How much is a Yorkie puppy?
 

From talking to various people, the prices for yorkies from breeders who show seem to be around $1500.00 to $2,500.00 for a pet yorkie. These are breeders who are breeding for the right reasons, and that is improving the breed. They are not breeding to produce more pets; they are trying to improve the breed, and produce the "perfect" yorkie. In the process of doing this, they have offspring that, while not perfect, are great examples of the breed, and make wonderful pets. These breeders, sometimes, hold back a puppy that has show/breeding potential to evaluate its suitability for the ring. Since this can't be determined until 6-8 months, the dogs that don't quite make the cut are often sold at discounted prices because of one tiny flaw. It could be something the average pet owner would never notice, and in no way affect the health of the dog. Breeders, who show, are trying to improve the breed and also sell on strict spay/neuter contracts, and do not sell pet puppies on open registration. For those, who aren't familiar with the show world, the purpose of showing is for others to evaluate the dogs and see if they should be bred. It's extremely difficult to evaluate your own dogs with a critical eye. Remember, the cost of showing is high, it's not just the cost for shows, but also the cost for travel, hotel bills, restaurants, grooming supplies, and on and on. Beware of those breeders who call themselves "show breeders", many times they have just shown a dog or two, they have never championed one, and their dogs are not good representatives of the breed, but they just show so that they can call themselves "show breeders." Remember, that not everyone who shows is a good breeder, and paying more does not equal a better dog or better breeder.


Breeders who don't show can afford to charge much less for yorkies; these breeders seem to charge $500.00 to $1500.00. The purpose of breeding should never be profit, or to suppliment your income. Some people might wonder, "Why not breed for profit", this is a free country, and Americans are very enterprising. The reason breeding for profit is a bad idea is that when you need a profit, you will take horrible shortcuts. You will not test your lines for health problems, you will breed dogs that are poor representatives of the breed and don't have the qualities that a yorkie should have. Besides physical attributes, a good breeder looks at personality because many aspects of personality are inherited. A breeder who breeds for profit, cannot afford to eliminate a dog from the breeding program because of genetic flaws, and often can't afford suitable vet care. Breeding is not as easy as it seems, in nature, animals breed without human intervention, and nature decides which animals will survive, and later reproduce. However, when man steps in, everything changes, and we need to realize the seriousness and responsibility that comes with this intervention. Breeders are creating LIFE that has feelings and experiences pain; they are not creating some inanimate object. If their work is shoddy, the puppy, as well as the family it lives with, suffers. There is NEVER any excuse in supporting breeders who breed for profit, you are enabling them! This doesn't mean that all breeders who don't show are breeding for profit, but it's easy to sort them out, if you've done your homework, but you have to be smarter than them, because many have learned to "talk the talk". Even breeders, who don't show, should understand the importance of showing.

The third class of breeders is what I would call "marketers." Their prices reflect their advertising and marketing ability and not the quality of the dogs. Prices range from $1,800 on up to $10,000 and more. They produce puppies merely for the pet market, although they often sell on open registration. They are usually one-trait breeders and breed only for that trait, usually, some supposed "rarity", and have carved themselves a corner of the market. Their businesses are purely profit motivated and they are breeding for money. They often appeal to the pet buyer who interested in status, not quality.

Buyers who buy puppies online or in pet stores are supporting the second and third class of breeders, you are enabling poor breeders to survive and great breeders to die. I urge everyone who cannot afford to support a REPUTABLE breeder to support a REPUTABLE rescue and shelter! Reputable rescues should charge around $300.00 and the dogs are spayed/neutered. Reputable rescues, like reputable breeders, are not profit motivated.

While I think it's great that Americans are enterprising, I think Americans need to be more forward thinking, and think of the FUTURE, even if it doesn't affect them directly. What we do today, affects the future significantly, support great breeders and the future of the Yorkie is protected!

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup: Excellent Post Nancy!!! ;)

Thanks for this post, Nancy. One question: I remember last year that... Brooklyn? posted that puppies from show breeders were of comparable price to those that weren't. This seems to say otherwise?

I see in your post that at one point the prices are comparable, however I don't think it is your point. It is more about the differances in the breeding practices; one type a breeder putting their heart and soul into their lines and another type breeder, breeding to fulfill a buyer market.

Well, all I can say is that I bought Mia for a ton of money from Petland. She was sick and almost lost her like 3 times.

I bought Max from a wonderful, well-known, exhibitor/breeder (with over 100 champions) and paid so much less than Mia it would knock your socks off! He's never had any health issues.

My son and I flew to Dallas, rented a car, stayed 2 days at a motel and I still paid less for Max. (don't forget about eating :D)

I really can't believe how much pet stores get for their dogs! The pet store up the road from me - ALL their puppies are well over $1200, and most are mixes (Puggles, etc). :rolleyes:

So you very well now understand the reasoning for supporting reputable breeders over what Nancy identifies as Second and Third Group Type Breeders.

Great post. Can you believe I actually got told by some-one I thought I knew that she wished instead of working that she'd gone into breeding. Her only reason for not doing it was they didn't have a garage or out building to keep the dogs in, as after all you cant keep that many dogs in the house. All they needed was somewhere warm and feeding.
I asked what about exersice and freash air, attention from their owner, being kept clean and healthy. She did have the grace to admit you would have to take them to the vets. Her breed of choice was Chi's, because they're popular and sell for alot of money.

I purchased my puppy from a member of YTCA who shows dogs and I didn't pay as much as you say Yorkies from show breeders normally are? Would you agree that prices also have to do with what area of the country the breeder lives in?

I'm sorry, I can't tell if this is directed at me or Nancy. I am genuinely confused. I believe it was Brooklyn who wrote out a long post about how puppies from show breeders did not cost more. I can try to find it if anyone is interested.

excellent post Nancy...pleasure to read it. My personal experience shows that you can even get a dog from a local newspaper ad for even cheaper than the prices listed on your information but that you are asking for a lifetime of health/behavioral issues. not that these cannot be treated, but they cost more money than you pay for the dog and they are difficult to stomach.

for my next dog i'm going a totally different route and most likely will adopt my next dog from a shelter and rescue and rehabilitate it.

thanks again for the wisdom Nancy.

Not necessary, I remember the post as I posted on it. And Donna and I think on the same lines and operate pretty much the same, since we both started in Texas and belong to the same Yorkie Clubs.

The prices are comparable, and of course, approximate, as I stated, a breeder who shows may charge $1500 and even less for an older puppy, I know of several people who have paid $800.00 for 8 month old puppies that had been held back and of course, this is a close to a "show dog" as most pet owners will ever get. I just don't want to give the impression that show breeders prices are unrealistically low. If you look at prices in Yorkietalk classified you will see the average price is around $1,500 and these are not breeders who show.

I think Nancy is attempting to put forth the thought of supporting a certain type breeder over another. Yes, she has outlined prices from various breeders, but these prices were a ball park figure and can vary from region to region and breeder to breeder.

Pet stores would fall into the third category, and that would be the marketing category. You don't get what you pay for.

The prices are approximate, and averages from various threads I've read. You bring up an important point, prices do vary around the country, and places where cost of living and vet fees are higher may need to charge more. Good breeders give price breaks when they can, especially if the find someone who can provide an exceptional home.

Yes, you are right, I know of breeders here who say they can only charge $350.00 if they sell locally, but if they sell over the Internet; they can sell for much much more. They shouldn't be able to charge as much as an experienced qualified breeder, just because they've found a wider audience, but they do.

I know that vet care certainly varies a great deal depending on the part of the country you live in. The actual dog may run close to the same but the vet bills are generally much less expensive in Texas than in Massachusetts for example. So if you were to have to compensate the breeder for spaying etc, that could make a big difference in the price.
I found this by comparing with a Breeder/Exhibitor of Chihuahua's that I know from that area.

Exactly! I've read so many times that "You get what you pay for", but this is not always the case in the dog world. You have to do you're homework and research, and you will be able to find what Consumer Reports calls, "Best Buys". :D

Thanks for this post. :)

Marcel came from a show breeder (Durrer lines, pedigree is champions/Can. Ch/BISS) and his price was on the very low side of the price you have listed for the show breeders. Bc he was the runt of the litter, the breeder knew he was "pet quality" right away, and kept him until 4mths since was a tiny.

And YES - "Breeders create life" - here here - and those little lives should not be about profit.

Another great point you made - "Remember, that not everyone who shows is a good breeder" - very important point! There are people who show who are so wonderful, at some point, and then something goes wrong along the way - so they do have wonderful pedigrees to show, from some point of their career, but they are no longer good breeders :(. Or, like Nancy says - they show, but are just not a good breeders - at all. So then the question is - within the show world, how do we find a good show breeder? (that is probably a question for another thread, but ....)

Marcel has some health problems, doesn't he? Did you notify the breeder, and if so, were the parents taken out of her breeding program?

I ran across some old ads for Yorkies from the 1800's. The puppies were priced from $15 - $25. Dogs were $150 - $300. Seems like nowadays things have flipped as most pet buyers value a young puppy more and a mature, yet still young dog is less desirable to many.

With Yorkie pups being so subject to change, you would think that people might value an older pup more as there would be less mystery on how it would turn out. Looks like it used to be that way, but somewhere that thinking changed.

He has allergies :( (pollens). And he had a breathing episode at 2am that I posted about in the ER section (about 1.5yrs ago now?) - which is still undiagnosed. The vet thinks bc he has such a short face, it could be elongated soft palate, or reverse breathing (more due to his being a tiny and the runt, not genetic).

Are you thinking of my Wylie, w/ his hypothyroid and Atypical Cushings? He's my guy w/ health issues, in my mind - he'll have those forever. He came from a very poor breeder; I wouldn't call her breeding a "program" :( and she had no interest in hearing about Wylie. He also has LP.

so if a breeder is with the YTCA, is an exhibitor and a breeder, does that automatically mean s/he is a reputable breeder? other than the obvious red flags, how can you tell whether a breeder who shows is a "good" breeder? what separates the ok from the good and the good from the great?

All I can say is that is a lot of money for a dog in the $1800's! According to the inflation calculator The Inflation Calculator, what cost $300 in 1890 would cost $7,072.22 in 2009. So, I'm assuming these older dogs were considered for potential breeders, not for pets. The cost of breeding dogs is another thing altogether, but I imagine some of the same things are true. I do know that some great breeders will place a breeding dog in some homes for little or no cost, but this is part of a serious mentoring program.

Nancy, the ads didn't mention any particulars about them. The only info was puppies at one price...dogs at another higher price. I guess it's wide open to interpretation. There weren't that many Yorkies available back then so I would guess the price would be high anyway.

Nancy, thank you for another excellent post!

This section in particular really struck a chord with me. Once again you amaze me with your words. :thumbup::thumbup:

No, in this world they are very few absolutes. I wish it were that easy, just to say, go to this club and you are ensured of finding a reputable breeder, but you still have to do research about each individual separately. I think any breeder can produce a pup with health problems, and what the breeder does after this, is what makes the difference, as to whether they are reputable or not. I'm just trying to give a slight guide to pricing. So many people assume YTCA breeders are outside their price range. The real truth is that breeders who are YTCA members are often as stringent as rescues on placing pups, and this is the biggest hurtle for most people, not the price.

Concerning your question on, "What separates the ok from the good and the good from the great" would make a great thread in itself! I know I've talked to some great breeders who have much higher standards for breeders and what they call great, than I do.

That's pretty cool! Can you post pics/links? I'd love to see those.

You're right, I am thinking of Wylie. Again, I'm sorry for the health problems he's had, but I know he's really lucky to have you looking after him.

Back then; I'm sure there were no puppies sold on limited registration. I think this is a fairly recent phenomenon. Even when I was growing up, most people thought if you bought a dog, you should breed it, especially if it were a purebred. A dog sold for that price was probably seen as having excellent breeding potential, not just average.