I need help...

[Thorsmomma]

Originally Posted by Thorsmomma

I am looking to bring a girl home early '08.

Geez...I don't know what year I am in...I mean 2009!!!

[Thorsmomma]

I've started seriously looking and I don't know if I'm being too picky and paranoid, but I just am having a really hard time creating even a small list of prospective breeders I would purchase from. Here are some things that have turned me off:
-Selling to puppy brokers
-Advertising tea cups/super tiny's
-not having the standard look (or the 'look' i want)
-'letting pet yorkies breed whenever they come into heat'
-not putting health first

Why can't this be easier? Maybe I'm tainted from all the horror stories I've heard from people who bought online who thought they found the perfect breeder, to find out later they had been deceived...

I feel like this might be what it feels like to find a boyfriend online

Sorry if this comes off as a bit whiney!

[yorkiepup2]

My first 2 came from a local breeder (whom I will never get another yorkie from 'cause my 2nd one had a liver shunt)..........so I went to CA for my 3rd.

[AmyChristine]

Originally Posted by Thorsmomma

I've started seriously looking and I don't know if I'm being too picky and paranoid, but I just am having a really hard time creating even a small list of prospective breeders I would purchase from. Here are some things that have turned me off:
-Selling to puppy brokers
-Advertising tea cups/super tiny's
-not having the standard look (or the 'look' i want)
-'letting pet yorkies breed whenever they come into heat'
-not putting health first

Why can't this be easier? Maybe I'm tainted from all the horror stories I've heard from people who bought online who thought they found the perfect breeder, to find out later they had been deceived...

I feel like this might be what it feels like to find a boyfriend online


Sorry if this comes off as a bit whiney!

You are not being whiney. A yorkie is not a short term commitment, they are a 10 to 18 year companion. I wouldn't go back to my breeder when looking for a pup for a number of reasons. Health and health testing is so important check refrences and vets, there is nothing wrong with wanting to know what your getting.

When I get my next baby, I will only buy from someone who is breeding for themselves, for thier next show dog. People are alot less likely to cheat themselves on quality. The right breeder will come along and I am sure that it will be worth the wait. Agian good luck!!!

[Thorsmomma]

Originally Posted by AmyChristine

You are not being whiney. A yorkie is not a short term commitment, they are a 10 to 18 year companion. I wouldn't go back to my breeder when looking for a pup for a number of reasons. Health and health testing is so important check refrences and vets, there is nothing wrong with wanting to know what your getting.

When I get my next baby, I will only buy from someone who is breeding for themselves, for thier next show dog. People are alot less likely to cheat themselves on quality. The right breeder will come along and I am sure that it will be worth the wait. Agian good luck!!!

Thanks! I needed to hear that! And what a great idea about only buying from someone who is breeding for themselves...I guess you would come across that by WOM

[katelin]

I'd start looking in the September puppies section. Most breeders post there, even if they don't post alot. Ask to see their website, so you can judge if they have the look you want and if you think they are a good breeder based upon what you know.

Since you are in B.C. you may have to ship anyway. So maybe spread your search area out a little.

I suggested Ladyhawk to you earlier, and was confusing her with Kim up in Portland. She breeds for show, and is a very nice and knowledgeable person. If she doesn't have anything, she may know someone who does.

Remember, breeders who are breeding for themselves often won't sell except on a show contract. Good luck.

[GreenwoodBiewer]

Did you speak with Carolyn yet? Here's her website.

Home

I can recommend her as a great person of very high standards and ethics. She has some beautiful dogs, good quality and she shows her dogs. She breeds Yorkies and Biewers and has fine examples of both breeds.

Good luck in your search and I agree with everyone else. Take your time, be VERY picky regarding the puppy AND the breeder.. in the long run, you'll be happy with your decision to wait for just the right combination.

-Diana

[chachi]

What about Kimberley (yorkiepassion) shes in Oregon and shes also a YT member?

[Teresamag]

Hi all, I don't usually post but I've been reading more and more about people getting scammed or being uncomfortable when trying to adopt a puppy. I created a handout on how to prevent being scammed that I am including below. I hope this is helpful to people, please let me know if there is anything you could suggest to add to it. Teresa
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hear from people so many times about how they or someone they know were scammed or how they are worried about being scammed. Too many times people are cheated out of their hard earned money or disappointed when the puppy they thought they had adopted never arrives or does arrive and is significantly different than what they bought. In order to help people be aware of scams and how to prevent them I came up with this page. I'm also including some ideas to help you identify a good ethical breeder and avoid the people who are not.

The best thing is to visit in person or have someone you trust visit the breeder to make sure they are on the up and up. Sometimes just walking into a person's house gives you a "sixth sense" if you should trust them or not. If you have a bad feeling at any time please listen to yourself. However if you live too far away to visit (like many people do), I have several suggestions, you can do any one of these suggestions or all of them.

1. Talk with the breeder on the phone, don't just email them. If you are looking at their website call the phone number posted on the website and any number they give you by email to make sure they are the same person. Sometimes you can do a reverse phone number lookup on the internet (whitepages.com) to make sure the name matches the phone number. This doesn't work if the person's phone number is unlisted or the number is a cell phone. (For example, my number is unlisted).

2. Not all good breeders have a website but most of them do in this day and age. If you are looking at their website look at the counters. Websites with higher counters show they have been breeding long enough that if they were scamming they would have been caught.

3. When looking at the website look for a professional looking website. It doesn't have to be fancy but should be clean and well organized. The website shouldn't have lots of typo's or poor grammar. Check out the backgrounds in the pictures on the website. You don't have to be a professional photographer to take decent pictures and there should never be junk, trash, dog cages, etc in the backgrounds of the pictures. If someone doesn't take care to show their puppies in the best possible light how can you be sure they cared enough to take care of the puppies as they should?

4. Be aware of questionable claims. The old saying "If something sounds too good to be true it usually is" really does apply here. No reputable breeder will advertise a puppy that weighs 7 oz at 11 weeks and then show a picture of a 2 week old puppy. If the price for the puppy is way below the usual price of a Yorkie puppy question the breeder as to why. Especially if it is way lower or they are only asking for "shipping fees".

5. Ask for (and call or email) references. Ask for their vet's phone number and previous puppy buyers. Any reputable breeder will be glad to give out their vet's number. I can understand with privacy concerns if they don't want to give out puppy buyers phone numbers but frequently the good breeders have several puppy families who have agreed to give references for them. You can also check out their guest book on the website for comments from previous puppy buyers, click on those email addresses and ask for a reference.

6. If there is a particular puppy you are interested in ask the breeder to take another picture for you and include a specific item. I like to ask for a comb or brush, or even something unusual like a flashlight or toothbrush. This helps to make sure the breeder actually has the puppy being advertised and hasn't stolen the picture off the web. (Don't ask for a coffee cup, dollar bill, a soda can, or a can of soup-those are done too often in pictures.) You can also get a good idea of the size of the puppy when compared to the item you ask for.

7. As an alternative to # 6 ask the breeder to take a picture of the puppy with a piece of paper that has your name printed on it. If the "breeder" makes an excuse why they can't give out their vet's phone number or can't or won't take a picture that you requested please run the other way. (other than they don't have the item to put in the picture, you can always request another item.) If they say they can't take the picture because their camera is broken or they don't have one be very suspicious.

8. Of course a good breeder will usually only have one or two breeds that they raise. I would recommend that you not buy from a breeder who has multiple breeds. I would much rather adopt a puppy from a Yorkie Specialist than from someone who raises seven different breeds.

9. Be cautious about adopting a puppy from another country. Usually the US and Canada are pretty safe but overseas or third world puppy adoptions are very suspicious, especially if the price is very low. This is where a lot of people get scammed.


If at any time you have concerns that aren't eased by talking with the breeder please look elsewhere for your puppy. There are too many good, ethical breeders who will be glad to assist you in finding the newest member of your family.

[sryope68]

Originally Posted by Thorsmomma

I've started seriously looking and I don't know if I'm being too picky and paranoid, but I just am having a really hard time creating even a small list of prospective breeders I would purchase from. Here are some things that have turned me off:
-Selling to puppy brokers
-Advertising tea cups/super tiny's
-not having the standard look (or the 'look' i want)
-'letting pet yorkies breed whenever they come into heat'
-not putting health first

Why can't this be easier? Maybe I'm tainted from all the horror stories I've heard from people who bought online who thought they found the perfect breeder, to find out later they had been deceived...

I feel like this might be what it feels like to find a boyfriend online

Sorry if this comes off as a bit whiney!

You are not being whiney at all! I had the same problem when I started looking for a breeder too. Initially I was looking online at websites and so many websites were advertising tea cups which I would not buy from. I ended up going to the YTCA website and emailed and called the CO breeders on the list. What I liked about the YTCA members is they have a strict code of ethics and conduct. (Yorkshire Terrier Club of America Code of Ethics) I went to a couple dog shows to meet these breeders and was able to see their dogs and also visited a couple at their homes. This helped so much because I believe I found an AWESOME breeder. I completely agree about finding someone who breeds for themselves. I'm not saying all good breeders show their dogs, but if they do you at least know they are trying to breed to the standard and are genuinely interested in the breed, not just making money. I also noticed that the very good breeders usually do not have elaborate websites. My breeder for example has a website but it hasn't been updated in quite some time. It's basically there to provide some background information on her and her lines and has a phone number if you would like to contact her. She always has a waiting list so most of the time she does not have pups for sale to advertise on a website anyway. If a website says they always have pups available steer clear!