400.00 is not a lot of money for a Yorkie. I've seen rescue pups up to 925.00!!!

:lol tearsFunny but true...about the marriage! LOL!

Find the breeder first - even if he/she doesn't have puppies yet. I love my breeder.

You must be/remain 'picky.' You'll find the right one.

While there are no guarantees, the breeder - who has established lines - kind of knows what you're getting. My puppy has been compared to her "grandma." Everything that my breeder told me she should be, she's turning out to be.

Show breeders DO breed for temperment. It's not just something they say in an advertisement. My breeder has been been show breeding for 35 years. He's also a member of our local YTCA. Look at the YTCA referral list for your area.

A little bit of a wait for the right pup will serve you well! And it beats all the long drives all over the place.

Good luck. Tracey

I can't tell you how many breeders I visited before finding the right breeder and Jilly and subsequently, Tibbe, from that same breeder, though he hadn't been bred by her, his father had. But I must have driven over 2,000 around D/FW to meet breeders and, if they had any litters or dogs for sale, look at them. Most I turned down for the poor quality of the dogs and others due to the facilities or the breeders themselves, though I loved their dogs in many cases! So be as picky as you like - but I know it gets tiresome and sad doing all the looking for a breeder, making the connection, long phone conversations, arranging a meeting, driving there, often earlier or later than is convenient and sometimes in inclement weather, getting to know them and viewing the home and any facilities they have, then finally getting to see dogs - and if you went for other than a meeting and they had dogs - only to be so often disappointed for one reason or another - coming home with your empty carrier in the car and back to square one. I do hope you find the right breeder and perfect dog for you before too much longer.

I too are looking for the right pup for a pet. I am still looking. I want the best dog possible. My family thinks I am nuts to "spend that kind of money on a dog". But how my man looked at it and explained it to my family......you have the dog for say 14 years average (they can live to 17) And say you pay $1500 for the dog. That is $107.14 a year. And $8.93 a month. Can you afford that? You really got to love a man logic lol......

I think you should be VEY picky! This is a "purchase" that will stay with you for many many years to come.. My advise, Pick the breeder first! A great breeder will always have beautiful healthy babies, so you really cant go wrong. Patience is a virtue here.

nothing wrong with being picky and that is a good thing.. when you do find a good breeder and you like the puppies let the puppy pick you, :)

It's a good thing to be picky! I too would have walked away from that.

I only wish our family had that sense years ago when we got our German Shepherd pup. Went into the city, saw the parents aggressively barking and lunging, etc, and we took the pup home anyways. She ended up being very aggressive, attacking someone and being put to sleep. I was devastated as a kid.

I DO believe you can somewhat mold a dog into what you want it to be, especially from a young age. Jackson certainly did not come from a good place either (a rowhouse in Baltimore City -- the woman was nice and all, but totally just breeding her pet dog for some extra money), and he lived in her home and not outdoors in a kennel, etc, but definitely not a good breeder nor ideal. He was a pretty shy little guy, but struck a bond with me right away. I always let him explore, learn new things, experience all kinds of different things, socialized, brought him everywhere he could go, began training right away. He was always real shy for the first year, but with patience, training, and socialization, he turned into a really amazing dog. He would NOT be the dog he is today without everything I've done for him. He'd probably be a neurotic hyper dog scared of everything and barking at everything.

But health problems are something to be aware of too. I think your chances of getting a healthy dog can be greater going with a GOOD breeder (not *always* the case) but I think it's important to see the parents, the lineage, temperament of parents, etc.

I'll be looking for a second dog at some point, and I've got 3 breeds I'm debating between, and I've been researching for 2 years now... breeders, etc. It's definitely not something to go into lightly if you want to be happy! I don't see anything wrong with trying to find that "perfect" dog for you.

I agree and my search for a puppy measured in years. When I found Max, I knew he was the one. He was worth the wait, and so was his brother Teddy.

There are always potential health problems with any living creature, but your chances for a healthy dog are much better with a really good breeder.

Another key thing about getting a good breeder is that IF a health issue arises, they will stand behind their puppy. I'm so glad you walked away from that other place.

Good luck in your search, and I agree with whoever said that patience is needed. SO true! Good breeders don't have multiple dogs and litters, so you may have a bit of a wait, but you'll never regret it once you have your healthy and happy pup in your arms:)