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Originally Posted by eboughey  I agree with everything you say. Most I've seen on yorkie rescue are older with debilitating diseases or are best in a one pet home. breaks my heart to see them.
Now talking about breeders; if only the reputable and savvy breeders wouldn't charge $2000 or more for their puppies people wouldn't be looking at less reputable places. They need to have a place that is reputable and has affordable prices. That is not easy to find and we all know that.
What I do know is that my dog is extremely healthy, I like the breeders, and I love his looks, demeanor so that is my reason for going back to where I purchased him. |
Gemy/Gail posted the greatest post about what actual costs reputable, respected breeders have to try to cover and why their dogs are more expensive than other breeders. I wish I could find it. Maybe she will post it here.
With the studying they have to do to try to understand genetics, paying for books, audiotapes and seminars to attend about genetics, breeding sciences, medical care, etc., paying for their breeder dogs, paying for the health testing that needs to be done to r/o if either male or female has a medical problem that could be passed along, researching and paying for whatever material they have to have to ensure they know of the health of other dogs in the lines they are developing, all needed supplies, vet bills(!) for the breeding dogs and the puppies and all of the medications(!) and supplements, special food and extra's, $2,000.00 seems really fair and probably doesn't half cover their time and brain drain, angst and none of the work.
So, if we really want to help save the Yorkshire Terrier breed, we had better put our own money where our mouth is essentially as lovers of this breed and either get a rescue Yorkie or save until we can afford a puppy from a truly excellent breeder. Until we do begin to buy, we are very likely patently supporting the kind of breeder that is helping make this a breed rife with health problems. $2k seems like so much $ for a dog but when you consider the unbelievable costs of having dogs and buying supplies, medications and vet bills, getting expensive pre-breeding tests, undergoing continuing breeding and dog-care education and staying up to the moment on that - I think it is quite reasonable. Probably they don't ever actually make a cent in true profit.
Personally speaking, I'd rather buy from a rescue or shelter or wait to get a dog rather than support a breeder who is not health-testing or always studying how to pair breeding dogs to improve the breed. It seems that too many breeders just stick any two dogs together to breed them or know of their problems but want a particular "look", irrespective of health, and we have what we have now - a breed with a whole lot of medical problems and shelters brimming with unwanted, cast off dogs. If one looks enough, there are dogs in rescue and even shelters that are not ill, very old or lame. We've many owners of rescue dogs here on YorkieTalk.
As a country of doglovers, we're mostly letting our dogs down, not serving them that well at all if we keep supporting irresponsible breeders so we can afford a cheaper dog rather than saving up and waiting to buy from highly responsible breeders, especially when shelters, rescues are over-full.
And we're flat overbreeding/overbuying dogs in this country and for the most part, doing it based mostly on monetary and self-serving reasons and have for years now. I hope we can one by one change that.