First time miniature Yorkie Mom
 

#1) This "breeder" you are getting this baby from, is letting the baby go WAY to young.
#2) A respectable breeder would never sell such a tiny baby to anyone that has NO experience in raising a tiny. Your vet is correct, they CAN have a multitude of problems.
3) NO responsible breeder breeds a female that weigh 3 lbs. This person is deliberately breeding tiny dogs strictly because she can make a ton of money off them. You are certainly going to get a ton of opinions about what you are about to get suckered into.....but I am telling you not to touch this with a ten foot pole. You are setting yourself up for nothing but heartache and possibly a huge amount of vet bills. Let me say this....just because a puppy is tiny, does NOT mean it is automatically going to be a health disaster. But I think with your inexperience, you are not equipped to deal with this puppy. Tinys require soooooooooooo much more care and they are fragile...drop one or accidentally kick ne with your foot, and it is all over but the hole digging. And this lady is deliberately breeding tiny tiny females....cruel, simply cruel as well as unethical and irresponsible.

Well I would not buy from the breeder you are buying from because a reputable breeder will not breed a female under 5 pounds because it's extremely dangerous and the fact that she is breeding a female under 5 pounds shows she has no care for her dogs and just wants small puppies she can charge a lot of money for. A puppy should also not come home until 12 weeks especially if there very small. Check out the ytca.org for breeders.

Thank you for your input. I am experienced with small dogs (Maltese) but not with anything this tiny. I appreciate your comments.

Tinys can live a long healthy life but they can be injured easily and require special care. I dont think all households are proper for tinys especially households with children

If the breeder is already doing two things wrong they probably don't care if there lines have illnesses and genetic problems. So getting a pup from this breeder could eventually cost you thousands and thousands as well as heart break. Supporting these bad breeders by buying a pup from them keeps them in business when they shouldn't be. We the people are the only ones who can stop these bad breeders by not buying from them.

I do understand what you're saying, but I know these breeders and they don't over breed and a friend has one of their pups who is now 9 yrs old, very healthy and a darling pet. Thanks for your input.

Are there children in your house because a reputable breeder would never place a tiny with children

No children in my house. I'm a retired RN - just have a little Maltese.

Oh I think its helpful you are a RN. Just acquaint yourself with the signs of hypoglycemia because it is common to happen with the smaller ones have some nutrical or karo syrup on hand to give if you see signs of it then follow it up by giving a protein to eat

Your vet is correct and trying to save you from buying a pup that could have multiple very expensive conditions. Some could actually kill her at a young age. When she was talking about the portal circulation and blood work and all she was referring to liver shunts.

Yes, sometimes a small yorkie can be healthy; but the breeders who intentionally breed "tinies" or "teacups" as people refer to them are disgusting in my opinion and are doing it for money even though the pups will often suffer as a result. They don't care! There are SO many stories of these pups on this forum if you take the time to search for threads on liver shunt, teacups, backyard breeders and other such titles.

BTW, there is no such thing as a "miniature yorkie" . Breeders who take advantage of people use all sorts of terminology, including "teacup" yorkies. Just a marketing ploy. Here is a link to read all about yorkies:

The Yorkshire Terrier Club of America


Here is a link about some of the genetic conditions that are prevalent in yorkies...there are a couple missing, in my opinion, but it is a good link:

Genetic Disorders Yorkshire Terrier

If I were you, I'd do some research on reputable breeders of Yorkshire Terriers. I would definitely not purchase from the breeder you are talking about. Your vet is right, you could potentially be purchasing a very expensive "miniature" yorkie (quotes because there is not such thing as a mini/teacup/miniature yorkie). I am really glad you came here for advice first. That is a great sign that you are interested in learning. I would recommend you check the YTCA site for reputable breeders. Good luck!

Just because one of your friends got lucky doesn't mean there good breeders. It's a fact a good reputable breeder will not breed a female under 5 pounds it's very wrong. A good reputable breeder will also not let pups go before 12 weeks. It's not just over breeding that makes a breeder good or bad. It's about age they let the pups go home, genetic and health testing, breeding females that are not under 5 pounds and so on. Everyone gets lucky every now and then like your friend but it's not the norm and this is not a good breeder. Not only are they risking there females lives they obviously know nothing about yorkies and breeding them unless they just want money. Are they referring to this pups as teacups, micros or minis? I beg you to do research and see what good and reputable breeders do and don't do.

If you buy a car from a "shade tree mechanic", and it does not run after a week, you knew what youwere getting into.....especially if you had many people telling you the dangers you were possibly exposing yourself to. "You buys your ticket, you takes your chances".... All breeders will have outliers in some litters....a pup may be exceptionally tiny or a throwback to a 15 pound yourkie. But to delibertally breed Yorkies outside the breed standard, is not ethical or responsible. If you choose to buy from someone that does this, it is on you. Responsible breeders will hold onto tiny babies and these only go to people that have extensive knowledge on how to care for a TINY dog....NOT a "small" 9.5# dog.....or they keep them....I have 3 tiny girls that I will never sell, because of the extra care they require. These tiny dogs can not play with other dogs in the house, as they can be EASILY injured or even killed, with a 9.5# paw that comes down across their neck. There again, that is your problem to deal with....You say you trust and respect your vet....I suggest you listen to her. She is telling you the truth, and she has NOTHING to gain from educating you on the problems you could be facing. (I guess since this "breeder" is letting this baby go so young, she has not started her vaccinations.....they would be totally ineffective and totally against protocol,,,,,that means you will be getting a very tiny puppy, that is too young to even be away from its momma, and has no protection from vaccinations.) I would advise you to research Yorkies, their stages of development and why it is suggested for the benefit of the emotional development of the puppy, that the puppy be allowed to stay with the momma. I suggest you research vaccination protocols....as an RN, you can connect the dots and see that this person you are considering lining their pockets with a purchase of this tiny puppy, is not in the least concerned about the baby....all they want to do is dump the pup as quickly as possible, with as little expense to them as possible in order to not get into their profit margin. I am hopeful you will not provide them the opportunity to do this. If you do go there, best of luck with your tiny baby....praying for the little soul. You had better get an airtight contract on this pup, with an extensive health guarantee.

Slam dunking love it .

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Exactly what does this mean? Who is this aimed at???

Here is a thread for you to read:

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/gen...s-yorkies.html

I am loved by one small Yorkie - he is 6.5# and came home to me at almost 13 wks weighing a little under 2lbs. I was so very scared - he fit into the palm of my hand. But he was ready to go home. I had no issues with hypoglycemia, my piggy settled in right quickly to our home. I am a breeder of large dogs, and have two at home, so in no way did I want a tiney Yorkie - I wanted with-in standard Yorkie, with a solid bone construction and with parents of proven health lineage. And this is what I got, and I thank my breeder in my heart each day for him.

Your vet is very very correct, in warning you of the dangers of deliberately bred small dogs, and of small dogs in particular, Your breeder should never place a tiney in any home under 2lbs, so she should keep this pup until it weighs two pounds or almost 2lbs.

Also you should insist on BATS testing for this pup, prior to it going into your home. Liver shunt is quite common in this breed, unfortunately so.

What each of us is trying to do (in our own way) as your vet has done, is to warn you in no un-certain terms of the risks you face, with taking in a pup too young, too light, and from a breeding of out of standard weight Yorkies.

If you look or search on here to find out all the health concerns of Yorkies, you will see what we are talking about.

Forewarned is Forearmed. I do so hope you consider seriously your decision. But it is yours to make.

I am guessing this was meant as rude? Do you know what it's like to have a dog that the breeders didn't care what genetic illness and health problems it would have? Have you had to watch a dog suffer because of it? I'm guessing not or you too would be speaking out against bad breeders.

I think Doug's reference to slam dunk means the same as you are spot on RIGHT! You are all right, OP do NOT buy a pup from this person, if you do you are perpetuating this byb's bad practices. The fact that she is breeding a 3lb pup at all is shameful and against every single thing that is holy in the Yorkie Breeding world...I'd love to have a chat with this breeder, did you mention her name?

Oh good! I didnt want to misunderstand what was being said, and I am not a fan of basket ball, so I was not sure if this was a good thing or not!

I am in complete agreement with those who responded to the OP. We have a tiny who came from larger parents but even then it is a constant worry about her health. So far she has been very healthy and we pray she will stay that way. That being said I would not ever go looking for a puppy who was born from Yorkies under 5lbs. To me you are just asking for trouble. To the OP people are not trying to be mean or rude to you. We all care about these little ones and have read over and over the heartaches such breeding has caused. Welcome to YT, hope you really take heed to all the excellent advice above the others gave you and rethink this. It sounds to me like you have a wonderful caring vet also.

I did not read the other replies because I can pretty much figure what they are saying, and I am sure they are correct. I am by no means a yorkie snob, in fact my present dog is just a yorkie mix. But I will tell you, your vet is correct. DO NOT buy a dog at 1 week from parents that are 3# each. Your breeder is messing with the yorkie standard, a good breeder would never breed a 3# female because that is too small. Breeders that breed on purpose for a small size do it for one reason, and that is MONEY. The uneducated STUPID public seems to want what used to be called runts and now pay more money for runts and seem to pay little attention to heath, coat and so forth. Also those type of breeders will claim a dog will be tiny and only later you will be surprised to find it grows to 10 pounds or more. If you want to know what a yorkie will look like or how much it will weigh full grown then find one around 12 weeks old and buy it then. If you plunk down a bunch of money on a 1 week old puppy in hopes of getting a 3 pound healthy bundle of joy, say lots of prayers, put aside money for vet bills and take out a good pet insurance policy.

Why do you want 3 lb dog? I really don't understand the appeal of many people wanting these super small dogs. My dog is 7 lbs and on numerous occasions I wish she was slightly bigger. It's easier to cuddle and go on the walks :) Can you imagine cuddling or accidentally stepping on 3 lb dog?

When I researched yorkies, every single "generic" website said that this breed is very sturdy and does not have many issues. Awesome, I am all set....That's not true... Yorkies can have several health issues and is expensive breed to upkeep. My yorkie had several ear infections and GI problems until I figured out the right combination of food and ear cleanser. But these issues costed me in so many vet bills during her first year. With smaller yorkies (3lb ones) your risks for hypoglycemia and congenital issues (eg. liver shunt, luxating pattelas) significantly increase. If you dog by any chance has these issues, it will cost you a small fortune. These are all costs on top of quality food (yorkies tend to have sensitive stomach and be picky eaters) and grooming...

My advice would be save up some money upfront and buy a puppy from a responsible breeder mentioned on YTCA... I didn't do this with my first dog (I did not know much better) but I am planning to follow this path when I get a Biewer yorkie in the next two years (hopefully)

I'm a Yorkie mom-to-be! I completed understand how you feel to have a new addition. I almost bought a puppy from a puppymill about a month ago (due to my inexperience and stupidity :S). And that breeder was going to sell me an extremely cute 8wks old yorkie which would only weigh 3.5lbs full grown. My bf who had much more experience with dogs stopped me from "supporting" a bad breeder who only wanted to make $$.
Even if you were to buy a standard sized yorkie (5-9lbs), you may still run into health problems. You'll just have to do lots of researches now and start taking EXTRA care of your new puppy. Good luck!

In 6 years of breeding Biewers, I have only had two Biewers that were tiny <3#.

One is anorexic and gets sick easily according to her mom.

The other tiny was a problem eater from day 1. Her vet put her on a high fat diet attempting to increase her weight. She died last week of pancreatitis at 2 years. She had a full set of double teeth and could not be spayed--too little to put under with any anesthetic. This dog was at the vet's once a month. Her mama is a breeder and was well aware of the risks.

I'd think long and hard before buying from someone breeding 3# girls.

Jmho.

I am not a breeder, but had an accident litter in December. Even I knew to not let my pups go until they were 12 weeks (actually 1 is staying until she's 14 weeks and 1 is staying until she's 16 weeks). My smallest one, who is barely 2 pounds at 14 weeks, is staying with us, because I do not trust anyone with her. I don't want her hurt, or sick, or worse-bred, because she is too small and her tiny little body just couldn't handle it. Honestly, my 5 pound female, who is the mom of the puppies shouldn't have been bred, but hind sight is always 20/20.

Please take the advice of those here and know that if you get this puppy, it will not be old enough, and can possible mean heartache and pain for you. Yes, you may get lucky, but do you really want to risk it?? I purchased a 7 weeks old male, and a week later he contracted parvo, because he hadn't been vaccinated. That cost us $7500 to keep him alive. Can you afford that? Can you afford the treatments for liver shunt, or luxating patella or any of the other numerous problems yorkies are prone to??

Until people are educated and take a stand against unethical breeders, they will continue to sell 9 week old puppies with no testing, on full registrations, with bogus registries, at the expense of the consumer.

Hi guys when I said slam dunkin I was agreeing with what you were all saying sorry if I confused everyone by saying that .