300 for a yorkie???

[DvlshAngel985]

Originally Posted by ShanPando

Hi there,

I'm a little torn on what to say in regards to the $300 puppy your friend got. See, my husband and I spent precisely that this past weekend on ours. We did MEET somewhere beforehand, however because he lived on farmland he met us at a gas station then we drove to his home. I have read NEVER to meet somewhere and get a dog without going to the breeders home first. It's true that you don't know what the living conditions are until you see it first hand.

Our little Piper is doing great. We took her to the vet immediately, 12 hours after getting her. She is healthy, except she has common puppy worms. I haven't seen any in her stool but the vet says they are there so she is on medicine for them. Other dogs I have adopted from shelters in the past have had them too. So, I don't think that reflects poorly on the breeder.

Our breeder was very patient, gave us tips, answered questions, and let us know to call him if we ever had any issues. She has a health guarantee, CKC, and we got her shot records. Obviously, we know where he lives which helps if anything does go crazy. He had a lot of great ratings on the internet from past purchasers and it included some of their email addresses. If I wanted to, I could have contacted them to see how their dogs were doing now.

There were NO crates, kennels, etc. in his home or on his property. His pups roamed his home and his fenced yard freely and said since our little girl was the last...she had been sleeping with him every night. It must be true because she does enjoy sleeping with us.

Anyway, I would be somewhat concerned since she never went to the breeders home. Unfortunately, that's why one should do lots of research before buying a pup. I wouldn't say price is such a big deal as they can be as expensive as $3500! Sorry, but we can't afford that nor would we ever pay that much. But, the fact she didn't go to the breeders home and met him/her is alarming to me. Hopefully everything checks out at the vet. Let us know!

CKC is not a good registry. Your breeder is probably a back yard breeder that didn't do health tests. And, no puppy worms is not normal in my opinion. The puppy should have never been exposed to anything.

OP, tell your friend to get her puppy checked. There's probably little you could do to return him and get your friends money back. Plus, she's probably in love with her puppy anyway. Just pray that he's healthy.

[Ladymom]

Originally Posted by Ladymom

I just realized that you live in Missouri. Did you know that Missouri is nicknamed the Puppymill Capital of the US? You can bet your friend's puppy came from one of the Missouri mills. A couple hundred dollars is the going rate for puppymill puppies. Of course, most end up in high end pet stores around the country with price tags well over $1,000.

Originally Posted by LucyLousMommy

Wow.. No I did not know that I have only lived here a month..originally from Iowa...but this concerns me even more now

Mo. fights reputation as 'puppy mill' - U.S. news - Life - msnbc.com

BBB: Missouri is Puppy Mill Capital of U.S. - St. Louis News - Daily RFT

Puppy Mills - Missouri's Puppy Mill Problem

Missouri, Puppy Mill Capital, Is Home to 3 Busts in 2 Weeks | Animals | Change.org

[LucyLousMommy]

Originally Posted by Ladymom

Mo. fights reputation as 'puppy mill' - U.S. news - Life - msnbc.com

BBB: Missouri is Puppy Mill Capital of U.S. - St. Louis News - Daily RFT

Puppy Mills - Missouri's Puppy Mill Problem

Missouri, Puppy Mill Capital, Is Home to 3 Busts in 2 Weeks | Animals | Change.org

Thank you so much ...

[Lizzie07]

Absolutely you are right to be worried and your instincts are 100% correct. ACA papers are the first red flag and mean the puppy is from a puppymill. Those papers are really meaningless as the registry doesn't mean you know the lines of the puppies. They are just papers that someone paid a minimal amount to get and hoodwink unsuspecting buyers with.

I don't know what is stopping anyone from setting up a home based business registering dogs, frankly. All you really need is a fancy template for the "papers" and a website. I honestly don't understand how the CKC, ACA and APRI haven't been sued for fraud.

[miabellaamoure]

A "reputable" breeder would NEVER meet a potential buyer somewhere.
A byb or puppymill breeder however...WILL!

That is the first BIG red flag.

The price is the second.

Your friend will be very lucky if she has purchased a healthy puppy...sorry, but that is the reality of that situation...sad!

[princessizzy]

When i read your post...I thought for sure you where writing about me..lol.. Because that how we got Izzy.... I just have to say that before I ever came to this website I really didn't know much about puppymills...I knew they were out there But never thought of it being in someones home...

I too CAN NOT pay 1000.00 for a puppy, so I was looking for somthing more in my price range. I did find Izzy and i called the person but they lived 4 hours away and NOT knowing then what I know now...I asked her to meet us half way..... Make a long story short, although it was LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT, she stunk worse then I have ever smelled a dog. I could not even hold her on whole way home My hubby did... When I washed her 5 different times to get the smell out and we had to shave down her mouth because it stunk SO BAD... ( I have pics. on my page, she's holding a bear in her mouth)

Izzy did come with papers But the breeder told me she thought she had a hernia by her belly button and that why she was willing to go down in price. She did go to the vet and NO WARMS, NO Hernia etc... very healthy pup...

Here's my point, I wish that i would have gone to this womens house because now im always going to wonder...But Isabella (aka Izzy) is a healthy happy spunky 9 mouth old yorkie pup... And thats all i can ask for... I'm sure your friend already LOVES this puppy to death...hopefully the puppy is healthy. Thats all you can ask for

[LucyLousMommy]

Originally Posted by princessizzy

When i read your post...I thought for sure you where writing about me..lol.. Because that how we got Izzy.... I just have to say that before I ever came to this website I really didn't know much about puppymills...I knew they were out there But never thought of it being in someones home...

I too CAN NOT pay 1000.00 for a puppy, so I was looking for somthing more in my price range. I did find Izzy and i called the person but they lived 4 hours away and NOT knowing then what I know now...I asked her to meet us half way..... Make a long story short, although it was LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT, she stunk worse then I have ever smelled a dog. I could not even hold her on whole way home My hubby did... When I washed her 5 different times to get the smell out and we had to shave down her mouth because it stunk SO BAD... ( I have pics. on my page, she's holding a bear in her mouth)

Izzy did come with papers But the breeder told me she thought she had a hernia by her belly button and that why she was willing to go down in price. She did go to the vet and NO WARMS, NO Hernia etc... very healthy pup...

Here's my point, I wish that i would have gone to this womens house because now im always going to wonder...But Isabella (aka Izzy) is a healthy happy spunky 9 mouth old yorkie pup... And thats all i can ask for... I'm sure your friend already LOVES this puppy to death...hopefully the puppy is healthy. Thats all you can ask for

I am soo glad to hear your pup is ok..the whole puppy mill situation makes me soo angry and sad at the same time..you just never know that is why you have to be so careful.. My friends taking her pup to the vet tonight and is going to ask to see the living conditions..also..hopefully everythings ok and I am wrong but I dont know...

[Ladymom]

Originally Posted by princessizzy

When i read your post...I thought for sure you where writing about me..lol.. Because that how we got Izzy.... I just have to say that before I ever came to this website I really didn't know much about puppymills...I knew they were out there But never thought of it being in someones home...

I too CAN NOT pay 1000.00 for a puppy, so I was looking for somthing more in my price range. I did find Izzy and i called the person but they lived 4 hours away and NOT knowing then what I know now...I asked her to meet us half way..... Make a long story short, although it was LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT, she stunk worse then I have ever smelled a dog. I could not even hold her on whole way home My hubby did... When I washed her 5 different times to get the smell out and we had to shave down her mouth because it stunk SO BAD... ( I have pics. on my page, she's holding a bear in her mouth)

Izzy did come with papers But the breeder told me she thought she had a hernia by her belly button and that why she was willing to go down in price. She did go to the vet and NO WARMS, NO Hernia etc... very healthy pup...

Here's my point, I wish that i would have gone to this womens house because now im always going to wonder...But Isabella (aka Izzy) is a healthy happy spunky 9 mouth old yorkie pup... And thats all i can ask for... I'm sure your friend already LOVES this puppy to death...hopefully the puppy is healthy. Thats all you can ask for

The problem is that "bargain" puppies usually don't stay healthy. It can take years before their genetic time bombs from poor breeding start going off. That's when the big vet bills begin.

The best thing you or anyone with a puppymill or backyard breeder puppy can do is to start putting money aside in a special savings account for future vet bills. Start right away while they are still healthy so you are prepared.

[princessizzy]

That's a great idea!!.... Izzy breeder did offer for me to come to the house But like i said It was my choice to meet her half way... But becuase she did come to me very smelly I wish I would have gone...The breeder had a health guarantee on all the puppies except Izzy because of her possible hernia...as so stated "her" vet.. But Izzy has been too 2 different vet since I have had her and both said she did not have hernia

I'm hoping this women is a good breeder...And that izzy will not have problems down the road But if she does...I'll be ready and do what it takes

[DvlshAngel985]

Originally Posted by princessizzy

That's a great idea!!.... Izzy breeder did offer for me to come to the house But like i said It was my choice to meet her half way... But becuase she did come to me very smelly I wish I would have gone...The breeder had a health guarantee on all the puppies except Izzy because of her possible hernia...as so stated "her" vet.. But Izzy has been too 2 different vet since I have had her and both said she did not have hernia

I'm hoping this women is a good breeder...And that izzy will not have problems down the road But if she does...I'll be ready and do what it takes

Pretty much the breeder sold your Izzy, "as is" so they wouldn't have to pay up later?

[yorkie_mama22]

Originally Posted by LucyLousMommy

I am soo glad to hear your pup is ok..the whole puppy mill situation makes me soo angry and sad at the same time..you just never know that is why you have to be so careful.. My friends taking her pup to the vet tonight and is going to ask to see the living conditions..also..hopefully everythings ok and I am wrong but I dont know...

The lady I bought my first yorkie from lived in Missouri. Before I even knew it was the puppymill state I had bought the dog for 500$ from her when it was a year old.

The lady had bought my Stormy for 200 or 300$ with APRI reg. papers. I had TONS and tons of health problems with her and she passed away just after turning two.

[MaddiesMommie]

Originally Posted by Ladymom

Those type of breeders are known as the "exit kings and queens" because they offer to meet you on the highway rather than letting you see where the puppies come from. It's a huge red flag.

"Bargain" puppies usually cost a fortune in vet bills over time and can bring lots of heartbreak.

It sounds like they may have had something to hide.

[LucyLousMommy]

Originally Posted by yorkie_mama22

The lady I bought my first yorkie from lived in Missouri. Before I even knew it was the puppymill state I had bought the dog for 500$ from her when it was a year old.

The lady had bought my Stormy for 200 or 300$ with APRI reg. papers. I had TONS and tons of health problems with her and she passed away just after turning two.

How heartbreaking..I am soo sorry to hear that

[katy-yorkie]

Originally Posted by Ladymom

The problem is that "bargain" puppies usually don't stay healthy. It can take years before their genetic time bombs from poor breeding start going off. That's when the big vet bills begin.

The best thing you or anyone with a puppymill or backyard breeder puppy can do is to start putting money aside in a special savings account for future vet bills. Start right away while they are still healthy so you are prepared.

So true, so true. I have a credit card with a high limit just for mine.

[miabellaamoure]

Pet Health Insurance is another alternative to your own savings account...for those not disciplined enough to deposit each month or that you won't even have the funds necessary for a one time Vet incidental which could easily climb by the $hundreds & even $thousands in no time at all.

I acquired insurance for each of my pets as I got them and before they had "pre-existing conditions". I can't stress enough the importance of having such coverage IF you are not independently wealthy and can afford the unimaginable in Vetting costs!

My first yorkie, BellaBoo (puppymill & purchased via local pet store...before I knew better!) now has Collapsed Trachea, my second yorkie, Abby (puppymill & adopted via YTNR) remains healthy, my third yorkie, Phoebe (backyard breeder & adopted via YTNR) has Luxating Patellas in both rear legs which will one day very possibly require a VERY expensive surgical repair...in the thousands!

If anyone is interested...this is the company I chose for my furkids and have been very happy with the service they provide:

Dog Insurance from 24Petwatch Pet Insurance

You can also get a discount on your policy with multiple pets that you enroll plus an additional discount for having your pet microchipped as well.

ps...having a credit card with a high limit for illness & accidents for your pet is one alternative but, think about the length of time it will take to repay the balance plus interest and there is NO reimbursement like with a Pet Insurance policy. I get 70% reimbursed after my $100 deductible is taken and my copay.