Did you do as much research as you should have?

[DvlshAngel985]

Originally Posted by Britster

Oh, hell no! I did NOT do enough research. lol. I was 18 and found Jackson in an online classifieds ad. Went into Baltimore City to her house to get him. Wasn't a smart choice, I am sure, but I couldn't be happier with him! I'm actually really GLAD I did not end up getting a tinier more fragile Yorkie (or standard), don't think I would have been as happy.

Brit you beat me to it. H-E-DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS. Not enough research on the breeder. The breed itself, yes. Yorkies are my perfect canine match. The breeder... let's just say I didn't get what I was expecting. Bad LP in both knees, anxiety up the wazzoo, shot nerves so bad our first vet wanted him in meds ASAP, and I could go on. Regardless of the issues, Kaji and I have become quite a pair! I swear we can read each other's minds and now that I have his nervousness under control, he's a playful pup. I adore him.

[yorkietalkjilly]

When I got my Scotty(my first Yorkie) I did absolutely no research - just thought he was the cutest dog I had ever seen. Back in the day and in my circles of family and friends, research about dog breeds was unheard of except to talk to the dog breeder(Yorkie breeders were rare in Dallas back then) and there was precious little material easily available that I could find without having to take time off work during the day and go to the library. So, I just bought the puppy I liked and boy, am I glad that I did. I fell in love with the breed and Scotty inspired me to start to try to learn more about the breed and eventually I found a book all about Yorkies. It was by those two sisters who years back had a kennel and bred and showed Yorkies and I must have read that book through six or seven times I was so enthralled with their knowledge, wonderful information and stories! You could find an occasional short book about training. Later, of course, lots and lots of books and booklets, VHS tapes, and then all other types of media about Yorkies was easily available.

[Lucyana1129]

My whole childhood I wanted a pure bred dog. I brought home so many mixes (that my parents still have). Then when I got married I said, "okay, hubby, I want a puppy." Haha! Although I SAY we got lucky and she just happened to be a good breeder....I'll never know for sure. I found an ad online for a local breeder and she sent meiictures of Bentley (Andy as he was known). He was in a big red cowboy boot. As soon as I saw him I knew I wanted him. We went to meet him and he was perfect. She had a contract and told me how to take care of him and we still keep n contact through pictures. One thing I wish I would have done, I wish I would have seen his parents in person. I saw pictures but not in person. She just retired Cobalt (Bentleys dad) and I wanted him desperately but we just aren't ready yet. He may not be show worthy but he is gorgeous. Perfect size for us, his hair is beautiful, and his personality is amazing. He has slight anxiety but I think that's more my fault than anyone else's. He's so used to being with me always. I love everyone's stories. Glad to ow I'm not the only one that didn't do near as much research as I should have done. I honestly didn't even know a whole lot about the breed. Just thought they were beautiful. No other dog I have ever been around has the same kind of personality as a yorkie. I'm so blessed to have Bentley in my life and I know how lucky I was. All I can think is that it was meant to be

[Jacksmom052709]

You would think that me, a paralegal, would be researching the heck out of the breed and the breeder.... umm, yea, no... Jack was a total impulse purchase. Our 14 year old sheltie had just been put to rest 2 weeks prior to me getting Jack. My office manager told me about the store she bought her yorkie-poo at down in the boondocks... On a Saturday 2 weeks after we put Max (our sheltie) to rest, I was headed south to this store. I actually went to purchase another sheltie but by the time my daughter and I got there (the ride was well over an hour from our house) the two shelties this store had were sold. The store had some Bichons, an adorable little white Pomeranian (which I almost bought - she was so cute and so happy - but was shedding already) and then there was Jack and his sister. We took the two of them and sat in one of those "get to know the puppy and interact with them" box-type rooms they have in the stores and Jack just kind of sat there all quiet and his sister was a little more playful and outgoing. But there was something about this tiny and I mean tiny, little boy - he only weighed 1.25 pounds that I had to take him home. I mean the little guy literally fit into the palm of my hand. This particular store did offer a 2 year health guarantee and he is papered AKC so I knew he was purebred - though again, I wasn't even looking for a yorkie. My husband thought that all yorkies were like the show dogs (as he put it "uppity") but Jack let him know early on that he was named appropriately, Cpt. Jack Sparrow... yes, he is just like that pirate on the movies - suave, handsome, funny, and sometimes aloof. I do believe he was taken from his momma way too early as he is not one to give kisses and he was not very well socialized - its been a long two years, but we have trained him to kiss us. He is still a bit socially awkward, but that's okay. I have been so very fortunate and lucky to have found YT and really, Jack is a very healthy little 5 pound boy. I'm certain he came from a mill as I (after finding this site) researched the actual breeder. After doing research here, I have found and contacted my new breeder for Jack's sister - when the time is right.

[navillusc]

"Teresa Ford http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/ima...s/viewpost.gif Labs and Yorkies .. different oh yessss"

Well said. Your observations are very much like my own.

My first Yorkie was a lost, cold, hungry, little Yorkie-Poo puppy we rescued. Mom put him on me when I was a young teen and we fell in love and were inseparable for the next 10-12 yrs. Then, I had Shep/Labs for many years...all "good home" re-homed or rescued. Last year someone was looking for a "good home" for a 1-yr-old purebred Yorkie...he is now with me because the instant I saw the flyer I 'knew' he was meant to be mine. He'd been a surprise gift between adult siblings but a bad family fit and a gift that would not have happened if anyone had actually discussed it or asked about the possibility of Yorkie ownership. We puppysat a Shih Tzu and discovered Brody needed and wanted a companion. I missed out on a Maltese/Yorkie mix rescue, then found beautiful golden Yorkie Mia online the first night the "good home" ad was posted, surprised her mommy with such an immediate response, and we drove out and picked her up 3 days later.

I have yet to research a breeder. I have been interested in genetics since 7th grade...which is a while back , and have read extensively on the subject over the years. Certain things fascinate me..like Yorkie genetics and calico cat genetics, I have books on canines and felines. I have done considerable rescue work, including ferals. I have never purchased a purebred or other dog from a breeder...but have fostered infant kittens for the Humane Society...they never went back, either.

I fell in love with Yorkies so long ago, I do not really know when I learned what about them. I am sure there is plenty I still do not know and that's half the fun, but for certain I know to treat any animal with decency, love, and respect. I give them plenty, but they always give me way more in return.

[Mee-sha]

i really wanted a small dog, i was a sheltie lover but knew i wanted my first very own dog to be small to start, i liked the look of the yorkie the best. I started out looking at shelters for a year, however they were all too big,theres not many small dogs in rescues around here..browsing ads in kijiji about a year or more before i got her,looking back some of the people i contacted about yorkies ,i thank goodness i never bought them from any of those breeders, i was only able to find very few listings in my area for yorkies, alot of them were advertised as full bread yorkies with extremely big parents over 15lbs that looked like they were mixed with somethign else at the time i never knew better...as i looked more into them i realised these people were not selling yorkies, other people i called wanted me to put a big deposit on them(300-500$) before even going to see them because "by the time i would get there they would probably be gone",most likley scammers. Then last summer i saw the cutest little yorkie puppy, i almost bought him...as i googled more similar past ads about the breeder, i realised this woman breeds alot of other types of dogs and mixes, i even found an ad by herasking what to do about all her dogs teeth she could not afford, too many dogs she was breeding she could not afford, sadly i said no to that cute little puppy because i forsaw future heath problems, then i discovered yt, started creeping from afar and reading more, thats when i came across my breeder, she is wonderful!!! she only has 3 female yorkies and 1 male...no other typed of dogs she is so caring and loving to them clean heatlhy dogs, she only sells a couple of babies a year,she breeds to better the breed, she dose not need the money...she also gave me the names of breeders where she got her dogs she breeds, i did research on where meeshas grandparents come from and they come from great lines of showdogs in canada. the only thing i did wrong was i asked the breeder if i could take home meesha 2 weeks earlier because she lived a 8 hr drive away and i was unable to get her at 12 weeks, the breeder was hesitant but i convinced her, i should have left her with her momma til 12 weeks instead of 10.other than that eveything kind of fell into place with meesha, she was meant to be, i was looking for a boy yorkie for 2 years but ended up with the perfect little girl

I say to anyone who is lookig for a yorkie, do not rush it!!!!!!!!!i am so glad i waited.. as much as you want one!, find one that is best for you, i wanted a boy yorkie but meesha seemed right our of every other one i saw, so i say also keep your options open don't just set your sights on getting just a boy or just a girl, get the one that you click with and seems right. Do your reearch into breeders, there are so many shady people out there

[TatumsMom]

Originally Posted by Teresa Ford

Labs and Yorkies .. different oh yessss

In the 70s and 80s we bred, trained, showed and were involved with Labs. We even worked with service dog trainers for the blind and physically impaired. As a breed I would feel safe in the general statement, Labs want to work for people. They thrive on praise and reward type training. Of course there are always exceptions. I Do not think (forgive me this is not mean to start rebuttals) Labs are on the high end of intelligence. They would rather someone else be the rule maker and leader. Nor would I consider them independent thinkers or problem solvers. Well trained Labs are are amazing. Once they get past the long puppy stage and reach maturity Labs make wonderful, faithful, companions. NOW Yorkies are a different sort of dog. I found that out when I started working with them in the 1980s. Some were treat motivated, some weren't. Smart ? You bet ! Not smart like German Shep. or Border Collies (Who I think are smartest dogs ever) Yorkies seem to know how to get what they want. I have seen Yorkies change assertive behavior to begging and submissive to get what they want. Perhaps it is because they have spent so many centuries as companions and lived with people, in their home. I think Yorkies do what people want them to, when it pleases them to do so. I think they understand training perfectly, but it is secondary to what they want. I am teasing a bit, but really I think Yorkies are very human, they have so many of our finer behaviors, like love, loyalty, and compassion. But they can also be temperamental, moody, selfish, possessive, and self important. I have enjoyed training them for almost 30 years. I never use a harsh tone, firm voice, but not harsh. I also use a lot of praise and physical touch when working with Yorkies. Physical comfort I think is far more important to Yorkies. Labs can bash into a garden wall while playing, or dive into icy water and barely notice. Yorkies cringe when it rains or they have a knot in their fur. I think their sense touch is very close to our own. I often have to remind people to let Yorkies walk. They tend to carry them way too much. Yorkies can become wonderful, well trained companions as well as any Lab.
I kind of think about it like this, a Lab is like a not so bright child may be a joy to parent, and so easy to love. They obey the rules and seldom cause a problem. When they are an adult they will be hard working, kind and fit into society perfectly.
Yorkies are like, an independent, intelligent, and creative child. They may drive you crazy and challenge your authority. They study human behavior and know how to get people to work for them. As a teenager they may do some dangerous and experimental things. When they mature they still retain their child like curiosity and fun nature. As adults they really listen and care about the WHY of everything. They are never boring, and you love having long conversations with them, because they do understand the delicate, and subtle things about life.

Man, you really nailed that one! Your descriptions of both are spot on. The hardest part about Labs is the "long puppy stage". If you can get through that and train them, the rest is a piece of cake because of their eagerness to please. Thanks for the interesting piece of reading.

[chachi]

I did research on the breed not the breeder. Back then I was more swayed by the cute puppy pictures. Ive learned though next one wont be the same thats all you can do

[rubymoon2072]

no research...i had to knowledge of puppy mills or sorts until i started watching hoarders. i got very lucky (knock on wood) cedric has been a very happy healthy boy. YT has brought me so much knowledge and helped me with many questions. thank you everyone.

[My Ladybug]

I did research on the breed also, but not breeders. I would puppy-sit my sister in laws yorkie and I've interacted with my best friends yorkie as well. With all the reading on the breed and one on one I had with them I thought I was pretty much prepared to find one.
Not until I got burned by a BYB (I thought they were called hobby breeders) gave up on finding a dog then having one almost placed right into my lap did I even find YT and then learn all these things I guess I should have known before.

My sister-in law bred her yorkie with her friends and I got my Ladybug from her litter. She didn't dock her tail and I was actually looking into getting it docked although Ladybug was already 3 months old(there was a place that actually quoted me a price) until I found this forum. Someone as else on here asked when they should dock their pups tail. I was sure glad I didn't ask because I probably would have been eaten alive by some of you.

I never knew BYB or Hobby Breeding as I knew it was a bad thing. Growing up neighbors cats or dogs had a litter they would sell or give the babies away and never thought anything of it. No one looked at it as something bad. I haven't owned a pet since I was in grade school so hearing people hobby breed didn't sound bad to me. I do however look at it differently since finding YT. However, I must say that I SOMETIMES I repeat SOMETIMES sympathize with people who come on YT and ask a question and some of the members tear them apart with their words. I guess I just put myself in their shoes. Maybe they never knew about puppy mills or brokers or BYB's or even trying to mate their dog for the first time. I do however appreciate the members who give these ones the best advice without making them feel like complete idiots. They actually tell exactly what another member has said in a harsh way, but the delivery is much different or should I say an easier pill to swallow. I say this not to start any arguments, but this is just my opinion.

I would definitely get another yorkie though I am completely content with my one little Ladybug. I know now to buy a breeder before buying a yorkie! I am grateful that I have found YT because I have learned so much and I know I can get correct information on everything I need to know about the breed. And I always have a place to go when I need a quick fix of looking at the cutest little love bugs ever!

[AF pups]

Husband and I for sure didn't do nearly the amount of research we probably should have when we got our two. We had been looking at getting mini schnauzers at the time since I had grown up with that breed and he loved my pups as well. When we were trying to find a breeder that would work with Americans in Germany for the schnauzers we got the opportunity to foster our friend's yorkie Honey for 6 months while he deployed and his wife went home to set up their home. (He was getting out of the mil less than 30 days after he got back from deployment) After fostering Honey my husband decided that he didn't want schnauzers any more he only wanted a yorkie so we went on a search for one.

I knew about how to find a breeder and how to purchase a purebred pup in the states but getting a pup in Germany as an American was a whole different beast that we had no clue how to do. A friend of a friend was an American breeder who had worked with German breeders in the area and was able to help us find our first pup. The German breeder would not allow us in her home so Linn (the American Breeder) had picked up the last pup the breeder had (the runt) and also brought the German papers and pics of the parents to us when we saw Teddy. The German breeder would not sell a prized dog to Americans because unfortunately we as Americans have a bad rep for disposing of our pets there but she would be willing to part with the runt. It was love at first site and he immediately was crawling all over us and climbed into my purse as to say ok lets go home now.

Our second is a rescue that has had a bit of health problems. When we were looking for a mate for Teddy, Linn was contacted by a breeder about a pup she was getting rid of because it had too many problems. Since Linn couldn't taker her back to the states with her because she was too young (12 weeks) she asked if we would be willing to take her. She got along with Teddy so Chloe came to be ours. Had I of done my research I'm not sure I would have been so willing to take on a pup with so many problems because it has been a very long bumpy road the last year and a half with her.

I'm very thankful I was ignorant because she and my husband are attached at the hip! It is quite the site to watch my big strong husband in his mil uniform walking her in her dresses and bows.

[R_Z]

Research? What's that? lol. I had always planned to either adopt or rescue a Yorkie. I don't think I'd ever buy a baby from a breeder. There are so many animals out there that need a home, it was my intention to find such a Yorkie and make him ours. Our first attempt wasn't so good. Buddy wasn't a good match for us. We felt like such failures when we took him back to the rescue place. It was about 9 months later when we decided to try again. This time we got lucky and have found the perfect little guy for our family.

[SophieKatesMom]

Sophie Kate was a rehome, I got her when she was 3 months old and honestly I knew NOTHING about dogs let along Yorkies.

My first stop was my Vet of 14 years, they gave me a Puppy Kit (food, reading materials) and kept her for an examination while they ordered me to Petco to buy a harness, leash, crate, potty pads, Nutrical and a brush. Once I returned one of the Vet Tech spent about 30 minutes with me teaching me how basic care and giving me the basics.

I found Yorkie Talk about a month later and have been learning ever since.

I must say the rehome mess (and it was a mess, trust me) turned out to be a true blessing in my life.

[msyorktown]

i did not do any research on this breeder at all...my hunny and i where on one of our driving excursions to Port Perry, when i saw a woman with the most beautiful yorkie i had ever seen! we got to chatting and come to find out she was a "breeder" who had two puppies available....i damn near had a heart attack when she told me how much she was selling them for!!! She told me she would take payments..that sold me. Hunny and myself went to her house and we did see mom and dad...both beautiful, the pup we had in mind ran and hid...however Raelle came and sat on my foot!! You might say she chose me!! it was love at first sight!! this same breeder called me to tell me that the original pup that i saw her with had puppies, of course i wanted another!!! Orion is not the breed standard at 8mths he is 10 pounds! love both to death...i was fortunate both babies are really healthy, so i lucked out! Eventually i want to add another, but thanks to this forum i will be patient and research the breeder throughly! i have already started my search...planning to add another next year sometime. Thank yorkietalk for all your help!

[MidnightUnicorn]

Yes, I think I have.

I had a friend who did little research for her yorkie. Her yorkie had many problems (medical and behavioral). My friend received no help nor support from the breeder. I learned from her experience.

Personally, I had certain hopes for my yorkie as far as coloring, temperament, and size.

Over the years, I spoke to a couple of breeders who educated me about the breed. Also, through our communication, I got to know the breeder themselves. Although I did not purchase any dogs from them, I thought the experience was valuable. I learned that the breeder was just as important as the dogs themselves. JMHO.

I joined and read YorkieTalk before I became a yorkie owner.

When I saw Tatiana listed for sale here, I sensed she may be the dog for me. Tatiana had many characteristics I hoped for. When I contacted the breeder who told me more about Tatiana, I believed she was the right yorkie for me, and that we would be a good match. Furthermore, the breeder impressed me with her knowledge and general breeding practices.

Truthfully, I consider Tatiana my dream dog. She's everything I hoped for. And yes, when I first laid eyes on her (when I picked her up from the airport), it was love at first sight. Tatiana was a magnificent, little dog.

Incidentally and truthfully, with no disrespect to my friend, Tatiana is very, very different from her yorkie. There's a world of difference between a yorkie (that was selectively bred for health and beauty from an experienced breeder) and a yorkie that was bred from a less-experienced, questionable breeder. The difference is huge as far as appearance, health, and personality (no behavioral problems). JMHO.