Please Help Substantiate the Costs of Yorkies?
 

I am still in search of our first forever pet yorkie. We have been in search since last year. I am having a hard time convincing DH about the prices for one of these little darlings. I also am having a tough time to even give him substantial reasons for the costs myself.. as I am new to the breed.

If buying from a "Hobby" breeder, why are they advertising at $1200-1800 for a puppy? I could see if they were from a champion sired momma and daddy who actively were shown and promoted, but to pay that much for a puppy from a "hobbyist".. is that normal? I have even encountered some who are asking more than $2000.

Also, we are considering a breeder who shows and is local.. They do not have a litter now and not any planned until later this year. I do not know about waiting and if so, do we just deposit on a puppy without even seeing anythng other than the parent? I have only seen the parents on their website. They seem leery to allow us to see them and these are very well-known breeders who are national champions... I know they are very well known and our vet mentioned they knew of them and they raise great dogs... But, they do not seem willing to allow us to even see what they have.

So, I am here at home, spinning my wheels trying to figure out what is the best course of action? We truly want a little girl...just because... and we want a very nice puppy... but I hesitate to pay for a dog that is not near me to see, I don't know anything about the people and don't know about their "hobby". Can you substantiate that? Thank you in advance for your advice... I appreciate it.:)

I'd suggest "buy the breeder" first. There are many, many threads on the traits of good breeders. First and foremost they will be interested in placing their puppies in good homes, and breed for the betterment of the breed.
Prices vary all over....I personally would not go by price, but a healthy quality pup now at $2000 could be a bargain over a $800 pup that you find out is sick later.

I would personally not get a pup from someone that was hesitant to show me the parents in person as well as their home environment that they raise the pups in.

All puppies are cute, be sure to use your head and common sense, and go with your gut feelings.

Be careful with the hobby breeders as alot of times their hobby is making money! I know of a lady who breeds very well known Yorkies and she will not allow people in her home. She used to allow screened prospective pet owners in, but a few years ago was asked to show a pedigree of one of her bitches. As she turned to get the correct file the couple left the home with 2 of the 3 puppies. She had one in her arms. The puppies were only 5 weeks old and the couple was supposedy ready to put a deposit down on one of the pups. She had been breeding for over 20 years and was always able to screen well... it seems that criminals come in all shapes and sizes - and now she will not allow anyone in her home to see her puppies. As her health deteriorates she breeds very seldomly, but I totally understand her logic. Just some food for thought!

The costs of breeding ethically are ungodly when you really think about them, therefore, so are the pups being produced. Consider the price of the dogs, whelping and grooming supplies, vet bills, health tests, registration fees, food, vaccinations. Then there could also be show costs, supplies, and heaven forbid if the dam experiences problems, has to have a c-section, etc.

Please read this thread and it can help you on prices and the type of breeder to support.
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/gen...kie-puppy.html

Explanation on breeder/exhibitors....they breed minimally, but breed for themselves first. And most of the time you will have to be put on a waiting list. However, at no time is a deposit requested until the litter is born. They will more than likely interview before allowing you into their home and the pups are over 8 weeks and have had their first innoculation. It's normal practice. These breeders are not in the business of selling puppies, even though they do. There first priority is for the welfare of the puppies and only want the best for them. Yes, you will have questions for them, but be prepared to be grilled too. It won't be a situation where you meet and you walk away with a puppy on the first meeting.

You are right to do your homework, take your time, don't be in a hurry. We are an instant, I want it now society....but this is a major decision. Stay away from websites, classifieds. Stick with a breeder that you have easy access to and when the time comes can visit the breeder and puppies.

Yorkies are an expensive breed to own, and I'm not even talking about purchasing the puppy! The upkeep is expensive, and this breed is not for everyone. But if you already have your heart set on a yorkie, make sure you research a lot! Just bc a breeder charges a large amount of money does not make the pup any better than a lower priced one. And that goes both ways, just bc a pup is priced lower does not necessarily make it a poorly bred one. Price is effected by many things, and actually the price is relative. There are bad breeders out there who breed "teacups" and "teaspoons" and charge $5000 and up. Absolutely ridiculous! Or they say a pup is "rare" (which in fact could be a genetic defect) and sell for more $$$.

If you truly want a good breeder, i suggest you start from the breeder referral list at http://www.ytca.org

There is also an informative thread here you should read: http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/general-yorkshire-terrier-discussion/201720-how-much-yorkie-puppy.html

It is much better to get a healthy well bred pup from a reputable breeder that may cost more, than to get a cheaper poorly bred pup from a byb with health problems down the road. the poorly bred pup will cost you more in the long run. Good luck!

I guess I posted the same time as you Mary, we linked the same thread!

Great Minds.:p

:thumbup:

And when thinking about the prices of other things like flat screen tv's, fourwheelers (toys in general), $2000 isn't really that much b/c doggies love you back. :)

I don't want to discourage you from getting a puppy b/c you sound like you are doing a great job with research/would be good owners, but if $1000-$1500 is making your husband hesitate (totally understandable), then what happens when vet bills get that high (and they may)? So just lots of things to think about... Yorkies can be very expensive dogs all around. I'd suggest starting a savings account for pup's needs early and/or insurance. :)

The other thing that hasn't been mentioned is that BYBers, Puppy Mills, Whole Salers, Brokers, Pet Stores have capitlized on this breed, since they are the #2 most popular dog in the USA. When this happened I cringed, I knew breeders would be coming out of the wood work.

Shoe on the Other Foot?
 

I can only explain it from my point of view.......I did Breed my 2 Yorkie's, w/c
had a litter of 3, 1 male & 2 females. I Sold the male for $1,800.00 and 1 female for $2,000.00 and we kept the smallest one w/c is now almost 4 yrs. old and she is only 4 1/2 lbs. I get offers all the time from People I meet every
day. I had a 1 1/2 year waiting list, plus a $500.00 Deposit that was paid on each of the puppies when they were 8 weeks old to hold them until they were
20 weeks old. So I had the pleasure of enjoying them until they were picked-up by their New Families, they were allowed to visit their puppies and take pictures until they were old enough to leave my Home. Many times they only gave me 5 min. notice that they were "on their way"! My House was always clean so I never had any complaints. The Parents do have 14 Champions, in the past 3 Generations of their Pedigree/Bloodline. I know I was very Lucky,
since she did NOT have any complications. I also had to pay for their Tails to get "Docked" & their Dewclaws removed by the Vet. w/c was $150.00 per puppy, 3 days after they were born. I also paid for all their shots until they were 20 wks. old. I can tell you that I did'nt set the prices I just based it on what other Breeders were charging in my area. As well as comparing prices on the Internet too! There is NO Justification in the price of these Dogs, that's just how much they are? They are a 20 yr. Investment and for the record they are very addicting, I'm sure once you get one you will want another one! I'm pretty sure once you find the right Breeder and the right Puppy? There are alot of Yorkie's that need to be "Rescued" too? You might want to consider a Rescue?

Well the good thing is they have slipped to 3rd place and I hope they continue to slip...and you are so right...so many people just cashing in on them...so many animals suffer.

Yes, they did drop to #3 in 2009, but the litter and dog registrations are up again in the first 3 months of this year.

Thank you all for your words of advice. I totally get the reasons why... I have a background in showing/training horses and know how much money can go into animals. It is more my husband... And, I am truly a person who wants to visit the breeder, be more hands on with getting to know the sire/dam before buying or even considering a dog. However, I can understand the breeder's worries, this strange person who found them online and they don't know me from Adam!! So, I can understand that. The breeder I am very interested in is "top" notch. I have no doubts based upon vet info, people in the community and so forth. I have been invited to attend a dog show they are going to (this year) to see the breed, get to watch etc..Which is very interesting to me... I just have to find out when the next one is. I think that will be fascinating.

I want a good dog... I want one that is well bred, healthy and will be great with my family... And, you bring up good points... the costs down the road... It is an investment. Good help!! Thank you very much!! You are all so sweet!! ;)

You live in Ohio, check out the YTCA.org breeder referral pages also the regional club show dates.

I'm not sure who the midwest Dog Show Superintendent is, but infodog.com publishes all the dog shows and their dates for the whole country.

Everyone had some really great info, as always;) But I just wanted to touch a tiny bit on why hobby breeder is used.

For example, here in my state when you go to get a breeding license they have 2 categories. One is either a commercial breeder or a hobby breeder. A hobby breeder usually is, or used to be, for people who bred for show, which is their hobby. So it is basically how the term came about.

A hobby breeder who basically isn't making money, a commercial breeder is certainly making tons of money.

They just recently changed some of the laws here, but if you have 10 dogs or less you are a hobby breeder.

We also have to have a breeders/kennel license even if every single dog is altered. In my county we cannot have any more than 5 dogs without having a "kennel" license.. Even if you don't have a kennel you are treated as if you do. they seem to consider your home a kennel..at least mine anyhow since my dogs all live in my house..

Anyhow, that was meant to be helpful so I hope it was;)
Have a great saturday

Gosh, I feel your pain.

There are not many breeders in my area and all the ones I had talked to were freaking nuts. In some cases, beyond nuts!

I understand that breeders might have to deal with all sorts of weirdos that want to buy their puppies but being a lady that is looking for a nice pet to love, there are a couple of breeders that I just couldn’t deal with. Its almost unfair to their dogs, knowing that they scared away someone who could have loved one of their dogs as much as I love my little Lula.

Oh and then there is breeder drama. "don’t buy from that breeder, she wears purple on Sundays and washes her dishes with hand soap" type stuff. I don’t give a crap about you breeders personally, you could worship satan for all I care, just as long as you have loved, healthy puppies. Sometimes the breeder attached just isn’t worth the dog.
You want to come see my house? Sure, I'll even make you a 5 course dinner. Want to talk to my landlord? I'll invite him over too, perhaps even my best friend who is a dog trainer and dog foster parent, maybe even a handful of my other breeder/trainer/vet friends. Anything just get this breeder hell over with! Oh, but I only have a partially fenced in back yard. whemp whemp wahhmp.
Game over.

One woman wanted $3500 for her puppies. Most were looking for over $2000. I would have loved to adopt but most adoption puppies have more problems than I can care for at this time in my life.

I ended up flying to a breeder out of state. Its funny how different breeders in different areas have way different prices. Even with couple flights I still paid less than what people in the MA area wanted.

Its sick. If a dog isn’t show quality and is being sold as a pet it should defiantly without a doubt have a different price. A reasonable pet price. I think if some of these breeders lowered their pet price they could put puppy mills out of business.

I can honestly say at one point I wanted to just go to the mall and pick up a dog. It would have saved me months of headaches (yea I know, in the long run, vet bills, blah blah, I know, Ive read the 8 millions threads dedicated to cheap puppy mill puppies) all I’m saying is that I felt punished for doing things the right way.

Hi, I completely understand where you're coming from and that's why I wrote this thread, that several people have already linked. http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/gen...kie-puppy.html I tried to explain the difference in pricing. So many times you read, "You get what you pay for," and this is NOT true when it comes to pricing dogs. Please read the thread, and you will be a little more aware of the different categories of breeders, and different pricing strategies. Good luck in your search, and remember a Yorkie is a 15-year investment, your yorkie will become an important family member, and you will be glad that you found it from a reputable breeder.

Can I ask why you want to buy from a breeder? Are you intending to show or breed your new pup?

If that is your intention, then do your homework on the breeders.

But if it's just a wonderfully sweet dog you are after, have you considered a rescue? Both my mother and I recently adopted. We both have young males (Mine is 12 weeks, rescued from a breeder) hers is 17 weeks (was going to be put down by the breeder because of his too small stature.) The initial cost of rescuing was significantly less than purchasing from a breeder; around $400. We also found a great rescue society that let us visit with the puppies several times so we got to know their personalities. Yes, they screened us thoroughly, even called our vets to get references from them. (I did the same to her, I wanted to know that she was taking good care of my little guy.)

Just a thought...

:thumbup: Thank you for posting about rescue. Elaine

I second Elaine's and rhetts mama replies. Out of 6 rescues Zoey was the most expensive at $400 dollars. It did not cover the rescue groups spay, vetting etc. There are many dogs in rescue groups looking for a good forever home. There is a small rescue group in Butler OH that has "toy breeds". That is the rescue where I adopted Zipp (was Spike) from late Feb '10.
Bob (dad to four rescues)

Pay all you can afford to from a great Breeder who breeds not for money but for breed inmprovement, and showing. If your personalities clash, don't buy from them. They can be a great resource after the sale. Besides the upfront cost, they can get very expensive after they are home. Illnesses, clothes, food, dental cleanings, fixing, etc. I am not kidding when I say we have over $20,000 in ours. The cost of the dog was the inexpensive part, even though she cost more than the first Car I bought...bit that was well over 40 years ago.

Talk, references, and you can still buy from a great breeder without seeing the pup...there are pictures, reputation, etc. Best of luck

You were extremely lucky to get a puppy from a rescue. It is a very rare thing. There is nothing wrong with buying a puppy from a good, reputable breeder though. Older rescues can and most of the time, come with issues that some folks just don't want to deal with, and I don't blame anyone for not wanting to adopt. Of course there are many very well adjusted rescues out there. But not to often.

I was looking at one rescue the other day and they were asking 600.00 for adoption fees.. I don't think I have ever seen a rescue charging that much before. it just surprised me.

I agree that looking into rescue is a great idea. I just went to petfinder and only about 6 came up for my state and all but 1 was special needs. One was paralyzed, (cute tho), another had kidney disease, one was deaf, another had LP and would need surgery eventually..

They of course deserve homes, but not many people are up to caring for dogs that have these problems. So you pay the adoption fee's which are often higher then 250.00 and then you have to be able to afford their medications and surgeries. Thats a lot for some people as we know LP surgery is very expensive.

So people find it easier more often than not to just go buy a puppy from a breeder. Now of course these things can happen to your own puppy especially if you buy from a bad breeder.

Good point, poor breeders selling their dogs as through "rescues" is one of the fastest growing scams. This is when you're most likely to get to find puppies. Occasionally, a reputable rescue has puppies, if there has been a bust, but it is more likely to be a scam. Reputable rescues are listed here. GuideStar nonprofit reports and Forms 990 for donors, grantmakers and businesses Reputable rescues also insist on spaying and neutering before placing pups. While I think it's great people are considering rescues, make sure they are reputable, otherwise you are just enabling millers to continue breeding. Furthermore, your point that, "There is nothing wrong with buying a puppy from a good, reputable breeder though," should be remembered. If we want the Yorkshire Terrier breed to continue in the future, we need to support reputable breeders.

There is also another option and a good one. At times reputable breeders will place their retired females in homes for the price of a spay and teeth cleaning, sometimes even less. These girls are usually Championed and are still young/approximately 5 years of age, many years left for loving. These girls have been well taken care of, house trained, socialized and of course healthy.

You said what I was thinking but didn't want to say out right..lol.. I see that on CL all the time..

Always make sure the rescue is legit :)

And supporting reputable breeders will help cut down the PM profits too! If we don't buy from them they will eventually go out of business (ok I can hope right?)

Very very true!! I completely forgot about that!

Yes, some do have issues, but not all. I've seen quite a few that are perfect. And, yes you do have to check out to be sure the rescue is reputable. There are a lot of brokers now posing as rescues and charging upward of $600 and not spaying or neutering. I adopted my Lilly at 13 weeks of age. She is a pure bred and although not a show dog, she is very pretty, ears up and small like a lot of people like. She's 4 lbs. full grown. The rescue I adopted her from, and who I now volunteer with had a fee of $400 for her. She had already been spayed (pediatric spay) which I don't necessarily agree with but they were cautious. She also had her shots, heart worm preventative etc. She has no issues what so ever. And knock on wood no health issues thus far (She's 3 yrs. old now). What I like about rescue is the fact they are upfront. You know what you are getting and you can make a decision based on what you want and can handle. Buying a pup does not always insure no issues. Many have bought even from reputable breeders and have later had to pay for LP surgery, and some who have bought later discovered Liver Shunt. I think it's a misconception to think that if a dog is in rescue they have issues. Some do, but the rescue is upfront about them. But many are in there to no fault of their own. Owners moved and can't or don't want to take the dog with them. Kids came into the picture and no time for the dog. Or just someone bought a pup and didn't have the patience to house train. Again, not cramming rescue down anyone's throat, but for someone who is looking I do think it's a nice place to start. Elaine