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.

We got Turk on sale. *giggle* Actually, he was one of 3(the last pup left). He was getting up there in his age(for a 'puppy', anyway) and this was back in October when the economy was first becoming highly publicized. The breeders told us that they never list in the paper, but this was an acception. They decided that they probably should reduce his price so they could quickly fine him a home.

To be honest, I did feel a bit guilty and had a hard time justifying the money, but I guess he was worth it. :p

we got our akc registered male for 400 which is actually the same price we paid for our female yorkie-poo. both came out of southern idaho.

i have personally flip flopped back and forth on my opinion about the price of yorkies...at times i think i paid just the right amount and at times i thought i paid way too much! usually when i thought i paid too much, it was only because something in my personal life happened and i was not where i wanted to be financially at that point in time

however i agree that people will pay $1000+ for a TV and it is nothing like having a furkid to love for many, many years :D ... i would much rather watch my old, non-HDTV and use the money i could have spent on spoiling my kids or adding another one ;)

i would pay 3-4 times what i paid for my kids if i had to do it all over again...they were all raised lovingly by their breeders and are beautiful, healthy and happy and i have to thank each breeder i got them from :wub:

:thumbup:

I'm curious about this too. Do you mean you feel like the buyer who's looking for a puppy is paying for the breeder to show the sire/dam in the form of a higher puppy price? (just an honest question, trying to learn here)

I understand having to pay extra because of vet testing and unexpected bills, we all know how quickly that gets expensive.

No not at all, and most show breeders are lucky to break even. It's not a "business" for them, and they aren't trying to turn a profit, but truly wish to improve the breed. If we didn't have show breeders, there would be no real standard, and it might be hard to find a yorkie that looked like a yorkie in future years. I meant that show breeders, in a way, set the price, and lets say it cost them 1500 just to break even, another breeder can use that figure as the "going rate" and set their prices, even though their overall costs have been much less, and they actually do turn a profit. You also have to remember the show breeder started with much more expensive breeding stock. Not to mention all the time involved in really researching and studying about breeding.

Being a Yorkie breeder my self, it depends on the size of the pup, the color , the parents, Pedigree, face of the pup. Health of it. By that I mean, if you have a tiny, you have hypo problems to contend with. It is much harder to get a tiny raised up to have a new home.
They can be so delicate when under 4 wks. even up to the 8 wks.
Price depends on many things. Area, demand, sex. included. I get any where from $400 up to $800 for pups. Quality of pups are also taken into consideration. So you could search for a 600$ yorkie and ship it into Canada, $250 still have under your $1000 dog. I have a friend who ships all of the time. I see males advertised around here now for $350. That is cheap for a yorkie.

Thanks for all the replies :)

The info given was definitely useful, and I think I understand a bit more now why they are so pricey. I'm definitely going to look around Ontario, I guess if we have to drive a few hours it would be worth it. It is true, I spent around $800 on the laptop I am typing on now, and while useful, it makes me angry more than anything and sure doesn't show any love whatsoever! lol.

How traumatic can shipping be for the puppy?? Maybe it's something I need to be open to, but I worry about the puppys physical and emotional health.

Yorkie's high priced - No!
 

Believe it or not, the pups sale for what they are worth. I have $1000 purchase price in both my male and female. When they breed, you must get an ultrasound and make sure the birth canal is sufficient, then comes the fees once the pups are born. $49 vet visit for all, then $ for tail docked, dew claws, vaccinations, chips, etc.... I thought I would breed for profit, not that I don't totally love my two babies, just thought it may justify the price I paid for them... LOL Well, my dogs are amazing, and I wouldn't settle for another breed. They are super smart so be careful, they will own you and tell you to get them treats, etc. I have always had indoor cats, but my Yorkies are an unmatched love. They sleep with me. Princess doesn't like to ride, but I can't leave the house without Hoagie. My breeder told me that is because he doesn't want to be without me. I have two children and the love for my dogs almost matches that of my children, matter of fact, they tell me I love the dogs more, and I then tell them the dogs don't back-talk. LOL. Anyway, they are worth every penny. If you are willing to get a larger Yorkie and not a tea cup, you should be able to find one around $500. I know my breader has some at that price all of the time but she won't ship them, you have to pick them up in Myakka City FL. Let me know if you don't have any luck and perhaps I can buy one frpm my breeder and secretly ship it to you. The pup I got from Her (Hoagie) is amazing. I can not think of one thing I would change. Princess, well she matches her name. She is a bit reserved, but Hoagie is full of life. Good luck and don''t settle -- you'll have this pet for about 15-17 years and you want the best for you. :D

Nicely put!
I'll never break even.. I've spent up to $10,000 for one dog that I felt gave me the lines, health and quality that I wanted for my lines. And many I have purchased to improve the breed, actually did not. So they have been spayed/neutered and placed in pet homes, losing a lot of money.
There is a history of health, and quality with a pedigree and a background to fall back on to improve our lines. 1 Show weekend averages me about $500.00. Not counting grooming supplies, tables, crates etc. I would never consider that in the price of the puppy. Luckily we farm which helps in the expense and many Exhibitor friends have 2 or 3 jobs to support their Showing.
But we do have the expense of dog purchases, Vets, health screening, Vaccinations, Microchips, neutering/spaying puppies, Feed, Beds, toys and treats. I'll never break even, but the drive to produce the healthiest, highest quality and maybe some day the "Best of Show" winner keeps me trying.
Babies that are sold by us are those we are not able to keep for our breeding program, and I've always tried to have a fair price. Although I would love to keep all of them, it's just not possible.
Then you have a "breeder" that paid $350.00 for a male or female and decided to have puppies. They've done no researching, no health screening, and no idea of quality or health or background. They see a high price for puppies and decide that because of a pretty face, their puppy should be worth a high price. They are the "breeders" that are making money. Not the rest of us!

We shipped my daughters dog here to Montana....I found out that when they switched planes that the people at the airport...took the dogs out watered them and cleaned up their cages if it was needed. Suki did just fine..she was a little bit nervous but got over it very quickly...Also there were 3 other DARLING little pups being shipped with her..and they were ALL doing great. However you will have to check with the airlines...because weather has ALOT to do with whether they will ship or not...to hot...too cold...So check it out. I'm not sure what their policy is during the winter months.

I paid $450.00 for each of my babies and they are both PERFECT!! And I bought them both in Missouri... lol Some people on YT are very biased about yorkies bought in MO...anyhoo... it just goes to show you...that if you are very selective...you can find that perfect yorkie...within your price range... Just make sure to watch for warning signs when dealing with Breeders..One of the first is that they do NOT want you to come to their home..they will wanna meet you somewhere else..You need to be able to see where they are living...and the conditions..So you can tell how the Breeders care for the babies...If you're a long distance away then ask for pictures of the parents...the pens they are kept in..etc..hopefully that will help.
So just realize that You do NOT have to spend thousands for a healthy baby!

Good luck...and don't give up!!!

HI Jenn,

Paying a higher price does not mean that you are getting a better dog. We got both our dogs after they were are year old and got one heck of a deal (Gypsy is a beautiful show dog with stage fright) and Prissy is well bread expensive puppy gone aesthetically array --but she really does have a great personality).

THIS THE IMPORTANT THING WHEN DECIDED ON WHERE TO GET THEM: GO VISIT THEIR HOUSE/KENNEL.

Prissy's (the 2nd dog we bought) original breeder had a wonderful website that made their kennel look all warm, loving and hand raise. In reality, she was locked in a cage, not played with AND NOT EVEN IMMUNIZED for the first 11 months of her life. The breeder I got Gypsy from rescued her and helped find a great home.

Gypsy's breeder is an ideal breeder and I urge you look for these attributes:

1) she genuinely wants her dogs to find a good home--she made us come over for an interview.

2) she is available for consult 24/7 and trust me, I am always emailing, calling, visiting and asking questions.

3)She showed the mom and the picture of the dad.

I really hope you find the perfect yorkie and you are as happy as we are!

Kate

Great thread
 

There is a lot of great advice on this thread. I'll be sure to soak up all the fabulous information. For I plan on welcoming a yorkie to into my very own family within the next spring. :)

Ahhh I never thought about shipping restrictions in the winter. I would expect that they wouldn't ship to Toronto in the winter... I would hope anyways, because I can't see it being all the comfortable for the already nervous puppy.

I have found a breeder in Orillia that I am liking... I may email her... most of her dogs are in the $1800-$2500 range though... There was one for $1200 (and I could actually see the difference in the color and structure), and while its more than I'd like to spend, it's nice and close and I actually spend weekends in Orillia all the time and could go check things out personally.

I definitely agree that there is lots of great advice in this thread, and I am glad I am not the only one who is benefiting - thank you all and keep it coming, lol.

Hmm.. just looked at the pups my breeder has for sale. I thought she was reasonable, but it makes me wander. She has a 15 month female that weighs just over 2 pounds for sale for $2200. WOW....that seems a bit too pricey to me.

I wish there was a standard to pricing for Yorkies.