New Breeder(me).

[tinksmomok]

Sorry to butt in guys, but I think the real objective here is to help this 15 year old girl get on the right track. You both have valid statements and I agree all breeders "should" breed for health and beauty of the species, however we have alot of unethical breeders out there. Thing to remember buying a ch and breeding doesn't make the pups ch. They have to obtain 15 points just like the parents to earn that title. But having a ch does not eliminate genetic defects. Some defects can skip generations, just like in people. Sure they try to cull the defective line, but sometimes when you overbreed you lose other qualities. They can be a broad spectrum such as coat texture. Yorkies have two types of coats. The pure silk and the cottony. This again is through breeding. Most breeders want the pure silk and there are ways of telling even when they are pups.

So having rudely butted in to agree to disagree I am asking you only to continue the conversation, but remember this is a 15 year old girl that is setting a goal for herself. She obviously needs support and guidance. She will learn she can breed her little guy, but his pups won't be able to compete in any shows, which I don't think this is what she is after.

Let's take our young by the hand and "gently" guide them to adulthood so they may conquer and prosper all we could not.

Tinksmom

[CO_yorkie_momma]

I guess I must have overlooked where she said she was 15. I reread all of the posts and still dont see it. I agree that we need to be here to help and teach and not be so quick to judge or jump on people that are trying to learn and do their best. If you dont ask questions, then how to do find the answers and people are scared to come on here and even ask in fear of being critisized for one reason or another.

[Amber_lv]

Originally Posted by CO_yorkie_momma

I guess I must have overlooked where she said she was 15. I reread all of the posts and still dont see it. I agree that we need to be here to help and teach and not be so quick to judge or jump on people that are trying to learn and do their best. If you dont ask questions, then how to do find the answers and people are scared to come on here and even ask in fear of being critisized for one reason or another.

I didn't relize it either but it's on her profile.

[Ladyhawk]

One of my main concerns is that her male's parents are not registered. Depending on the reason for this the dogs may not be purebreds at all. If you can't prove that your dog is a purebred you should not breed them and advertise the pups as yorkies. Having a judge go over your dog is of value. How many people know what the angulation of the stifle should be or the difference between a good front and a not so good front. These people have had the training to be able to judge the dogs in parts as well as the whole and give an unbiased opinion. Even if you don't show, having a judge or a handler go over the dog before it is bred as well as having a vet check it gives you the information that you need to make a wise decision as to whether or not your dog qualifies as good breeding stock. There's always someone out there who knows more than you do, find them and learn. That would be my advise to anyone.

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by CO_yorkie_momma

I wasnt encouraging anyone but you do not have to have a judge look at your dog to know if it is AKC standard or not. The description is clearly written and easy enough to read. I stated that I thought it was best to breed if the parents are AKC registered but you dont know if the dog has health problems just because it doenst have papers. There are many AKC registered dogs that have health problems too. It wasnt my intention at all to encourage her to breed her dog, just to say I thought some of the statements you made were a little harsh and untrue. You may have said it is better to have your dog looked at by a judge if you are unsure or maybe if you dont know the lines of your dog because it isnt registered, you may not know if you are getting a good sound dog with no health issues that you know of or something like that but to say her dog will not have puppies that resemble the standard because it doesnt have papers was a bit much in my opinion.

Very true.....There are some wonderful specimans in well known kennels that have never been shown, but are used in their breeding program. But, then again these are very experienced breeders. I have 2 in my program whose sires were champions, but dams were not.

And then there are some dogs that have been shown and championed that shouldn't have been.....

[Sugar's Mom]

Let's take our young by the hand and "gently" guide them to adulthood so they may conquer and prosper all we could not.

i agree with your statement above. I am a retired nurse and one of the first thing I was taught in nursing school was the saying, "nurses eat their young". Seems like some yorkie people are the same. I also disagree that you have to Show to breed to standard. that statement is just plain ridiculous. Anyone that even thinks about breeding should know the AKC, UKC or whatever your registry is for the standard. i could say more about that statement but I won't because i feel if I did it wouldn't be nice. Kudos to our original poster for seeking knowledge.

[FlDebra]

Welcome and good luck on your goals. I do hope you plan these goals for the future though and not too soon. Since you are going to school and working at McDonald's, that does not leave a lot of time to tend to a prospective mother and the resulting litter.

Because people see other breeds easily multiply, they can get the wrong impression about toys. Yorkshire Terriers might whelp their litter without aid, but more often than not, they need a hand. Quite often they need a C-section and that is expensive. What if the litter is born with health problems. Do you have several thousand set aside for their emergencies?

If you really want to be a breeder, read all you can over the next few years. Only breed registered dogs. It is not all that easy to get breedable dogs as so many reputable breeders only sell with limited registration. But some of them will change a limited to a full registration if you show over time that you will know how to care for them, breed responsibly and not embarass their line names.

Being registered is not a guarantee but it is a step closer to knowing the background of the dogs. Their family line is important because you do not want to breed a line that is prone to have health problems. A perfectly fine looking dog can pass on some dire genetic conditions. Seeing the pedigree and knowing that for several generations there were no health problems can help prevent much of that.

Do not be discouraged that your male is not really a candidate for breeding. The first Yorkie I had was AKC registered and still was not a good candidate. I had her spayed. Although she was cute as a button, she was not up to the standards and not a good representative of the breed. I hate to speak of her like this because she was an angel and we all loved her -- but she was not destined to be a mother.

Have patience. You will be well rewarded over the years if you do this right!

[Boodad]

Let me tell you a little story. I once had a yorkie "that I lost in a custody battle" LOL, I get visitation rights though, he parents were registered but he was not. One day I took him to a local dog show to watch the other dogs, I was walking around between showings and I literly had 10 people ask if he was a stud. I had told them all that he is a pet and he is fixed. They were all surprised as 1 lady offered 2000 dollars for stud fee. Later that evening one of the judges asked why I wasnt showing, quote "thats one of the best yorkshire terriers I have seen in a long time." So, to make a long story short I chose not to register him and also chose to fix him. A dog does not have to be judged to determine "standard"

[Ladyhawk]

Originally Posted by Boodad

Let me tell you a little story. I once had a yorkie "that I lost in a custody battle" LOL, I get visitation rights though, he parents were registered but he was not. One day I took him to a local dog show to watch the other dogs, I was walking around between showings and I literly had 10 people ask if he was a stud. I had told them all that he is a pet and he is fixed. They were all surprised as 1 lady offered 2000 dollars for stud fee. Later that evening one of the judges asked why I wasnt showing, quote "thats one of the best yorkshire terriers I have seen in a long time." So, to make a long story short I chose not to register him and also chose to fix him. A dog does not have to be judged to determine "standard"

If a judge had told you "that he was one of the best yorkshire terriers they had seen in along time" before you decided against registering and having him fixed would you have still made the same decision? Would you have seen his potential on your own or just see him as a beloved pet? It's surprising how many times an owner will see a perfect example of the breed when I see a cutie pie with a rotten topline, low tail set, running gold, poor ear set and a bad bite! Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder but sometimes quality is in the eyes of the educated.

[Boodad]

No I would not have changed my mind and I knew when we got him as a puppy he was "show quality" He was bought as a pet and love him as a pet.

[k2p1e]

Hi, I do not live too far from moncton, where did you get your yorkie? I have two that came from Riverview, only mins from you. There are MANY, MANY, MNAY yorkshire terrier breeders, in New Brunswick, Canada (quite a few even in Moncton). There are very few show breeders, which is true. (I am hoping to add to that number someday).
There is a few problems with breeding your yorkie...health testing is pricey, a lot pricier then you may realize. There are tons of yorkie pups in NB to choose from, what if you cannot sell yours?? DO you know what makes a great yorkie? I can tell you that buyers are getting smarter (hard to believe somedays but true) they want a good quality pup and the proof that it is agood quality pup, not just your word.
What if you cannot sell the pup at your asking price? SO you lower the price..but now you are in the red...are you prepared for that.
I already know the prices of vets in Moncton and a c-section is scary, espeically because it could be an emergency and that is $$$$$.
I groom in Frederciton, and St. Stephen and I see tons of yorkies, all from breeders here in NB and 99% I would NEVER reccommend! Luxatting patellas, nasty temperments, bad coats, roached backs....the list goes on. There are so many people like you who give me their story of how they bred their yorkie, to make cute pupies, a little money, great dogs cause everyone just LOVES their dog...yeah...do you mean that dog with the matted, cottony coat or the one with the thin straggley coat? The wrong coloring? The nasty temper they show other people once their owners are out of sight?
My favorite story is of a client who bred who yorkie, 8 lbs...healthy she said, the vet said it was healthy too...well she passed away a during labor, both pups died too. The lady is distraught and completly confused...actually she was 100% ignorant of the risks or she ignored them.
If you are every interested in talking yorkies give me a shout, I can talk yorkies a blue streak...I actually am starting to know quite a bit (thanks to this wonderful people on this board) and I am still learning.
Give me a shout, I do not want to douse your hope of breeding but in our quiet little province there is a some serious yorkie debates going on, I work and live in the doggy world and hear it all.
cbagley@nbnet.nb.ca

[MissiesMommy]

Sunniesmommy, here is a fun activity/game you can go through that helps determine if you should breed. It's an excellent resource, and not critical at all. Try it and tell us what you think.

http://www.geocities.com/virtualbreeding/vb1.html

[Lady of Yorkies]

I guess one thing Jess left out is that she wants to be a vet someday. Part of the reason she wants to breed is because she wants to have some whelping experience. I don't think she's interested at all in producing a show dog. She has lots of family support that she can turn to if she needs emotional strength. They are not breeders tho. She just needs someplace she can learn. If you all dash her dreams we may lose a very good vet in training. Breeding is something she wants to do short term. For maybe 10 years. Life is an experience and it will crush your dreams all by itself. I see what you are saying and so does she but she feels a need to get started somewhere and this looks like the fastest start to her. If you were a 15 year old and wanted to start learning about being a vet, where do you think would be the easiest way to start? With what you already have. Right or wrong you want to start your future now. Sylvia

[Lady of Yorkies]

Something wrong with this game. I got past the mother having the babies and calling work again to stall them and all of a sudden I had a sick mother when she was fine. At first I didn't realize the game had messed up and went on but when I was going to call and see if some of my friends still wanted puppies it switched to breeding the mom with the neighbors dog. I backed up and tried it again and it was still messed up. Might be an interesting game if it worked. Sylvia

Originally Posted by MissiesMommy

Sunniesmommy, here is a fun activity/game you can go through that helps determine if you should breed. It's an excellent resource, and not critical at all. Try it and tell us what you think.

http://www.geocities.com/virtualbreeding/vb1.html

[FlDebra]

Originally Posted by Lady of Yorkies

I see what you are saying and so does she but she feels a need to get started somewhere and this looks like the fastest start to her. If you were a 15 year old and wanted to start learning about being a vet, where do you think would be the easiest way to start? With what you already have. Right or wrong you want to start your future now. Sylvia

Shortcuts rarely pan out. Especially since she wants to be a vet some day, it is important to seek the correct information and do this right. Wanting to be a vet is not an excuse to breed a dog that should not be bred. This is not a science experiment, these are living breathing creatures. Other 15 year olds are wanting to be doctors -- I hope they are not starting now either.

I wish her well in her future goals. I hope she chooses the right path to get to them.