I guess I'm one of those people... I paid more for Ruthie because of her size.
This is after having Oscar - so I was educated - I KNEW that this was a term commonly used by breeders to charge more money. The breeder Ruthie came from did NOT use the term teacup, but charged more for yorkies that would be less than 4lbs. I called her out on it - and even suggested that they were just runts of a litter. But she pointed out something to me - which is true - that the RUNT of a litter can very well grow up to be standard size or even BIGGER - a 'true tiny' will stay small. So are they just runts? Who knows... I paid more because I wanted THAT particular puppy. I find it difficult to understand how on earth anyone can pre-determine the final size of a dog - I even went so far as to ask if she'd refund me the difference in price if Ruthie did exceed 4lbs - which she agreed to. So far she is just over 2lbs at 8mths - guess I won't be getting any money back.
I should say though that my reasons for wanting a smaller puppy were different than most. Like I said, I already had Oscar, and he ended up being only 3.5lbs (smaller than anyone expected) so in looking for a playmate for him, I wanted another puppy to be CLOSE to his size. Ruthie is much smaller really than we expected, although I'm holding out hopes that she will gain at least another pound or so.
Selling small puppies for more money just goes with supply and demand - it's how the world works (not saying that it's RIGHT). Whether people think it's right or wrong, small puppies are very high in demand - things that are high in demand usually go up in price as a result. The prices of yorkies in general as a breed are quite high - why? Because they're a popular breed and people want them. |