Selling at 8 weeks?
 

I can't wait for our new pup, but I am a little bothered, as the breeder says her pups will be available at the end of December, making them only 8 weeks old...shouldn't they be 10-12 weeks old...may have to say that we can't get up there until mid- to late-January! Not fair to the pups to be removed from their mommy that soon! : (

Please tell her you would prefer they stay with mom until 12 weeks for the best socialization with mom & siblings. State laws often give one generic age for any breed of puppies saying it is okay to sell them at 8 weeks but toy breeds are so much more delicate and can thrive much better if they are given a better start -- insist on the 12 weeks but let her know why. You may teach your breeder something. She might change her policy, if not, at least you planted a seed.

Are you otherwise sure about this breeder?

Otherwise, she seems OK? I admit that I am new to this, but I haven't heard or read anything bad about her business anywhere. Will keep you all posted... : /

My pups will be 12 weeks this week and I thought when they were 10 weeks they were so sturdy and healthy that'd they be fine to go to a new owner - not that I planned to sell them then --- just thought they seemed so "ready" and they might have did well to go then but --- I have to admit I am amazed at how much they've matured socially, etc and playing with 'mama dog' has really added to them overall this last week and half. So I will agree 12 weeks is better. Mine now sit, play fetch, potty pad trained, etc, so amazing how they've developed recently. I think the 11/12 week mark is a real milestone time for them.
I couldn't imagine getting one at 8 weeks, I'd agree to try to get them to stay with the owner until 12 weeks..."but", makes me think if they want to sell them so soon, would the pups really be better off with someone who doesn't "seem" to have their best interests at heart (though I don't know their situation personally, maybe they need to sell them now).
Kendra

I would not buy from a breeder who sold pups this early, it's a dead give away that she has not studied the breed, this is one of the first rules. Breeders who haven't studied also don't know anything about studying lines, and don't do genetic testing. You increase you chances of getting a healthy pup, if you find a breeder who is breeding to improve the breed, not just to make a buck. If I were you, I'd keep looking.

Yes Ma'am, totally agree. I would wait longer yet if the breeder wanted to run additional testing on them like some here do.

:thumbup: Great post! Selling Yorkie puppies at just eight weeks old is a huge red flag that she is just in it for the $$$$.

And speaking of money, you could be facing some huge vet bills with a puppy from a breeder like this.

I agree with the others. OP, why do you want to buy from *this* breeder? What is it about her that makes you want to give her your hard earned money? If it's bc her pups is adorable, well, who can't say that about all pups? All puppies are incredibly precious! If you've already put down a deposit, I'd say just cut your loss and look elsewhere. Just bc there is no bad reviews on this breeder does not make her a good one.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup: To you both. :yeahthat:

VERY TRUE!!!!! Great Post!!

She has offered references and vet contacts to me...should I contact them, or do you think it is a waste of time on my part?

I might do this on a breeder that I had decided upon, but truthfully, most vets are going to tell you only good things, in fact, I don't think they are allowed to say anything bad. References are kind of worthless too; anyone can find one person to lie for them. I didn't feel the need to do this with the breeder I had chosen, she was so different from all the rest that I knew almost immediately, I wanted a dog from her. It took me over 4 months to find a great breeder, and I was open to several different breeds.

You do not want to buy from this breeder.

A breeder who sells a puppy at 8 weks is not being responsible or ethical. An irresponsible unethical person is just that an irresponsible unethical person. They do choose certain areas as a breeder to be ethical and let other areas go. They are irresponsible an unethical in all areas.

There are plenty of ethical breeders out there, you don't have to buy from one who is not.

Walk away from this one.

Waste of time. VEts don't know the finer points of specific breeds. You are much further ahead to go by the advice by experienced reputable breeders.
At 8 weeks they are just barely weaned. In the next month or so is when problems like coccidia, giardia and in general the breeders work begins as mom is no longer feeding or cleaning up after them.
So people in it for the $$$ want them gone at 8 weeks or even sooner because it becomes a lot more work for them.
Small breed puppies in particular need to be with their breeder until minimum 12 weeks for socialization and to take care of any problems that hsould come up.
I also do not give the first set of vacc's until 10 weeks. I won't let anything go to a new home until minimum the second set of vacc's are done. So that is getting closer to 14 weeks or more.

Wow -- that is amazing that they are all pad trained at 12 weeks old and playing fetch and learned to sit already! I have never seen a litter like that. Ii almost seemed like mine were pad trained in their little play yard as they were good about doing their business only on the pad. I had the area covered with pads though. So, when they got out and ran around the house a little -- they found a lot of new places to pee too. :) (I ought to get some pointers as I am still working on my 5 month old girl. She was doing pretty well until the cold hit. Now she is reluctant to stay outside long enough to get things done. ) I had never tried to teach my puppies to sit and fetch at 12 weeks. I have to admit to laughing so much at their antics. How I loved watching them play, fight and tumble around and over each other. There I go getting all puppy wistful again. Very selfish considering I do have Annie(the 5 month old) and Ben, and Candy. But there is something so special about watching a litter of yorkie pups playing!

:lol tearsI love a good burn before bed....

Yeah, they seem to be pretty darn smart, though one only "sits" about 1/2 of the time, the other two clearly know "sit" --- they all love "fetch" but hubby plays fetch every morning with the two adults, and lets the puppies out to play, so they just picked that up I guess, but they fetch consistently individually too. I guess consistency is the key, though I was working on "shake" but they just give me that look like, "yeah right...you shake." (so they aren't that dang smart...or smart enough to think "stupid human tricks"). They all know their names very clearly too, hopefully when they sell they'll learn another name quickly. One will also "stay" (for several minutes, not so the other two)
Again, two are nearly 100% on the potty pad - will stop playing and go over to the potty pad and do their business before resuming play, and one makes it about 90% of the time (so yeah, I guess pretty good for their ages 11 1/2 weeks). I try to spend a lot of time with them, take them to work (whenever possible), etc, so maybe that's it, I guess I just thought that's when they learn, their mama is pretty smart, so I'm sure that contributes. Who knows.
Kendra

I did have a little female in the last litter that was fussing at the vets during a vaccine visit at 12 weeks. I told them I thought she had to potty. They said let her go on the floor, but she would not. I put a tissue down for her and she immediately went to it and peed. The vet & tech were impressed. So, they can get used to the pads or something similar very young. Mine were showing "preference" for pads but I couldn't say they were actually pad trained. And now here I am with Annie (I bought her she is not "home grown") still not trained at 5 1/2 months. I will keep working on her though. She is too sweet to not stay consistent with.

What are you saying?

I think they can learn early as yours did at the vets. Guess they'll all different, one of our adults has a spot in the hall where she'll drop a little nugget - every other day or so, seems to be her "spot", regardless of how well we clean it (we joke & say the pups are better than her). Tonight I came around the corner and caught the one that's not completely potty pad trained starting to squat and I said to him, "what are you doing?" and he got up and ran about 4 feet to the pad and pee'd there and then looked up at me and starting wagging his tail, so I think he "knows", just still little and not in complete control. They have an x pen for sleeping at night with several pads in it, but when they are out of it, we have a potty pad near the doggie dog in the kitchen and one in the living room, they use both.
Kendra

I think so too -- mine like I said were showing a preference for the pad just not fully trained. I think that is the best thing about raising them in a play yard with most of it covered in pee pads. They have their bed area and their eating area and they just naturally pee on the pads. Then they tend to prefer a pad when you let them have more room to roam. But if they get too large an area, mine normally would just go ahead and pee. The only one that fussed for something to pee on was that little girl. I should have kept her! :) My problem with my last litter was I had too many wanting females before the litter was ever born. I should have still kept one but I went ahead and placed them all. My boys think I am crazy here a year and a half later, buying a little female myself! Timing had a lot to do with it too. After I lost my momma dog, I was not wanting to replace her. I needed to get some time between them so I would not be comparing, you know what I mean? Going off track again, sorry. But yes, I do believe some can be trained early. I just have not had the best luck at getting them fully house trained that early myself. I start thinking progress is made, and then ..... I get a surprise. I won't get concerned for another month. I usually have them house-trained for the most part by 6 months. My adults will occasionally have accidents too. I found it funny as you described the same place for your adult's accidents. Mine too -- right by the front door. I do not let them out the front door nor use a puppy pad there. So, why that is where the "accident" happens, I don't know. I sometimes think Ben is doing it on purpose to say he did not like me being gone -- I usually leave by the front door. So maybe he equates that with me being bad?

I would have a hard time getting another right away too, I'd feel like I was betraying her memory (if I lost my first Yorkie/the one I'm so attached to), but I know in time, it's the circle of life, and I would eventually. But losing a beloved pet is so hard. I think it's important to take the time to grieve.
Maybe my pups do just have a preference for the pads, but that's what it's all about, eh? Whatever works. If they consistently go there, I'd say that's trained, though honestly I wouldn't take them to someone's house, throw down a pad and 'assume' they would automatically go on it, a new situation might throw them off - but at home, they do very well.
The kitchen potty pad by the doggie door is due to winter, the adults don't always want to use the door (to their outdoor potty 'house' on the deck) This is my first litter too, so I've probably spent more time with them than those that breed a lot of litters and it's not like a "new thing" anymore to them (a guess) ??? I'm still thrilled everyday being around the pups watching 'em grow and learn/discover.
Ben pottying by the door...could be his way of letting you know he doesn't like you gone, not you bad, him just a bit sad. I'd say that's smart of him...my one Yorkie is a bit of a smarta** too! She "tattles" on the other adult all the time. It's pretty funny.
Getting late here, gotta go to bed. It's been fun talking to you about our puppies.
Kendra

I'd definitely wait till the puppy is at least 12 wks old. A colleague of mine bought a JR puppy a few months back. The puppy was only 8 wks old when he brought her home. I told him maybe he should wait but the breeder sound like she just wanted to get rid of the puppy :rolleyes:

We visited Sandy at our breeder's a week before we took him home. He was 11 weeks old back then. He was paper trained. We watched him going to the paper and did his #2 there. Both of us were like WOW! :D

I would wait until the pup was 12 weeks too, they cram a lot of socializing into those last few weeks.
I got my pup at 6 weeks old (was lied to about her age) and biting was a nightmare with her, because she was taken too young and hadn't learned bite inhibition.
I had to teach her bite inhibition myself and its not an easy task, she is now 7 months old and much better but she does the odd nip when she is over excited.
I would ask the breeder if she is okay with keeping the pup until it is 12 weeks old, if she isn't okay with that I would be looking for another breeder. Good luck!

Absolutely! :thumbup:

I agree. Waste of time. Everything you need to know about this breeder, you already know. She is not concerned about the welfare of the puppy. If she was she would not be seilling it at 8 weeks.

Great advice and agree with all of you.

I questioned you the other day about the age of this puppy. Please listen to what is being said to you. If you make an error in picking your puppy from someone who does not do it right from the very beginning you could be faced with very difficult challenges that could possibly last a lifetime. Truth be told, she would not have even been offering them for sale at only a few weeks old and allowing them to be gone at 8 weeks. To me it just shows that she is doing it for the money.

Maybe you should really seal any bought and ask if you could pick the puppy up even earlier~I'll bet that she would allow it. Then you will know once and for all that you need to really walk away. :(

here is a add that i just got in a email
 

ACA males yorkie pups - Price: 600

CreatedDecember 15, 2010ExpiresJune 15, 2011Viewed15 times
3 male yorkie pups 5 weeks old, have mom and dad on site, very loving. should be ready for Christmas

Are these the puppies? :thumbdown:thumbdown