Originally Posted by FlyingNimbus (Post 4721722)

Huh, that doesn't make sense. I don't understand much about genes, just that when you add different genes you end up getting healthier dogs/animals/people/etc. So wouldn't two different dog breeds bred together be healthy? Especially if both have been tested and lack any genetic issues? I don't know I thought it would add more to it. I forget how yorkies were made, but wouldn't breeding the breeds that made the yorkies together(doing the same process) add new lineage into the gene pool? Thus replenishing it? Like I said, my knowledge on genetics is rather limited- and I want to understand better so I can know what essentially makes a great dog.


I mean one question that's been bugging me and I haven't wanted to ask because I was afraid of offending anyone.

I love dogs, don't get me wrong. But I rarely seem to hear of cats needing to be put down at their later stages(I knew a lot of people with older cats and the cats end up passing away naturally without need of much intervention), so why do dogs end up getting severely ill when they get much older? I dont know much about cats, but it's just what I am going off from a comment a friend told me today. (she is however a cat addict)

Is there something that could be done to fix much of dogs health problems? Like dogs in general end up getting cataracts at a later state or so I've been reading. Isn't that something that could be prevented? Not sure if the same happens to cats. What about going deaf, or poor hearing quality?

Why were there some dogs that have lived 20-30years? What separates those dogs from the every day dog you see now a day? And apparently size doesn't even matter, because according to the Guinness world record- the oldest dog is an australian cattle dog named bluey(he died at age 30).


If I recall those are medium to large dogs? Below that, there was another one which was a kelpie and it lived 30 years as well. Apparently there were authentic records for these things.

There are other dogs who made it easily to age 20-25. So why are these dogs living longer? Is it their diet? Do they have a cup of wine ? (a joke) It just makes me wonder, how these things work. It probably has to do with genetics- but if it is, is there anyway for them to make it a thing they can pass on?

I mean life expectancy can be trivial as it doesn't count for accidents or sickness but it's the best thing we have. Also, bluey died peacefully in his sleep according to a few websites that reported on him.

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88 (Post 4722181)

I think I worded it wrong it makes it where they could get the issues that each breed has. Like say breed A has issues with LP and Breed B has issues with their hips then if the breed together they could have issues with LP and their hips. Is that worded better?

Originally Posted by whiteyorkie (Post 4722185)

I was in the store last week, & I saw this couple had 2 dogs. One looked like Benji, but had the coloring of a yorkie. He must have been close to 40 lbs. I asked what breed it was. The man said a mutt, but he woman said giant yorkie as a joke. And boy did t his dog have the perfect yorkie colors too. Dogs are so wonderful & diverse. And the yorkie colors are awesome. I wonder how much yorkie that dog had. So size is not important, the health & well being is. I don't know why people are so hung up on smaller & smaller dogs.

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88 (Post 4722182)

In my vet assistant class my instructor said its very rare an animal dies peacefully in their sleep there is normally a lot more to it.

Originally Posted by FlyingNimbus (Post 4722252)

Mmm I mean I wouldn't want something the size of a great dane. Size does matter to some extent. IF it's a small size difference, like the standard is 5-7 and the dog ends up being 15 pounds or so-- who cares?

Originally Posted by FlyingNimbus (Post 4722256)

That uhh, that sounds really hard to take in.... We care for our dogs-- more than just dogs. More than just friends... they're part of our family. No different than a sister, brother, daughter or son. It's why it hurts to know all of this.

Originally Posted by whiteyorkie (Post 4722258)

So well said. My maltese (well one of them) is 9 pds & the standard is 5-7. And my yorkie was 16.5 pds, well above the standard. But he was pure breed. {What mattered is he was my best friend!}

Originally Posted by whiteyorkie (Post 4722258)

So well said. My maltese (well one of them) is 9 pds & the standard is 5-7. And my yorkie was 16.5 pds, well above the standard. But he was pure breed. {What mattered is he was my best friend!}

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88 (Post 4722271)

It's hard. I grew up with dogs. Our first mutt thought she was like my mom when I was 8 she had been rescued from a bad situation. Best dog, my best friend helped me through really hard times. My dad who never cries has cried at each of the dogs we have had to have put to sleep over the years. It's hard. My Callie is my doggy soul mate and I think a piece of me will die when she goes. I know it's better they don't live as long as us but it's rough.

Originally Posted by FlyingNimbus (Post 4722280)

Why is it better that they don't live long like us?

That sucks, it really hurts to loose loved ones.

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88 (Post 4722458)

Because most people don't have someone who would take as good a care of there pets as the owners. We would be euthanizing even more dogs if they lived as long as us.

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88 (Post 4721615)

What you just said at the regaining is not a good breeder. SO please don't confuse them into it. Also a good breeder can never 100% guarantee what size a pup will be they normally know based on the lines. The people who come on here and say that normally are buying from a bad breeder. It can be very hard to find good breeders. Just because they are show breeders doesn't make them good either. A good breeder breeds to better the breed which means to make great examples of the breed so they do there homework persay but that is their job so when they feel that a dog is done breeding some times they will rehome them but they ask just as many questions as when they sell a new puppy. Some keep them. I notice a lot of what you think is a good breeder isn't so many that's why your so about it jaded I'm not sure. The issues is we can not continue to by from puppy mills and from bad breeders or we keep them in business and that's not good for any dog.

Originally Posted by rjwalt (Post 4725146)

The breeders you speak of are not as much trying to "better" any breed because the standard is already established what they are trying to do is breed dogs to embody and represent the AESTHETIC AND FUNCTIONAL breed standard as closely as possible and without illnesses.

Basically they are breeding for a look and the theoretical ability for them to carry out the functions that they were bred for initially, so yorkies are bred to look like and be built to perhaps hunt rats in burrows or perhaps run out rabbits. Of course most of these dogs are never allowed to actually perform these tasks because the standard for their coats is pretty cumbersome and they are rarely allowed to get dirty or do any job.

Unfortunately, many breeds and their "good" breeding has created dogs who are bound to suffer because of the standards. Bulldogs not being able to give birth naturally because of good breeders trying to achieve a standard. Dogs with so many heavy wrinkles their eyes are damaged, German Shepherds with backs so sloped they can barely walk. Its great that these breeders are testing for genetic defects to get rid of them but what about the defects that they are breeding for?

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88 (Post 4725162)

Breeding to better the breed means breeding healthy. We have so many Yorkie's being breed by bad breeders that are breeding very unhealthy Yorkie's. I disagree with a lot of the standards they have done terrible things to several breeds. Health should always be first. Your opinion on reputable breeders and mine differ I think.

Originally Posted by FlyingNimbus (Post 4725167)

I felt like chiming in, but there have been breeders who many people swore by only to find out that they were purposely breeding dogs with things like luxating patellas, etc... because it's not that big of a deal according to them.

Here is a thread posted by an owner who had to deal with such a thing...

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/gen...eeding-lp.html


But this isn't entirely unheard of... I've known people that have gotten duped like that by breeders who appeared good, clean, knowledgeable, dogs were in with them and you couldn't see anything wrong-- but when they'd get them they'd find out sometime later they're born with an illness that could had been prevented.

A bad breeder can easily disguise themselves as a good breeder... Wolves in sheepskin clothing.... and once it's done they can't do anything about it legally because they'd have bogus loop holes like they dont guarantee against certain defects...

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88 (Post 4725170)

I have seen some pretty amazing websites that the breeder ends up being apuppy mill. It would be nice if people would wake up and help starting banning puppy mills. I can't help but think it would cut back on the number of dogs that get euthanized each year.

Originally Posted by rjwalt (Post 4725231)

Puppy Mills are bad news, period. But the reality is, the number of pet stores that actually sells pets (dogs/cats) is going down in the U. S. That's where the majority of these dogs are being sold, in conjunction with shady online sites. They are being choked out of business little by little.

But the reason dogs are ending up in shelters is not just because they were born in a puppy mill, or bred by a bad breeder, it's because people either don't really take the time to research and be honest with themselves as to whether or not they can actually care for a dog and the things that may pop up. The others end up there because they get lost, had undesirable owners, or life changes that happen and make it harder for a family or owner to continue to care for the animals.

With that said, choosing a breeder or a rescue is a personal choice and people are not necessarily going to go the route of a rescue because there are no puppy mill puppies available. Fact is, if you are looking for a 12 week old Yorkie puppy to add to your family, you will probably not find one at a rescue anywhere. You will find a breeder or someone with a litter. And there is nothing wrong with that if that's what you want, can handle, and researched. Some of the dogs in rescues in shelters probably came from awesome breeders, and probably have had tons of money spent on them.

It's more troublesome to go to a pound or rescue group and get a dog out of pity or because you couldn't get a puppy mill dog from a store that won't fit into your lifestyle or situation than to just go find the dog that is more likely to be the best for your lifestyle and the dog. That's the good thing about breeds, they make it easier to find a breed that's best for you.


Yes, by all means let's get rid of puppy mills and substandard breeders but the answer to dropping the number of animals euthanized each year is proper education, research, and possibly more organizations that help people who come up on hard times to pay for food and medical care.

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88 (Post 4725271)

Puppies bought in pet stores are often bought a lot of times are bought on a whim or as a gift. The puppy becomes to much work gets to big or so on so it gets dumped. So getting rid of pet stores selling dogs would limit puppy mills so it would make a difference in the euthanization rate and could possibly put a big dent in it. Good breeders should have a contract where if the puppy couldn't be kept it it returned to them some also microchip and register the chip to them therefore they try to keep their pups out of shelters as much as possible. They also don't just sell to anyone they ask lots of questions to try and rule out the bad owners.

Originally Posted by rjwalt (Post 4725312)

Most breeders never hear from the people who they sell dogs to ever again, unless there is a problem and they want their money back. They can call, but if the people don't answer......And a lot of people travel a long way to purchase dogs from breeders so no one is popping in for spot welfare checks on a liter of 5 X's however many litters they have produced over the years.

It's completely up to the person who buys the dog, no one is out here rolling around enforcing dog ownership policies and if a dog is surrendered, there is no need to scan for a microchip. And who is gonna spend money on a lawyer to have a contract enforced? They are pretty much useless. All these breeders who sell dogs with limited registration and spay neuter contracts, it's generally just for show in order to say they did it and the "reputable breeder" stamp of approval. They may actually mean well but dogs are property in this country and people ultimately do what they want to do with them.

Honestly, from puppy mills or not, I believe most people who spend hard earned money on purebred animals do the best that they can and the dogs live out their natural lives with the people who buy them. If they get sick, they take them to a vet or surrender them if they can't afford treatment or they put them down themselves.

This is fact kind of circles around to the OP's original question about big yorkies. Because many people are done with the breeder after they get their pups' the breeder often has no way of knowing how big the pups end up or if they have rare cancers, or un-tested/detectable genetic diseases, and this is also the reason why people end up being "duped" and end up with 25 lb dogs that were supposed to be 5lbs.

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88 (Post 4725170)

I have seen some pretty amazing websites that the breeder ends up being apuppy mill. It would be nice if people would wake up and help starting banning puppy mills. I can't help but think it would cut back on the number of dogs that get euthanized each year.

Originally Posted by rjwalt (Post 4725231)

Puppy Mills are bad news, period. But the reality is, the number of pet stores that actually sells pets (dogs/cats) is going down in the U. S. That's where the majority of these dogs are being sold, in conjunction with shady online sites. They are being choked out of business little by little.

But the reason dogs are ending up in shelters is not just because they were born in a puppy mill, or bred by a bad breeder, it's because people either don't really take the time to research and be honest with themselves as to whether or not they can actually care for a dog and the things that may pop up. The others end up there because they get lost, had undesirable owners, or life changes that happen and make it harder for a family or owner to continue to care for the animals.

With that said, choosing a breeder or a rescue is a personal choice and people are not necessarily going to go the route of a rescue because there are no puppy mill puppies available. Fact is, if you are looking for a 12 week old Yorkie puppy to add to your family, you will probably not find one at a rescue anywhere. You will find a breeder or someone with a litter. And there is nothing wrong with that if that's what you want, can handle, and researched. Some of the dogs in rescues in shelters probably came from awesome breeders, and probably have had tons of money spent on them.

It's more troublesome to go to a pound or rescue group and get a dog out of pity or because you couldn't get a puppy mill dog from a store that won't fit into your lifestyle or situation than to just go find the dog that is more likely to be the best for your lifestyle and the dog. That's the good thing about breeds, they make it easier to find a breed that's best for you.


Yes, by all means let's get rid of puppy mills and substandard breeders but the answer to dropping the number of animals euthanized each year is proper education, research, and possibly more organizations that help people who come up on hard times to pay for food and medical care.

Originally Posted by FlyingNimbus (Post 4725368)

Spotting a true breeder might be kind of an art. tbh, I have problem spotting them too... the bad ones are good at lying it seems.

Originally Posted by whiteyorkie (Post 4725706)

So well said!


People are quitters & salesmen are greedy liars.

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88 (Post 4725362)

Rescues and shelters are suppossed to check for microchips. Also puppies sold on limited registration can not register their litter with the AKC if they have one. I don't think your definition of good breeders adds up to mine. A good breeder works very hard on their lines and would seek leagle action if necessary. A lot also keep in touch and do home checks. No good breeder would fully guarantee the size of a dog either it's generally the bad ones who say oh this will be really tiny little teacup and it ends up being 16 pounds.

Originally Posted by rjwalt (Post 4725811)

Even if they check microchips if a person is surrendering an animal, they will more than likely take their word for it and find the dog a new home. You think they are gonna hunt down a breeder five states away to return a dog to them that they sold 10 years ago and the breeder is gonna take the dog back (from a rescue trying to place the dog) to what? Another rescue to place the dog?

And If you have not looked for a yorkie lately, let me school you on a little factoid....About 75 percent of the yorkies available are not AKC registered. they are purebred but most likely came from AKC registered dogs with limited registration, re-registered with CKC or other registrations that accept limited AKC registration forms to register the dogs on their registry....,now with full breeding rights. Its simple, its not a scam, and its legal.

9 times out of 10 when you see someone walking around loving up on their yorkies, taking care of them when they are sick, playing ball at the park, they came from one of these breeders.... Be cause the breeders that you are talking about have 2-3 year waiting list and that is generally full of other breeders like them. People simply can not afford them or are in the right circles to ever score one.

So the low-key guilt-tripping in every thread, every chance you get on how and where some people got their dogs is a little silly and possibly offensive. We all love yorkies, we all hate the fact that some dogs get sick and some dogs don't have homes, BUT ONCE THE DOGS ARE HERE, THEY NEED HOMES AND CARE. So if you want a yorkie, you have the means and time to take care of them then people need to do what works for them and not be judged for trying to love a dog. Honestly, if someone has a litter of perfectly healthy yorkie pups should people really snub their noses at them while being sold by the breeder? Because they were not genetically tested? And do what, go get a dog from a rescue (because they won't be getting one from the breeders you speak of anytime soon) who is coincidentally from the same type of situation as the little innocent pups? what's the difference other than a few years and possibly damage that you can save these little pups from ever having to go through.