New and in desperate need of advice!

[Mercedesxoxo]

First I want to thank all of you posters at YorkieTalk. I have gained invaluable information from this site; perusing forums for answers to all my questions.
Here goes- I'm am getting my first ever dog and in the process have been researching and interviewing many breeders over the course of the last few months. I found a breeder that I saw as a shining star,consistently churning out gorgeous litters and really detailed in her ads. From how thorough she seemed I really felt comfortable adopting from her. I find the perfect puppy and put a deposit on him. Sound great? Keep reading to see the RED FLAGS I'm concerned about.
I arrange a visit to her home several days ago to visit the puppy as he cannot be picked up for a week more. He is a Biewer and I was told that mom was 7lbs "well,really closer to 6." And dad was imported from Germany and 4lbs. When I get to the house she brings the puppy to me in the living room. I thought that odd but he was beautiful and we really bonded. I didn't ask to see the living quarters but I did request to see the sire and dam. The dogs they brought out...confused me. They brought several adults out and,upon seeing a small Parti-coloured dog that I assumed was the aforementioned small male from Germany,I turned to the larger standard yorkie and said "so this is mum". They said no, mum is the smaller Parti dog and the much larger,standard coloured dog is the male. Both dogs were well over the weight they stated online and in a phone call! But why lie about which dog was which? I was immediately uncomfortable.
I brought a list of questions and expected to be interviewed myself. They asked me not one question but I could tell my standard questions seemed to put her off. When I asked if the parents were genetically tested for any defects she said "no,but they have had many litters that turned out well." When clearly online it says it is mum's first litter. So then I ask about the health guarantee.she says one year against FATAL issues,not genetic or congenital issues. Granted the state she is in has a puppy lemon law but who knows how far I could get in debt before resorting to lawyers,should the puppy's fall ill. I texted her to clarify this and did not get a response when normally she responds quickly.
So I go online to find the ad for the puppy just to make sure I didn't get confused. Sure enough I look and it says clearly that the sire is 4lbs from Germany (obviously one would buy a Biewer from Germany,not the standard "male" yorkie she tried to pass off) and the dam is 6lbs. And then,from the same add,some of the pictures of puppies have a birthdate of 12january and some (like my boy) say 20december. She also said my boy is charting 4lbs (size is a slight issue as i figure shooting for a 4lb range and loving him no matter what won't be as shocking as getting a "7lb" boy and having him get too big to handle) but she never weighed him in front of me so who knows.
I don't know what to do. After research I found only one positive or negative review and it was a woman very unhappy and very credible on ripoff report. I fell totally in love with this puppy and she seems to be a grand breeder but I'm wary with the discrepancies. I desperately need your sage advise! Why would she switch the parents that she has owned for years and lie about weights and possibly ages,etc? Thank you so much for your input.

[yorkiemini]

WELCOME TO YT
I am no expert, and I had many breeders to chose from when I got Cali.
I do strongly believe that you buy the breeder first and then the pup!
I do see the red flags you indicated and dishonesty in any area on the part of the breeder would put me off immediately. Unfortunately, one hears of so many people who fell in love with their puppy and then ended up spending $$$$$$$
because they were not well bred.

Hopefully, one of our knowledgeable breeders will weigh in to give you there perspective on your search.

Good luck. - the perfect Yorkie is out there for you, just be patient!

[ChibiLuv]

You should feel 100% happy with who you get your puppy from. If right off the bat there are discrepencies, and red flags, turn the other way. It is hard not to fall in love with puppies but buying from a breeder you trust will pay off in the long run. Be patient, the right dog is out there- you just have to find each other

[Yorkiemomma78]

Originally Posted by yorkiemini

I do strongly believe that you buy the breeder first and then the pup!

Welcome to YT..and I totally agree with the above.
You should never put down a deposit until you have met the breeder,seen the puppys and the parents and of course know more about the background of them all.
I too would be VERY uncomfortable with this whole situation,and the fact that she has lied about the background of her pups in order to sell them quicker and easier is not a good sign at all.
I dont know if that´s what you want to do right now,but could you get your deposit back? She lied about the parents,she´s "churning" out puppies?? (that in it´s self is NOT a good thing) and she doesnt offer much of a garantee etc
It doesnt even sound as if she knows much about her own dogs either.

The puppy may grow up to be healthy and everything may be fine,but this breeder doesnt seem trustworthy to me at all.
I dont know weather breeders do this there (they do here),but could she give you the e-mail of previous buyers so you can contact one or two and get some feedback? What about the telephone number of the vet that handles her dogs and puppies? (we get that too).
I dont see why she would be so skittish if she has nothing to hide,but through previous experience,I would not be getting the puppy from her.

A breeder should ask you questions..mine wanted to know EVERYTHING about me (she even asked to meet my kids) and a year later,she still e-mails me once a month asking for updates and photos.
I hope you get some good advice..but I honestly wouldent trust her

[KendraE]

I'm sorry!!! I too would be very wary!! Why lie about all of this??? I don't know.... I think maybe you should keep looking....

[KazzyK810]

I'm confused....did you put a deposit on the puppy before you ever saw it? Or did you put a deposit on it the day you saw the small parti mom & larger traditional dad?

I'd definately look elsewhere. Too many red flags for me. I know when you want a puppy, you want it now....but (hopefully) you'll have this puppy for the next 15 or so years...so it's best to choose wisely.

[MandiesMom]

Your research has given you the answer to your own question. The fact that you asked these questions, didn't get asked ANY questions, and know in your gut all the red flags...I would ask for my money back and keep looking for the right breeder.

I know you fell in love with the puppy when you saw it, but better to walk away now than to have your heart filled by this puppy once you have it home and then some serious (untested for!) health issue comes along and the puppy dies or you watch it suffer its whole life.

You already know the answer and I think you just needed us to confirm it. Definitely run from the red flags and look elsewhere for your puppy...the right breeder is out there. I promise

Welcome to YT!!

[Teresa Ford]

My thoughts are , that honesty is the most important thing in any transaction. If someone lies to me, BAM shields up and everything after that has to be verified.
If you choose to get this puppy anyway after all the red flags, be prepared for the unknown, aka put money in the bank. I deal with rescues and fosters and I know when I pick a dog up their background is probably made up stories. I start from scratch, with a good Vet testing and checking the dog out.

[chachi]

I would forfeit the deposit and get your pup from a better breeder. If she lies about that what else does she lie about.

[Lovetodream88]

Please do not buy this puppy and support this breeder keeping her in business. This is bad breeder and the only way to stop them is to not buy from them.

[Mercedesxoxo]

Thank you so much for all of your input! It is greatly appreciated and you are all right- as a long-time reader of this forum I have answered all of my own questions. In regards to the "churning out" puppies comment,I was being funny but in three months I have seen maybe three litters from her. Is that a lot? I think so but everything looked and felt leaps and bounds above other breeders in several states near by. I spoke to her on the phone twice,texted many times. I felt totally comfortable with her and her operation. She answered my questions on the phone and her puppies were gorgeous,though I obviously waited months before settling on a breeder,then puppy. I feel I did everything right in being patient and researching. So when the time came I was confident putting down a deposit to hold the puppy after seeing only photos as her puppies go fast and most of her clients are from out of town.
The dog was gorgeous,really socialised. I have met many a puppy but I actually bonded with this boy.
So my options are- make sure I'm covered contractually in the event of him being sick (this state does have a puppy lemon law). Make sure to test him for EVERYTHING under the sun on his first vet visit. Or...
Forfeit my deposit and start over and hope the same thing doesn't happen and I find a puppy that comes close to being as "special" as this little guy. Like most client/breeder transactions,it will have to be done from afar as I cannot drive 8hrs+ round trip to every potential breeder.
Though I know better,I'm still torn. The biggest issues are why wouldn't a reputable breeder genetically test her breeding dogs?! That's madness! You are producing puppies that need to behealthy. And the parents seeming to switch bodies and looking bigger than described...
I hope this thread at least helps a newbie like me; showing different types of breeders,discrepancies,etc.
Thank you guys so much. Ill keep you updated and post a review of whatever breeder I use!

[Marilize]

Please don't support this type of breeder! You will be sorry later, and you will have to live with your decision for 10 + years. Take your time to find the right breeder, someone who answers your questions satisfactorily, someone who asks questions in return and someone who does genetic testing.

I am a Biewer breeder myself and my dogs are all health tested and come with a lifelong guarantee against genetic diseases like PRA-prcd and luxating patella (genetic cause). In the case of illness, we offer to help the owner financially. When you are buying a purebred dog, it's very important to have the assurance that the breeder did their best possible to ensure healthy dogs.

I have no idea why someone would mix up their dogs like that. Is she being deliberately confusing? And to be honest, why would someone cross a Yorkie with a Biewer? I personally believe in Biewer to Biewer breeding only, but each to his own.

There are good breeders out there who do everything they can to produce the best dogs possible... please support them instead.

[AngelFae]

I'm terribly uncomfortable with this breeder just by reading your post! If I were you I would NOT get a pup from her, no matter HOW cute it is! Trust me, in every litter you meet there will be a pup that you are drawn to- that you bond with. Please don't go forward with this breeder! I feel that you are going to be in for a LOT of heartache! =(

[AprilLove]

I agree with the others, heed the red flags and find another breeder

[msyorktown]

I also agree with the others....follow your head on this one, not your heart. I would not buy from this breeder.