What's about Teacups???

[red98vett]

Originally Posted by len1yorkie

hello red 98!
thank you! so could you tell me what makes a breeder a BAD breeder? how do you know that they are not conning you? saying that they have got heath certificate and authorized, pictures from birth and full guarantee. i mean, i hear that the dog mills breeders are getting smarter! they take pictures of the puppies in a fake home with fake parents, but they actually come from caged little cells and badly treated and cared for! it's scary!
as soon as they call yorkies teacups or tiny's does that make them automatically dodgy? what makes a good breeder and do you keep in contact with them throughout the dogs' life?

Hi !! and no you don't have to be 'rich' to have a yorkie - I sure am far from that and I have 2. They are an expensive dog to have but no more than others if cared for properly - they just seem to have more vet visits due to size and the health issues we're seeing so much more of due to the mass breeding.

A good way to find a breeder is networking. It's so hard to say one thing to look for because as you said - they're very good at hiding or showing what they only want you to see. This site is so big that you can talk to others and get alot of info that will help you. Even going to the home sometimes isn't enough - (which we did) then learned later what kind of person my breeder was. So it's a guessing game sometimes but with the many people here you'll be able to get a good head start - if you find one you like - post the link ! ask questions and maybe even you can find a great puppy right here on the site. As I said - all breeders aren't ethical (even here) but at least here you can get a ton of feedback and that's the best way to start.

[tortoisekeeper]

Hi and welcome to YT. Have you thought about rescue?

[RoxyLuv]

Welcome to YT! You'll enjoy it here. Yep, people here from England and all over the world. We take everyone. Lots of great info here!

[Rhetts_mama]

Do you have to be "rich" to own a Yorkie?

No. But you absolutely are taking on a huge financial responsibility.The cost of the puppy is only a small fraction of what you are going to be spending over the next 15 years. A good quality food is essential and not cheap. Grooming every 6 weeks if you don't do it yourself is a major cost (around here, a groomer runs about $45 dollars each visit, I know it's more in other cities). Then you have the vet bills...vaccinations, regular check ups, spay/neuter fees, teeth cleaning...and that's if your puppy doesn't have any health problems! Then there are all the fun things- toys, bedding etc that seem irresistible. It's easy to spend $1000 plus each year on a healthy dog.

I watched the video you linked. Cute puppies. But a good breeder knows that AKC doesn't recognize the term teacup and wouldn't use it in an ad. Also, it struck me as odd that she offers a "picture package" for sale with the pups. Maybe it's a new trend... The breeders I've been fortunate enough to know always give pictures with their puppies...it doesn't cost anything to throw a few digital pics on a disc.

[cathys]

Hi, welcome to YT. My Sofia is 2.5lbs and 11.5 months old. I would not recommend one this small to anyone with small children, or who can't be with them most of the time. She is very small you can't let her go up and down stairs or be on furniture unsupervised. She must be watched very carefully at all times. Yorkies like to be underfoot, so one this small you must be every vigilant about her whereabouts. You could hurt her very easily, but on the other hand she is very easy for me to take everywhere. Most of the time people don't know I even have her with me. She is very quiet and loves just being where I am. She really can't be walked on a leash, because she could get stepped on, so I have a carrier for her. She loves to play with other dogs, and gets along great with them, you just have to watch that they don't get to ruff. I think any dog that is under 5 lbs is very small and needs special care. Your already on the right path, just coming here and asking questions. Yes, any dog can be expensive, so money does play a part in getting a puppy. Think of it more like adopting a baby, you need to plan and save for all contingencies. You will need an emergency fund, thats always helpful, as well as the daily expenses of good food, toys, beds etc. A dog is going to be with you a long time, so you need to plan for that, maybe 15 years or more, it is a decision that should be taken seriously. I'm no expert, but there are many on this sight that can give you some great advice. Keep asking questions and reading, so when you are ready, you will know what to look for.

[dagibbie]

Again, welcome to YT. My yorkie, General Lee, was the runt of the litter. He is now bigger than his parents! His is 12 pounds and full of energy. We are far from rich, but we always have some money reserved for him. We have move to a very rural area of TN and now actually put a bit more in reserve in case of snake attacks or him eating a bug he shouldn't. I got GL from a breeder. She just breeds her pair and sells the pups. We met with her a couple of times before we took GL. Yorkies are a joy to have.

[BellaMoon]

You are so smart to join YT! People are so helpful on here too and will guide you through the process and lead you down the right road to a successful pup! I wish i had done a little more research when I bought Bella @ only 8 and half weeks. Bella is on the smaller side, she is 5 months and 2 lbs. However the vet and I are hopeful that at a year old she will be 3-4 lbs. When looking for a dog, I wanted and needed a smaller pup bc of my apartment regulations. After looking and looking I found ads for Teacup Yorkies and fell in love with the look for Yorkshire terriers. I found a breeder North of the city (i live in Chicago) and didn't think twice once I met my little Bella who was only 18 ounces when I bought her. With this came BIG problems and even bigger vet bills. She became very ill from the stress of leaving her mom to early and suffered from hypoglycemia and almost died! It was awful. Every day I wake up thankful she is still with me but she has been sick at least three times or more, you can refer to some of the posts on here. So is it ok to want a small dog? of course because how can you resist how cute they are, but I would also advise that you get a clean bill of health and wait until they are 12 weeks+ to bring them home. THey are just so tiny they don't do well under stress. My little girl is amazing, and I can't tell you how happy she makes me the little bundle of joy. I hope you find your little pup and I do understand that financial issues are a problem so maybe wait until you graduate. I just graduated college last year and waited until i was on my feet with my job and finances before I got Bella. Good luck to you, I can't wait to see pics of your little baby when you get him or her.

[capt_noonie]

I just wanted to add, that if you want to be sure you are buying from a reputable breeder, make sure you go to their home and visit the pups a few times before you decide. A good breeder will ask just as many questions about you, as you would of them. Beware of buying from online, sight unseen, or having a young pup shipped to you. Make sure you see the parents, at the very least, the mom, so you get an idea of how your pup will look when full grown. No one can guarantee adult size. The only way you can be sure of getting the size you want is to adopt an adult.

Also please keep in mind, that if you only have X amount of money for a dog, or I can't afford *this* amount of money, think about how you will afford emergency vet care if needed. Also the really tiny ones can be more prone to broken bones, liver shunts, hypoglycemia if they won't eat. Not trying to scare you off about the small ones, but just trying to let you know. Some prefer the smaller one, some the larger ones. My Uni is 5 lbs and I think she is soooo small. You don't have to be rich to get a yorkie, but they are costly to own and keep up with the grooming and spoiling. Yorkies are high maintenance dogs, in personality and upkeep, but they are so worth it!

[alaskayorkie]

I read through this quickly and didn't see it anywhere: AKC standard for Yorkies is 7 pounds and under, not 4-7 pounds. So that alone kinda shoots down any official teacup designation.

[capt_noonie]

Originally Posted by alaskayorkie

I read through this quickly and didn't see it anywhere: AKC standard for Yorkies is 7 pounds and under, not 4-7 pounds. So that alone kinda shoots down any official teacup designation.

Oh yeah, I was gonna say that too.

I forgot.

[jazzybee445]

lol thanks for correcting me.. lol i believe i read it was 4-7 in my everything you need to know about yorkies book lol... haha goes to show some book writers dont know what they are talking about.

[jazzybee445]

almost posted the same post twice

[ltret0294]

Welcome to YorkeTalk. It is a great site to learn about Yorkies. Keep asking questions. the members will not steer you wrong and are willing to find an answer to tougher questions. Yorkies come in all sizes. My DJ was around 5 pounds/4 pounds when he died so young. Harley was 6 lbs when we adopted him and was around 8 lbs. If you take a look at my album you will see that the pups are not small with Zoey and Zipp around 8 lbs. All our pups have been rescues/adopted and range in age from 3/Zeke to 15/Zipp.

[alaskayorkie]

Originally Posted by jazzybee445

lol thanks for correcting me.. lol i believe i read it was 4-7 in my everything you need to know about yorkies book lol... haha goes to show some book writers dont know what they are talking about.

LOL, I wrote the same thing myself here one time and someone corrected me, so I'll NEVER forget!

[len1yorkie]

ohh this is so upsetting for me. nothing against you lovely guys. it's just that being here on the website seeing all the lovely pictures of sweet yorkies makes me so sad that i can't have one. i KNOW that i can't have one now, because i'm broke and don't have any savings as security for a puppy vet bills. and the last thing i want to do is make an innocent dog unhappy and hurt!
perhaps if i'm honest with myself... i am not quite ready physically as well. there's a lot of dedication and awareness and hard work to keep a dog happy which i don't know if i can do while studying hard.
i'm literally crying now!
maybe its a good idea i don't come here too often so i don't get reminded.
i just so want one yorkie of mine. but i got to be responsible.

all your feedback was very helpful, thank you all!