Keep in mind, vet bills can pile up from accidents, not just genetics. My moms dog got attacked by another dog. The vet bills for 2 weeks in the hospital, surgery and then 2 months of physical therapy were roughly $7,000. Her dog is healthy, happy with no genetic diseases (the dog was also just given to her so it cost nothing). My friend came home from work one day and something was wrong with her cat (another friend had this same thing happen with his dog). They both took their pets to the vet ($90 emergency visit) to find out the animal needed emergency surgery to untangle string it swallowed that wrapped around its intestines. This surgery was $1400 for the cat and almost $2000 for the dog. I had a dog growing up that got a piece of stick stuck under his tounge, and in trying to get it out it dug in deeper and pierced his esophagus. Emergency surgery was about $500.

These types of things could happen to anyone at any time. I always tell everyone I know, if you are going to buy a dog, save $1,000 more than you need, keep it in the bank, forget you have it, until the time you need it for the pet. This could go a long ways towards bills for pets. I know it may not seem fair to some for someone else to say to have money in the bank... but I remember having a $400 vet bill for my 2 boys just for vacs and checkups. Nuetering also cost me $350 for one of my boys. I felt that the responsible thing to do before buying a pet was making sure my first year medical expenses were covered cash. It stinks because you may have to wait longer, but it does give you peace of mind to know that you are not stranded should something occur.

I agree with the OP, just because someone is trying to stay within a certain purchase price zone doesn't mean they can't afford to take care of their baby once they get him/her. Maybe their total budget is broken into a certain amount for purchase and certain amount for vet bills, shots, etc. I think I know the post you're referring to. I agree it's important to inform people of possible future expenses for their furbaby but it could be stated as "Remember when budgeting for your baby please take into consideration possible future vet bills etc as smaller Yorkies have a tendency to have health issues which could range in the thousands." rather than "Do you really think if you can only afford to spend $...... for your baby you can afford to care for your baby.....?" (Paraphrasing here). There's a nice way and an insulting way to say things, maybe we can stick to the nice way.:)

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Just wanted to add that I am waiting patiently saving for our second, we make good money, but I save my own stash for the things that I want, I also save a good chunk for the unexpecteds, so I basically need twice the amount to get my dog before hubby feels ok about it. I have 5,000 saved so far but hubby says its not enough. We don't really talk about the price of the dog until he feels like there is enough saved, This is really annoying but it is also nice if we ever need it. So according to hubby I could not afford to spend 1000 on a yorkie right now, But I take really good care of the one I have and keep saving for Coppers future sis/bro:)

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Hey, I know who u are talking about. I just finished reading the other thread. All I have to say is that ur right... JMO

You are not going to find a good Yorkie puppy in NY for $700, so just forget about that. Then you're going to have vet bills, about $80 for shots a couple of times the first year, and $300-$500 for spaying or neutering. You also have to figure how you'll pay for anything unexpected that goes wrong. It is very expensive. You have to do careful research to find to good breeders who are being careful not to be selling sickly poorly bred dogs, and then you're still going to have to spend at least $1500 for one. It's good you're working hard for your money, don't waste it on an unsound, badly bred dog. If you're very very patient you may find one for adoption that's a little older that someone has to give up.

I basically only sell my puppies to rich grownups who have houses and have had dogs before. That eases my mind a lot about how they will be treated after they leave my home.

No offense but to say you only sell to "Rich Grownups" because you know how they will be treated isn't such a good idea. Ive seen even Rich people treat their dogs like crap.............look at Paris Hilton and Brittany Spears, just because they have a huge wallet does not mean they will do right by their pets!!!! (JMO)

I hope what you said wasn't meant to be rude. I'm not rich and I'm only 21 and my yorkie has everything she has ever needed. She has been to the emergency vet and other expenses and I've always paid. She has a good home, eats better than most people, has tons of toys, and clothes ... Yes, they are expensive to purchase as a pet and to take care of... but even if the owner isn't rich they will always find a way for their furbaby to be taken care of. JMO

Yeah I read your other post. You mark up the price because they are tinies. I think that breeders like that are unethical and just out for money

So how do you determine their financial status? Asset and liability statements? :rolleyes:

To be quite frank the price should be the least concern when searching for a new puppy...

this is a delicate posting... it may hurt someone by tring to defend others....
It all depends where you live and all ... i read the post about expenses.... in my neighborhood a c-sections cost over 1500.00 .... an emergency vet call to angel memorial hospital is 126.00 just to walk in... i have a friend who mistakenly bred her "mixed" with another mix of some kind... she tought she would have cute puppies and ended up with a crazy bill and mixed puppies are cheap... she is never doing it ever again.... besides who wanted pay for her puppies, she gave them away to her closest... for free...
I also read about the insurances.... it is a great idea.....

I have top quality show dogs that are treated like royalty at my house. I'm not rich but have sufficient income from a job to have the means to take care of my dogs. I'm not one bit ashamed that I have to be paid for the work and expense of breeding. I cannot afford to do this as a public service for no money. I don't know what it is about dog breeding that makes people think we should be losing money at it, like we owe it to the world to provide affordable pets. Yes, the majority of my customers are either just plain rich or they have professional jobs with high incomes. They are mostly older people who have had dogs before, usually are replacing one that died of old age. Occasionally I sell a puppy to a young professional person who demonstrates an appreciation for the responsibilities of pet ownership and who has a good family support system in place. I deeply resent anyone telling me what I should be charging for my dogs. You don't pay my bills, so mind your own business!!!

Good post!!!!:thumbup:

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If you are on a tight budget, it's even more important to buy your pet from a reputable breeder, and by reputable, I mean a breeder who does the required health checks. Why reward unethical breeders when you can save up, and get a yorkie from a breeder who is contentious and actually trying to improve the breed. Because of their popularity, and the fact that they have been over bred; yorkies have more health risks than many other breeds. I think people are saying that if you can't afford the few hundred extra dollars to buy from an ethical breeder, maybe you can't afford a yorkie at this time. Yorkies cost more on a monthly basis than other dogs, even if you do the grooming, the cost for supplies can be substantial for someone on a tight budget. In addition, yorkies need more dental care, and because of their fragile nature, injuries are more likely to require a trip to the emergency room rather than waiting for a normal vets office to open .You say you can afford to make monthly payments to your vet for treatment, and I'm suggesting that these payments be saved and used for the purchase price.

I was glad to be informed of these things because I think our best decisions come about when we are fully informed on in issue. I'm not saying these things because I'm a snob, but as someone on a budget.

Sorry but I dont know any breeders on here that brag about the fact that they mark up their prices so that only people of higher incomes can afford them. Your a piece of work for sure

I mean this in a nice way - but holy cow - I'm not rich and a great mom to my girls. They get everything they need and are very very loved. I don't think being 'rich' should EVER be a criteria for selling a dog - besides - rich people travel - do things that the average person doesn't do - so how do you really know these dogs are in the so called 'best home' ? Most really rich people I know are hardly ever home. they travel ........alot.....

the other thing that bothers me is I guess based on what I just read here is by selling to rich folk - you can ask & get top dollar ?

I'll just be quiet now - I hope people on this site LEARN TO DO THEIR RESEARCH BEFORE BUYING A DOG - expensive does NOT mean better...there are many good breeders with average prices that do very well and deeply care about where their puppies go....whether it be a rich homes or a just plain NICE home....It's the people that take care of the dogs - not the $$$$ they have

Now you're embellishing what I wrote to advance your own agenda. I never said I mark up my prices so that only rich people can have my dogs. I don't sell to anybody who appears to be either too poor or too stingy to provide proper care. I'm not one bit ashamed of that.

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It bugs the heck out of me to see some of the prices out there. Makes it harder for good homes to have a yorkie not to mention how ripped off people are getting. Some people just don't know any better and think paying more must mean better - yeah right.:thumbdown

A breeder who sells to regular homes and a breeder who sells only to the rich incur the SAME COSTS....don't even try to tell anyone different.

This is what you wrote on another thread : I'm very grateful for the premium price some clients are willing to pay for the novelty of this tiny Yorkie.

"You don't pay my bills, so mind your own business!!!"> lol that's funny considering you're telling people how much they should pay for their yorkies :p

What the $%** is wrong with that? That is nothing like saying the prices go up for rich people. You conveniently omitted the part of the post where I say two of the puppies are on the large side and will have to be sold for less. It still amazes me that at least half the inquiries I get are from people who want one that will mature under 4 lbs. Ir's very rare to get a good one that size, so what is bad about taking more money for her. I'm the one who went without sleep and had to hire people to feed her every 3 hours the first four weeks of her life.

If you can find a good Yorkie for $700 you should buy it. I haven't seen any good ones for that in about 15 years.

Well then maybe you should check out my album and look at my Autumn, that is what I paid for her and she is BEAUTIFUL and as healthy as a horse!!!!

:rolleyes: So as some are obviously proving my point on my own thread.....rich people please....... I am more trying as has been stated above to simply to keep people from being rude to one another about this subject. Money is a touchy subject anywhere. You dont go to you neighbor and say so how much money do you have in the bank? You also shouldnt insult people because they want to spend only a certain point. Yes tell them the vet bills are expensive in emergencies but so are they with A LOT of other dogs. But dont put them down show them a way,like pet insurance, that will help them along their path of make a life better for their babies. As I have said. I live on a low budget but still have the money to spend on my babies. It is a matter of being a smart shopper. Show them where the good deals are to buy stuff. Dont just atumatically insult or be rude. That is not what YT is about and if it is it makes me not want to be a part of this community. I am a donating member and am on here everyday reading peoples posts and dont speak up very often. But seeing people being rude because people have a budget below a 1000 to buy a dog makes me want to walk away from this site. A site I have met really nice people on and got SO much knowledge from. But that is what we should be constently spreading is knowledge......not anger fustration or down right rudeness.