[SoCalyorkiLvr]

mababygirl4you! Welcome to Yorkie Talk and congratulations on your new yorkie.

I am not a breeder and I have only been a yorkie owner for a few months so my knowledge is limited. You have asked a slightly controversial question right off the bat and you will get a lot of different opinions from different people on here. That is what is so cool about this board is you can really do your homework and listen to what everyone else thinks and then make an educated decision for yourself and your dog.

It sounds like your breeder is simply stating that your male is not of "high breeding quality". Does this mean he is of "above average, average or below average" breeding quality? Since she did not make you agree contractually to have him neutered and he wasn't sold with a limited registration, you are free to do what you decide is best.

There are a lot of things to look at in deciding whether or not to breed a dog. Some people (mostly shpw breeders) feel you should only breed when you are doing it to "better the breed". This usually means you are trying to get puppies who are as close to the "breed standard" as stated by the American Kennel Association" as possible. Some others feel it is perfectly okay to breed "anything" and there is a whole range of people in the middle who feel temperament is more important than outward appearance (what the breed standard concentrates on) or that a pet quality animal is just as important as a show quality animal.

There are lots of "breeding quality" dogs that are not "show quality". A lot of breeders will breed a nice size female who is not perfectly within the standard if she has traits they are trying to improve upon in their "line" for example, and the male seems to be the one who has the most dominant genes apparently. Ask a breeder about this because I could be wrong.

Anyway, I would check with your breeder to see if there are any "genetic health defects" that could be passed on to a litter he may produce, but if she is a responsible, caring breeder, she should have already informed you if this were the case and insisted upon the dog being neutered. You can also get further clarification from her about what she meant by not of "high breeding quality".

I think it's important, since you are learning, to have the dog examined by several other breeders and get second and third opinions from people as well as the opinion of your vet.

Welcome to the wonderful world of yorkies. Hope you love it like we do!!