[gemy]

I will also add, look on the AKC website to find out if there are any breeder's lectures/symposiums coming up.

Go to anything by Carmen Battaglia. Go to anything by Dr Jean Dodds.

Join your local breed club; the best would be a Yorkshire Terrier breed specific club, next a toy dog club, and then finally an all breed club.

Get Involved with this club. Take your pet in for obedience training or rally o, or agility. Learn proper structure of all dogs, but particularly the Yorkshire Terrier.

Look at this as a long term goal - maybe 10 yrs out.

Now all breeders I know, usually have another job in addition to breeding. For eg; my breeder of Razzle is also a dog trainer. Another breeder friend runs a construction business, yet another is a groomer, yet another is and does pet boarding as well as training and breeding.

So you get an idea. You tend to make your living with other dog related activities, or alternatively another line of work.

I have not run the numbers, because I have no interest in actually trying to make a living from breeding dogs, but if you would truly like to make a "living from this" and do all the right things such as; show, health tests, prebreeding tests, puppy rearing, and lifelong support of your puppy buyers. I will tell you right now, it can't be done if you have even two bitches.

And particularly with Yorkies where the average litter size is relatively small.

Let us do a for instance; say you are able after time to buy a high quality bitch from top bloodlines.

Your purchase price anywhere from $3000---$5000 dependent on a lot of factors

Cost to show your girl to one Ch $2000 est 6wkend's + out of town stay for 4wkend
Using a pro handler? Add $1200 18 days of showing - you groom for handler
Screening Tests Add $1000 - includes CERF - OFA hips/elbows -Thyroid tests, Patella certification
Pre Breeding tests $400
Supplies related to showing $300 (incl additional crate, show leads, wrapping papers, top quality grooming products, bows,etc)

Totals so far $7200-$9200

All this items do not include regular vet costs, high quality food, and training of yourself and pup for the show ring.

Now you want to Breed:

Stud fees ~~~ cost of one puppy $1500
Whelping Supplies $ 300
Vet costs ** no extraordinary items** $ 200

Totals $2000
Note if you need a C section addd $2000 often times this is an emergency situation


So before you have your first litter you are at prox $10000

Now you won't breed your girl before 2yrs old for a number of very good reasons
And you will likely retire your girl at about 5 yrs old maybe 6 yrs old

At one heat per yr - your girl will have approx 4 heats to 5 and 6 heats to 6yrs old

* note it is usually not done to breed your girl every heat so; very conservatively you will only breed her twice or maybe three times in her lifetime.

Let us go with 3 breedings all successfull and each litter yields 4 healthy pups.

That is 12 puppies in total; over her lifetime

To recoup the cost of showing and purchasing your gal - you would need to charge

a) $600 per pup

To recoup the breeding costs and vet care for each whelp

b) $180 per pup.

Life is perfect for you and your dam; and you are able to place all pups in good quality homes at a selling price of $1500 per pup.

For each pup you will roughly clear $1500- 780=$ 720
For a total of your gals reproductive lifetime of $$7600 *** that is for 5yrs of your life

How-ever as a reputable breeder you offer a health warranty of 5yrs from date of purchase. This health warranty obligates you to cover the cost of the purchase price of the pup for certain conditions. So you must set aside some of that money to cover your risk. How much is the question? Well that is going to take research on your bit. For example given all the known health risks of Yorkies, what percentage of Yorkies fall ill to one of the conditions you cover? What does you line and it's health background also tell you. ONce you know this, then you guesstimate the amount you keep in your "business" account to cover your obligations.

At the minimum it will be the cost of at least one puppy.....

So take away $1500 from $7600 and that leaves you with === $6100 for 5 yrs of work

Now can you live on a $1000 a year. lol lol lol