[matese]

Right here on YT advertisements last week was ad for Morkies (Maltese/yorkie mix) selling for $5300.00, and ppl do pay that price.

No it's not the Pandemic, cost of a yorkie depends what state you are buying the pup from. If you buy in NY expect to pay close to $5000. The average price I see in a lot of states is $3500.00. It's hobby breeders that will sell for less. If I was looking to buy a puppy I would look for a reputable breeder that shows their dogs. Reason is, they breed for their next champion, they check genetics of the breeding pair and the parents of that pair to ensure no disease will be passed down to future puppies. They feed the momma premium food for healthy puppies, and keep puppies until they are 13 weeks old. Now every litter will not produce a show quality dog, but what you will get is a healthy puppy.

The least expensive thing in buying a dog is the purchase price, it's the vet bills down the road if you buy a puppy that is not bred to better the breed.

Now I will say there was a thread where there was a breeder that knew one of her breeding dogs had (I believe) Luxating Patella but bred it knowing that gene would be passed down to future puppies. There are unethical breeders out there, it's always "buyer beware" do your homework on checking the breeder you choose. Good luck on your guest for that perfect baby.