You cant say that breeder good or back yard are not in it for the money. I have seen some that are asking $2,500 or more for one dog. Just because it cost you more does not mean that the dog will be a better dog then one that some one give you free!! I do understand there are standards to comply with but what happens to a nice family dog to love!! I dont want to show my dog or even breed them. Just a addition to my family.

Another Log on the Fire
 

Since it seems this thread is Pro AKC and Con APRI....
does anyone have an opinion on ACA?

My pup is dual registered with ACA (American Canine Association) and APRI. Both sets of papers I rec'd go back 5 generations.

I don't think "dual registered" means anything good. Dogs who are registered with the AKC are registered for life, but if a breeder is suspended, the dogs litter can not be registered, so the breeder goes to one of the alternative registries, who will register any breeder. Remember, we are talking about the breeders not the dogs.


ACA - American Canine Association Advertises that over 3000 adult breeding canines are registered each week. Only registry endorsed by Petland. **Caters to commercial breeders.** Refers puppy seekers to pet stores.


APRI - AMERICA'S PET REGISTRY INC. Advertises free registration for commercial breeders. Non Profit 'dedicated to the preservation of the professional pet industry', dogs and cats. Founded by retailers of pets (commercial breeders and resellers).

Registries

Ok so can someone tell me why they have AKC puppies in pet stores. I thought pet stores were bad? Why would the AKC allow pet stores to promote them?

There are still many commercial breeders registered with the AKC, as pointed out many time before, the AKC isn't perfect, there are plenty of bad breeders registered with them. Unless a breeder is breaking state law, the AKC can do nothing to shut them down. The AKC in itself is neither good nor bad, it is the only "registry" that actually requires proof of parentage, so that makes it more reliable than any others, but it doesn't guarantee that the breeders are good. I hope that more pet owners will register their AKC eligible pets and become more actively involved in the AKC, and support them in their efforts of eliminating bad and inhumane breeding practices.

Nancy,what if AKC decided not to endorse Petstore of any kind and BYB without proper strict information. Would this help in the elimination of Puppy Mills and BYB?

My dog is APRI, I didn't know anything about these places until I had her at home and I bought her from a lady at 1.5 years old. The lady I purchased my dog from had bought her when she was a pup from some BYB, when I called them and spoke to them, 1. They didn't even have MOM OR DAD any more. They said they don't ship their pups out to families and they don't usually sell their puppies to people unless they can come to their home and get them, BUT THEY DO SELL THEIR LITTERS IN BULK TO PET STORES AND BROKERS.
Would I of bought this dog if I knew where she was coming from and her backround, NO I wouldn't of. I love her to death and she is a great pet, most loving dog I have ever owned, so gentle and everything else you would look for in a personality of a dog. BUT HEALTH WISE, it has not been that great. Never again though! I will only buy my next dog from a good breeder with American Kennel Club registry OR Canadian Kennel Club registry.

Not all breeders do it for the money, sure alot of them do but not all have that mind set. I would LOVE to have a litter of pups, infact we are looking into breeding our Bull terrier, but not for money, simply for the fact we love the breed, it's very hard to find these pups around where we live and I LOVE PUPPIES. Of course our bullie is AKC reg. because I stressed the importance of this to my hubby when he was looking

The breed club sets standards not as an arbitrary "beauty formula" to follow, but for very good reasons.

Number one, good structure is very important to overall soundness. A dog whose back is too long is prone to disc and other back problems. Conformation faults like knock knees or bow legs will cause a dog to overcompensate in other limbs and put abnormal stress on other joints. This can lead to arthritis, luxating patellas, etc.

The YTCA, like any other breed club, sets the standard as a blueprint for breeders to follow to ensure that Yorkies will continue to look and act like Yorkies are supposed to. It's like following a recipe for a cake. If you don't follow it exactly, your cake will not turn out the way its supposed to.

Just look at the the posts we get here from members asking if their dog is a purebred Yorkie. If you buy a Yorkie puppy, you are buying it because you expect it to grow up to look like a Yorkie, not a Chihuahua.

:thumbup::thumbup: Perfectly said, love how you refer to a cake recipe, now you have me thinking of making those cupcakes I am craving :p

I don't think AKC endorses pet stores, but they make no rules on where pets can be sold. I don't think we will ever eliminate commercial breeders, I think our goal here should be to raise kennel conditions, that very doable, if enough people get involved in state legislation. I doubt if we will ever get rid of backyard breeders, too many people are looking for inexpensive pets, and byb's, can usually beat reputable breeder prices, because reputable breeders put so much more money into their dogs. Considering the costs, of the original breeding stock and the health care testing, and other things that a byb doesn't have, a reputable breeder isn't making much on their dogs, but few can afford to loose money on each dog they produce. I look at the AKC as a library of sorts, where reputable breeders, can study the linage of certain dogs, and better choose a dog that will bring a valuable asset to breeding program.

I support the mother club of the AKC, the YTCA, and they have more rules, such as you describe, about not selling to Pet Stores, but even if you are choosing a YTCA member, you still have to do your homework, and not just rely on some label. Choosing a breeder is no easy task, but considering you will have the pet for 15 years, it's worth it to take some time to find a really good breeder.

My Sully has bow legs...DH noticed it after we got him his summer cut. :( Is it really a prediction of arthritis etc? Gee that sucks.

Has your vet checked his knees for luxating patella? Often bow legs and LP's go hand in hand.

Read this recent thread:

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sic...g-patella.html

How old is he? I would definitely start him on Cosequin to help prevent arthritis.

Actually I don't think most people care about the papers that much, and most don't understand the difference between registries. I think if AKC made more rules, more breeders would leave, and than inspections would fall only on the USDA which doesn't seem to suspend many people ever, they are much more likely to give them years to comply with their very lenient regulations. The AKC isn't a law enforcement agency, and cannot make rules for kennel conditions, any stricter than what state law authorizes.

[quote=danyellm;2649811]I know this is going off topic but this post caught my eye. Remember, Yorkies may not "shed" but they do lose their hair. They may lose it at a very fast rate if they have been through trauma (physical or emotional), and some health conditions can cause it. If you have ever seen a hypothyroid dog, they lose hair like crazy -- even Yorkies -- just as humans do. It was a caution sign for the dog. You may be right that the dog was not purebred, or maybe it was poorly bred. But the loss of hair could be several things, from fright to a disease.

(I am hypothyroid. When my levels are off, you would think I am a shedding breed myself! :) )