Considering buying this puppy, good or bad idea?
 

So I have been looking for a yorkie for a while now and I have found some that I liked but they were just too small. Im looking for a female that will mature to around 5-6 pounds. So a friend of mine called and said she saw an ad for a 5 month old female yorkie puppy. I called and talked to the owner and she said that Coco (the puppy) is 5 months and weighs 4.5 pounds and the breeder told her she would mature to 5 pounds. She has had coco since she was 9 weeks but now needs to rehome her for personal health issues and now she is no longer able to care for her anymore. She has all shots and a clean bill of health from the vet and papers. She paid $1100 from the breeder but she wants $700 and she will include all of her belongings clothes, bed, crate, food, etc. She no longer has contact with the breeder so I will know nothing about her history and also if she is already 4.5 pounds doesnt she still have alot of growing time that will make her much bigger than what I'm looking for? Is it a bad idea to buy and not know of her history. What else should I be thinking about? I have included a pic that was taken a few days ago, her ears look a little bit big but I think she is cute. I have made arrangements to go see her this friday. Any thought or advice will be appreciated.

The ears look a bit large and wide-set and the rear quarters appear too high, but that could just be from a partial-crouch position. Might be a little short-legged and long-bodied but that is hard to tell from this picture.

My two (spayed) girls weighed 4 lbs at 4 months, 6 lbs at a year and 7 lbs at two years. If you have any doubts keep looking- the right one comes along as if by magic!

I am so skeptical.....is the baby registered? The breeder's name will be on the registration papers. Five months old is not a very long time to already lose contact with the breeder....I always worry about stolen dogs and people selling them.....you will know nothing about her history....that part also concerns me....genetic health issues....maybe you can work a deal where you ask if you can have YOUR vet do a detailed health check and blood work, and if the baby does indeed come back fit as a fiddle, you will take her....or keep her...if she is not healthy, you can return her and get your deposit back....
If she starts stuttering, hemming and hawing, red flags should be snapping all around you!

She looks cute but needs some loving!! See if you can get your vet to check her over first. It would be worth the cost.

You said she had papers. My first thought was, "Isn't the breeder name on the papers?" If so, no problem there. If not, then I would definitely see about having your vet check her.

She IS cute though :) And, I don't think 4.5 lbs at 5 months is too big. Mandie was just over 4 lbs at 5 months. She is a year now and right at 5.5 lbs

I thought that at first, but I'm pretty sure that it is the tongue. The lighting is what is doing that I think.

I think she's licking the left side of her mouth so that would be her tongue that we're seeing. I kind of wondered too till I took a closer look. Take another look and let me know if you change your mind. Thanks!

I would be skeptical too.. I would go & see the dog in person. If u feel a connection w/the dog and really want her than go for it. I would want to know if she's purebred and registered. You can find a pup younger and w/papers for that amount of money. I would put a lot of thought into this before you decide to buy her... The pups still young & she's selling her a such a discount.

Pup
 

If she is healthy and you like her, why not? When you meet the mom you will find out more perhaps.

She is registered but I didnt ask if its AKC or what because that doesnt matter to me. Yes that is her tongue in the photo she sent it to my cell phone and it was bad lighting but I had to crop it to get it online so that made it look worse. In the other pics there is nothing visibly wrong with her face. I am sure the breeders info will be on the papers she just doesnt have a number anymore to call her when her cell was lost. She has all documents of her purchase and vet records. I was actually looking for a little older puppy so 5 months is a good age for me. I live in Southern California and the cheapest pups without papers run at $800 from byb's.

She's a doll! It seems weird to me that the owner lost touch with the breeder after only 5 months. That doesn't seem quite right. Typically, when you purchase a puppy from a breeder, you're not allowed to resell. You're supposed to contact the breeder & the breeder will make arrangements if you're no longer able to keep the pup. That's typically in the contract. If you're concerned with her line, genetics, health guarantee, etc...it might not be a great idea to get her. Something seems wrong about the whole losing touch with the breeder thing.

BUT...if you're looking for a sweet little pet, then why not? It would almost be like adopting a rescue. I'm a little skeptical of the owner's story, but if you aren't concerned with papers, health or history, & if you're in love with the puppy, go for it.

she is so cute, sometimes people get a puppy and as soon as the new wears off they are ready to let them go, and sometimes when they get tired of cleaning up after them...she looks healthy but i would have her checked, good luck with your decision

If I put myself in your position, I would just go meet the owner and see the puppy for myself. I would want to hold and interact with it, and check it over while I had my hands on it. :)

If you are concerned about any health issues perhaps the owner would write a health guarantee and give you 48 hours to have it checked out by your Vet.

Have you picked out a name? ;)

most breeders unless they are top of the line show breeders don't really care what happens after they sell a puppy, and also the majority don't health test even though I know we all wish they would. the pup looks cute, IMHO that is a great age to get a yorkie puppy because you can tell a lot about how it will look as an adult and health wise it has gotten over some of the issues dealing with a very young puppy. If you like the look of the puppy from the photos drive to see it, play with it, interact with it, but see if the person will take a post dated check by a day or two and have the puppy checked over at a vet, and I don't mean just a basic puppy visit, but a full blood work up so you can see things like liver and kidney functions. I hate to say it but buying a purebred, a mix, or adopting a rescue is often a crap shoot. Yes, yes I know it's ideal to go to a breeder that has run all the right genetic tests and does not sell for a profit and so on...... but even then several health issues can come up, I know because I bought a $2,000 dog from a show breeder that wound up with several expensive health problems including lympantasia, or how ever it is spelled. good luck with what ever you decide

yep you got it, LOL I was typing while you posted this, that's sort of the old fashion way of getting a puppy you actually went to look at it and played with it before you bought it, now people are putting money on dogs that are not born or they only saw their picture on the internet and have them shipped cross country or even from out of the country, like with all these Korean Malteses that seem to be popular. I guess I am old but I still prefer the old fashioned way of getting a puppy:D:D

First of all you need to meet this dog and observe her before making any decisions. A 5 month old pup may be a good idea if she has been well trained or it may be a bad idea if she has been neglected and has not been properly potty trained. You could be at square one with her if she has been pottying around the house all this time.

Someone asking that much money for a second hand pup is likely not going to tell you all the facts about the little girl. It may be a good deal but I would wait and save my money if I had any doubts about the present owner's story. You do need to talk to the vet's office. It seems odd to me that a 5 month old Yorkie pup already has all it's shots. We did not get a rabies shot for Gracie until she was 6 months old. I guess some vets differ in how they do their shots.

I realize there are all kinds of breeders out there but for $1200 you should be able to get a nice quality pup from a reputable breeder. I would surely want to know who the breeder of the dog is. You really need to have an idea of what kind of health history you are paying for. There are just so many genetic defects in poorly bred pups. It's not something you want to find out about a couple of years down the road.

Maybe I should of explained it better when I said she lost contact with the breeder. During our first phone conversation she told me coco was purchased from a breeder and that she had all paperwork to prove everything she was tellong me. I asked for the breeders info and she said she didnt have it at that moment but she could get it to me. The next onversation was very short just to set up a day/time to go meet the puppy and I forgot to ask for the info. I know many people who purchased their puppy from breeders and only one said the contract said the puppy should returned to them if no longer able to keep it.

Im not sure what I would name her yet. I always have the hardest time thinking of puppy names lol. Im planning on going to see her this friday afternoon. The owner is making a vet appointment so that we can take her there together before any money is given so that makes me feel somewhat better. Thank you all for your omments advie :)

you really should considere having blood work done and some of that involves fasting, (I think) I used to be cheap and complain about paying for blood tests, but now I have it done yearly. Good luck with whatever happens

Well that makes sense then - about the owner not being in touch with the breeder. That's great that you've set up a meeting to meet the owner & the puppy! You'll probably know your decision at the meeting. You'll just know ;) I didn't mean to give you the wrong info about breeders & returning the puppy if a problem arises. That's just the experience I've had with the breeder & the rescues I've worked with. I just assumed that everyone worked that way. Good luck on Friday!!

I am not a "top of the line show breeder".... (my "breeding stock" are all top of the line show dogs, or first/second generation offspring of,)...... but I AM a responsible, ethical breeder, and you can bet your first born child, I DO care about my babies and where they go after the sale....and it is in my contract the baby MUST be returned to me if buyer can no longer keep the pup. Buyers are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to stay in contact with me at LEAST once a year with a picture and health summary of the pup's past year.....that is how I track the success of my breeding program. With the exception of a couple of buyers, I am always getting pics and stories about the babies and what is going on....

:thumbup::thumbup:

THIS makes ME feel a whole lot better! Good luck with your baby....or whatever you decide to do! GO WITH YOUR GUT, NOT YOUR HEART!!

I have no additional advice to give you, please keep us posted on what happens at the vet and what you decide.
Good luck...she is a cutie though.

Such a cutie! Good luck with your decision...keep us posted!

If the owner doesn't have contact with the breeder, then most likely the breeder was a byb to begin with, OR a broker. If the info on the papers shows a breeder or kennel out of state, then very possibly the person was a broker.

I think for the price, it's a little high for not knowing anything about the background of the dog. If the papers aren't AKC, then even worse.

I am just wondering, who is paying for the vet visit? Bloodwork at my vets is about $100 and takes at least a day to get the results. I would strongly encourage you to get this puppy's bloodwork done. It can tell much more than just a physical exam.

Also make sure the vet checks the knees for LP.

BE SAFE
We have purchased Yorkies on CL, from neighborhood papers, and even at a yard sale. We consider them a 'blind rescue' (blind rescue, means history unknown, because many people lie any way, so it doesn't matter what they tell you.)
1. Please understand it can be extremely expensive both emotionally and financially to do this. Since this will be your own dog, and you want to provide a forever home try to learn all you can about the Yorkie.
2. be as safe as possible. Do not go alone. Do not carry a large amount of cash. Get a bill of sale. Ask to take picture with your phone of the first mommy and the dog. Honest people don't mind their pictures being taken. Call their Vet for records Before you go to pick up the Yorkie.(Caution: Week end pick ups most vets are closed)
3. If they want to meet you in a public place, make sure you get the auto tag number and car make and model and color (they don't need to know you are doing this.)
4. Take the Yorkie straight to your Vet, not your house. You don't want your dogs exposed to fleas or diseases. The dog can also be scanned, to make sure it is not stolen. The Vet can pretty much tell you how old the dog is.
I hope everything works out as it should be. Hugs

I would get the breeders name and search it first because sense she says she got the puppy at 9 weeks its the first sign it was from a bad breeder because good breeders don't let there pups go until 12 weeks so who knows what other corners the breeder cut and you could end up with a pup with a genetic illness or LP. Both things can end up costing you a lot of money.