Hahahaha, Aw, Steve, you sure do know how to make a girl smile don't you:cool: Your wife taught you how to do that didn't she:D? hehe

Thanks for feedback
 

Howdy everyone, been watching the responses pour in. I'm quite taken aback, but I know everyone has the yorkie's best interests at heart here. So do I. I still plan on going to check out Nicky. Of course, if I see problems I won't purchase. I'm not interested in a perfectly bred show dog, but I do want healthy and a good temperment. So I will keep everyone posted on my experience!

Thanks!

Well, make sure you can see his parents too (that they're healthy, clean, indoors, and well taken care of), that would be my #1 advice if you have your heart set on him. Our negativity has not a thing to do with a perfectly bred show dog, we're telling you that it's pretty unlikely that you'll get a "healthy dog with a good temperment" from a breeder like that, that's all. It's not just the Yorkie's best interest we're talking about either, it's yours too. Well, good luck.

That is where most people looking for a nice pet get it wrong, show breeders DO NOT just end up with show dogs in their litters. Those pups that are not quite what we want for the show rings are ones that are nice pet ones for those looking for a pet, interviews, genetic health guarantees will apply. And you can get a nice pet puppy with a fabulous pedigree, all the help and advice you can possibly want and we know what is behind our dogs. Any breeding we do is for the best fo rthe breed in mind in type, conformation AND temperment and to the breed standard.
They are not sold too young, well socialised and with so much knowledge from the breeder it will make your head spin.

Yes, I agree. I also looked into a formal show dog breeder that had a pet quality dog from a litter. Would have LOVED to have him, but she wanted $1500 and I simply cannot afford that price, nor can the average person, I think. Esp taking into account all the other expenses involved in caring for a dog in the first year. Feel free to private message me if you want!

Yes, she did. I need a sense of humor to get by!

LOL, yes we all do:D

Why would you support a BYB?

Don't waste your time. Save it to advice the willing.;)

Unfortunately the health issues that these babies get , you cannot see just by looking at the dog. Does breeder do genetic testing ? I did not see so on their site so you could be paying full price and above for a reject pup that will end up with LS or Chiari & that's not anything you want to mess around with.

Wow... this being my very first posting to the group, kinda harsh to say that her response is a waste of time. I DONT want to support an irresponsible breeder at all! I can't afford a yorkie from a show breeder... If someone is willing to show me where to get one that I can afford, that would be great! It is SOOOO hard to find a "good" yorkie at a reasonable price. I can absolutely relate to some of the frustration I've read from others on here that are struggling to find one. I'm trying to be dilligent and find some kind of balance.

$1500 is merely the down payment on livershunt surgery. Liver shunt is not visible to the naked eye. What do you do if you are 2 or 3 years down the road with your beloved pup and he/she has a shunt and needs surgery what do you do?

I've waited 20 years to be able to financially and physically be able to care for the yorkie I am looking for, and have not found yet. I've desperately wanted a dog but it wasn't fair to the dog if I could not financially afford it.

The back yard breeders/puppy mills that do these awful things would stop in a moment if no one purchased from them. So every time someone purchases from a non-AKC breed furtherment breeder I believe they are perpetuating the 'greeders'. But having bred for show I have extremely strong feelings along these lines so don't necessarily take what my opinion is to heart.

I know only to well how desperately you can miss canine companionship. But how much worse to have your little love become so sick and need $6,000.00 in vet fees so what do you do? Surrender the dog so not only do they have to go through the hell of all the medical care but go through it alone without the love of the human they have bonded to or worse have to put them down?

It is tough, very, very tough, to do what is right and ultimately we all have to make that decision for ourselves.
Jo

If you cant afford the dog, you may not afford to raise it or provide medical care for it if you end up with a sick animal.

Maybe look for a rescue or wait until you can afford one.

Good luck

There are other ways.
You could call your local ASPCA every week or so and ask if they have any yorkies that have been surrendered. A friend of mine got a puppy that way (wasn't a yorkie it was a pug).
You could contact Yorkie rescues...there are quite a few.

Anytime a BYB gets your money you in a way are helping them stay in business and ultimately helping the over population problem and animal cruelty that goes along with these breeding practices. For every BYB pup there are some parents who are probably locked in a cage somewhere without care, attention or proper food and hygiene.

I personally don't care one bit about breed standard. I would get a Briewer in a heart beat (I look at greenwood's web site at least once a week and dream lol) but what I do care about is testing. Like someone said...1500 might seem like a lot until that pup gets sick and needs surgery. The couple hundred bucks you save now could bite you in the butt later.

I totally understand wanting...heck needing one of these adorable creatures. I dreamed about it for years. I think what we are all trying to say is that we don't want you to regret your choice (not to mention supporting a BYB is not something any of us here can contend with).

Here is what I did. I put the word out. I contacted anyone I could think of(ASPCA, rescues, vet's office, the people at petscence, the pound). I told EVERYONE I was looking. I refused many pups because I would get calls that so and so breeds yorkies, but when I investigated they were obvious BYB. Out of the blue I got a call. A girl my friend knew bought a pup from a back yard breeder and changed her mind and no longer wanted the little guy. The breeder had refused to take him back, so I stepped in and purchased Moshe. The other girl who wanted him was just awful (her son killed their Pom) and I knew there was no way I was letting that woman have this baby! I waited for what seemed like forever to find him, but when I did it was meant to be. We needed each other.

Your heart is already invested in this pup and that makes it hard. I do wish you the best of luck and I hope your feeling aren't hurt. That wasn't my intention.

And remember anything worth while is always worth the wait.

(please over look typos etc. I'm on the smallest keyboard in the free world)

Yes if I am selling a puppy that is the usual price. I don't let them go anywhere usually until closer to 4 months sometimes older. Price will include all puppy vacc's already done and health guarantees. Sometimes if I have run one on for show and it is not turning out what I had hoped I do let them go a little less, already neutered. Females are spayed but usually I don't drop the price on a female.
I don't make any money I don't even break even. You have no idea of the years, money, heartache and time and work the average show breeder has put into their chosen breed. And the nice parts such as producing a nice show dog or even a quality pet puppy that someone cares about and well cares for it, saves up for it and honours our intentions of what we do as a show breeder.
Caring for a dog is far more expensive than paying that amount for a puppy.

So far this year, For Carlo, who had cancer surgery, Chemo, and a boat load of blood tests, Ultrasounds, X-Rays, etc, the cost has exceeded $20,000+. With the meds he is one, and his Exam and Ultrasound schedule, he comes close now to $1,000 a month.

Basil, who broke his front let, the Surgery for the plate and Screws, follow up, etc, the cost has come to about $3,500.

Buying them is the cheap part. Vet costs, especially the Specialists are right up there with Medical Doctors.

Why not try a grown Yorkie who has made is through the perils of puppyhood and desperately needs a rehome? They make wonderful pets and you won't be directly supporting a BYB's reckless breeding practices. And unless they have all of the prebreeding tests done before breeding, they are reckless and letting their puppies and buyers bear the burden.

You can get a wonderful pet who is just waiting for a loving home and can get out of the rescue cage or home if you look into Yorkie rescue. And you would be freeing up space in the rescue for another desperate dog needing a waystation. It is something to think about if you don't have much money to spend up front.

Be sure you have plenty of money set aside for the expensive medical care dogs now need just for basic visits, shots, spay/neuter, dentals, worming, ear checks, preventative medications and testing for heartworm, grooming, food - which is no longer cheap, etc., not to mention surgery or conservative care for some of the illnesses that can crop up. Buying and maintaining a dog responsibly is nowadays quite expensive, so be sure to factor all of that in as you are looking.

I can already predict what will happen next.

You will go visit and you will be suckered in by a cute little face. Any doubts you have in your mind will be pushed aside by a sweet pair of eyes. You will rationalize the less than optimal breeding practices by saying you are "rescuing" the pup. And you might even really believe it.

But make no mistake about it. When you buy a dog from someone who isn't breeding to standard, who doesn't do full health testing or who doesn't fully guarantee their pups, then you are telling them that you approve of the short cuts they take. You are rewarding them financially and making room in their kennel for them to do it all over again.

Just a few things to consider. I am not a breeder and am pretty new to Yorkie Talk. I was (and may still be) one of those 'normal' folks who wouldn't dream of paying $1,500. for a dog. I always thought it was pretentious, a status 'designer dog' thing, and completely unnecessary. I have never purchased a dog - they have all been adopted, rescues or strays, and have always been very good, and generally healthy dogs. However - when one gets sick, it is very, very expensive. When I was a teenager, our poodle had to be put to sleep because of what appeared to be a minor skin condition (itching, scratching all the time). Penny could have been treated - for several thousand dollars and my family could not pay. The vet recommended he be put to sleep. You may be thinking that the $6,000. - $20,000. in vet expenses are over the top, not going to happen to you, and you may be right - but. Before we rescued our little yorkie poo Sugar Bear, I wanted a yorkie. We looked at a couple that were going for $800. My husband said 'there's no way we are paying $800. for a dog!' The BYBs were nice people ~ they seemed to be kind, appeared to really care about their animals, and the dogs were not kept like a puppy mill - not caged away or in filth like a pet shop dog. But they, like me, were ignorant. They had a nice dog or two, realized that they could breed them, buy some puppy feed and provide a nice bed, and people would pay them hundreds of dollars for each pup. Not a bad deal for very little work. I do believe the two I talked to were dog lovers who just wanted to make some money: not in a take-advantage-of-people-hurt-innocent-puppies kind of way, but that is what they were doing, consciously or unconsciously.

They don't do genetic testing on the dogs - they don't provide written health guarantees that mom & dad & pups are free of genetic defects that can be identified (with very expensive testing). They don't insist on spaying female pups that should not be bred, they don't provide vaccinations, spaying, continued advice and care.

I've come to believe that the good breeders are looking out for the welfare of the dogs (and their new owners). They are sort of a different breed (sorry, bad pun) altogether. I no longer think that a well-bred (tested, guaranteed) dog is pretentious or foolish -- I think it is to keep the dogs healthy and strong, and in the long run, that will SAVE you money. I've had this discussion with my daughter who wants to buy a puppy. She (nor I) can afford to pay $1,500. right now (in part because of expenses I've incurred with our bargain dog), but I have explained to her that she really, really, cannot afford the problems (medical and behavioral, including a pup who is significantly more difficult to socialize, train, and keep from acting out) of a cheap or free pup.

I love our little Sugar Bear, but we have spent well over the $1,500. breeder price in the past couple of months for some basic care problems that would not have been an issue had we 'bought the breeder' as they say here. She was FREE (a rescue) but sometimes the free and less expensive dogs will cost you the most. Don't be put off by those who say, 'well, if you can't afford it, you shouldn't get a dog' -- read all of the responses the good folks here have posted and understand the overall spirit and wisdom of their advice.

A comedy show once had a episode where the husband wanted to save a buck and hooked his wife up with a discount Lasik surgeon ("second eye free!"). You can guess how that turned out. That's our code word now for when a bargain really isn't a bargain. You really may get what you pay for - unless you are paying $400-$800 for a byb yorkie, and then you are probably getting 'the second eye free' which may prove to be anything but.

SO very true!

I wish I could have said it this well!

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup: Thank you for sharing!

Don't forget it also goes the other way. Just bc some byb charges $5000 for a yorkie pup doesn't mean it's healthy, from quality sires or within standard, they are just taking the rich suckers for a ride.

Also look out for rare or off colored (off standard, a fault), and other tag words like teddy bear face, micro, baby doll, etc. Really, in this day and age, why are these people still around? :thumbdown

Very true - the two byb's I met were not actively marketing their puppies the way OP's breeder is. I knew they had not done the kind of due diligence the pups deserved (and my ongoing finances required!), but it seems far worse to deliberately breed dogs who should not be bred (esp. the extra tinys) and then up-charge for the 'rarity' (translated: this trait shouldn't occur & the dog & future owner will pay the price so the breeder can make more $$).

Oh gosh ! Speaking from my OWN personal experience with horrible breeders, run far and fast. It will end up costing you WAY more money in the end..lol..not always but most of the time.....

make sure that their don't live in close ware, like my friend bought a yorkie from www.pocketbookpus.net the puppies pictures on her site is so cute but none of the puppy live indoor they are out side with no aircondition and heater so the puppy look good on the frist day that you pick them up but later on you will have a broke heart and a big vet bill and the breeder will not suport you when the problems start their won't answer your call and your email, so take the advises on here all those people know what their saying good luck.

YUP
A person in my state breeds mixes and a few other breeds along with her Yorkies. Even the pics look like they are sick and she was asking 2000 a pup!