hahahahh .... too late to edit that one

Oh well. :D

Hi Woogie Man,

I have read over this thread and saw many different opinions. I just wanted to give you mine to add to the others.

Not one single person is quaranteed tommorrow. I really had to wake up and deal with that when my 13 year old son was diagnosed with cancer. So many people go through life without ever thinking about that concept until they are faced with the illness or death of a young person. I have also lost a 20 year old nephew to a fatal car accident 6 years ago. 80 may seem old to some but when it comes to life or death, I think she's not much different from you or I when it comes to being here tommorrow. If she's healthy and seems to be a good pet owner, I say give her a chance. When I sell a puppy, I automatically include the clause that says that I will be willing to have the puppy returned to me at any time if the new owner is not able to keep it. I'm sure you do to, so just make sure you make that clear to her.

The fact of life is people die everyday, young and old. I'm blessed that my son is here with me, but I will not take tomorrow for granted ever again. Don't hold against her the fact that she may not outlive the puppy. To be honest there's a good chance that many young people will not outlive one either.

Lol, I read on another thread that you had to catch up on some much needed sleep, so I tracked down all your posts untill I could find a mistake! :D:happyboun

First, I'd like to thank everyone for their thoughts on this. I was really uncomfortable making a decision without others' input.

Well, I have had a chance to speak with her again and won't be placing Tessa with her. The age thing did carry some weight but wasn't the deciding factor. My decision was made due to the fact of her not having a fenced yard. It should have been brought up in our first conversation, but I guess we got a little side-tracked while talking.

I'm not saying that I would never place a pup with someone without a fenced yard. I've placed 2 in the past to people with town homes (condos), but I have to look at the total picture.

In this case, I was looking at an elderly couple with no other dog and no fenced yard. Tessa would have been totally dependent on them to provide her with all her exercise and social inter-action. I just felt that the odds were high that their current activity level wouldn't be maintained throughout Tessa's life and that she would become a house dog with no outlet for her energy and I just think it's not in her best interest.

For me, I don't have hard fast rules in placing a pup but look at the total picture. An ideal home would be someone that's settled down and is home more often than not, has a fenced yard, is familiar with the breed and has a history of providing good care for their pets. I also like if they have another dog in the home or, at least, have family members with a dog they will see often so the pup can have a 'dog buddy'. Not a complete list, but you get the idea. Every home doesn't have to have all these qualities, but there has to be enough to make me comfortable in placing a pup. Temperament and the size of the pup also play into it. I don't think every pup is a good fit for every home, even good homes, so that's a major consideration.

After dealing with this, I still think I would consider someone older for a pup but there would have to be more there than in this case for me to place a pup.

Thanks to you all for your thoughts. I appreciate it very much.

Jim

Jim, you sound like a very, very caring breeder to me. I understand completely your decision making process. I am so glad you didn't make the decision based on age alone. I also hope that the elderly couple find the perfect Yorkie for them - I'm thinking that they will! :D

I am sure you will find the perfect forever home for your puppy. :)

Thank you for sharing this story and your thought process involved in placing this puppy. :)

You really have done a thorough and thoughtful job and I applaud you for thinking long and hard about what is best for your pups!

Jim, you really impress me, I love your non-rigid thinking on so many different matters, God gave you a brain, and you use it!

Well, all your feedback really helped...thanks again.

I do hope they find the perfect Yorkie. You know, there are some that are content to take a little walk and spend the rest of the day being coddled. I call it the 'Princess Gene' but Tessa doesn't have it. She's very sweet and loves to be cuddled, but is more terrier at heart. Now her Auntie Heidi, on the other hand, is a total Princess.....:rolleyes: