Yorkies - overpriced???
 

One of my friends had a litter of four Yorkie puppies recently. This was their first and last litter.

She kept one - and the other three sold for $1200.

So - she got a free new little Yorkie puppy for herself and $3600. She about died.

She said that she made the male's owner take $300, and they didn't even want any money.

She took the mother Yorkie to the vet before and after she delivered. They had an uneventful delivery - and the puppies have been to the vet several times, (as often as the vet wants to see them - she let him be in charge of all that they need). They have had their tails docked - their dew claws removed - and all their appropriate shots, deworming, etc. And - she didn't buy a lot of special stuff - her little dog gave birth on a blanket in a box in their bedroom. And - this and a playpen (and running around the house) has been their home.....nothing fancy. But it has all worked.

They are nine weeks old now - healthy - and ready to go to their new homes.

Her little mother weighs about 6 pounds and is a very good looking little girl. The father is a handsome 5 1/2 pound male. They are both purebreds and are registered. (And, I can say ----after looking at thousands of Yorkie pictures --- these two really are very nice looking little Yorkies...)

She agrees that - of course, there was a lot of time spent on the new puppies, watching them, caring for them, making sure they were eating well, cleaning up after them, etc. But - she said that if she and her family had not been willing to do this - they would never have had a litter in the first place - and for the most part, after all is said and done, she said it was more fun than work. And, of course, she and her family have enjoyed the puppies so much - it's heartbreaking to let any of them leave.

Point is ---- she can't justify (to herself) the amount of money she got for these puppies. She said it didn't cost a fraction of that amount to have them and care for them - even with all their vet visits, etc. She really
almost feels bad about taking that much money for them. (This is still the only litter her little girl is ever going to have. She is getting spayed before long.)

****** We know that all sorts of things can happen that may cause the costs to be higher - but this isn't always the case. So - please - let's not go there!

My brother's little toy poodle had puppies last year. His dog weighs about 7 pounds and had 5 purebred little pups. Two died (they don't know why) and the others did just great. He sold his pups for $450. And - he didn't consider that a bad price.

I, for one, think Yorkies are overpriced. I think they just happen to be very popular right now - and, I'll bet a million dollars that the price of Yorkies will drop before long - Because they cost so much - it only makes since that there will be more available before long and the price will come down. (I saw this happen with the Bichon over the past 5 to 10 years.) It wouldn't surprise me if some other little breed doesn't become very popular in the future - and then it will be the one (for a while) that will be able to command such high prices.

I think we have to agree that most people really only want pets (albeit - good examples of the breed) - but, most people really don't breed or show their dogs..... at least not to the extent that they are hoping to end up with "real champions."

This is just my opinion. Time will tell -- !!!

Carol Jean

PS: I bought a Yorkie and paid a lot for it - but only because they cost a lot - not because they need to cost that much!

Please don't take this the wrong way. I appreciate where you're coming from, I can see how your friend would feel that way, and I think you raise an important question. But I think you're going to get an earful from longtime breeders. And rightfully so.

There are so many things that can go wrong, from birth defects and emergency trips to the vet to the bitch having complications or worse. Then there's the health guarantee. What happens if there are some genetic defects and buyers want their money back or another Yorkie? What happens if, after six months, someone thinks their pup looks more like you're neighbor's male chihuahua and wants their money back? What if they sue? And, while I imagine one litter could be a labor of love, a professional breeder might rightfully want some compensation for their time.

I agree $1,200 is a lot of money for a pet-quality pooch, but considering all the health problems these little guys can have, I want to go to a professional breeder who knows the risks and offers a guarantee.

But if your friends make out like a bandit on this, more power to them! I just don't want to encourage others to blindly follow their lead thinking it's a gold mine in the waiting. A lot of reputable professional breeders will say it's not.

I think everything went smoothlly for your friend so it may seem to her that she did make alot of money. Sometimes the mom needs a c-section and thats expensive. Sometimes they lose a baby and thats less in the litter. The mom can get eclampsia. There is just problems that can occur. I dont think yorkie prices are that far out of the range. They may be a little higher yes but they are a small breed that is in great demand

She had 4 puppies, it's a great result.
Not many have that much..
Latest yorkie litters that i saw was 1 to 3 puppies max.
She just have a big luck.
But overall..yep, yorkies are to overpriced , i got my male for 1500$ + 200$ payed for some stuff that doesn't cost that much at all, but the breeder told me to buy it, so basically she got 1700$ and it's for a male not for a female.

Your friend did so well, I suspect because of geographical location too. In this area (puppymill USA) a yorkie will sell for about one-half the price you mentioned, average is about $600 for a male, $700-800 for a female. With this in mind, you are generally getting a puppymill dog. I agree with you though, as the popularity decreases the demand will also, thus the prices will eventually come down. Knowing what I do now - I would be more patient and wait for a reputable breeder to be willing to sell me a yorkie

I agree with Fast Eddie and would hate for others to look at your friends windfall and think it would be a good thing to get into breeding to make money. A reputable breeder rarely actually makes any money on the sale of their dogs as their overall expenses usually eat up any profit.

For a person having a first and last litter with 4 puppies and no health problems, it probably does seem like they are over-priced and she may be getting more than deserved. But..... if she was going to have more litters, she might find the next one to only have 1 puppy to sell, the mom might need a C-section and she might be in the hole money-wise -- then she would think... We are not charging enough for these puppies!

Just because nothing untoward happened with this litter does not mean prices should be set by this experience. Prices need to be set by the breeders that have several litters a year, know the averages on puppies, complications, and expenses AND need to make some sort of profit. Sure she made out, but there are probably just as many that had one litter, lost money, or even lost their precious mother Yorkie that would not think the price nearly high enough.

A one-time breeder probably should not charge as much as an experienced breeder -- Why? Because she cannot offer the lifetime experience, training, and sense of security someone who has done this over time can offer. That is JMHO.

When I was looking for my Yorkies, I saw $600 - $2000 Yorkies. I looked at several places, talked to others only on the phone. I paid $1200 and $1500 for the two I chose -- First, I bought from people whose mother and father were on premises and looked like the Yorkies I have in mind. Secondly, I bought from people who sounded like they had the experience, knowledge, and caring attitude to ensure the best experience overall. I don't feel fleeced -- I could have bought cheaper ones -- but these are little additions to my family and saving a few dollars doesn't really seem important over the long haul. It will be a drop in the bucket to what they will cost to raise and spoil.

*whooaaa!* $1,700 for a male?! I wanna see that one! Can you post pix?

Yes, I do think location also has something to do with the money asked for these pups. I also understand that breeders can have problems with litters. If they do then the pups should be priced accordingly to get the money back that was put into them. For those who have no problems like Carol Jeans friend, than price should be adjusted accordingly also. Buddy was $1,400.00 ECK registered. He is not show quality but I wanted a pet not a show dog.
Yes, I think that was alot of money but I paid it. I live in NY and the prices here would make your head spin. $1,200.00 is a great price for a healthy yorkie pup, IMO. Carol & Buddy:aimeeyork

That's RIDICULOUS!!!
 

I know people are going to disagree on this one w/ me, but that kind of money on a PUPPY is just ridiculous.
These animals are supposed to be companions w/ you for as long as they can, right? Why spend THAT much money on a puppy when there are soooo many possibilities of complications through maturity? I think the market should take a swift change and breeders should be charging this kind of high price for young adults, rather than puppies!
Don't get me wrong, $1,200 for a small breed puppy is fair I think because often times the bitch needs to go through a c-section. But anything more than say $2,000 is just RIDICULOUS!
We don't show our dogs expecting to get all that $$ investment back. And if we do, then we're not in it for the right reasons. You do it because you enjoy it-hopefully the dog does too. ;)
There aren't any guarantees in life-trust me, I know. But since one is "gambling" the odds should be in their favor at least. Don't waste your time spending that kind of money on a Yorkie. It's uncalled for.

I don't think the price breeders charge has as much to do with cost of having a litter as it does simple supply and demand. I know my friend wanted a purebred yorkie and couldn't afford one so she got a mix. This happens to alot of people, thus the demand for mixes has increased, thus the price of mixes has increased. Simple economics at its best. I do agree that the price of purebreds is going to be going down soon simply because not that many people these days can afford one and can pay so much less to get a mix. But once that price comes down on the purebreds, the supply is going to go up again.

The words of a close friend read like this

"How can anyone put a price on a life? We wouldn't sell our children, so why our little dogs babies?"

Please don't bash me for this, they are not my words I am just quoting.

I myself would never buy a puppy or a dog. I would always go to a rehoming center and take on a lost or abandoned dog. Both that I have are abandoned. I didn't "buy" them. I reimbursed?(spelling) the charity what they spent on them, ie food, then a little more for them to rescue another dog.

But like I said please do not bash me THEY ARE NOT MY WORDS.

i can see in my area the price of yorkies have gone down. before they always ranged from 1200 for a male and 1500 for a female. now in the paper they start at 750-800 to 1000. we don't have "breeders" in our area, just two pet shops which sells yorkies for 2800.(we dont buy there!) they only way anyone in my area can get a yorkie is thru the paper where people breed in their homes, you can see the mom and dad, but they don't overbreed or have multiple dogs. we don't have puppymills (that anyone is aware of). i will have to say that lately the prices have dropped but i still feel they are worth every bit of 1000. i just think that lately, people are cautious about how much they spend

prices
 

Something is worth what a person is willing to pay for it..to that person it was worth it whether I agree or not.

I remember a time when I had a litter of FIVE CHAMPION sired girls and I sold 3 for $450...the next week I bought a male from the number one champion at the time for $500...when back the next week and bought the 3 yr old litter mate to the number one bitch and paid $600...LOL

Hmmmmmm, let's see. For my last litter, 1 premature puppy, born C Section middle of night on a Sunday. Vet bill for birth 800.00, not sure puppy would live because of being a premie. Vet check ups for pup over next several months, 700.00, that is shots , check ups, tail clipped, dew claws removed, worming, formula to tube feed around the clock for first 2 weeks, because pup was too small to suckle. Pup lived, was kept until 1 year of age because of tiny size , was too small to show (at 3 pounds), so before selling, bile acid test to make sure liver OK, stifles checked another 200.00. Sold the single puppy for 1000.00, included blanket, toys, crate, food, treats. My profit was -1000.00. Prior litter had 4 pups, 1 born dead. Kept 2 for showing, sold one at 850.00 because she had an underbite, but she had all shots, bile acid test, toys, crate, food. Litter cost me approx 1500 for all 3. normal birth, My profit -700.00. Litter before, 3 pups born dead due to virus in mother, cost of delivery at emergency vet 450.00, x-rays, antibiotics approx. 150. My profit 0.

Not everyone makes money on easy delivery's for their dogs, and I always do x-rays to check how many pups to expect so that I know my bitch has delivered all, and won't have problems afterward.

I do not breed to sell pets, I breed to produce a dog that I would like to show. I sell only what is not showable, and they are sold with spay/neuter contracts only. I also guarantee the health of my dogs.

If someone is not happy about the price of a puppy , there are no obligations for this person to buy one .

That is the point I was trying to make also. It is great that she had a smooth delivery and made so much profit but the next litter she might not be so lucky and the profit she made just offsets what she lost later

Agreed.

And in most cases, the initial cost is the least of your worries (and costs).

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

I agree with what you are all saying.

Its just that for me living where I am there are so many abandoned dogs. My little Sadie is now 9yrs old, I have had her for just over a year. Her life got from bad to worse before it got better when we took her in. She is a full pedigree, registered and we have all the papers for her. However she had problems giving birth and so the breeder dumped her on someone when she was 2yrs old, who never vanccinated her. She had absolutely no housetraining when we got her, she didn't understand French or English commands (previous owner was French). She didn't understand food came in a bowl or on a plate. She didn't even know her name...... the woman then decided she didn't want her anymore, so drove her somwhere and dumped her. Fortunately she was found by someone and taken to the SPA (a rescure center, not a particularily good one though as they only keep the dogs for a certain time and if they are not rehomed they are put to sleep) where she stayed for 3 weeks shaking and terrified. Sittling in her own urine and faeces. She weighed only 1.5kg. She was found by a lovely couple that run a small adoption agency helped by the blue cross. They wanted to take her out and at first couldn't because the previous owner wouldn't allow it. She wanted her to be put to sleep. She was found because my darling little girl has a tattoo (now microchipped). But after many long talks she finally agreed and handed over ownership. All of this happened because some heartless breeder didn't look for a proper home for little Sadie. I know this is just one breeder and I can see there are many breeders on here and I know that you all care about you're dogs and don't only have them for breeding, but this woman didn't care and they were only machines for breeding. It has all been enough of a heartache for me knowing what this little girl went through for me not to risk trusting breeders where I live.

My little boy we know nothing about his past.

Sorry this had turned out to be so long, but I hope you can all understand why I quoted my friend and why I myself would prefer to adopt.

I get a bit miffed when someone makes a judgement about what is "reasonable" to pay for a puppy. Mine was a singleton, delivered through C-section, that I purchased from a top show breeder. I was willing to pay more because I trusted her and knew that she was very careful about breeding and socialization and that I would get a pup that was very close to standard. With showing costs, stud fee, vet fees, etc., I doubt she made anything on the sale. Even if she did, I think she deserves to make something for her hard work and dedication. Why are people so against someone making a profit? We are a capitalist society after all. I think we should have a little more respect for what reputable breeders do. Pay what you are willing and able to pay and don't judge someone else for paying more or less.

I agree with you. :thumbup: The initial purchase price should be the least of your worries. I'd be more focused on the long term emotional, mental and health aspects for my dog.

The breeder I got Kiki from has been raising these dogs for 11 years. She has no interest in showing...her dogs are pet quality, but that's all I wanted. They adhere reasonably to the standard, are consistently between 4-7 lbs, have excellent health records, and fabulous temperaments.

Several times I was able to visit in her home, talk to her family for hours, and see all of her dogs and how they were being raised.

I pd. $800 for Kiki. A male would have cost me $600.

After seeing 3 people loose their females after giving birth....in 2 weeks time here, I can understand the price of the yorkie, totally!

If you can't afford the price, get another type of dog is my way of looking at it!

If the price drops, I think quality of the dogs will also take a huge drop. No, I don't show or breed either of mine, but I want mine to be free of stuff like Liver Shunt, and collapsing trachea, and other diseases that are herediatary.

So many have to have emergency C sections too. I haven't asked my vet how much that would cost, cause I have no intentions on breeding mine. But I know it can be very pricy, especially if you have to go to the emergency center in the middle of the night.

I do know though, a good and "reputable" breeder puts a lot in their breeding programs. They do tests before breeding, to make sure the dogs are healthy, and don't have problems like liver shunt, that show up later sometimes. They can have to stay up day and night, feeding puppies if they loose the female. Their hearts get broken in 1/2 when they loose their female or a puppy.

No, I think the price is ok with me. I'm not rich, but I do want my dogs to be very healthy, and have a long life! I don't mind paying what they ask for a "good, healthy dog" that didn't come from a puppy mill!

Well...
 

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.
Teri:animal-pa

Back in 1991, my first purebred Yorkie cost me $350.00 which at the time I felt was very high. My second Yorkie which if purchased in August of this year cost me $850.00. I honestly doubt the prices will ever go down. We have to remember that Yorkies are the third post popular dog in the USA, right behind labradores.

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.

My neighbor paid $400.00 for her Yorkie puppy . She was so excited about it and said to everyone she had a bargain . Now she is singing another tune because she already paid over $1,000.00 in vet bills because the little one is always sick .

That is a fantastic idea! Spread some of that good fortune around to the poor unfortunates. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

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.

Well thats been true for me too. I paid $600 for one and he is over the standard and I have had some allergy problems so I have had vet bills. I paid $1200 for my next one and her weight is in the standard and i have had no extraordinary vet bills with her