about cheap yorkies, pls read

[KimberlySRN]

Originally Posted by jasminr

people don't you worry I have learned my lesson, I will spay my baby and I KNOW FOR SURE EVERYTHING WILL BE OK,(but you can send us good energy) everything you said to me, made a huge difference in the life of these pups from spaying to not to trust (in a good way)

That is a great plan. Your fur babies run a bigger risk of something happening by getting pregnant. I would definately not advertise on CL...perhapes you can put them on petfinder.com. Be very careful because many people see a yorkie that is not fixed and turn them into breeding machines. If you are concerned about finding homes I would contact a rescue and tell them your concerns and see if they will help you find them homes as they will insure they are fixed and given to appropriate homes. Good luck and you are in our thoughts.

[Hollee]

I say putting your pups here on yorkietalk is a great idea.... These are people that really care about their dogs... (It seems that way, anyway) Just something to consider. I am sure you would sell them quickly on here and to good people! Good luck and congrats on your babies

[msjagg]

I sent you a PM concerning placing one of your female puppys. I go on Craigslist everyday from Pa,Maryland and New Jersey looking @ what pups are available. If anyone is selling,breeding etc. they go beserk on there with the flagging and writing horrible viscious posts about that person or poster. Craigslist says that you may only re-home pets on there for less than $200.00. Exotic birds go for alot of $$ and no one ever flags those posts. I wish you luck in finding wonderful homes for your puppies...

[Jemma]

hmmmm, I live right here in NJ

[erickajm]

your local paper is also a good place to start. You can weed them out over the phone. Or better yet, why don't you just send them to me! .. I have puppy fever!

[jasminr]

hahahahahaha are you sure you want them???????? jeje the potty training is jus about going OK, jeje

[Zanders' mom]

It sounds like the people that contacted you may have been thinking - to breed the yorkie... which is sad. If I were you I would raise the price to $600 for a boy, $7-800 for a girl.... or keep them until they can be spayed/neutered ... charge the person the fee for spaying or neutering. Be careful to screen the future parents, see if they have biiiig dogs, or rough children.... Good luck.

[Little Dog]

At the risk of alot of people complaining I would like to say....Not everyone can afford to spend $600.00 for a pup but then again I don't care about them being "registered" I care that they have a nice loving home. My Wriddle was $100.00 (shots, neutured,wormed etc.) no we don't have papers (puppy mill crap) but I did turn around and spend another $200+ on dental and just recently had to have ears flushed again and meds ($100.00). So just because I can't afford to spend alot on a dog doesn't mean I can't or won't seek medical attention when needed!!!!! I would love to have a puppy but just can't afford to buy one that is that expensive. Yes my dogs eat well I make their treats and most of their food in my own kitchen, I spend money buying clothes, beds, toys etc. I hope some day for the Yorkie Fairy to bring me a puppy but until then I have Wriddle who needed me and loves me not because I spent alot of money on buying him but because I am here to love him and make sure he is safe and healthy! Ok, bash me...I got my big girl panties on.

[Britster]

Originally Posted by Little Dog

At the risk of alot of people complaining I would like to say....Not everyone can afford to spend $600.00 for a pup but then again I don't care about them being "registered" I care that they have a nice loving home. My Wriddle was $100.00 (shots, neutured,wormed etc.) no we don't have papers (puppy mill crap) but I did turn around and spend another $200+ on dental and just recently had to have ears flushed again and meds ($100.00). So just because I can't afford to spend alot on a dog doesn't mean I can't or won't seek medical attention when needed!!!!! I would love to have a puppy but just can't afford to buy one that is that expensive. Yes my dogs eat well I make their treats and most of their food in my own kitchen, I spend money buying clothes, beds, toys etc. I hope some day for the Yorkie Fairy to bring me a puppy but until then I have Wriddle who needed me and loves me not because I spent alot of money on buying him but because I am here to love him and make sure he is safe and healthy! Ok, bash me...I got my big girl panties on.

I definitely agree with this!

I don't really like the argument "If you can't afford $800-$1000 for the pup, you can't afford to take care of it!!" because that's not totally true. I also don't care about papers or anything as he's my pet, not my show dog or a stud or anything. I'd rather save the few extra $100's to purchase extra food, toys, beds, etc for the dog to have. And, god forbid, if something were to happen and need medical attention then yes, I would scrape up whatever I've got to care for my baby!

But just because I'm not willing to spend $1000 on a dog does NOT mean I don't have the money to care for it. It's hard to explain what I'm trying to say but you said it well. Some people make it sound as if you have to be rich in order to own a dog and that's not true at all. I'm a college student with little money but I just set my priorities straight! My personal needs and every-day things I use as well as Jackson come first. Most of the stuff I buy Jackson... he doesn't really NEED lol. But anyways, now I'm rambling. I just don't really like that argument. Also, I do understand breeders need to make back what they put into the process but at the same time... I know the shelter I go to, all their dogs are $150 adoption fee because they bring their dogs to a low cost clinic to get shots, spay/neuter, etc. It's possible to get shots and surgeries cheaper and have them done just as good. You can get a perfectly healthy rescue dog Yorkie at a shelter for between $50-$300.

However, I do agree you shouldn't list any dogs for free on Craigslist or wherever because of the fact that there is so many evil people out there so it's definitely good to have some kind of fee just to know the person is serious.

[erickajm]

Originally Posted by Little Dog

At the risk of alot of people complaining I would like to say....Not everyone can afford to spend $600.00 for a pup but then again I don't care about them being "registered" I care that they have a nice loving home. My Wriddle was $100.00 (shots, neutured,wormed etc.) no we don't have papers (puppy mill crap) but I did turn around and spend another $200+ on dental and just recently had to have ears flushed again and meds ($100.00). So just because I can't afford to spend alot on a dog doesn't mean I can't or won't seek medical attention when needed!!!!! I would love to have a puppy but just can't afford to buy one that is that expensive. Yes my dogs eat well I make their treats and most of their food in my own kitchen, I spend money buying clothes, beds, toys etc. I hope some day for the Yorkie Fairy to bring me a puppy but until then I have Wriddle who needed me and loves me not because I spent alot of money on buying him but because I am here to love him and make sure he is safe and healthy! Ok, bash me...I got my big girl panties on.

I do agree. My parents live on a very low income.. though they don't have much overhead, they would never be able to afford even $300 for a yorkie. However, the two dogs they have right now are treated like royalty. They have their shots, they have been fixed.. They are their "children". It is easier to come up with the yearly shot money and food than a price of $600 and up for a dog. I think we also have to remember, not everyone dresses their yorkies or keeps their hair in topknots...which is a bigger chunk of change to maintain.

[FlDebra]

I bought my male for $1200 and my female for $1500 with the hopes of starting out as a breeder. I know I am a novice so I priced my puppies at much less than their puppies would normally go for. I asked $900. I did that mainly to ensure people would not arbitrarily decided to buy one without putting enough thought into it. Cheap puppies can sometimes wind up in shelters because people do not value them enough to take care of them. I also wanted to ensure puppy mill folks would not buy them. They can be tricky and appear to be good people wanting a pet. But they are not likely to buy a $900 puppy for their purposes. They look for the cheaper ones. I also wanted to make sure whoever bought them could afford good health care for their puppies. I am confident each of the people adopting my puppies will be able to provide for them should an emergency arise.

I think Yorkies prices went so high for several reasons but at least one of those reasons is to weed out buyers who maybe should not have a Yorkie. There are plenty of pets that are priced lower. I could not have one when I was young and on a strict budget. They are a luxury! AKC yorkies usually sell for more than the off-shoot registeries. The puppies usually look closer to standard than others too.

If your puppies are quality -- please think about getting the litter registered. You can still sell them as pets only by designating limited registration on the individual puppy applications that will come with your litter registration. Even though you did not intend to breed your dogs, they still deserve to be registered if both parents are. I think it is important to register our puppies when they are from quality AKC stock. It is a history of the breed, among other things.

Sorry you went through such a hassle when you were just trying to give people a chance to own a wonderful Yorkie puppy for less money. But it pays to keep their prices higher, IMO. Besides.....the money we spend totals up fast! Think of all the vet visits for momma, then for the puppies, their wormings, shots, health certificates, cost to register the litter, cost to feed, toys, play yard, carrier to fit all the puppies, all those puppy pads, treats, chewed up shoes and flip flops that now need to be replaced , money to place an ad, puppy pack to go with new owners, ....... and if worst ever happens and you lose a momma dog -- well there is a huge cost to buy another (but never be able to replace her!). I need to sell 4 of my puppies to just break even! And that means no pay for all those hours of taking care of them -- well okay, maybe I should be paying for the joy of playing with them every day too! But you get the idea. They do cost a lot more to raise than you think. I don't know how a peron doesn't go in the red when they sell their puppies for $300. Maybe they are not going to the vet as much.

Good luck finding homes for your little ones. Be patient. Check with your vet. Some allow you to post a card there. Check in with the local dog fancier club in your area. Let the breeders you got your two adult dogs from know you have puppies. They can sometimes steer an interested customer your way if they do not have a litter ready to go at the same time. Definately advertise them here on YT if they are 10 weeks old. You can list them for a set price and then let it be a case by case basis to give a discount if you want. I advertised mine for $900. No one has asked me to take less and only here on YT has anyone suggested that was too high of a price for them to pay. I could have sold several more females if I had them but for some reason no one has asked for males. The breeder I got my girl from said it goes in cycles. Sometimes it seems like all callers want a girl and sometimes they all seem to want a boy. Sorry this got so long --- I just got going and did not know when to stop typing!

[FlDebra]

Originally Posted by Little Dog

At the risk of alot of people complaining I would like to say....Not everyone can afford to spend $600.00 for a pup but then again I don't care about them being "registered" I care that they have a nice loving home. My Wriddle was $100.00 (shots, neutured,wormed etc.) no we don't have papers (puppy mill crap) but I did turn around and spend another $200+ on dental and just recently had to have ears flushed again and meds ($100.00). So just because I can't afford to spend alot on a dog doesn't mean I can't or won't seek medical attention when needed!!!!! I would love to have a puppy but just can't afford to buy one that is that expensive. Yes my dogs eat well I make their treats and most of their food in my own kitchen, I spend money buying clothes, beds, toys etc. I hope some day for the Yorkie Fairy to bring me a puppy but until then I have Wriddle who needed me and loves me not because I spent alot of money on buying him but because I am here to love him and make sure he is safe and healthy! Ok, bash me...I got my big girl panties on.

Whoever sold you a $100 dog that had all its shots, neutered and wormed had to have gone in the red. You did say you don't have papers and mentioned puppymill crap. So, did your pup come from a puppymill? You really cannot compare dogs that came through the sick, cruel world of a puppymill with puppies cared and loved right in the breeders home being given constant attention and loving nurturing. Yorkie puppymills came about because people who did not want to or could not pay the higher Yorkie prices still wanted to own them. Enter the twisted puppymiller who can sell for cheaper prices because they don't have a standard of care or any morals. How can anyone expect a breeder to raise quality dogs and then go in the hole so that everyone can have a yorkie?

I understand where you are coming from and would not bash you -- but I still think quality Yorkies are a luxury. I think everyone should be able to have a dog. I don't think everyone should be able to have a Yorkie. Not that yorkies are a mere possession like a car but it is sort of like we may all need a car but some will buy a Ford Focus, some will buy a Cadillac and some will buy a Mercedes. They should not all be priced the same just because everyone deserves a car. You get what you can afford. I know lots of people that can't afford or do not want to spend the higher prices still want Yorkies. That is why so many of the unscrupulous breeders wound up cutting corners to be able to offer cheap yorkies. It hurt the breed a LOT! You wind up seeing yorkies that look nowhere near the standard. You also wind up with mother dogs abused and puppies neglected. But the price is low.

There is no way I would give away my Yorkies to strangers. Selling them for $300 would definately be giving them away (actually going quite a bit in the red!) when you look at how much I paid to get them to the 12 week stage (I listed a lot about expenses in last post and won't repeat it all here...but I spent a lot more because we lost our momma dog too. ) I also had to buy bottles, formula, goat's milk (not cheap), nutri-cal, syringes,etc. I also split their shots which cost more in office visits. So maybe they did cost a little more than the average Yorkie to raise, but I don't think you could do it for a lot less than I did and still be doing it right. Some litters only have one or two and they still have all the same costs that I did. Breeders also wind up with litters where none survive but much had already been spent on preparation. They have to provide year round care for the breeding females and males too. So, as a business -- there are a LOT of expenses a person may not think about. Mine are my pets so I don't figure in the cost of caring for mom and dad. They are my pleasure, but still they are a cost associated with the puppies to some extent.

So -- there are two sides to Yorkie costs. It would be nice if we all got one issued to us when we were old enough to care for them -- no cost at all. But that is not practical and asking quality breeders to sell their puppies for $300 is not practical either. Just another opinion.

I see some of the puppymill types advertising online that they have $450yorkies. I can almost guarantee they are not doing right by them or they could not possibly be making a profit. I suppose when you get into mass production, you could sell them for less and still turn a profit but who wants a puppy whose mother has been kept in a cage, stacked several high, all her life?

Now some of the $6000 price tags seem pretty ridiculous, especially because they are usually NOT the result of a careful breeding programs painstakingly spread over 20-30 years to carefully refine features. No, those price tags are usually because the puppy is extra tiny or being called a "rare." But I think prices up to $2000 can usually be justified. The crime is when they ask that high of a price but only provide the care of a puppymiller who usually charges 1/4 of that. I don't mind the high prices though if they have quality yorkies and they provide them with excellent care to get a great start.

[capt_noonie]

Originally Posted by FlDebra

I understand where you are coming from and would not bash you -- but I still think quality Yorkies are a luxury. I think everyone should be able to have a dog. I don't think everyone should be able to have a Yorkie. Not that yorkies are a mere possession like a car but it is sort of like we may all need a car but some will buy a Ford Focus, some will buy a Cadillac and some will buy a Mercedes. They should not all be priced the same just because everyone deserves a car. You get what you can afford. I know lots of people that can't afford or do not want to spend the higher prices still want Yorkies. That is why so many of the unscrupulous breeders wound up cutting corners to be able to offer cheap yorkies. It hurt the breed a LOT! You wind up seeing yorkies that look nowhere near the standard. You also wind up with mother dogs abused and puppies neglected. But the price is low.

I agree. IMO, this is just like why the counterfeit designer handbag business came about. There are certain things in life that are luxury, that are not meant for everyone to have. If you can't afford it, you dream about it, but bad people come along and knock it off, lower the value of it, lower the integrity of it. Thanks to them, now you can carry around your puppymill yorkie in your fake Juicy dog bag for $250. Despicable!

[nanahas3]

Personally I know that I could never have owned a Yorkie if I had had to pay 900 and up for one because my DH would of had a fit. Yes unfortunately being uneducated I "rescued" My little man from a puppy mill. That being said I wouldn't sell him for any amount of money and I think he is beautiful and despite his breeding a fair repesentatin of the breed. It is funny though because I have probably spent 6 to 7 hundred in the last 7 months on vet bills and all the other ummmm things lol that I have bought for him. I would do without medical care myself before I would let him lol. I do though understand that breeders have to get a fair price because it is quite expensive to get them here. My father bred and raised registered plot hunting dogs and he did charge a good price for them as they came from champion lines. I really didnt care if my yorkie was a champion but it is nice to have a yorkie that looks like one. Tomorrow we are headed to Kansas to pick up little Lolita who was posted here on YT by JJC as a rescue. We are absolutely thrilled to be able to give her the love she deserves. I doubt I will ever buy a puppy again now that I know there are so many needing homes. If I were the OP I would talk to people like Jen and find out how to go about getting these little ones home. You can use the same process the rescues do and charge a rehoming fee to cover your expenses.

[nanahas3]

Originally Posted by capt_noonie

I agree. IMO, this is just like why the counterfeit designer handbag business came about. There are certain things in life that are luxury, that are not meant for everyone to have. If you can't afford it, you dream about it, but bad people come along and knock it off, lower the value of it, lower the integrity of it. Thanks to them, now you can carry around your puppymill yorkie in your fake Juicy dog bag for $250. Despicable!

Wow I must be one of those dispicable people lol. Sorry I know you mean well but some of us got our "knock off" yorkies when we didnt understand about puppy mills. But we are still very proud of our babies and love them dearly.