Yorkies - overpriced???

[RLC12345678]

Originally Posted by fannie

Something I noticed around here is that the price really determines your quality. For instance, I just talked to a lady this afternoon interested in one of my puppies. She had spoke with a breeder by her that is selling them for $300... no pedigree, no vet check, no health guarantee and he is letting them go at 6 weeks. Now I'm not saying that those of you that have paid a lower price don't have a good dog. I'm just saying that for our area, the prices have dropped because the quality has dropped. If you want quality, you're going to pay more for it.

That isn't always true. Jeff Dane charges upwards of $10,000 for his yorkies.

[fannie]

Originally Posted by BubblPopElectrc

I don't think that is always the case. Puppies from pet stores (and even from some breeders) are often MUCH more than the average puppy from other, better resources.

I should have re-read what I wrote because I also agree with this.

That isn't always true. Jeff Dane charges upwards of $10,000 for his yorkies.

And this.

I guess where I was going with that is that by the time you research and find a good breeder,find out the work that they've put into it, the bloodlines, pedigrees, how they are raised, etc... you're not going to find a $300 puppy.

Yes, there's always the ones out there trying to get rich off them, but there is a line somewhere. Where? I don't know. I'll be the first to admit that I started out asking too much for my puppies. I didn't know where to start. In fact, I'm more than willing to discuss prices with someone. To me, there's more involved than just a flat rate for a puppy. Making sure it is going to a good home is #1.

[ButterflyYorkie]

Prices for a quality, healthy puppy do not start or stop with the puppy...
it's a reflection of the breeder's practices year round, even when there are no puppies. It's very expensive maintaining healthy adults year round. Food, vet care, heart worm meds, grooming supplies, bedding, crates, pens, fencing, LAWN CARE (POOPER SCOOPING), cleaning supplies, tons of washing...I could go on and on, but please be assured that if a breeding program is done correctly with love and compassion, it all adds up and 1200 for a puppy is extremely fair IMO. I will not even go into the costs of showing for those of you who have "ch sired" or "champion parents" pups.

That's why I get very irritated with the thought of pet stores, mills and brokers..they have NO CLUE.

[Olivier]

Originally Posted by ButterflyYorkie

Prices for a quality, healthy puppy do not start or stop with the puppy...
it's a reflection of the breeder's practices year round, even when there are no puppies. It's very expensive maintaining healthy adults year round. Food, vet care, heart worm meds, grooming supplies, bedding, crates, pens, fencing, LAWN CARE (POOPER SCOOPING), cleaning supplies, tons of washing...I could go on and on, but please be assured that if a breeding program is done correctly with love and compassion, it all adds up and 1200 for a puppy is extremely fair IMO. I will not even go into the costs of showing for those of you who have "ch sired" or "champion parents" pups.

That's why I get very irritated with the thought of pet stores, mills and brokers..they have NO CLUE.

[chattiesmom]

Originally Posted by ButterflyYorkie

Prices for a quality, healthy puppy do not start or stop with the puppy...
it's a reflection of the breeder's practices year round, even when there are no puppies. It's very expensive maintaining healthy adults year round. Food, vet care, heart worm meds, grooming supplies, bedding, crates, pens, fencing, LAWN CARE (POOPER SCOOPING), cleaning supplies, tons of washing...I could go on and on, but please be assured that if a breeding program is done correctly with love and compassion, it all adds up and 1200 for a puppy is extremely fair IMO. I will not even go into the costs of showing for those of you who have "ch sired" or "champion parents" pups.

That's why I get very irritated with the thought of pet stores, mills and brokers..they have NO CLUE.

I agree with this post 100%. The cost of a stud fee and caring for a female during pregnancy and after birth (EVEN if a C-section is involved) is only a tiny fraction of the cost of the year round maintenance. Additionally, there time and effort that goes into taking care of healthy breeding animals.....

With that said, ultimately, the cost of puppies is determined by the amount of $$ people are willing to spend. If buyers refused to pay what breeders are asking for Yorkie pups and chose a less expensive breed instead, then one of two things would happen -- Yorkie breeders would either quit breeding OR they would reduce their prices.

If we are reducing the cost of a pup to just $$, then where can you get 10+ years of unconditional love for $1,200 plus annual maintenance? I for one, hope that Yorkies always remain at a price that is outside the the amount of $$ that casual dog owners are willing to pay.

[SnowWa]

I personally believe that one reason so many people are breeding little Yorkies - people who have had no experience, etc., is simply because they can be sold for a good amount of money.

It is unfortunate that you should have to pay so much just to get a healthy Yorkie puppy. Most other breeds are healthy from the get-go (I'm talking about home-grown puppies) - and it really isn't always such an issue --- even with a lot of other small breeds.

I paid $850 for my pup - he's larger than standard, but he's perfectly healthy and a wonderful pet - of course. Nevertheless, $850 was still a lot to pay for a little dog. And - I love him like a million dollars. This is not the point. I would love a free little mixed breed from the pound just as much. "How can you put a price on love?" Not even an issue here....... Remember - you pay the price before you even take the little puppy home - and like I said, most of us wouldn't sell any pet we've grown to love for any amount of money.

I do think Yorkies are overpriced.

I wonder why so many Yorkies need C-sections - and why their litters are so small - and why so many pups aren't healthy ---- and why so many of us have a lot of vet bills -- Then to top it off, we want to be reimbursed for all these expenses that some of us have helped to bring upon these little breed. Of course - not all of us - (not even most of us) -- but those of us who are breeding tiny little dogs under 5 pounds and selling little pups saying that they will be 3 or 4 pounds full grown are causing a lot of the problems and vet bills that seem to be the main excuse for charging so much for the little puppies in the first place.

**** I do see a lot of litters of four or five puppies here on YT - and I also see a lot of little Yorkie mothers that didn't have to have C-sections.

I have read a lot recently about little mothers dying after delivery. This breaks my heart. Why do we breed some of our pets - if this can happen so easily? I wouldn't even consider it.


**** I will be the first one to say that if anyone wants to breed excellent examples of any breed or wants to serious show any breed - they should be prepared and willing to pay a good price for the dogs they buy. This makes perfect sense to me. Most of us don't do this though - we want good examples of whatever breed we choose to buy - and we want our dogs to be good pets and members of our family.

*** I don't think my friend will donate any of the money she made on her puppies to the local shelter. What would you do if you were trying to sell your house for $200,000 and someone walked in and offered you $300,000 for it????

I don't think anyone is going to convince me that the high prices that are being charged for some Yorkies can be justified ---





Carol Jean

[Breeze]

I think that yorkie puppies from BYB or petstores are way over priced but also feel that the prices that reputable/ethical breeders are fair or too low for all they do to insure your pup is healthy.

Those that breed any two dogs with no health testing, and the bare minimal vet care..... IMO do not justify the high prices of their pups.

The cost of a healthy litter goes up when the proper health testing, medical care..... is added. That is why I have no problems with the prices that the "ethical" breeders charge. Knowing that they have spent extra to do these things and also provide a health guarantee to me makes me feel like their pups are a bargain. Piece of mind is priceless.

[JeanieK]

I found this thread to be very interesting.

I'd first like to say, your friend got lucky. Like a person who walks into a casino for the first time, drops a quarter in a machine and hits the jackpot. It they leave and never go back they will always be ahead, but if they continue to go bAck soonner or later they are bound to loose back all they won.

If your friend never breeds again, she will remain money ahead. but if she continues to breed, sooner or later, she will probably loose all that she has gained.

However, there has to be money in it, or there wouldn't be so many people doing it.

I would be interested in knowing what percentage of yorkies come from small home breeders and what percentage come from puppy mills. I bet the small breeders sell way more than the mills do,.

I believe as the prices go up the quality will decline because more and more people will want to jump on the band wagon and they will breed anything to make a buck. But as the market becomes saturated with them, the prices will go down.

[YorkieRose]

There are only a few things in this world I would pay an outrageous sum of money for..number on my list is a YORKIE....

[abbie's mom]

Originally Posted by Dawgcrazee

If your friend feels guilty about the amount of money she made on her puppies, tell her to donate the extra cash to one of her local Yorkie Rescues.

Or, send it to meeeeeeeeee! lol

[Bnot]

And you know, your only talking about 1 litter, 1 time.

And the folks who have 8 or more females they breed? I know how much it cost to keep 2 in heart worm meds, flea meds, vet bills, and other needs of yorkies. It all adds up fast.

Breeders put a lot of "time and throught" into this. They don't just thow 2 dogs in a room and have puppies later. They look for good qualities, do testing, remove some dogs from their breeding program. I feel their time and knowledge, is worth a lot to me.

My last puppy has never been sick. She'd been vet checked, dew claws removed, tail docked, had fist set of shots, and wormed. I can't imagine the bill for her and all her littermates! And she came with a guarantee, a tube of Neutra-Cal, and enough food to last 2 weeks! Did your freind have all this done for her whole litter?

I didn't mind paying what I paid for her at all! I know the lady I got her from takes very good care of all her dogs. When they can no longer breed, she has them spayed, and keeps them. I can't imagine buying food alone for the dogs she had! Much less the vet bills for shots, heart worm meds, and flea meds! And thats just for well dogs. Many things can happen when whelping litters, especially if have more than just "one" like your friend had.

I don't think you've done all your homework, just listing to ONE person that had ONE litter. Spending your life breeding dogs for the betterment of the breed is a whole different ball game than having one litter and quitting.

Sometimes a bargain, isn't a bargain. Look in the sick section. Many folks lately, got a new baby, only to find out they are sick, and need a lot of medical care.

And no, I do not breed, never have and probably never will. But I have a high respect for breeders. Especially since I've seen 3 on this board here lately, loose the female right after the babies are born. They have to bottle feed these pups every 2 hours, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You think they want 300 bucks for each puppy after going through all that?? I think not!

[Breeze]

Originally Posted by Bnot

And you know, your only talking about 1 litter, 1 time.

And the folks who have 8 or more females they breed? I know how much it cost to keep 2 in heart worm meds, flea meds, vet bills, and other needs of yorkies. It all adds up fast.

Breeders put a lot of "time and throught" into this. They don't just thow 2 dogs in a room and have puppies later. They look for good qualities, do testing, remove some dogs from their breeding program. I feel their time and knowledge, is worth a lot to me.

My last puppy has never been sick. She'd been vet checked, dew claws removed, tail docked, had fist set of shots, and wormed. I can't imagine the bill for her and all her littermates! And she came with a guarantee, a tube of Neutra-Cal, and enough food to last 2 weeks! Did your freind have all this done for her whole litter?

I didn't mind paying what I paid for her at all! I know the lady I got her from takes very good care of all her dogs. When they can no longer breed, she has them spayed, and keeps them. I can't imagine buying food alone for the dogs she had! Much less the vet bills for shots, heart worm meds, and flea meds! And thats just for well dogs. Many things can happen when whelping litters, especially if have more than just "one" like your friend had.

I don't think you've done all your homework, just listing to ONE person that had ONE litter. Spending your life breeding dogs for the betterment of the breed is a whole different ball game than having one litter and quitting.

Sometimes a bargain, isn't a bargain. Look in the sick section. Many folks lately, got a new baby, only to find out they are sick, and need a lot of medical care.

And no, I do not breed, never have and probably never will. But I have a high respect for breeders. Especially since I've seen 3 on this board here lately, loose the female right after the babies are born. They have to bottle feed these pups every 2 hours, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You think they want 300 bucks for each puppy after going through all that?? I think not!

[ButterflyYorkie]

I agree, good post.

But you know I have to say this as far fetched as it may sound I'm actually kind of thankful for those that have had one litter and do quit afterwards...instead of saying "oh I made a buck" and continue on and on with less than standard dogs and no thought into the program. For example the one's that "precious" accidently bred with "little man" tonight, now what do I do!

There would be far less "one timers" if only breeders would ENFORCE their spay/neuter contracts!!

[alaskayorkie]

I added my .02 in the beginning, and that didn't change, but here's another .02 for a total of .04. (I'm about broke in knowledge, though, so I'll quit after this.)

If Yorkies were cheap, it would open them up to more people to own them: More families with kids who don't know how to care for small dogs, more people who can't afford the surgeries they might require, more owners who think a Yorkie is just a, well, DOG.

I'm sort of glad they're not cheap. They are owned by people who have given the matter some serious thought. Oh, and rich people, too, but they're gonna buy whatever they want anyway.

[IluvLucy]

Originally Posted by alaskayorkie

I added my .02 in the beginning, and that didn't change, but here's another .02 for a total of .04. (I'm about broke in knowledge, though, so I'll quit after this.)

If Yorkies were cheap, it would open them up to more people to own them: More families with kids who don't know how to care for small dogs, more people who can't afford the surgeries they might require, more owners who think a Yorkie is just a, well, DOG.

I'm sort of glad they're not cheap. They are owned by people who have given the matter some serious thought. Oh, and rich people, too, but they're gonna buy whatever they want anyway.

You hit the nail on the head! This is how I feel about it! Yorkies are not JUST dogs and I did a lot of soul searching before I bought my first. I consider my 2 the reasons I get up in the morning!