Originally Posted by Misti1 (Post 1971627)

This is the second thread I have seen regarding yorkies and one's personal finance......I don't see the need for anyone to justify or explain their economic circumstances to anyone on the internet...whether it relates to supporting a dog or oneself.

Originally Posted by Woogie Man (Post 1971338)

We have 12 Yorkies. I breed some of them but love them all. They have totally taken over our lives and we wouldn't have it any other way. I never would have gotten so many if I didn't truly love them. If you ever want a kissee bath, just come on over :D. As a breeder though, I have to be mindful of the breed standard, no matter my personal feelings. I really wish there was more than one category for Yorkies according to size, much like the Poodle. There have always been both large and small Yorkies since the beginning, also both flop and prick eared ones. To me, it's senseless to write a breed standard that excludes so many dogs. It's almost like wishing them out of existence. It's also one of the things that leads to bad breeding practices: breeding mis-matched dogs to try to conform to the standard. This contributes to the uncertainty of just what any given pup will turn out like. If there was a standard that included the larger Yorkies, there would be more people breeding better matched dogs instead of trying to 'bring them down in size'. Our dogs range from 3 to 13 pounds. We love them all and 'standard purists' don't know what they're missing out on by being dismissive of the bigger ones. They're all Yorkie, just as much as the smaller ones and NOTHING WILL EVER LOVE YOU LIKE A YORKIE!! When folks come over to see our pups, they always fall in love with Archie, and he's our biggest at 13 pounds but he is gorgeous and one of the most personable dogs you'll ever meet, no matter the breed. They ask,"oh, what breed is he?" and we say 'Yorkie". Then we have to show them some old pictures and drawings of the earliest Yorkies and explain that Archie is a throwback to that type of dog. They're always facinated by this because they all think a Yorkie is only the type you see on magazine covers and such. It's a shame that we can't breed him because of people's expectations of a Yorkie. People are really missing out on a wonderful dog by strict standards breeding them out of existence. The world will not be a better place when they are gone. To me, it's a sad state of affairs. :aimeeyork :animal-pa :animal-pa :animal-pa :animal-pa :(

Originally Posted by Woogie Man (Post 1971338)

We have 12 Yorkies. I breed some of them but love them all. They have totally taken over our lives and we wouldn't have it any other way. I never would have gotten so many if I didn't truly love them. If you ever want a kissee bath, just come on over :D. As a breeder though, I have to be mindful of the breed standard, no matter my personal feelings. I really wish there was more than one category for Yorkies according to size, much like the Poodle. There have always been both large and small Yorkies since the beginning, also both flop and prick eared ones. To me, it's senseless to write a breed standard that excludes so many dogs. It's almost like wishing them out of existence. It's also one of the things that leads to bad breeding practices: breeding mis-matched dogs to try to conform to the standard. This contributes to the uncertainty of just what any given pup will turn out like. If there was a standard that included the larger Yorkies, there would be more people breeding better matched dogs instead of trying to 'bring them down in size'. Our dogs range from 3 to 13 pounds. We love them all and 'standard purists' don't know what they're missing out on by being dismissive of the bigger ones. They're all Yorkie, just as much as the smaller ones and NOTHING WILL EVER LOVE YOU LIKE A YORKIE!! When folks come over to see our pups, they always fall in love with Archie, and he's our biggest at 13 pounds but he is gorgeous and one of the most personable dogs you'll ever meet, no matter the breed. They ask,"oh, what breed is he?" and we say 'Yorkie". Then we have to show them some old pictures and drawings of the earliest Yorkies and explain that Archie is a throwback to that type of dog. They're always facinated by this because they all think a Yorkie is only the type you see on magazine covers and such. It's a shame that we can't breed him because of people's expectations of a Yorkie. People are really missing out on a wonderful dog by strict standards breeding them out of existence. The world will not be a better place when they are gone. To me, it's a sad state of affairs. :aimeeyork :animal-pa :animal-pa :animal-pa :animal-pa :(

Originally Posted by patty58 (Post 1970727)

Since most of us think of our yorkies as our babies and love them with all our hearts, just like our children...does that mean that people should "breed" for perfection. There is no such thing as perfection.

Originally Posted by katelin (Post 1972945)

Here is my problem:

The OP and others clearly love, love, love their Yorkie babies regardless of size, shape, coat, color, etc. They wouldn't trade them and some think there should even be a whole new class for these "non-standard" dogs.

Then how can anyone condemn the breeder who produced these off standard puppies? Apparently they have given something wonderful to the puppy owners. Why is that wrong? Why is it "wrong" to purchase and own a Yorkie that isn't within the breed standard?


The "standard" of today is an arbitrary list of qualities that does not resemble the original Yorkie at all. So who is able to criticize either the breeder or the owner of these "non-standard" dogs that we love so much.

I personally think the AKC Yorkie breed standards are too restrictive. If they were attainable on a regular basis, we'd see many more Yorkies winning Best in Show. Sadly, that is not the case.

The dog in my heart is an 8 lb. Yorkie that I simply love. She is beautiful and I wouldn't trade her for any other dog. She sets the standard for me.

Yorkie hugs to all.

Originally Posted by Nancy1999 (Post 1973097)

I don't think anyone condemns the breeder who produces off standard puppies; I condemn the breeder who breeds non-standard yorkies. Even the best breeders dogs aren't perfect in every way; but the result will be like some of the dogs mentioned, beautiful silky coat, great teeth, great structure, just a little bigger than standard.

When you ask why it is wrong to purchase a puppy that is not within breed standard, I have not read one post on YorkieTalk about people criticizing others because their dog isn't within standard. I have read posts where people recommend not breeding someone's dog because it's not within standard, but this is an entirely different matter. Most members of Yorkietalk seem unconditionally loving towards purebred yorkies and mixes of all sizes and shapes. However, if there is not some type of guideline on what makes a yorkie a yorkie than yorkies will not look and act like yorkies in the future, and I think this would be rather sad.

Originally Posted by Hannah3183 (Post 1973191)

Since I've gotten my yorkie, I can't stop smiling. She means the world to me, and my time with her is invaluable. I agree with you whole heartedly. It doesn't matter if your dog is "up to standards or show quality." The only thing that matters is the love you have for each other. I believe that all pets, no matter what they are, greatly enrich our lives.