I have my own income thank-you-very-much. :)

But I don't want my parents to get mad at me for buying a dog since I respect them. ;) Buttttt, the only reason they don't want me to get one is because my mom's died of cancer and it was hard on her and my dad's was kidnapped. So they are "traumatized" in a way. I think that if I were just to walk in to the house one day with a dog, they'd be mad at first, but then they'd grow to like it easily.

But this is not the issue now! I need to know what to ask the people. Please stay on topic. /mini-mod

I had the same problem with the YTCA website. Try to mass email everyone listed within a few hundred miles of you, and if anyone replies, ask them for referrals. Most of the emails I sent came back to me because the email addresses were no longer in use.

The breeder you just mentioned seems ok, but you'd definitely need to meet them before going any further. The males are less expensive, and since you're just looking for a companion, why not go with that? As long as you get him neutered, there's really no big difference.

As for the yorkie in college thing--my best friend had a yorkie during college. A few things about that: she trained the dog from a very young age to remain quiet. In fact, the dog was so quiet that professors let her bring the dog to class (of course, we're talking about Miami here, so a different university might be a different story...lots of people bring their tiny dogs to class). Also, our sorority technically didn't allow dogs, but no one cared or reported her because she was adorable, well-behaved, and well-socialized. She trained her in her dorm room (when she was in a double and definitely NOT supposed to have pets). I'm not condoning that, but since the dog was so small and quiet, she got away with it. I think that in a way, a college student's lifestyle is almost perfect for having a dog because we're home for short bursts and then leave again. It's perfect for those quick puppy play-and-then-nap sessions.

My biggest advice would just be to go with the dog--of whatever breed--that matches your personality and lifestyle the best. Make sure you get to know the dog you're buying rather than just counting on the breed's characteristics to shine through. We bought our Stella specifically because she NEVER barks unless something big happens (like something falling off the counter, etc.), and even then, it's only once, and because she loves on EVERYONE and EVERY DOG. You have to live with their personality/temperament, so that's what matters. Good luck!

*revives thread*

Hi everyone! Long time no see. Long story short, I wasn't able to get a Yorkie after I made this thread because my mom wouldn't let me. But now that I'm graduating from university and will be living on my own, she's letting me get one now (yes, she still has control over me even at 22, lol). I'll be going to USC in the fall for grad school but will have more than enough time to take care of a Yorkie since my classes will not last all day.

Anyways, I called two breeders today and wanted to share what they said to get your guys' opinion (I want a male, btw). The first breeder sounded crazy - she said she'd sell me a puppy for $750. The catch was it has a crooked leg, which she says is from being "packed in there" during birth. Sounded too fishy, so I won't be calling her back. Though she was listed on the AKC website as "a breeder of merit."

The second breeder I called (AKC registrable pups) seemed more reliable. She sells her puppies based on sex and projected size. She said she could sell me an $800 puppy who is projected to be 6 pounds at full size. However, the puppy is only 8 weeks old. I thought you should only sell them at 12, and when I asked her that, she said that it depends on how sociable they are and other factors. She said she usually sells them between 8-12 weeks, though she has one who is 19 weeks that she is only able to sell now because she feels it is ready for someone's home. She also has 25 years of experience and said that she still owns the grandparents of the dogs I would be looking at - her oldest lived to either 17 or 19 - can't remember what age she said. If I were to purchase from her, I'd have to take it to a vet so they could check if everything was alright with it. And after that, she said I would have to get "5 in 1 shots" every few weeks until the puppy was 4 months old (along with a rabies shot at that time). She said she orders the shots from a catalog and administers them herself, but she said I should take the dog to a vet for mine (though she could do it for me, which would only be $5 per shot). She feeds the dogs Puppy Chow too. Also, when I asked her about how to potty train the dog, she said I would probably have to do crate training (which I heard is bad?). She said I would have to do something along the lines of putting the dog in a crate and then taking it out every 3 hours, putting it where I want it to go do its thing, and then give it a treat until it understood what I wanted. She said this takes a week, though I've heard it takes much, much longer for some people (like over a year sometimes). So I'm not sure - what do you guys think about this breeder? What other questions should I ask her? She'll send me a photo of the $800 puppy tonight and I might go see it tomorrow depending on what you guys think.

Congrats on getting into USC! I know about controlling mom's too. Mine still tries to boss me around and I'm 25. :p If you're mom is going to help pay for vet bills, I would let her tell me what to do too. ;)

Your instincts are right about wanting to walk away. I would. Bargain puppies aren't so much of a bargain in the long run. Kaji was a bargain pup and it looks like I'll be spending a few grand on LP surgery in our future. Not so much of a bargain now right? I love him the same, but it really is something to consider. Check the YTCA page for breeder referrals. Good luck.