Looking for a breeder in or near SC
 

I am trying to find a reputable breeder in or around central South Carolina. I would be willing to drive up to 8 hours one way to pick up the puppy, though I would prefer something closer.

So far I have only seen one website that doesn't send up red flags - Mustard Seed Meadows in McBee, SC. Does anyone have any feedback on this breeder or could recommend a breeder near me? :confused:

I really do not want to have a puppy shipped to me...but I have been looking all over and having no luck! :(

Thanks for any help!

From her website nothing blatant, screaming red flag.

Although, I feel a bit leary of this statement from her contract:

The purchaser has the right to return the puppy to the breeder during the
first seven (7) days from the date of signature on this contract for a refund in the amount of the purchase price, for any life threatening congenital or chronic medical conditions certified by a licensed veterinarian.
Since a pup cannot evaluated for Livershunt until 16 weeks of age, any Bile Acid testing would be invalid prior to this date.

Should this puppy have to be put to sleep within the first year due to an inherited ailment/disease, purchaser has the right to receive a new puppy from a future litter at no cost, provided a written diagnosis by two(2) licensed veterinarians (unrelated) has been handed to the breeder. “THIS INCLUDES A LIVER SHUNT” which may not be detectable until the puppy is much older

She only mentions the pup being put to sleep. However, does not mention anything about a full refund on a life threatening, congenital defect resulting in the first year or two of the pups life. It's what a reputable breeder would do to assist in any vetinary procedure to correct and/or save the pups life.

I suggest that you take a trip to the breeders home, a meet and greet.

Remember you buy your breeder first, then your dog. If you don't feel comfortable and she can't answer your questions to your satisfaction, walk away. The deal should not end when you've walked out the door with your pup, it's a relationship.

I always recommend going to the YTCA referral site, they usually have breeders in every state and you can interview a few. I believe everyone should visit the breeder's home in person, and make sure they are keeping the dogs in a safe and humane way. By the way, are you planning to breed or are you just looking for a pet? Most YTCA breeders will not sell a breeding dog to someone they aren't mentoring and this means you have to champion the dog before you can breed. Pets are always sold on limited registration, and to me these are two of the signs of a good breeder. Yorkshire Terrier Club of America About The Club Best of luck in your hunt.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Great post!

Thanks for your help! I am just looking for a pet, I am not interested in breeding or championship bloodlines or anything like that. I just love yorkies and am looking for a companion, they don't have to be perfect. I will check out the YTCA website and hopefully that will give me a good start to check out some breeders in my area.

I also recommend the YTCA, but wouldn't rule out the breeder you mentioned, just do a bit more question asking. I would also ask what kind of testing would be performed on the pups.

The breeder states they will give another puppy to the buyer if orginial puppy must be put down during the first year...which is fair, but they say TWO vet statements are reguired...how can a buyer do this...if you have a sick Yorkie, you use your vet, it has an illness that reguires it being put down...how can you then turn around and find a second vet to attest to the fact you had a genetically sick Yorkie...the dog is dead..are you suppose to take the body to another vet for an opinion...this is stupid.

We purchasd Lucy from Mustard Seed Meadows and we couldn't be happier. We did go on site and spend time with the family and the Yorkies. They are very well cared for both medically and emotionally. The parents are on site, the yorkies live in the home, etc. etc. Typically Melissa won't even send a pup out until they are 12 weeks old and they have had multiple vet checks by that time. I know something may not show up until later but she went over the contract with us line by line. IF there was a medical concern later on, I have no doubts that Melissa would act honorably.

I sent a pm to the original poster but I just wanted to add my 2 cents here as well. Mustard Seed Meadows is a :thumbup: breeder!

It's great that you had a wonderful experience and glad you posted it. However, recommending a breeder is a big responsibility. Recommendation should not be given lightly and only if one is thorougly knowledgable of the breeder's breeding practices.

The contract gave out some red flags. Every breeder at one time or another will experience some difficulty in the breeding program. But, it's how they handle the situation that makes the determination if a breeder is reputable or not.

I researched this breeder as well as many others- I certainly believe that I am throughly knowledgeable of her breeding practices- otherwise I would not have purchased a pup from her.

Mindync,
Thank you for your reply, it helps to know someone has actually met the breeder in person. She is only a few hours from where I live so I definitely think I will go check her out, I just didn't want to waste my time if others had bad experiences with the breeder. Hopefully I will have a new baby soon, I have yorkie fever big time but have never owned one... I just want to make sure I go about searching the right way.
Thanks all!

This got me to thinking...so I went back and pulled Lucy's contract.

It states "The puppy you have purchased is guaranteed to be free from any life threatening genetic defects. Those include but are not limited to non survivable heart defects and liver shunts. I must be notified by phone the day the problem has been found. I will need the phone number of your vet and a written statement from your vet regarding the defect. The puppy will be replaced with another MSM puppy from the same or another MSM litter."

I knew we had discussed a guarantee there but I wanted to go back and verify that it was indeed written. Perhaps the sample on her website isn't in its entirety.

First, welcome to YorkieTalk! You have gotten some good advice. I want to say thank you for doing your research before getting your Yorkie. So many people wait to explore till they've gotten one and are trying to figure out how to make it work. Congratulations for thinking ahead!

So does that mean if the pup were to get sick, you don't have the option of keeping your baby and getting help from the breeder? (emotional or financial)
Is this common practice in any contract?

Sorry OP if I'm hijacking your thread, but if I was a puppy buyer, I'd want to know the answer to that question. Yes I have a yorkie, but he didn't come with a contract. Plus, I don't think being refunded the purchase price of my dog would help with any finances anyway. I didn't pay much anyway. :p

Thanks for the welcome! I have been reading on this forum for a couple of weeks now and did decide that a yorkie is the right dog for me so I decided to go ahead and join before I even got my furbaby:)

I am researching everything I can about the breed before I pick a new baby and bring it home, I want to make sure I have everything I need and am armed with as much knowledge as possible to make sure my new baby has everything it needs and that I am able to give it the proper care.

This forum has been a wonderful source of information so far!

I would refund the money up the purchase price for medical costs and let one keep the puppy because by then they are attached to the pup. If they wanted to return the pup of course I would take the pup back and a full refund. Any reputable breeder would do that. Good luck on your search and welcome to YT.

Donna

Replacement pup is hogwash. A refund to assist in medical bills is the only thing a reputable breeder would do.

Knowledgable about one's breeding practices does not mean your experience in purchasing a puppy went well. Does she test her breeding dogs, are pups tested prior to releasing them to their new homes. The fact that she only replaces a pup does not fare well.

Will she take a dog back should an owner no longer be able to care for it. Insist on conducting the rehoming process......

[quote"Sorry OP if I'm hijacking your thread, but if I was a puppy buyer, I'd want to know the answer to that question. Yes I have a yorkie, but he didn't come with a contract. Plus, I don't think being refunded the purchase price of my dog would help with any finances anyway. I didn't pay much anyway. http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/ima...ies/tongue.gif "[/quote]

No problem, we are all here to learn and ask questions anyway!



Thanks for all who have taken the time to answer. The contract IMO does not have to be word for word perfect and offer to pay back all money spent on vet visits, meds, etc. etc. etc. As long as the breeder seems respectable, raises the pups properly, cares for the babies and makes every effort to help I am not going to be to particular on the fine print.

Nobody, I don't care who you are, can prevent or promise a puppy will not develope some type of disease or sickness 100%. I would not spend the money on a puppy if I didn't not have the money to spend on one...all this talk of money IMO doesn't make the slightest bit of difference to me, I just want a healthy happy baby regardless of whether they come with a money back guarantee! It's a dog, not a pair of shoes.

Obviously I would not purchase from a breeder who has a history of sick puppies or does not have them vet checked, UTD on shots, wormings etc. I will be checking references, the home where the puppies are raised, speaking with their vet, seeeing the puppies parents etc.

I am just looking for a companion and furbaby to love, not a guarantee that the dog is going to be an absolute perfect specimen of the breed.

[quote"Sorry OP if I'm hijacking your thread, but if I was a puppy buyer, I'd want to know the answer to that question. Yes I have a yorkie, but he didn't come with a contract. Plus, I don't think being refunded the purchase price of my dog would help with any finances anyway. I didn't pay much anyway. http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/ima...ies/tongue.gif "[/quote]

No problem, we are all here to learn and ask questions anyway! :)



Thanks for all who have taken the time to answer. The contract IMO does not have to be word for word perfect and offer to pay back all money spent on vet visits, meds, etc. etc. etc. As long as the breeder seems respectable, raises the pups properly, cares for the babies and makes every effort to help I am not going to be to particular on the fine print.

Nobody, I don't care who you are, can prevent or promise a puppy will not develope some type of disease or sickness 100%. I would not spend the money on a puppy if I didn't not have the money to spend on one...all this talk of money IMO doesn't make the slightest bit of difference to me, I just want a healthy happy baby regardless of whether they come with a money back guarantee! It's a living breathing being, not a pair of shoes.

Obviously I would not purchase from a breeder who has a history of sick puppies or does not have them vet checked, UTD on shots, wormings etc. I will be checking references, the home where the puppies are raised, speaking with their vet, seeeing the puppies parents etc.

I am just looking for a companion and furbaby to love, not a guarantee that the dog is going to be an absolute perfect specimen of the breed.

Absolutely correct!

I keep trying to post but for some reason they are not going thru:confused: trying again...

to the poster above, she does say that if at any time you can not or do not want to care for the dog anymore to bring it back to her.

Also IMO no one can guarantee 100% that a puppy will not develope some sort of health problem that will cost the owner money. When buying a new member of the family I fully take into account that they are going to cost me money just like a real baby would. I don't require a money back guarantee, I am buying a living breathing being-not a pair of shoes;)

Obviously I would not buy from a breeder who has a history of sick puppies, does not get them vet checked, UTD on shots wormings, etc. I will be visiting the home, meeting the pups parents, speaking with references, and also the vet they use. I am looking for a companion and a friend, not an absolute perfect specimen of the breed or one with a lifetime guarantee:D I don't believe that everyone on this forum would agree on every breeder 100%...everyone has different opions and different standards.

Thanks everyone for your feedback.

You're right no one can guarantee 100% that a pup will not get sick. However, it is how a breeder handles a situation that seperates the good from the questionable. Guarantee should reflect a time line for congential life threatening disease, usually 1 year but, 2 is better. The contract should also reflect full refund so that the new puppy owner can obtain proper medical treatment. It is a breeder's responsibility to stand behind their breeding. After all they brought the pup into the world and that is a big responsibility.
It's understood that you are looking for a companion, however, if a breeder is not breeding to improve the breed and does not put that in the forefront of her breeding...then they shouldn't be breeding. Agreed that no one would agree 100% on a breeder, but there are guidelines as to what makes a reputable breeder.

As I stated before, go do a meet and greet, address your questions to the breeder.

Let me add that by what you posted, you appear that the pup you obtain will be in excellent hands. We as breeders always hope that is what we will find for each of our pups, reponsible, loving homes.

I recommend the book Yorkshire Terriers for Dummies if you want the basics on how to prep/care for your new baby. It was very helpful and informative to me, plus it is info all in one spot. I'm sure they have it at libraries if you don't want to purchase it! It was a really great purchase for me. Good luck in your search!

Yes. Yes. and Yes. Not only WILL she take the dog back- she requires it. We can not ever place Lucy in another home.

I have posted here since we got Spicy 4 years ago and I always end up leaving for long periods of time because of things just like this. A few people seem to know it all...the rest of us don't matter and we certainly don't have any knowledge to offer.

I don't think the responses had anything to do with your situation per say. I posted a general question, to help get answers, which Mardelin, Brooklyn, and the others responded to. I didn't know the answer and thought a potential puppy buyer would like to know what to look for.

No one is knocking down your breeder. They're responding to a question, giving food for thought for all, and giving everyone in general insight as to what would be something to look for. That's it.

The OP asked the membership if there were any red flags. As a breeder/exhibitors, several of us did.

I stated to you that it was great that you had a wonderful experience, as a pet buyer. As several of us that offerred advice are exhibitor/breeders and gave our input from that stand point. What should be in a contract. The most important thing in the contract is to protect the pup, it's not about protecting the breeder or the new puppy owner.

Now the OP will have to make their own decison based on what on the information provided. But, keep in mind input has been provided to others, and they've opted not to take advice and have come back on the forum with horror stories and requesting help.

I'm glad you are happy with your breeder; I do think your feedback is important, and you do have knowledge to offer, especially since you've owned the dog for over a year. However, I think you may be reading Mardelin's post's too harshly, if she really thought the breeder was a bad one, she wouldn't have said this:

and this:

I certainly didn't mean to get a debate going:(

I thank everyone for their opinions, I know they only way I can know for certain is by visiting the breeder in person so I guess that is my next step.

Thanks all.

Good Luck, hope all goes well for you and your prospective new pup.