Why do the prices of Yorkie's vary so much?
 

Perhaps I need some education on this subject from some people who know!

I am in the process of searching for my first Yorkie. I have fallen in love with the breed and done a ton of research and feel it would be the perfect fit for me! I understand that it's a purebred dog and am willing to pay the price for it, from a reputable breeder of course. My problem is, WHY oh why are they so darn much?!?! Is $1000 for a dog really an acceptable price, and is that what I should expect to pay for my Yorkie? I have seen some listing females as being TWICE as much as males - why?! It all just baffles me! I have seen yorkies listed as high as $3000 Canadian... as much as I want one - NOT gonna happen!!! I want to be able to afford vet bills and food and toys for my baby!

I have also been researching Yorkie mixes, and have come across some yorkiepoo's and morkie's for $500-$600... more affordable for someone like me, and they seem like awesome dogs.

Is the reason why they are so much just supply and demand (and the fact that they are glamour dogs now days?) or is it honestly because it costs a lot or takes a lot of time to breed?

For now, I continue to search the nearby shelters and hope to get lucky and be able to rescue a furrbutt, but they seem to be the first to go around here. I am having a hard time swallowing more than $1000 for a dog, no matter how much I'd love him/her and know it would probably be $$ well spent.

The reasons for the prices vary...
Some super expensive ones are that much because it may have cost the breeder more caring for it, like if it needed a lot of vet attention.
People who have show dogs and breed charge more because of their dogs being show quality and they fit the standard.
There are also people that charge an arm and a leg because they know they can get that much and they usually market to the people looking for "teacups" etc...
They don't all cost that much, my girl was 850 and my male was 800 b.oth are from different breeders.
Theres probably a lot more reasons and there are breeders on here who can give more details I am sure, but those are what I know in a nutshell
But you do have to watch out when buying, especially if price is playing big role, be careful that you don't get one from the wrong person..

I hear you!! I'm looking for my furbaby. I also want to stay under $1000. But since I can't find anyone I feel is reputable close to me, I have to pay to have her shipped, that will put me over $1000. :(

Good luck in your search!!:)

Thanks DukesMommy for your reply... I think that last bit is definitely what I am trying to AVOID doing.. I am having a really hard time waiting! I dream about having a dog again every night, it's crazy lol. It's always a female yorkie named Mya. Last night I had a hard time falling asleep because I was running numbers in my head all night trying to figure out how long I need to wait, lol... Work was rough today to say the least! I'll love any dog I get, but I don't want to support improper breeders, so I'm definitely trying not to just buy because they're cheap. I think if I can figure out exactly why they cost so much, I might be able to better justify the price and feel a little better about it...

Thanks, good luck to you as well! I am sure it will happen for us both when it's meant to happen.. :animal-pa

Have you looked on here for the ones for sale? Tricia(I believe thats her name) in Illinois has some really pretty ones, and her prices are very reasonable I think.
I think boys are typically less $ as there seems to be more boys born, and most people want females. If I bred(which I don't), I would never charge more for a girl than a boy, but, that's just me.
Good luck on your search. You actually can find very reasonable/beautiful babies around here for $500-$1000, and with the economy like it is, some breeders are even lowering prices, or they get stuck with a lot of pups!

I'd be nervous about shipping, and that would also up the cost. If I was to buy from far away I'd probably insist on waiting until I can physically go there and pick up the dog myself to make the transition a little easier on the puppy. I hate that cost is even an issue, but unfortunately its a big one as I just finished school and have loans to pay off. Doesn't mean I can't afford the dog, just means I really have to budget for it.

I never thought of the economy affecting the prices, maybe if I wait long enough I'll see a drop and be able to snap one up! Seems $$ is tight for most everyone right now so I could totally see that happening.

Thanks for your advice and well wishes!

Girls are more because they are the ones that can have the babies. At least that's what I've been told.

But personally, I think people charge wayyy too much. You can get just as good pups for $500-$700, rather than paying between $1500-$3000.

I had the same issues you are having. So my first was a yorkie/poodle mix her name is Lily and I love her more than the world. I paid 400 dollars for her. But I have well over 3000 in surgrey to correct her bad legs. Then I bought Kigston which I paid a lot more for and he is so wonderful. Not saying that things cant happen to pure breed dogs but in most cases there would be a health contract and the breeders research lines and health prior to breeding.

It's expensive to breed well, health testing, and vet care aren't' cheap, and many backyard breeders skip the important step of health screening. Also, the cost of the breeding stock can vary greatly between breeders. While some people think showing is a frivolous thing, it really isn't, and for breeders who want to truly be able to evaluate their offspring and breeding stock, showing allows them to develop a critical eye for their dogs. After all, we all think our pets are beautiful, but when breeding, it's important to know what others think. Showing is very expensive, not only for the cost of the shows, but the travel expenses, and the special care a show dog needs. Some breeders will breed an inexpensive yorkie that isn't a very good representation of the breed, and they will breed it with just any mate. They don't care if offspring is desirable, because many people still think if it's a purebred that enough "status", unfortunately some people still buy dogs as status symbols. Backyard breeders are making more actual "profit" than the show breeder even though some charge less. This varies greatly too, and many good breeders aren't really selling a dog, but placing a dog, and refuse certain homes, because they feel responsible for the offspring that their dog produces. That's why education is important, you can't always tell by price alone if a dog is a good one. Pet stores puppies generally cost more than show breeder's dogs, and they usually come from a puppy mill environment. I wish people would only reward those breeders who have breeding programs that they truly approve of. By the way, some breeder charge no more for girls than boys, because they aren't selling their dogs with breeding rights anyway.

In a way, the byb is rewarded by the show breeder's hard work.

Yes and no..If you get them on a spay neuter contract, then they can't have babies. And a lot of breeders won't sell them on a full registration

I had the same problem when searching and I found my girl which was 1.5 years old for $500. I had to travel to the States to get her and I ended up getting the short end of the deal, she has some problems but we are slowly working through them. I have already spent around $500 for vet bills and I've had her for a little over two months. So I say do your research, you CAN find one for a reasonable price. I want to get another one and I have seen some for around 700$ here. I see the prices going lower because around here the economy is horrible and not many can afford 1,000$ puppy. I see your in Barrie, have you looked around breeders from around Ontario, you may have to drive a couple hours but it may be worth it!

I figure the economy has something to do with it to. I spoke with one breeder while searching for my pup who normally sells her Yorkies for $1200, sometimes more but was willing to sell to me for $600. The little guy I am getting Saturday is $550. She originally had them listed for $650, I believe, in her older listings I saw but continued to lower the price. People aren't willing to spend as much on dogs .. or anything... anymore.

This is very true, I've never seen so many houses for sale around here, it's the best time to buy, the prices have dropped alot and you can really get something nice for the money IF you have it and the job to support it which is hard to find where I live right now! Heck I'm laid off!

I look at dog pricing a little bit differently.
Yes, some Yorkies are more tha $1000 but computers can be that much and you get about 5 years of good use out of them. The same for TVs. They can be $500-$1000. A dog, a 15 year commitment (hopefully) and your constant companion is worth a lot more than $1000.

The girls are more than the boys because some can be bred (if not sold on a spay/neuter contract) and they are way more popular. A lot of people prefer girl Yorkies. There is demand for them, so breeders in certain areas can charge more for them.

Breeders should be doing health screening and they might have showing expenses. Reputable breeders make very little money and sometimes end up in the hole even after charging over $1000 by the time everything is figured in and especially if a c-section is needed, so I would expect to pay $800-$1000 at the very least. I actually consider $1200 very fair and possibly up til about $2000-$2500.