YTCA breeders---

[magicgenie]

Quite often I see someone making reference to so and so as being a "YTCA breeder." I'm curious as to what that means to various people. "Breeding for the betterment of the breed" comes to mind, but I know some members who breed to sell puppies. Mind you, I don't feel that breeding to sell puppies is necessarily a bad thing, but the "betterment of the breed" reason goes hand in hand with showing. Someone who never shows is breeding to sell puppies, no? Well, maybe breeding because they love raising puppies, but the puppies still all end up being sold, never shown or used to better the breed.
Is it then OK for someone to breed to sell puppies as long as they belong to YTCA? If they don't belong to YTCA they are automatically given the negative dirty status of BYB, at least on this board.
Anyway, what makes YTCA membership a credential when all it takes to get in is sponsorship of two members. Nothing further is ever required the rest of their life. Of course, a member would be expected to keep their mouth shut about any of the club's practices and beliefs that they object to. Sorry for the rambling, trying not to be specific enough to embarrass anyone in particular.
Years ago an acquaintance YTCA member swore me to secrecy when a surprise brown puppy showed up in her litter. She was mortified that anyone "in the club might find out about this." I don't know what kind of trouble you can get into for producing a brown puppy, but I don't want to be on the inside of a so-called club that would give me any stress over this.
While I think the reaction to the brown puppy was extreme, other things have come up that make me feel I don't want to get entangled in that outfit.
Another example of a "club" policy I find scary is the way one of my friends was treated when a puppy customer filed a complaint about not being refunded her non-refundable deposit when she cancelled her purchase. My friend had her breeder listing suspended while the situation was investigated, which case dragged on for months until the customer sued and lost in small claims court.
Anyway, I think I'm at least as dedicated to good breeding as the best of the YTCA, but will remain a free-thinker, thank you.

[Nancy1999]

I think lots of people have a misconception about the YTCA. I have a link to the club in my signature, and I put it there NOT to push the YTCA, but to enable yorkietalk members find and talk with good breeders. I think if anyone talks to a few members of the YTCA they will learn a great deal about the Yorkshire Terrier breed, and if it's right for them. I also think the major purpose of a good breeder when talking to a perspective owner is educating them about the breed. This does not mean that there are no great breeders who aren't members, but I believe people who are trying to improve the breed will want to belong to breed clubs. Will every member who joins join for the right reason, of course not; we all know that people do good things for the wrong reasons all the time. I want to make it clear that NOT every member of the YTCA is a great breeder or even an ethical breeder. For example, some people are showing for the wrong reasons, the purpose of showing is not to inflate your ego, or to justify the price of you dogs, the purpose of showing is to have your breeding stock evaluated. You can be a great breeder and not be a member of the YTCA, but I think it's important to live up to their standards, and ethics even before you attempt to be a member. I believe their code of conduct and code of ethics are great codes, and every breeder should try to live up to these things. Every dog breed has a mother club that tries to preserve and protect the breed, some are doing a much better job than others, and from my understanding of the club as a whole, they are doing a great job. I think it's a mistake to believe that once you join you give up your right to be a freethinking. The members of the YTCA that I've gotten to know are all very much freethinkers.

[Mardelin]

Most people think that being a member of YTCA buys you prestige, it's some sort of elite sority, clique or whatever.

Those of us that have chosen to become members and have been accepted, understand that the YTCA is the National Club, with By-Laws, Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct as guildelines. However, the majority of us know that the club is only as good as what we put into it. YTCA is the membership.

[Brooklynn]

I'm a YTCA member that breeds "very" little. I haven't had a litter in 3 years and I know members that breed very little as well. Of course your going to have members of any club that are bad apples. I think many have stated that multiple times and here I say it again. One that belongs to the YTCA should be breeding for the betterment of the breed! It's simple as that but I can only speak for myself and not others. Once again, every organization will have those bad apples...
If one has a brown puppy, parti puppy, golden puppy ect...should spay/neuter and place into a pet home and spay/neuter that breeding pair that produced it ( I know that's what I would do with NO hesitation ). Of course if you know your pedigrees backward and forward you shouldn't be breeding those colors or producing them but of course anything can pop up in a litter. It's what one does with it is the question and morals and ethics...
I know some breeders that do breed and don't show but it's way after they've had their time in the ring and they do provide others in the YTCA with their bloodlines to keep it going with the understanding and trust and put them in the show ring. Then I know YTCA members that show their dogs and after they obtain their championship, spay/neuter and place into pet homes and never breed them because they have stopped breeding. I personally would love to just buy my show dog and show them and then leave the breeding to someone else as I prefer the show ring vs. the whelping box but unfortunately for me I have to breed on occassion to produce that show dog for myself and remember not every litter will produce a show dog. If I had the money I'd just buy a show dog, show it, finish it and spay/neuter them and place them in pet homes.
I always say the YTCA is a starting place and research your breeder thoroughly and that breeder will become your family for life, as you, as a breeder are entrusting your little one to someone else. Breeding and showing in my opinion does go hand in hand and should. I'll say again, it's all about morals, ethics and responsiblity.

[Brooklynn]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

I think lots of people have a misconception about the YTCA. I have a link to the club in my signature, and I put it there NOT to push the YTCA, but to enable yorkietalk members find and talk with good breeders. I think if anyone talks to a few members of the YTCA they will learn a great deal about the Yorkshire Terrier breed, and if it's right for them. I also think the major purpose of a good breeder when talking to a perspective owner is educating them about the breed. This does not mean that there are no great breeders who aren't members, but I believe people who are trying to improve the breed will want to belong to breed clubs. Will every member who joins join for the right reason, of course not; we all know that people do good things for the wrong reasons all the time. I want to make it clear that NOT every member of the YTCA is a great breeder or even an ethical breeder. For example, some people are showing for the wrong reasons, the purpose of showing is not to inflate your ego, or to justify the price of you dogs, the purpose of showing is to have your breeding stock evaluated. You can be a great breeder and not be a member of the YTCA, but I think it's important to live up to their standards, and ethics even before you attempt to be a member. I believe their code of conduct and code of ethics are great codes, and every breeder should try to live up to these things. Every dog breed has a mother club that tries to preserve and protect the breed, some are doing a much better job than others, and from my understanding of the club as a whole, they are doing a great job. I think it's a mistake to believe that once you join you give up your right to be a freethinking. The members of the YTCA that I've gotten to know are all very much freethinkers.

I think I'm pretty much a free thinker and speaker

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by Brooklynn

I think I'm pretty much a free thinker and speaker

No doubt about that!

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

No doubt about that!

And you know me, what's that phrase I use that you hate "So, What I don't care.

[Brooklynn]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

No doubt about that!

You knew I'd say that Some just don't like that I do speak my mind and a free thinker and take it as rude ect...but oh well, I'd rather let people know where I stand than stand in the background...LOL

Donna

[Beamers Mom]

Donna
I just clicked on your website. You have some beautiful babies, and I loved your pets page.

[Brooklynn]

Originally Posted by Beamers Mom

Donna
I just clicked on your website. You have some beautiful babies, and I loved your pets page.

Awww thank you! I just love showing off my babies! They are all the love of my life!!! Wouldn't trade em for anything! Hubby knows to never make me choose LOL..he knows who I'd choose

Donna

[magicgenie]

Aside from Yorkietalk my exposure to YTCA has been limited mainly to the New England states over the past 10 years, very small membership, maybe 12people, very small. Of those, maybe 4 show on a regular basis. Some are consistently nice, some never nice, some sometimes civil. I apologize to the truly good members, but I'm just too old to figure it out. Most of you have benefit of a larger, more active local club, I think, that may make the club more interesting. I belong to a nice little local toy breed club where everyone treats me nice. The president of that club, by the way, is daughter of a long ago president of YTCA, Betty Dullinger.

[Beamers Mom]

Originally Posted by Brooklynn

Awww thank you! I just love showing off my babies! They are all the love of my life!!! Wouldn't trade em for anything! Hubby knows to never make me choose LOL..he knows who I'd choose

Donna

your love for them is obvious
Your hubby is very smart

[107barney]

Being a YTCA breeder didn't mean a whole lot to me initially when I was looking for a dog. I just wanted to buy a dog from someone who cared about something other than money in raising and selling dogs. Having been down the road of two puppy mill dogs and the problems inherent in poor breeding including financial and emotional costs, I wanted to try to minimize the chances of having another sick dog. So I looked for home raised yorkies by families and/or individuals who had knowledge of our breed's issues and was committed to at least trying to reduce the incidence of some of the congenital problems such as liver shunt. Some had differing views of look of the dog and some had different time lines for allowing adoption of the dog. At the end of the day, I bought the first cute puppy that came available from a loving breeder who just happened to be a YTCA breeder. The more important factor to me was that the breeder had 25 years of breeding yorkies and could tell me detailed information for generations back about the dogs and to this day answers any and all questions I have about the lineage. Basic research revealed a good reputation, good breeding lines, and positive reviews so that was good enough for me to go and see the one little male who was available - my little Teddy Bumpkins.

I don't know about the politics of the YTCA or any other club for that matter and as a buyer I really don't care.

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by magicgenie

Aside from Yorkietalk my exposure to YTCA has been limited mainly to the New England states over the past 10 years, very small membership, maybe 12people, very small. Of those, maybe 4 show on a regular basis. Some are consistently nice, some never nice, some sometimes civil. I apologize to the truly good members, but I'm just too old to figure it out. Most of you have benefit of a larger, more active local club, I think, that may make the club more interesting. I belong to a nice little local toy breed club where everyone treats me nice. The president of that club, by the way, is daughter of a long ago president of YTCA, Betty Dullinger.

Most of us belong to Regional Breed Clubs as well as All Breed Clubs.
YTCA is not just about showing, it's not a great big social club. They are actively involved with research on diseases plaguing our breed. Although, we do have 2 big social events a year (The National & The Roving) where people come from all over the world, not only to show their dogs, but to meet up with old friends that have a common interest.

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by Mardelin

Most of us belong to Regional Breed Clubs as well as All Breed Clubs.
YTCA is not just about showing, it's not a great big social club. They are actively involved with research on diseases plaguing our breed. Although, we do have 2 big social events a year (The National & The Roving) where people come from all over the world, not only to show their dogs, but to meet up with old friends that have a common interest.

In addition, for the record, one does not have to be a breeder or an exhibitor to be a member. However, one does have to have the need/desire to uphold The Standard and perserve the breed, as most members do.