Prices of yorkies
 

I was just wondering-
Sometimes, a really cute puppy with a, seemingly good breeder, will sell their yorkies for 800 and under. Then there are other breeders, who seem just as good as the others, sell their yorkies for well over 1300, up to 2000 dollars. Are there any reasons?

I know age has something to do with it, but most of these prices, the Yorkies are all around the same age.

It is not cheap to raise a litter properly, along with the proper testing and health exams of the dam & sire prior to breeding. Even when a $1500.00 puppy is placed, "most" breeders barely break even. Pedigree & lines play a big part in price. Health should be the number one thing on ones mind when choosing a puppy....price is always the last!

Pay for your breeder and what you get from her. It is well worth it on the long run, and the $1500 or $2000 from a great breeder that has been doing it for the betterment of the bredd with Champs in there is cheap in the long run. It is after you get the pup that the price runs up. My one dogs, Carlo has been very healthy for over 10 years. Now he needed Surgery and Chemo, and throw in all of the extra care and medicines, Specialists, Exams, blood, Ultrasound, etc, well, lets just say that the bill will be well over $10,000 before we are done.

The Yorkie has not been bad, but throw in Dental, exams, extractions, Illness, special diet, 2 bouts of Pancreatitis, and a $10,000 fence, as well as her Wardrobe, and you start talking some serious money. Do not buy the cheapest, buy the best breeder that you can afford.

Best advise you can give/get! :thumbup::thumbup:

"as well as her Wardrobe" you crack me up! :D

That being said, price isn't always the best indicator of a good breeder. There are a lot of ones out there selling puppies for 3000+ because of their extremely small size.

Take your time in researching what a good breeder is all about and what breeding for the betterment of the breed actually is. It's going to take more than a week to do it.

Interview multiple breeders. They should be interviewing you, too in order to make sure you will be responsible with their babies. You are building what should be a long term relationship here, this isn't the time for speed dating.

:yeahthat:

It is true that raising yorkies is expensive, but when you see someone labeling their dogs as "teacups" "teaspoons" or anything that means super tiny and the price for a super tiny is astronomical compared to a "normal" sized yorkie they have, RUN! Run as fast as you can away from this type of breeder. They don't care about their pups, they care about $$$$.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

"Bargain" puppies usually end up being no bargain in the long run as they really rack up vet bills as they age.

I wish I had known about YT before I bought a yorkie. Although I got exactly what I wanted and I love her to death she had a liver shunt which I'm sure a good breeder would have known about and not bred the parents. Just like with EVERYTHING you should do research and realize that most of the time you get what you pay for.

I agree on the price for the small and special types....Maybe they are over charging. Caveat emptor. They can ask 60,000, but does not mean you will pay that. Good Breeder, research, talk with, visit if you can, etc.

If a "breeder" is uping the price of a puppy due to size & advertising "teacup", "pocket" etc., pretty good indications NOT a reputable breeder. When placing a smaller puppy, a breeder needs to be extra careful placing only with experienced families. I have seen MANY puppies priced out of site due to size and families have NO idea the possible health issues with tinies.

I am very curious about this myself. I have just begun my search for a good breeder and I'm extremely nervous. From what I've seen, it doesn't appear my search will end soon. I am interested in a well bred male puppy, but there seems to be an extremely wide range of prices. I don't mind paying for quality ($2,000 over 15yrs is peanuts, anyway:)), however I don't want to be taken advantage of, either. What should I expect to pay?

Welcome to YT! Honestly, that is the hardest question to answer. If money really is not your biggest concern, focus on getting a great breeder. One that will stand by your side for 15 years.
There are some recommended readings in the Yorkies For Sale thread. They are at the top of the thread. The articles give you a good idea of what to watch out for. I'd be happy to post links to those articles if you'd like.

cost
 

You know i think that the cost of a yorkie and other dogs that go for $5,000 and down to $500 is a ton of money to spend on a pup. 5,6,7 i can see and kinda understand due to shots and food and getting AKC papers. I think that people just started to price these dogs to see how much people would pay. Shoot back in the day kids would sit in front of stores giving perfectly heathy pups away that never required as much vet stuff as they do know. So people now have thought of get rich SCHEMES cuz selfish people pay it. You know how great it would be if we payed less for a pup and put 5 thousand 4 thousand 3 thousand 2 thousand 15 hundred right down to 7 hundred into starving childrens mouths! Scenario) hello i would like to buya yorkie from you. I was wondering how much you charge. My yorkies are $1500.oo I AKC register them and have thier shots to date. Well i was wondering if we could make a deal I give you $500 for your time and papers vet stuff and we give the $1000.00 to an agencie that helps feed starving children! I am crazy I know and don't mean to affend, I just wanted to say something since the subject came up!!:animal-pa

In a perfect world that would be nice, but in reality, $500.00 would not even begin to cover the expense I occur in raising a litter and the dam & sire. Not that I am saying I haven't seen outrageous prices for yorkies, one just has to find the breeder first, then you pick your puppy. What it all boils down to is the "customer" is buying the breeder, not the puppy!:)

I think the health of the puppy is the most important thing, also it is important to consider what went into the puppies/sire/dam in order to determine if the breeder is worth the money or just plain greedy, it is usually pretty easy to tell.

The "lets feed starving children" scenario is overplayed. People spend lots of money on things that they don't actually NEED, if they have the money, it is not someone else's business to tell them what to do with it. I find many times these same people donate money to organizations in need as well. If we all were allowed to buy only what we needed and the rest had to go to "the starving children", it would be called communism, thankfully that is not the country we live in.

Can you imagine walking into a store, and asking the clerk if you can pay 10 dollars for 100 dollar jacket and just give the other 90 to charity? Thats not how things work.

To the OP: find a great breeder, that is someone who you trust, someone who seems to care about the well being of their pups, someone who you think will be there for you if any issues arise in the future with this dog and you need someone to turn to, someone who will answer any question you have no matter how trivial. Find the perfect dog for you, look at your situation and determine what type of dog would fit best. When you find the perfect dog from the perfect breeder, the cost wont be such a big deal! Good Luck.

How I wish I could get a car that way. ;)

Since I own a car dealership, I can relate!!!:D I have customers call all the time, they describe to me the vehicle they want and the price they want it for, I tell them I want a 2010 Mercedes for $10,000.00!:D

All puppies are cute. Cute does not mean quality. Prices fluctuate from one area to the next. Right now they seem to be lower than I have seen them in many years. It's pretty much the economy.

Very well put. You buy the breeder and get the dog for free.

Thanks for the welcome! I have been reading those and found some good information. I really wish I knew someone locally who had some personal experience with a good breeder. The breeders I have met with so far have not impressed me, which is why I plan on taking my time and doing my research. Meanwhile, I've been trying to soak up as much info from this board as I can.

You're definitely on the right track! Take your time, and interview breeders, as I bet the good ones will be interviewing you too. I'm so glad you read the threads! I think there is even a list of questions for you to ask. It's been a while since I read the threads. :p

Good for you!!! YT will help you get the best puppy. I just wish all people were like you.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
Amen!

:yelrotflm:yelrotflm:yelrotflm


That is funny! They would drive me crazy!

Being a good breeder is like being a good Mother to your child. Anyone can produce something. It is a good breeder that has spent a long time going thru pedigrees and spent months looking for dogs that are worthy enough to breed. That breed dogs that come ONLYfrom the American Kennel Club that has a true set standard and a sample of the males DNA is stored. They don't contribute to mass producing animals like you would a pair of shoes. They spend countless sleepless nights watching over their Mommies and babies. They breed 1 type of dog and they live in the home with them. Who stay home and love, play and nurture that baby so it is socialized, healthy and happy waiting for its new Mommy so it can go from their heart to yours. Bottom line you know when you bring home a baby from a good breeder how to care for it, they are going to be there 24/7 and stand behind the health and longevity of that baby. So if you are looking for a good breeder than you have to be prepared for the breeder to make sure your prepared and are going to be a good Mommy to one of their babies.

Well, I am sure you are the kind of person who does this with everything you buy, especially the things you can't possibly love or have as long as you have a pet. Like computers, I bet the people selling computers are good for doing something like this. Also, a computer these days doesn't last nearly as long as a pet and I've never owned one that I love as much as my cats or dogs.

Cars, too. Heck, if I didn't have the pets I have, I'd be driving a Mercedes, but I don't. Instead I buy high quality dog food and never hesitate to run my pets to the vet when necessary, and that includes veterinary specialists. It's a trade off.

No one has to pay 1,000 or more for a puppy. If the price offends you, go to the shelter, place your name on a list and hope a yorkie comes in that you can adopt for a very nominal fee, usually less than $100. That way you can give the balance of the 5, 6, or 7 you were willing to pay to help starving children. AND you can help a dog in desperate need of a home. And there are people even today that have unwanted litters of dogs and will take them to a Walmart to hand out to anyone who will take them.

Supply and demand usually determine price of everything, including puppies. Most really good breeders will have waiting lists for their puppies, or can easily place puppies they have, and they will scrutinize potential puppy buyers. Although not always, the price might even be a way to weed out some undesirable buyers.

It never fails to amaze me to see what some people are willing to spend money on, things that never touch the heart like a yorkie can, but complain about the price of a yorkie. It's like a good flat screen TV is worth more to them than the dog they buy. Yet, they love the dog and a healthy dog will certainly outlive a TV, and be more entertaining in the long run. I just don't get it.

My opinion here is that if you pay $2,000 for a puppy, he should be AKC registered and you should be able to get proof of all the health tests the breeder has done on the parents, including OFA and CERFs. There should also be a well written contract that spells out what will happen in the event of illness, including any genetic illness that shows up later. Replacing the puppy is not acceptable to me, as I could never give up a sick puppy that I had in my possession for any length of time, like more than an hour. Therefore, I would expect to see that the breeder will help with the cost of the vet expenses up to the price of the puppy, and anything over would be my responsibility.

And I agree with you, $2,000 is peanuts over 15yrs.

:thumbup:

Never fails to amaze me how much guys will spend on their CARS, and when it comes time to go to the vet, first thing out of their mouth is "how much is this going to cost?" :(

Also, if you don\'t want to/can\'t pay the price for a yorkie, please go to shelters and rescues! They ARE out there, and they need homes!

I keep reading over this post and it really bothers me how some people think when looking for a loving pet to add to their heart and home. GEEZ! I get calls all day and the FIRST thing most people ask me is the price. Well, I can guarantee you I will not be selling you one of my babies. If you cannot afford to purchase a puppy from a reputable breeder than how are you going to be prepared to take care of a sick one that comes from the puppy mills for $500. or better yet sold on the side of the road or thru the mail that you have never seen or no nothing about who is on the other end shipping it. Than after you buy these great deal puppies the reputable breeders get all the horror calls about their puppy that died or how sick it was their whole lives. Most reputable breeders aren\'t out to try and make a fortune off a puppy. They love their furballs and breed quality healthy babies to add joy and happiness to another families home because it brings so much joy to theirs.

Sorry that I don\'t spend all my money on a dog? I don\'t know how to reply to that. I\'m a student, was looking for a Yorkie for a REASONABLE price, but already found a Yorkie puppy.

Assuming you have two great breeders, one asking $2000 for a puppy, and one asking $950. There\'s no way I would go out paying $2000 out of my pocket, when I could spend $950. Especially when they would both be the same quality, and both healthy. You would be surprised what some people would do for money. I know for a fact, SOME breeders would ask more for their puppies than what they\'re worth. You can\'t trust many people in this world.