Please Help! How much should my yorkie pup cost?
 

:confused: Hi everyone! I am new to the forum. I have been dreaming of a yorkie for a very long time. My boyfriend and I have finaly decided it is time. I have been spending days and nights trying to find a respectable breeder and a puppy but I feel it is impossible. I am hoping to get a smaller Yorkie as we live in the city and I feel it would be better. I have seen prices go as high as $10,000 and I am in shock. I am hoping to get a puppy for around $800. Is that unrealistic??? I need so much help from people who have Yorkies already. I have done plenty of research on the breed and I am more in love each minute. I babsat a tiny Yorkie last year for a few days and I know that it is the dog for me, but they paid over $2000 and I cannot afford that at this time. Is that the only price I am looking at?? Please help. Any advice from experienced Yorkie owners/Lovers will be incredibly appreciated. Thanks Everyone!

Hi and welcome to YT! :) I think it really depends on your area, but we got Isabella for $750. Females do tend to run higher than males (our breeder was selling females for $750 and males for $550). I do think it's absolutely possible to find yorkies for around the price you're looking, just be patient. :) We weren't having much luck and then one day we noticed an ad in the paper and found a VERY reputable breeder who had our Bella. :) Good luck to you!

Yes, you can find a yorkie for that amount but you might have to look out of state. Are you willing to drive a ways to get one? Shipping can be as much as $250, so if you found one far away for $550, you might have that option. Good luck in your search! :)

It really just depends on your location. I live close to Houston, San Antonio and Austin. I've checked all 3 papers and have seen them as low as $400 up to $2,000. Depends on the sex, quality and pedigree. $800 is the average price though. Best of luck in your search.

Thanks! I feel so much better. Do those prices also reflect size? I have been looking at puppies that would be under five pounds full grown. Is that realistic?

The prices could reflect the puppies size full grown, it all depends upon the breeder. If I may ask, why are you looking for a yorkie five lbs and under?

I always wanted a smaller dog. I do a LOT of traveling all kinds of distances and I want a friend to always take with me.

The only reason I was asking is bc the smaller your baby, the more 'breakable' they can be. Now there are a lot of people here on YT that have very teenie tiny yorkies who are healthy and spunky. But bc of their super small size they run a much higher chance of breaking bones when hopping off couches or from being stepped on.. There are lots of pros and cons to every size dog of course though. My Harley is about 9lbs and he's a midget in my family! All the other dogs are HUGE compared to him lol I carry him around in his bags, carriers, front packs etc. And he rough houses 24/7! Now I'm definately not trying to say that small babies are not the way to go.. I am simply letting you know that typically the smaller they run the higher you might need to expect your vet bills to go.. I hope I didn't make a poo of myself with all that.. it's late and I'm sleepy lol If I said any "no no's" somebody correct me in the morning! lol

First, unless you get a near adult dog the breeder can only guesstimate the adult size. So, if size is the most important feature of the dog, you might want to look for an older female. A small female in the city (depending on which city) could be in the thousands. The prices you mentioned, and I think I am correct, are advertised by some really non-responsible who do not breed but hawk puppies from many breeders..JMO.
I personally do not place puppies with an owner who travels a lot. I do not like my babies being stressed out by travelling, noise, strangers, etc. That reminds me of the stars who wear their pets as accessories and that is so wrong.. I am not saying you intend to do this but it is happening a lot these days..

Zoe was $1000.00

I believe yorkies are usually 500.00 and up.

Cali was 1500 because she was smaller than her sisters, the runt, and she has already cost me over $2,000.00 in vet bills in the 5 months that I have had her. Having had dogs all my life I know that you have to be prepared to spend a lot in vet bills because you never know the health of any dog. With these smaller ones you can't ride out some of their symptoms so it's off to the vet and my experience is mine tend to get sick in the middle of the night so it's an ER vet. I also would recommend pet insurance. I think you can defintely find one in your price range and remember a 5-7 lb dog is small also. Good luck in your search, they are a joy to have.

To Cali's mom...did you pay 2000.00 with pet insurance? I was hoping that pet insurance would prevent me from going broke! Yikes...I am a little worried now...

I paid $1,000 for my 6 lb Maltese, I paid $1,200 for my 2.6 lb Yorkie (who recently passed away) and I paid $1,600 for my newest Yorkie who is going to be tiny like Katie.

I am also in the process of trying to get a female yorkie pup and have a price range of about $1000. I live in Phoenix and the prices out here are amazingly high from what I have found so far. So I am going to get a puppy in North Carolina when I am visiting my father next month. I have done a ton of research also and I am sorry to say that I have not heard a lot of good things about really teeny tiny yorkies, not only are they more breakable but I have also heard they are more likely to get sick and such. But I could be way off that is just what I am reading. Also most the time the 'teacup' yorkies are going to be way way more expensive. The average size is supposed to be 4-7 pounds though, I still think that is pretty small, what do you think? Where are you from? Good luck to you, I know how frustrating this process can be. :)

Have you seen the March issue of DogFancy? Yorkies are the featured breed. Great article.
Anyway, the always have a breeders list in the back. You might want to check them out. Some good,some not so good. You just have to talk to the breeders. :)

I have a tiny little guy....
 

well at least when I bought him he was tiny. He's 2 1/2 #'s now at 5 months. I would definately consider the vet bills if you buy a small tiny puppy. We had our little man at the vet twice the first week we bought him.

Thanks for that. Do you know anything about dog insurance? Would the procedures you had done be covered?

I paid $1500 for Chewy and he is a little on hte small side at 3.5# I feel I got a bargain because he is sooo priceless ;)

When I was looking, my personal cap was $2,000. I really can't see why a dog would cost more than that :eek:

I have not been reimbursed for any of the 2,000 yet because most of the expenses were hypoglycemic related which was rider out because she had an episode prior to getting the insurance. I am hoping to get some of the last $377.00 I spent back. Also, If her Bile Acid test is positive, which I am praying it;s not, they won't pay for it because it's congenital.
My advice is to get the insurance effective the day you pick your puppy up so they don't have a chance to be seen for a conditin that the Insurance Company will rider out.

I just want to jump in here and say a few things: First, if you do want a tiny one don't pay extra for a <cringe> "teacup". Yorkies should be 4-7 pounds. Ask for one that will be at least 4 pounds. You are concerned about price to begin with, so be warned that vet costs are high for any sized Yorkie. Baby teeth need to be pulled ($100), Neuter/Spay ($200), Shots, etc. ($100) and we've been at the vet probably 6 times in addition to that for UTIs, diarrhea, Giardia, LP, and more. (6 x $100). (Loki's 1yr old.) It's true that when they get sick you can't wait to find out if it passes. Too much cheese can result in a vet visit for dehydration due to diarrhea.

Second, please consider up to maybe 6-7 pounds. Loki is NINE pounds and he still fits in my carrier, has a carseat, goes EVERYWHERE with us. He gets heavy after a while, but he's still a tiny dog, IMO. Spend some time with some different sized Yorkies and see for sure. An extra tiny one can end up costing a lot more both in the beginning and throughout it's life. A "regular" sized one will cost less up front AND is more likely to not have things like hypoglycemia, etc. Also, don't necessarily choose based on price. A good breeder has to charge more because there are so many vet costs, etc. involved. In THAT case it's worth the extra money.

I held a 4 pound girl yesterday (she was at Daycare with Loki) While Loki played with all the BIG dogs (doberman, boxer, lab) this little girl was not so sure about them. She was ADORABLE, but when I picked her up there was nothing to her. She felt extremely fragile. Again she was the cutest thing ever, but another 1-2 pounds would really make her a lot more solid. Loki takes 4 stairs at a time on the way down, and this girl probably isn't able to go up and down at all, and I'd be afraid of her falling. So cute, but soooo tiny. My friend has one that is 22 oz. They are hoping she will hit 2 pounds. She can't do stairs. She lives in a playpen because if she is on the floor she will either get lost or stepped on. She doesn't get to act like a normal dog.

If you still want a tiny and are willing to provide the best care for one, then go for it, but find the right breeder.

You may or may not know this, but tinies can come from a "regular" sized litter. Please don't go to a breeder that breeds all tinies or advertises tinies/teacups. I think there are a few people on here that have been breeding tinies for YEARS and know what they are doing, but there are only a FEW. There are THOUSANDS of breeders breeding tinies for the wrong reasons ($$). A LOT come from puppy mills because they fetch top dollar. Be extremely careful. If you walk into the wrong breeder's house and utter the word teacup they will see dollar signs!

Do your research before you buy a pup, and if you think you've done enough - DO MORE. (We did a TON of research before getting Loki, and we got him from a SHOW breeder and he was just diagnosed with Luxating Patella. If you don't know what LP is, or Liver Shunt or Hypoglycemia, you also want to read up on common yorkie genetic problems and how to avoid them before you buy.) You need to know what questions to ask the breeder, and people on here can help you with that. I promise, the research you do now will save you a TON of $$!!! Good luck. This is a fantastic place to ask questions, so don't be afraid to ask.

P.S. Loki was $800. He was 3.5lbs at 13 weeks and the breeder said he'd hit 7 - which was a realistic estimate. He sprouted these long legs no one could have predicted and he's settled in at about 9lbs. Males cost less than females, and smaller yorkies tend to cost more regardless of sex. And again, we just found out he has LP, which is genetic. He would have cost significantly more if his parents had genetic tests (xrays or OFA). If I knew what OFA was before I bought him, I would have paid more for an OFA'd pup.

The price is dependent on your area. Your also going to pay more for a yorkie that is smaller than 5 lbs. Why dont you look for a breeder that beeds them 5-6lbs. That is still small believe me My girl is 6 lbs and I take her places in a carrier she is very petite.

I'm going to play with a friend's Yorkie today that is about six pounds. I have changed my mind about a small dog, for sooo many reasons. THANKS everyone. Your babies are beautiful!!!

There is SO much great advice, here - I'm thankful I stopped in! I, too, was 'set' on the tiny Yorkie I'd always pictured - until I had a candid talk with an acquaintance who has a 4lb male and 5lb female. Her babies are 14 months, and she's already spent $1,000.00 over the cost of purchase on the male.

I'm so glad I did a little more research, else I wouldn't have gone back for Miss Abbie. She'll probably be 8-9lbs fully grown, and we paid $950 for her.

I have a tiny female Yorkie and I have spent zero on her Vet bills.

I suggest you take your time and find reputable breeders first. Do not rush into this and settle for something you don't want. While it is very difficult to find a smaller female, finding one that will be 5lbs. shouldn't be that hard. For a young person (who's back is still in good shape :D ) that might be a good size. She won't be quite as fragile but she will still be small enough to include in your adventures.

It may not be impossible to find a smaller female under 4lbs. for less than $1000. but it will be very difficult.

Take your time and make finding the good breeder with healthy pups your main priority...then wait for the right pup.

Just keep looking! You will find your girl. We found Hope, who was 2 when we bought her, and paid less than $1000. She is 3.5 lbs., and very sturdy!!!! :D