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Originally Posted by REC  WOW This is crazy. I have a "pet quality" yorkie and he is the best. Some members on the forum are out of control. Not everyone breeds show dogs and not everyone wants show dogs. I don't I just want a pet for our family. Little Wylie has been a joy and I would not trade him for anything. He is perfect and just to let you know I paid $650 from a pet store. I never met his parents or the breeder. Dawn27 I wish you luck with your new litter and I'm glad there are breeders out there like you. |
Pet owners have pet quality dogs, there is nothing wrong with that, but we shouldn't breed them, nor encourage others to do so. Breeding should only be done to preserve the breed, and this means only healthy examples that have had tests performed, this is the absolute minimum. Have you read the sick and injured forum? So many dogs who have liver shunts and Luxating Patellas, and so many people cannot afford the surgery to fix these. How are you going to be able to afford $2000 surgery, if you can only afford $600 dog, do you just put the dog to sleep and cut your loses?
I also believe only good representatives of the breed should be bred; we have so many threads here on, "Is my dog a Yorkie"? For those who want to provide cheap alternatives to well bred yorkies, I really believe this is a mistake; Joey's initial cost was not the most expensive thing about him. Yorkies are an expensive bred to own, even if they are healthy. You can't think twice about taking your dog to an emergency room, these little guys can go down hill fast, and even minor things such as jumping off a couch, can injure a small yorkie. I had to take Joey to the emergency room twice the first year, and I consider myself a careful person. Not only that, but yorkies require much more intensive grooming care, and equipment to do it. Their teeth need much more care than some breeds and they need periodic expensive cleaning, the teeth are not just a cosmetic thing and can impact overall health drastically. Their digestive systems are another weakness, so quality food is important, and many are prone to allergies, this again can be an additional expense.
To the OP, as a breeder you should be willing to take the dog back any time in it's life, and try to find a suitable home, and if not able to do that it should always have a place with you. Also, you should make sure you can you afford the surgery it may need if it has one of the common genetic illnesses. You are responsible for any offspring your dog produces. Rescues right now are so overloaded, and we don't really need any more pets at this time, there are so many adorable dogs that need a home, I hope you consider these things before you breed.