Many people will dissuade you from buying a pup from an out-of-state breeder without first seeing the pup and its living conditions. They are right, it can be a risky proposition and you need to exercise great care and diligently research what you're doing. We bought our Sophie from an out-of-state online breeder (who shall remain nameless because we were mercilessly hammered about this on another yorkie chatroom and I don't want to subject myself to that kind of attack again). We were fortunate and had a good experience. We had several lengthy phone conversations with the breeder before making the purchase and also had several phone consultations post-purchase (we're first-time dog parents). Sophie is healthy, thriving, weighs 5.5 lbs, and just celebrated her 2nd birthday last week. She also comes with an AKC-champion pedigree (both sire and dam and grandparent). Given the risks that you might face with out-of-state breeders, it's far preferable to buy your pup via an in-person situation. Meet the breeder, visit the home, see the dam, siblings, living conditions, etc. If you live in a state where this is easier to do than it is in NYC, then by all means, go that route. Good luck, and I'm sure you'll find your own special little angel! |