIS FIRST! [How To Buy a Yorkie] May I suggest this to be a good starter read on buying a Yorkie.
Going to the YTCA website is also good as some have suggested here.
There is an old saying; you buy your breeder first and then your pup.
There is another old saying: the younger the children the larger the dog. I don't know the ages of your children; but yorkies are very small dogs, and can be easily hurt by young children. Children should be of an age, where they can understand the fragility of a young pup or dog. And children should have supervised interactions with a young pup that might come to you at 2 lbs or so.
What is important to me is the health of a pup I purchase. As you may know or if not you should become aware of the health risks and concerns of Yorkies. Liver shunt, Luxating Patella, Cardio myopathies, allergies, skin sensitivies, PRA, are some of the concerns.
You want to know that the breeders of any dog you consider, do do health tests on the mating dam and sire. Well this is no guarantee of the future health of your pup, it is what you should expect of a reputable breeder. The breeder you select should be aware of what health concerns have cropped up in her line, (and we are talking not just about the breeding dam and sire, but their parents, their siblings, etc.)
You want a breeder who is a) very knowledgeable about the breed, b) commited to the support of her puppy buyers for life c) offers a worthwhile health guarantee d) breeds to improve the breed e) knows her lines inside and out.
For your information the breeder should be willing to share the full registered name of the dam and sire, and if health tests have been done, to supply that information; then you can check for yourself on the following sites:
OFA - for hips, knees, and elbows.
CERF - for PRA
Also you can go to CHIC although there at this point in time only 38 Yorkshire Terriers are registered that their breeders have elected to get this health number from.
However CHIC is a good site, because it will give you for the YOrkshire Terrier what is their recommended testing protocols.
I wish you all the best in your search.