I started writing my post a few hours ago, and have had to come back to it. Thankfully, I am seeing more people speaking up for breeders who do so because of their passion and love for their dogs and who hold the health of the dogs in highest regard. I find that I will now be reiterating some things that have already been said.
I respect those who believe in breeding to standard, and I understand those feelings. There are people who breed off-standard, however, who truly love their dogs and are not doing so to attract a pet buyer with a huge, inflated price tag. I've never personally seen a Parti or Biewer, but I understand what it is to truly love a dog. That kind of love became very apparent when I followed a thread in the Sick/Emergency forum when Tammy's Livi had her babies and their health was in danger. So many of us grew to love Livi and her babies, and we felt a great sigh of relief and happiness as we watched those babies grow and thrive. You bet I was thrilled when I learned whose homes those babies were going to. It wasn't so much that they were respected members of YT but that I knew that they were going to so loved and taken care of. Every time I read about those babies, there is such a tone of love running through every thread about them. They may not have been bred to standard, but I know I'm not the only one who finds their breeder to be great. It's difficult when you talk about little ones who are so loved not to take it personally, whether you are the breeder or the owner of the dogs. Not everyone who is breeding Partis or Biewers is doing so because of the demand and the chance to get a higher price tag. For many, it is about passion and love for the dog. I think because of passion and love for this breed, for some there is also fear of change, but I agree with Gail that the breed is in much greater danger due to byb and puppy mills. When the Yorkshire Terrier started to climb in popularity, I became fearful of what was to become of a breed that I've loved since childhood. With that popularity came those who wanted to breed to capitalize on that popularity. As much as I love the looks of this breed, it's much more about the temperament than the looks. The Yorkshire Terrier is a very beautiful dog. I know my little ones weren't true breed standard, but they were close enough to the look of the Yorkshire Terrier I know and love. I think it was a little easier for me to accept a Biewer looking different than a Yorkie looking different, because at least they didn't have to fit an image that I have in my head of what a Yorkie is supposed to look like. In the end, when you love them and they are yours, looks become so unimportant in the scheme of things. My first Yorkie Jolie was black and tan, Kiwi had one floppy ear, Gracie was almost perfect (to me) but too tiny, and I still haven't figured out how Ashley started to get curls (that I found beautiful) only as she started to age. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and those we hold dear aren't because of how they look. We love this breed, however, also because of the image that it holds for us, so the standard is still very important. I hope as more time goes by that more Yorkies are bred to standard with health and temperament being a priority. However, I think the Partis and Biewers are beautiful, too, and hope there will be more opportunities to those who are breeding healthy tri-colored Yorkies to have a venue to show their dogs and to be treated with respect that they deserve. |