Who should breed Yorkies?

[JUDY's2yorkies]

Maybe this should have been on a new post, but this saturday my husband and I stopped by a groomer in my town,and much to our horrer we talked to a couple that had what I thought was a silky,found out it was the brother to my male,out of the same litter,now here is my question..when I bought him, we were told that he would not weight over 5 lbs..it was true, they also said they had never had a yorkie in thier line over 5 lbs..all of there papers said the same thing, now this other dog weighed in at 13 bs..now we are really concerned..we have a new male pup..when he was born he weighed 5oz,a single pup and the vet said he would not be bigger than his parents,not to be worried,yet now I don't know what to think, I know in humans,genitics can play a part and a kid can take after an uncle,aunt,grandparents...this pup was sold before he was born under the understanding he would be like his parents...can I get some truth here..what should I really expect,should I call the potential owner of the new pup and tell her what we found out,the breeder of the male is not returning my calls..I understand that there are throbacks, could this be the case or were we taken

[red98vett]

That's such a shame but people lie. Chances are you just have to accept that and just love your baby for who he is.... not where he came from -

I think with many 'not so good' breeders - Ok...BAD Breeders....this is pretty common practice - the GOOD breeders would not do this - they love and respect the breed too much

[StewiesMom]

Originally Posted by SnowWa

I am a little confused as far as breeding goes.

I believe in improving and maintaining the standards of every breed, and am becoming more familiar with many of you who are serious breeders. You have a real passion for breeding. You select and purchase very fine animals, breed them carefully, care for them wonderfully, and whelp litters that are as near the Yorkie standards as possible. You strive for perfection.

And there are people (not breeders in the true sense of the word) who have a pet Yorkie or two (average animals) breed them, care for them very well, and sell them to many of us who are dying to have a Yorkie for a pet.

I am describing two very different types of breeders. One who has the understanding, education, and passion to strive for the very best. The other who loves their pet(s), breeds them, and sends them off to loving homes to be pets.

I believe there is something inherently difficult in breeding Yorkies. I have yet to see a breed that varies as much as the Yorkie. The AKC weight standard is 5 to 7 lbs, and I have seen Yorkies from 2 to 14 pounds. The standard for coloring is especially confusing - but apart from the standard, look at all the different colors there are. This has nothing to do with the standards, but the way different people maintain their Yorkies (haircuts especially) can cause them to look like totally different breeds.

And - leave it to the Yorkie to be loved and adored no matter what size, shape, color, or haircut it has.

Price?? Should we talk about price when we talk about breeders. I think so. There certainly is usually a difference in the quality of puppies that are produced by the serious breeders compared to the backyard (I hate this term) breeders. So, for those of us who care about the difference, we should be willing to pay more for higher quality Yorkies. (I didn't say more loveable - they are all adorable and loveable.) I just mean higher quality in terms of meeting the standards of the breed.

I have stated before that I have the cutest little guy, but I wouldn't breed him. I think he has too many faults. He may get too big, his ears may be too large. His legs might be a little too long, and his coat leaves a lot to be desired. Of course, all my friends say, "Why don't you breed him?" Well - you and I know why. But he is perfect for me because I wanted a pet.

I suppose this happens with all breeds. So many people want their dogs bred and want to have a litter of puppies. But even with the best intentions and wonderful care, and a lot of love, I don't suppose this is always a good thing.

But -- if only the very professional breeders bred dogs, I think they would be too expensive for most people, and there wouldn't be enough to go around.
We can't all have or want a show dog. Most of us want a pet.

I think my post makes no sense at all. I'm not even sure what I'm trying to ask. I guess I am just asking about Yorkies and who should be breeding them. I wonder how some of you feel about this.

I am not talking about puppy mills, bad breeders, or anything like that. We all know where we stand there. I am referring more to the two types of caring breeders that I have mentioned above. Is it acceptable to breed "pet quality" Yorkies. Can this hurt the breed in the long run.

Carol Jean

I'm not reading the whole thread, but I'm giving my answers to the original post so no one attack me asking if I've read the whole thread; I didn't.

There are times that I believe that no one should be breeding any pets. That usually happens when I take a peek at Petfinder.com and see all the homeless babies in shelters all over the countries. A lot of them are former breeding dogs that couldn't be placed - you can see them if you check out their stories. I think "why are these breeders breeding and then sending their unwanted ones to shelters?". I also get a little peeved when I think of people producing hundreds of puppies (I'm not talking puppymills) looking for the perfect dog that is asthetically perfect when there are hundreds of thousands of homeless purebreds.

My Stewie's parents were perfect and obviously he's not. His ears went down after his rabies shot. He's incredibly tall and long. He weighs more than 7lbs. His parents should never be bred again - they produced a dog who is no where near standard. When I see pictures of "mommies" on YT who were bred, sometimes I think "why the hell is that dog having puppies??" They have down ears, cotton coats, obvious bite problems, etc etc. It's so obvious that the member wants to make a quick buck.

It has HONESTLY never occurred to me, until I joined YT, that people want to breed their animals. In Chicago, I can honestly say that 90% of people get their dogs from shelters. Breeders are looked down upon since there are so many homeless animals. I would NEVER EVER EVER EVER breed Stewie - even if he were perfect. He's my baby and I think it's wrong to make my baby have puppies. The thought of having puppies makes me sick. I think there is some sort of disconnect between pets and breeder dogs. I don't see them as the same thing.

At the same time, I love and respect a lot of the breeders on YT - the knowlegable ones who don't slap two dogs together or breed their pets and the ones who share their wealth of info, experiences, etc.

[JUDY's2yorkies]

The breeder called me back,she said this is the first she has heard of this happening in her litters,that she never would have given me a contract on him as a breeder under 5 lbs if she had any idea this would happen,she offered to give me my money back if I fixed my male if that is what I wanted,she was very upset this happened said all she can think of is it was a throback,does that sound logical or like a lie..I guess my basic question is should I call the babys future parents and tell them what we found out,honesty has always been what I live life by,any ideas as to the truth in this mess

[whispersmom2]

In my area, the costs vary widely..A puppy that IMO is not worth $500.00 might go for $1800.00. I am not sure why the person would pay so much for such poor quality unless they have not done their homework. If that is the case, they deserve what they get. That is not to say that the breeder has no responsibility for the quality-we are the only ones who DO have that responsibility. But, these live animals live for 15 years and become complete individuals in their own rights based, in part, on their environment.
I sometimes find it hard to be sympathetic to a caller who says "I bought htis puppy from the ________pet store and it has been sick since I got it. Bad hair, poor bite, LP and so on. Vet bills already in the thousands and the puppy is still sick!" I ALWAYS ask how much research they did into the uniqueness and health problems common in Yorkies...I swear, I try not to blast them, but sometimes I just cannot help it. There is NO excuse for not knowing about puppy mills, PSS, LP,LCP, heart murmur and so on. You don't even have to have a computer--just watch TV for goodness sake. Animal Planet is informative as well as entertaining.
I am getting calls from panicked husbands just starting to look for that Yorkie their wife has been wanting for a long time and he decided this Christmas is the perfect time to give that precious soul. Well, buy a sweet stuffed Yorkie, give your loved one the toy and an IOU so that you(and SHE) can select at a more leisurely pace and research more thoroughly..Everyone will thank you in the long run..

[JCarlson2004]

Originally Posted by whispersmom2

In my area, the costs vary widely..A puppy that IMO is not worth $500.00 might go for $1800.00. I am not sure why the person would pay so much for such poor quality unless they have not done their homework. If that is the case, they deserve what they get. That is not to say that the breeder has no responsibility for the quality-we are the only ones who DO have that responsibility. But, these live animals live for 15 years and become complete individuals in their own rights based, in part, on their environment.
I sometimes find it hard to be sympathetic to a caller who says "I bought htis puppy from the ________pet store and it has been sick since I got it. Bad hair, poor bite, LP and so on. Vet bills already in the thousands and the puppy is still sick!" I ALWAYS ask how much research they did into the uniqueness and health problems common in Yorkies...I swear, I try not to blast them, but sometimes I just cannot help it. There is NO excuse for not knowing about puppy mills, PSS, LP,LCP, heart murmur and so on. You don't even have to have a computer--just watch TV for goodness sake. Animal Planet is informative as well as entertaining.
I am getting calls from panicked husbands just starting to look for that Yorkie their wife has been wanting for a long time and he decided this Christmas is the perfect time to give that precious soul. Well, buy a sweet stuffed Yorkie, give your loved one the toy and an IOU so that you(and SHE) can select at a more leisurely pace and research more thoroughly..Everyone will thank you in the long run..

Powerful message.

[BamaFan121s]

Originally Posted by StewiesMom

When I see pictures of "mommies" on YT who were bred, sometimes I think "why the hell is that dog having puppies??" They have down ears, cotton coats, obvious bite problems, etc etc. It's so obvious that the member wants to make a quick buck.

Ha...1) I can't blame you for not wanted to read the whole thread, 2) you now have half of the breeders on here wondering if you are talking about them, and 3) although I support adopting dogs/cats from shelters, I will NEVER do it again...had a heatbreaking experience with a 3 yr old resued Peke...he had serious mental problems (seriously) and had to be put to sleep because he had chewed off his own tail and was going to have to be put on tranquilizers for probably the rest of his life. Not saying it WOULD make a difference knowing more about the dog's background, but if it COULD, I would rather go that route.

Just my 2 cents.

[StewiesMom]

Originally Posted by BamaFan121s

Ha...1) I can't blame you for not wanted to read the whole thread, 2) you now have half of the breeders on here wondering if you are talking about them, and 3) although I support adopting dogs/cats from shelters, I will NEVER do it again...had a heatbreaking experience with a 3 yr old resued Peke...he had serious mental problems (seriously) and had to be put to sleep because he had chewed off his own tail and was going to have to be put on tranquilizers for probably the rest of his life. Not saying it WOULD make a difference knowing more about the dog's background, but if it COULD, I would rather go that route.

Just my 2 cents.

I hope I have all the "breeders" who breed nonstandard dogs thinking that I'm talking about them (because I AM!)

[puppygirl]

Originally Posted by YorkyKids

<There are some pet quality yorkies sold every day that could become show dogs and there are show quality puppies sold as pet.>snip

This statement makes me {{snicker}} every time I see it or something simular. Our most popular and outstanding Yorkshire Terrier was sold as a PET. Yep his name was Multi BIS Ch Cede Higgins. He was purchased as a Christmas present by Charles Switzer for his wife Barbara. The Switzer's later bred under the kennel name "Barbie". As Cede matured it became apparent he was much more than a pet. The Switzer's daughter Marlene developed a VERY special bond with Cede and she became his handler. Cede and Marlene were destined to reach all time heights for the Yorkshire Terrier. A record breaking pair! Cede's record BIS win record was only recently surpassed by CH Sterling's Wildcard O'Marne aka "Oliver". But no other Yorkie has matched Cede's Best In Show win at Westminster in 1978!

<She doesnt want the carpet damaging the bottom of this dog's coat. >snip
I have NO CARPET. Ripped it out years ago for the comfort of the Yorkies. I too believe they are pets first..showdogs second!

<Who should breed? A person who loves animals in general, Soft hearted yet strong willed, Dedicated, Someone who could care less about a social life because you will lose that with your first litter, Someone who can understand that there are no experts only experience. Someone who is prepared to never stop learning. Somone who is a care-giver by nature.>snip

So true! My hubby and I have not been on any vacations or family functions TOGETHER in years. We vacation separately. And no matter the family function...holiday, funeral, wedding etc. Only one of us go. Someone is always home with the dogs. We truely lead a "dog's life" ROFL

While it may be true that Cede Higgens was purchased as a pet, I would encourage you to take a look at his pedigree. He was expertly bred. I wouldn't presume to know the circumstances of how he was placed, but breeding a quality show dog is one thing; being able to pick the show quality puppy is as much art as science. Very rarely if ever do you see a show quality puppy, let alone a top winner, come out of a litter that is casually bred.

For what it's worth.

Jen

[sylvan]

Originally Posted by puppygirl

While it may be true that Cede Higgens was purchased as a pet, I would encourage you to take a look at his pedigree. He was expertly bred. I wouldn't presume to know the circumstances of how he was placed, but breeding a quality show dog is one thing; being able to pick the show quality puppy is as much art as science. Very rarely if ever do you see a show quality puppy, let alone a top winner, come out of a litter that is casually bred.

For what it's worth.

Jen

Thanks for making this point. Cede Higgens was bred from AM CAN CH bloodlines, heavily red (Clarkwyn and Wildweir) and NOT just two pet quality dogs casually mated that happened to produce a miracle dog. To post this as otherwise is serious mis-information. Here's a link to see his ped.
http://www.yorkshire-terrier.com/famous-peds.htm

[BamaFan121s]

Originally Posted by StewiesMom

I hope I have all the "breeders" who breed nonstandard dogs thinking that I'm talking about them (because I AM!)

OK...that makes more sense...thanks for clarifying. I will wipe the sweat from my forhead knowing I am not included in that category/statement.

[SnowWa]

I started this post, and like another poster mentioned, I, too, am very grateful that everyone has stepped up to the plate with positive, helpful, and educational information. I was a little worried that it might cause some distention - and end up being "closed" before it got started.

Wouldn't this be the perfect thread for someone to read who hasn't gotten their Yorkie yet. There is so much helpful information here.

I want to mention also that I have a growing respect for those of you who are reputable breeders, who love the breed, and who are doing all you can to help these wonderful little guys maintain their wonderful qualities. It is so important that there are a lot of you at work to ensure that the delightful little Yorkie continues to be what it should be. My thanks to all of you. (And - I am saying this with a little fellow that is probably far from perfect .. but still a great pet.)

Carol Jean

[megan_kat22]

I do not understand why people breed dogs just "because they are so cute". Yes, all puppies are cute, but that gives no excuse to breed them right and left when no breed standards are being met. If you would like a pet Yorkie, visit rescues and humane societies. Yes, I did get Tucker from a byb, and I love him to death but regret supporting his breeder's operation. I do not understand when people are against the idea of rescuing an older dog (sometimes just a year old) because they want it as a puppy. Dog are only puppies for so long. They do grow up, and if you really love them the age won't make a difference. It is the greatest feeling giving a helpless animal a second chance. This is why I think the only breeders (of any breed of dog) should breed to better the exact standard. There are too many dogs in the world as it is, I don't think breeding just because a pet Yorkie you have is just so cute is really an excuse for adding to the problem.

[flyorkies]

Originally Posted by SnowWa

I started this post, and like another poster mentioned, I, too, am very grateful that everyone has stepped up to the plate with positive, helpful, and educational information. I was a little worried that it might cause some distention - and end up being "closed" before it got started.

Wouldn't this be the perfect thread for someone to read who hasn't gotten their Yorkie yet. There is so much helpful information here.

I want to mention also that I have a growing respect for those of you who are reputable breeders, who love the breed, and who are doing all you can to help these wonderful little guys maintain their wonderful qualities. It is so important that there are a lot of you at work to ensure that the delightful little Yorkie continues to be what it should be. My thanks to all of you. (And - I am saying this with a little fellow that is probably far from perfect .. but still a great pet.)

Carol Jean

YES THIS IS PERFECT! Any one getting a yorkie can find this thread very useful.

[shelbysmom]

http://www.shooterdog.com/alexfaq2.htm#FIND

this website was very helpful to me when I was researching. I appreciated her description of breeders.