Natalies Wee Yorkies

[makemepretty]

I have thought long and hard about posting this review. The review I should have posted 5 years ago actually. Sometimes it's the safer route to keep quiet and not say anything bad but who does that help?

I had some concerns when I first purchased my baby but a long time member with loads of posts PM'd me many times and basically persuaded me not to say anything bad about this breeder because she was a nice person. My experience wasn't the norm I was told and there must have been some misunderstandings. That member I see has since been banned.

Let me start with how I wish YT members would share their breeders. Maybe now they do but back then it was like pulling teeth to try to find out where they purchased their puppies from. Who doesn't want a cute small yorkie? But we all want healthy cute small yorkies....that's the hard part. I foolishly thought that a long time breeder that other members had purchased from, even if it cost an arm and a leg would save me much heartbreak and money in the long run. Better to pay now than later!

I saw a cute ad for one of Natalie's puppies. I e-mailed her and was told she was still available. I called about mailing out a deposit and was told the price had raised $500 more than she told me because she just couldn't go as low because of how much her puppies were in demand. This was $4,000 now $4,500. Which I will tell you is a couple months of our income but I wanted a yorkie for over a decade and saved and saved. I mailed out my money. Then a few weeks go by and I'm called to be told my puppy is getting larger than she expected so she's going to give me a more expensive puppy instead and sends me pictures(this one was on her site for $6,000). I'm thrilled. A couple days go by and she calls and tells me that she can't sell me that one because someone will pay MORE for it and that the original puppy is now slowing down in growth. I express my hurt saying that's not fair at all. She says she will still sell me the more expensive prettier smaller one. More time goes by(she keeps the puppies till they're a couple months old because of their size) and I'm then told my puppy had passed away, she had a bad bunch of vaccinations. BUT she has another one that is just what I'm looking for. That's the one I ended up with. Lots of flags but she had my money and I've waited so long, I'd been scammed before and honestly, my heart couldn't take the let down anymore. If ANYONE says she's not in it for the money, read the above and then tell me different.

Fast forward to getting my puppy and I'm told she had a problem with her tail but it's clearing up but it's bald and the hair will grow back. She is cute as a button. Then we all catch ringworm. She has a small cough but that goes away.

She was the love of my life(besides kids and hubby) but she did have some small problems. She had a cottony coat, constant bad breath, and now I find out AAI, which is why she only lived to 5. I did let Natalie know and her reply was that it must have not been that bad since she lived that long. She did offer me a puppy for $800. I can't risk that heartbreak again. AAI is genetic.

I have not seen any negative reviews but comb through the boards and you will find enough references to many many health problems with her dogs, references to being told they should pay more, dogs getting way bigger than she said. She almost went out of business once. Don't let anyone tell you it's not a money making venture. Check the amount of litters(although I do see her prices are about half now). My baby was 3lbs 10 oz. That's not too far off the norm of 4-7 lbs. She was a very sweet baby.

Yes, I am to fault too. I saw red flags, I paid too much. Believe me, I did not come out scott free in this. My heart is broken. I'm a genuinely nice person so I'm really easy to take advantage of and I'm gullible. I'd been scammed before. I believe what people tell me. Remember though, I have no reason to lie or exaggerate. I've been a member since 2006 and I stopped checking the board because I didn't want to end up with a 4 or 6 pack like many others. I am not a breeder, just a pet owner. I had a chihuahua who lived to be 12, a Pekingnese who lived to be 12, a long haired chihuahua who lived to be 15. I'm a long term pet owner/lover.

I'm not saying that she is not a nice person or doesn't love her dogs. Just that you need to think really hard(harder than I did) if you are thinking about purchasing from her.

[jeane]

I personally like to hear about the other members breeders . I will be buying another yorkie in the future and am hoping to get a puppy from green treasured yorkie. I bought Morgan from a breeder in south Dakota but she has retired. Morgan does have luxating patellas so he will eventually have to have them fixed if necessary.

[Lil Sis]

I know it took courage to post.. and I hope your post will show the truth of what type of person and/or breeder that person is!!

I hope you find or have found another baby to love... take care

shinja

[xxmxaxrxyxx]

i am so glad you decided to come out and post your review. We need reviews like this to help other current or future members be aware that even though those breeders are or were members of this forum does not mean they are reputable. Thank you and I am so sorry for your loss.

[msyorktown]

I am so sorry for your loss. I'm glad you posted your review so other members who are looking for a breeder know who to avoid. You have saved another the heartbreak you have suffered. Generally speaking I have learned on here that the smaller babies are not healthy...dont get me wrong some are..but the breeders who are breeding for size (small) are not breeding to the breed standard, thus are not breeding for the betterment of the breed, which is what they should be breeding for. As well a genetically sound, healthy pup. The way to do this is through health and genetic testing, If these tests are not done, I would steer clear.

I bought from a byb...unknown to me at the time...trust me when i tell you I wont make that mistake again. It took me nearly 8mths to find what I was looking for in a breeder...things I learned through this site.
Thankfully the two I have are healthy so far, I pray it stays that way. YT has really opened my eyes, and continues to do so as we speak.
The member who told you not to post a review should be ashamed of herself, she could have saved you much heartache had she been truthful...JMO.

Again I am so sorry for your loss and I hope you can find a space in your heart to love another furbaby..my heart just breaks for you.

[Nancy1999]

I’m so sorry this happened to you; I had no idea she was charging that much, that’s unbelievable. She was a “featured breeder” here at Yorkietalk, and that’s probably why she was so “in demand.” There were several complaints against her mainly that she insisted in breeding Yorkies under 4 pounds. Breeding a dog under 4 pounds is very dangerous for dog and it does nothing to insure that the offspring will be smaller. The size of the breeding bitch is only one factor. While I understand that a three pound puppy is adorable, they are much more likely to have health problems and sometimes there teeth are too large for their mouth leading to dental problems and loss of teeth at an early age. Also, some breeders actually withhold proper nourishment from mother or puppies so that the puppies will seem smaller for their age. Withholding nourishment doesn’t only stunt growth; it can cause organs and bones not to grow property. Your right though, some of the breeders will stick together, but not because they like each other so much, my guess is that the breeder who talked to you has one of Natalie’s pups and was using it as a breeder. These types of breeder easily sell breeding dogs to others.

I’ve been urging people to talk to ethical breeders for a long time now, I had a horrible experience with a purebred with a genetic illness and it really made me think twice about getting a dog that wasn’t healthy. The emotional toll is too high. So many people say, Oh, I don’t want to breed or show, I just want a cute pet. Truthfully, you are more likely to get a healthy tiny from a good breeder because they won’t breed a tiny. Good breeder breed for under 7 pounds, so it’s relatively easy to get a 5 pounder from them, that’s a small size, yet they don’t have the health problems associated with the 3 pounders.

I do want to thank you for sharing your story, I hope some people will listen, but unfortunately others are too adamant about having a tiny and they think that going to a breeder who says that she “knows how to breed tinies” will give them a healthy baby. Trust me, if there was a way to safely breed tinies, experienced breeders would be doing it, but they've seen what a toll it takes on the mother.


Again, I'm very sorry, there are several articles on what to look for in a breeder, but the main thing is don't ignore all the red flags, trust your gut!

[lynzy420]

First of all, I am so sorry for your loss and your obvious pain...I am even more sorry that you felt it necessary because of someone elses concern for the breeder to keep it all bottled up, a YT member no less, casting of guilt on you for coming forward. You have obviously been holding this pain in and the guilt of not informing others, keeping your "secret" was so obviously painful for you and I am so proud of you for getting it out of your system once and for all!

YT has a section for reviews of breeders, and unfortunately at times the breeders come and defend themselves but YT allows it. The thought that someone here, knowing what you were going through prevented you from venting or sharing your story is very sad, and I truly hope you go the distance and report the member to Admin or Ann. IMHO that is unacceptable behavior on this board and quite frankly ignorant.

I really am sorry for your loss and I hope now you can begin to really heal. Thank you for taking such loving wonderful care of your very special baby, it takes a very special person to follow through with the care for these poor pups, I am so glad she had you...may she rest in peace.

[life4life]

Thanks for the review. I was considering getting one from her. Now I am reconsidering. It is so hard to find a good breeder.

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by life4life

Thanks for the review. I was considering getting one from her. Now I am reconsidering. It is so hard to find a good breeder.

A good breeder doesn't advertise.

[linda44]

First let me say Im sorry for your loss. Second I commend you for your honesty. I too purchased a dog from Natalie in fact we just lost him at 7 yrs! That poor guy has had more health problems than any dog should have to endure, and bless his heart he is finally at peace.
I also tried to post a negative review. I dont like being negative against someone, I for the most part try to find good in all but felt it needed to be said.

[chachi]

It is sad because Natalie has been on here defending her breeding of tinies,her 30 yrs of experience breeding, and has stated her lines were free from genetic defects but if shes ggot AAI showi8ng up shes got serious problems with her lines

[lynzy420]

I am so sorry for your loss..a negative review is warranted for those who do business unethically...if you save one, just one person/pup from the heartache and pain you and your pup went through....

This is so sad, but thank you for coming forward...This is just so sad and I too am glad your pup is resting in peace now...

There are days, like today, that I think am I doing enough? Is my Miss Mini ever going to be well? Is she suffering....bless her heart my baby doesn't know any different, as long as her tail wags and she lets me know shes ok I will continue to care for her...I suppose when the time comes she will let me know. My girl is 7 now and shes been sick more than not...I can't put to words though how much joy and love she has given me....

[Yorkiemom1]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

A good breeder doesn't advertise.

Oh I dont know........breeders have to get their name out there thru advertisement.......ONCE established, one may not have to advertise quite so much......it will be MOSTLY word of mouth and referrals, but you still have to have exposure....you can not sell puppies to qualified buyers if you dont have a large enough pool of people to look at, if you are trying to establish yourself as a responsible breeder....if this is going to be a legitimate business you are trying to start up.....now, I would imagine byb dont need to advertise, as they can stick a sign at the intersection, like you do with garage sales.....THEY dont need to advertise because all they have to get sold are 3-4 babies, that is going to provide some quick cash for the weekend trip with the kids to Six Flags, or pay for that flower bed you are having put in, or even for the groceries needed to feed the family that is coming for Thanksgiving dinner. I think good breeders DO need to advertise.....I can not imagine having a successful BUSINESS of ANY kind, if no one knows you exist! (Let me add, I too purchased a puppy from a breeder that I got from this forum, YEARS ago....and she has since been closed down as a puppy mill....she was VERY active in her posts, and the little dogs I bought from her were both ill from genetic conditions that led to their deaths....no resolution for me from this breeder either.)

[carmen in nj]

Originally Posted by Yorkiemom1

Oh I dont know........breeders have to get their name out there thru advertisement.......ONCE established, one may not have to advertise quite so much......it will be MOSTLY word of mouth and referrals, but you still have to have exposure....you can not sell puppies to qualified buyers if you dont have a large enough pool of people to look at, if you are trying to establish yourself as a responsible breeder....if this is going to be a legitimate business you are trying to start up.....now, I would imagine byb dont need to advertise, as they can stick a sign at the intersection, like you do with garage sales.....THEY dont need to advertise because all they have to get sold are 3-4 babies, that is going to provide some quick cash for the weekend trip with the kids to Six Flags, or pay for that flower bed you are having put in, or even for the groceries needed to feed the family that is coming for Thanksgiving dinner. I think good breeders DO need to advertise.....I can not imagine having a successful BUSINESS of ANY kind, if no one knows you exist!

I agree 100% , Plus, the alternative to not selling our non show babies is killing them, YES, that is the truth, I know many breeders that put down the non show puppies, so if I have puppies that are not showing any show potential, I rather advertise them as PET quality dogs instead of putting them down. the crude truth, on why many show breeders don't sell their non show quality dogs. I HAVE to advertise , screen and meet my potential puppy parents. I can't keep them all.. so BYB , don't have to pay to advertise, don't do any screening on dogs or people and will meet you at the pathmark parking lot to sell their puppies.. I think is a HUGE difference,in WHY we advertise, and is good and bad in advertising and non advertising..LOL
hugs,

[concretegurl]

I really commend you for speaking up and telling your story.

Too many times a replacement pup, money back or threats of legal actions, not to mention the time effort and opening of wounds prevents imperative information from being shared.