Can you show me a reputable breeder who does everything right except letting the pups go before 12 weeks?

I don't live in the United States so the age that is normal for puppies to go is different. I got my puppy at 11 weeks and she is perfect, she is 10 months old now and eats like a horse and has never been sick. She was potty trained within a week. She is the most cuddly baby in the world. To say that 12 weeks is the magic age for all puppies can't be true. Its like saying that every yorkie puppy weighs exactly the same and matures at exactly the same time. We know that can't be true.

In the US is separates the reputable breeders from the bad.

I got Jackson at 9 weeks. No problems. Admittedly not from a good breeder. So I'm actually glad I had him prior to any more possible "socialization damage" being done from being there. She wasn't an evil person but I just don't believe he would've been better off there, he was way better off with me. We had a pretty instant connection. But I don't think that necessarily was due to his age, just depends on the dog! Sometimes there's "that connection" and sometimes there's not. But I have zero regrets about getting him at 9 weeks old.

I understand the thinking. But I think that the hostility people are met with, that suggest that their breeder is good even though they have received their puppy before the politically correct age of 12 weeks is not right. There are breeders that are horrible and should not be allowed to operate. But I also hope that there are good breeders that go beyond the typical and look at each puppy that is born individually and don't let them go until they are truly ready. I hope that there are breeders that are not ruled by the 12 week rule. There may be a puppy that is ready at 8 weeks and others that aren't ready until 15 weeks.

:yeahthat:

It's not so black & white, IMO. A breeder letting a pup go at say... 10 weeks, is suddenly going to NOT be a reputable breeder, simply for that one reason? That logic just doesn't make sense to me. There's a lot of crappy breeders who probably keep their pups until 12+ weeks, that doesn't automatically make them a good breeder, either.

I'm not hostal at all. I am very passionate about breeding. I think not being in America makes a difference we have a huge problem with bad breeding and it is a huge problem. I have yet to find a reputable breeder in America who let's puppies go before 12 weeks and nobody can show me one so that kinda speaks volumes.

I totally agree with you.I don't know if you saw my other posts but that is exactly what I am saying also.

The term "reputable breeder" will always fall on deaf ears with me, its just a bunch of hoops and bars people have began to tote to explain why the are selling their "pet quality" dogs for $3,000. The fact is, these dogs can still get sick, and still have behavior issues because life happens. None of that is gonna amount to producing only perfectly proportioned, obedience champs with 14 years of perfect health culminating in a peaceful death while sleeping by a fireplace.


Also, who exactly deems breeder "reputable"? Do they get certificate to show people?

As far as how dogs look, I have no problem with breeds, the are a good thing in terms of helping people choose a dog that will most likely suit their lifestyle but for most people having a yorkie wit a cotton coat over a silky coat I not going to be that much of a deal breaker, they are probably gonna get the dog spayed/neutered,groomed and clipped to a manageable style anyways. The only place that truly matters is in the show ring and that industry is alive and kicking and is not threatened by the fact that there are less then perfect dogs around playing in backyards.


"Reputable breeder" is mostly about competition amongst breeders trying to steer potential buyers towards them over someone else. That's why you always hear it in the same breath as "backyard breeders" and puppy mills. I shopped around for months for my yorkie and was amazed at how a lot of these supposed "reputable breeders" jumped at the chance to throw off on other local breeders A.K.A. the competition. A lot of them did not have a close enough bond to the dogs they kept in their state of he art set ups and whelping rooms. They were too sterile. That's no pace for a dog to grow up in. Plenty of credentials and testing but then they were "re-homing" females that had lived there for their entire lives to make room for a younger brood bitch. With all their championships and ribbons. I could never sell any of the dogs that I have raised.

No it's just one of the elements. I have yet to have anyone show me a reputable breeder who let's pups go before 12 weeks. Generally if they skip one step they skip another. The two reasons breeders let puppies go before 12 weeks is either lack of knowledge or they don't want to spend the extra money.

Unless you are buying a show dog then $3,000 is to much even from a reputable breeder. You can believe what you want but I'm getting that you don't really know what a reputable breeder is and that's fine stick around here there is a lot to learn. Sure dogs from reputable breeders can get sick but there is a much bigger chance they won't. A reputable breeder knows there lines many generations back to make sure there are no genetic issues and illnesses and they also do all available health testing. A reputable when they do not have pups they have no problem telling you the names of other reputable a breeders. What you are describing to me sounds like non reputable breeders. Breeding is a huge and serious thing if you don't get that go take a look at some kill shelters and to learn about how many genetic issues yorkies can have and how many do I encourage you to go talk to someone who does a yorkie rescue. I have had to sit and watch my dog suffer from terrible genetic issues and terrible surgerys because of bad breeding. Look her in the eyes and tell her reputable breeders are a joke. Once you have had a dog suffer right in front of your eyes because of crappy breeding you will get it until that happens you may never truely understand.

Peta didn't create the breeding standards. You can justify everything in your mind but a good Yorkie Breeder doesn't release the pups simple. It's a Code of Ethics. If a breeder skips the simple thing. I bet there defiantly are skipping the pairing the heath checks. Making sure the breeding lines are clean. Know the dogs history. Alot of breeders don't = Yorkies have one of the most health defects in small dogs.

I'm not saying that you personally are being hostile. But I have seen so many posts where people who have gotten a puppy than is younger, treated badly strictly for the age of the baby without any thought being given to the condition which the puppy was living in. I am sure there are bad breeders who sell puppies at 12 weeks but because of the puppy reaching the magic 12 week mark it is never questioned on this forum. By the way I am an expat, I am from the states. Where I live there is a much bigger problem with bad breeders. My babies are not from good breeders, strictly because I could not find a good one here, luckily that is starting to change. But I can look objectively at what is being said and see that for some reason it is only correct to purchase, or sell a puppy at 12 weeks. There is so much more to be considered when selling or buying a puppy than just age.

Just because some keeps there puppies till the 12 weeks doesn't say they are a good breeder either. There many reasons they are bad at breeding or good. But it like anything. There are certain simple things or guidelines you follow. Yorkies have alot of health issues. There always ppl who are gonna justify there dog or say age doesn't matter . Fine But when shopping for a new puppy. I want to know how they live why they breed them?? For money or they just want puppies? Or are they trying to improve the breed with selective breeding? I'm the one who going to get stuck with the Vet bills if I choose wrong. hat being said you never know. You can get a pppy from the best stock and something can still go wrong

Actually, I have spent countless hours volunteering at animal shelters because I love animals, period. I have seen plenty of yorkies, yorkie mixes, and every other breed/ breed combo come through the doors with all kinds of issues, and some with none at all. Genetics is still a very young science, there is so much that we still have to learn. While it is more likely that dogs who have been tested for the handful of genetic diseases that we have discovered, when the gene pools are mixing, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. Dogs get sick and it is the responsibility of the owner to do what they can to make them better. It’s gonna be a long time before we can truly genetically engineer animals with perfect health and that will probably be done in a lab by scientists and not breeders.


I am someone who just lost a dog that was my best friend for the last 13 years. He came from a reputable breeder who did all the testing and shenanigans that go into your definition of a “reputable breeder” But he still got cancer and died in my arms. It hurt but that’s what I signed up for when I bought him, and even if he had some other genetic illness I still would have chosen him just like he chose me.


I think you might be putting too much weight on the bells and whistles in breeding, even with all the testing that is available and holding a puppy for 12 weeks, there is no complete guarantee and it’s still a chance you could have ended up looking into the eyes of a sick and dying friend like I did. Bottom line, Breeding is still a crap shoot. Period. Anyone who goes to a breeder and connects with a dog then walks away because it’s a chance he might get sick one day should not be getting a dog in the first place.





All dogs deserve homes, love and care, no matter where they come from. All this banter about categories of breeders only keeps good people from good dogs. I’m not for supporting puppy mills or immoral breeders but once the dogs are here, they are here. What shall we do with them?