I understand everyone on this blog loves to educate others/share their experiences etc...and that's great--but, I, like Yorkieinc, didn't want to pay what I thought was an extreme price (anything over $600), for my dog.

I searched for over a year for a dog to buy---then recently searched for a rescue dog---but it became like applying for a job.The shelters wanted me to fill out application, wanted references etc.... after a few weeks doing that I decided go back to a place I found during my initial search to purchase a yorkie. I felt really good about a particular place I found and they happened to be a few miles from my parents home, in another state than I, so I went in person to check out the facility and puppies, and bought my pup.

He is AKC registered (which I've read on this forum in another post that doesn't really matter, but in this particular post people are saying it does). My vet says he's extremely healthy, and he's been great so far. Since day 1, he's wanted to potty outside or on a pee pad, and not in his crate. At 17 wks, he picked up bell training in a few hours.

So, thus far, no horror story here. I pray he stays healthy and does not have any issues (I know things can pop up later on in life--but I am confident he will be fine).

Not downing those who paid a low price and does happen to have issues with their dogs, I'm sorry that happened to you--and sharing your story is great. But let's not forget about others who did do their research and paid $1,000-$2,000 and do not have a healthy dog, or even worst their dog is no longer alive. No doubt, you will have a better chance having a healthy/happy dog with a great breeder, but nothing is 100% sure in life. I don't believe every puppy under a certain price, being sold by someone who isn't deemed a "reputable" in your eyes, is a puppy mill dog/un-healthy dog.

I posted, not to start any trouble, but because I understand where the original poster is coming from....and reading responses on this Forum when it comes to this subject gets to be too much, especially when the same thing is repeated over and over. So I wanted to share a different angle, even though I may get negative responses.

i have to refute you a bit here...

there are occasions when you find a decent breeder out there that don't charge over 1000 for their pups. it does happen. i'm glad you went and looked at the breeder's home yourself. that is a smart thing to do! not every lower price is a BYB or puppy mill, but a vast majority are. it's terrible but the reality is that they are not vetting the dogs well enough for it to cost them the money they are making. selling a pup really cheap usually leads to the fact that they did not pay to have the pup properly vetted and they are making mostly profit on the sale. it also means that at times they are turning those pups out at 6-8 weeks old to get the sale, make the money and do the same thing all over again. if they throw a puppy out the door really fast, they don't have to give it it's vaccines and they don't have to spay/neuter it, and it's gone and there's room to breed more of them. they make money, we suffer the consequences.

as for rescues...you mention the long application process and reference checks. that's for the protection of the pups. the rescue invests a ton of money making the puppy healthy and ready to go home. they like a reputable breeder put a lot of work and time and money into the dog and want it to go to a good home. they check to make sure previous pets were up to date on vaccines and taken care of, they don't want to see the dog back in the shelter a year later dumped yet again. it's a good thing they make you do apps. and reference checks. if they didn't pups would be returning over and over when someone gets bored or doens't have the time or money anymore. and also the rescues i've worked with have a simple one page application and get back to you the same or next day for approval or not. it's not that difficult and far easier a process than most breeders even. local city shelters barely take applications at all, they are kill shelters sometimes and happy to get the dog out of the euthanasia listing. so it's not a big deal to rescue, in fact it's easier, cheaper, and more rewarding IMO than a puppy.

:thumbup:
The things mentioned in this post are great things to know about now while searching. I did not learn about all that goes into quality breeding until it was too late.

I will admit, price was something I looked at too when searching for my Yorkie. I thought "$1,000, yeah right!" Now, 3 years later I have spent wwaayyyy over that in just care for my girl's gentetic disorder she has because of poor breeding practices.

Had I spend that upfront, I would be the owner of a healthy baby instead of suffering with grief and worry of dealing with her problem and constantly spending money to make her life as comfortable as possible. Please, don't get me wrong, I LOVE my Maddie and would take no amount of money for her. She is the light of my life, I just do not want you to make the choice I did and buy based on a good deal.

Knowing what I know now, I really feel stupid about the way I went about getting her. However, I believe things happen for a reason and she was brought into my life for a reason. If nothing more than to use out experience to educate others.

I wish you the best of luck in your search for your Yorkie baby. Please look at more than just price and choose to support a good breeder who truley cares about their babies and takes all neccessary precautions to enusre your baby will have the highest quality of life.

YT is a wonderful resource to use while on your search. The reward these little creatures give is well worth the wait.:)

yorkies are great you wont regret getting one. but yes do your research i paid close to 1200 for my yorkie becuase it was suppose to be a "teacup yorkie" totally false!!!

I would advise you to pay a little extra. Never trust people who are selling yorkies for cheap because they could come with so many health issues.

That is another unfortunate situation. People who breed for teenies, teacups, teaspoons (no I'm not making that up) focus on one thing, size. Nothing else matters. That is a large red flag that should tell you, "DON'T BUY FROM THIS PERSON!!!" They charged for a well bred yorkie, hoping you wouldn't see past the promise of a tiny puppy, and pocketed that money. I'm sorry to say you've been had.

No one, and I mean no one can guarantee size or color. The best a great breeder can do is an estimated guess, and they will be upfront about that.

That is true. I think that it is irresponsible when breeders breed dogs to be teacups because they usually come out with a lot of health issues. I am not going to say that my dog isn't really small, but she is not going to be as small as a teacup. Besides she just came out as being the small one of the litter, and she wasn't breed to be that small.

I find it funny that people get stuck on the whole teacup thing. Size doesn't matter. Yorkies, even our beloved teapots, are still small dogs. I have a 7 pounder, and he is teeny. Not teeny tiny, but he's small. He's the perfect travel companion and I don't have to worry about teeny bones being broken by everyday doggy play.
Alas, another subject, for another thread. :)

OP, do you see all the things you have to look out for when just searching for a pup? There are a ton of threads that point a lot of things out, like what not to look for, what to ask, how to go about things in order to get a happy, healthy yorkie with an awesome breeder who will help you for the rest of the yorkie's life.
I'd be happy to post links for you so you can read them.

THANK YOU SOOOOO VERY MUCH....its nothing wrong with getting a rescue dog but ive had family to go through that and i prefer not to its alot that goes into that....i have been doing alot a research on everything as far as dogs go....but thanks for understanding:)

This thread fell apart quickly.

Yep.. I think this thread should probably be closed.

yea it did lol i just simply stated something wanted a lil help didnt intend to gt jumped on by hounds lol and get educated all over again but its ok thnx for the help:)

Wow :eek: It's a total shame that you have closed your ears and opened your mouth to what has been suggested to you about purchasing a Yorkie from a reputable breeder. If by some chance you are still around and not shown the door after the way that you have talked, when (not if) there are problems with a poorly bred Yorkie we will all still be here for you. To offer you help and advice. Like so many others before you it will mostly likely learn your lesson the hard way. It's sad but oh so true. :( Good luck with your puppy purchase and I hope that some of what was said had sunk in and will be use.

It can get a bit crazy here sometimes...:)
I hope you can see the good points in many of the posts. I think it is good you are asking questions now and researching before you buy.

I agree the thread should be closed. She joined YT to seek advice, got it and is now being rude because she didn't like the answers she received when everyone was simply giving her various avenues to research. I was going to stay quiet but can't after the profanity she used I had to speak up.

I rescued a yorkie back in December and she would be shocked at what I paid for a full blooded puppy mill rescue and he's the most devoted little guy I've ever had.

wow! turn it down a notch. you ask for advice, you get advice.

First of all. $500 for a yorkie-poo was unreasonable, papers or not. You got ripped off on that one, I'm sorry to say. I have an adorable malti-poo that I got as a rehome and paid zero, nada, zip, $0 for. Occasionally gets a urinary tract infection. That's it... He's about 3-4yrs old. I love that little boy. It is a mixed breed mutt and anyone that pays over a minimum amount for a mutt is silly.

If you are refusing to go to a rescue and save the life of a precious yorkie who will be forever grateful, then talk to breeders about possibly getting one of their '''pet quality''' puppies. Once in awhile an excellent breeder will have a puppy, that is not up to their program standards, that they want to place in a loving home. About 30yrs ago I got a gorgeous pure bred Siamese kitten for a rock bottom price. The breeder didn't think she was up to standard. I visited with her later (with my full grown cat) and the breeder was quite remorseful as this cat had turned out much much better than anticipated..

Be creative about looking for a quality breeder, quality animal without supporting BYBs, puppymills or pet stores. There are ways of going about it without asking for advice you don't want and hurling f-bombs that get exploded before they publish.

Good Luck.

Maybe the next person will read this thread and get something out of it. That's all anyone can hope for: that every buyer becomes aware of all the different things that go in to looking for a healthy, well bred dog.

no ppl were starting to be rude and all i did was simply state something some of the things that people made sense then it was the same thing over and over again....you all are like a gang lol and i read this somewhere else on another website but i decided to give it a chance but now i see but i really do appreciate the information i received but dont appreciate people being rude because you dont agree with them...thnx

They do turn into little shadows don't they. :) After reading the YT statistics ;) on boys having a larger percentages of being cuddle bugs and a mommas boy, you guessed it, I got a boy. :D

OP I hope I'm not overstepping, but here are those links I'd really like for you to read, even if it's the same information you already have. Humor me, and take a look. These threads were written by members who were taken for a ride by a bad breeder, and recommendations that we have learned from this community as a whole. Both good and bad experiences helped to shape these opinions. Please take a look at them with an open mind. :)

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/yor...ead-first.html
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/yor...ease-read.html
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/yor...ead-first.html
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/yor...uch-thing.html

and one about the poor pups that get left behind at puppy mills...
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/gen...g-graphic.html

These are all really great links that anyone looking to buy a puppy should take the time to read. They are very informative and written by members here that had to learn the hard way. It's not that we are trying to be a bunch of evil b*thces but sometimes the truth is a cold hard slap in the face~ya know. No one wants to be told something they dont' want to hear.

Oh and BTW~all of mine are rescues. See that little guy in my picture. He came from a shelter in Laporte, IN and I paid $65 for his adoption fee. After I showed proof of neuter I was then returned $40. But he's such a good little guy that I donated it to the shelter. If you take a look in my albums my Doodlebug was 12 weeks old when I adopted him from a rescue. He's a mix yorkie/maltese. Total love bug! I personally would much rather put my money toward saving a life than into the pocket of a BYBer or miller.

questionable ....
 

there have been people who have paid $1600 for a Yorkie and have found the poor pup developed epileptic seizures,

then there are those who pay $500 for a unwanted larger Yorkie b/c no one else wanted a large one so ................ does it really come down to a matter of money???

Same breeder. both AKC registered I believe... PA breeder I think. Caveat Emptor :sad:

I do believe you can find a good quality pup for around your price range, although rare, from a quality reputable breeder. I hope you do take all the good points & suggestions that some have mentioned. If you can possibly save a 1 or 2 hundred more than what you currently have, you choices & luck in finding a good, reputable breeder will increase, but, you can find reputable, quality breeders who will occasionally sell around your price range. Regardless of price, do your research & get references, then make your determination. Good luck!

people are killing me with this puppymill stuff i am very particular about everything that i do...thats why if you read im searching in the state of nc so that ill b able to visit so plz plz plz stop with the puppymil petstore maddness lol yall are all freaking crazy sorry i had 2 show my behind but i just really hate when people try 2 force what they feel is right on someone and then get upset everyone is entitled to their own opinion

I think that's just the perfect example of a bad breeder. As far as registries go, the AKC is your safest bet, and when searching for good breeders, the YTCA referral page is a great place to start looking. Unfortunately, there are a ton of bad seeds out there that flood the market with their $1200 poor examples of the breed that come with health problems. They make good, ethical breeders that charge the same amount for a quality yorkie look like evil greedy people. Yes, $1200 is a lot to pay in one fail swoop, but if you buy your breeder first, and the puppy second you should end up with a happy healthy yorkie and a friend that will help you in case you ever need a helping hand with your new baby.

Oh, and $1200 is an arbitrary number that I pulled out of the air.

I'm sorry. You're new to the site, I was just trying to be helpful. How was I suppose to know you've already read up about that. You could have skipped those and went on to the next link. They're not all about puppymills. They might mention them, but that's just because it's an unfortunate plague to the doggy world.

i personally believe from my own experience that if you honestly understood what a puppy mill really is...then you wouldn't be so sick of us preaching at you about them. a person that's heart hurts for the dogs they love stuck in mills doesn't get all pissy about the subject. they get heartbroken, quiet, and listen up so they can learn how to stop them...your reaction makes me feel that you don't quite "get it" yet. but like i told you, someday you'll wake up to it and understand more.

There are a lot of people that *think* they understand and know all there is about puppy mills but then they come to find out it was not totally true. Some of the links that were posted for you to look at were very graphic but that is not necassarily what all puppymills look like. Did you see the special on Animal Planet a while back? It was very informative.

Not only are there BYBers there are also puppy brokers too. Do you know what a puppy broker is and how they work? I thought I had looking for a puppy all figured out until I stumbled onto a broker. Even armed with some knowledge I was almost sucked in!

There really is a lot to learn and there are people that come here every day that say they have learned something new. Even I have said that many times.

the learning never stops...that is something i Learned in life. :p

I am always learning something new! :) Someone recently told me that there are other sites on the internet other than YT!! :p

That is one thing I can always count on YT for, showing me how much I don't know :)

there aren't other sites. they're lying to you :p YT IS the internet. that's all there is and there is no more. cept maybe that book with faces on it or something like that.

edited to add: uhh oh, we're getting tired and making stupid jokes again...here we go.