I started out with a show male on a co-ownership, took over a year to finish him but hung in there :) I even have my first homebred champion (just one). I then got a show female had a handler show her and finished her then I traveled with the handler for almost a full year to learn all I could, she showed maltese and showed my bitch in breed and I took her in the group (got great experience learning from a handler). Then I have my male now and finished him rather quickly and he's with a handler and it's not cheap especially with the failing economy and you know I still plan on hanging in the fancy because I love this breed so much and will always do right by the breed. I also have not one but "3" mentors and I listen to every word they tell me and if I have questions they are the first ones I seek for help and answers! I will always stand behind this breed and continue as long as I have good health and keep learning. When I stop learning then it's time to get out and find something else to do.

Donna Bird
Brooklynn's Yorkshire Terriers

Or for those newcomers currently breeding, you could take a look at your own website and take a look at exactly what you are doing to try to figure out what exactly might be turning off the reputable breeder as in huge red flags.
Gee I wonder what that might be?

I recently owned 2 little girls from Europe .

Couldn't agree with you more! :)

Donna Bird
Brooklynn's Yorkshire Terriers

Here's my all-european, non-hungarian dog with poor front and topline, bad coat and colour etc etc :D I have finished him in three countries now... He has his faults, but I just love him and his attetude!

Jokes aside, I believe that bad frons are a big issue here... But as someone of you said - there are poor (and good) representatives of the breed everywhere in the world. Likewise I can't understand why it's "in" to show the dog by hanging it by the leach and almost twisting it's tail off..

I have wondered, though, how it can possibly be that so many dogs from top breeders in NA have ended up in east Europe, since I know that the best breeders in NA are very careful with their dogs...

At the start of it, the top breeders didn't know what was going to happen. After that, one look at the pedigree will always tell you where the betrayal of trust occured regardless of which side of the ocean you are talking about, ie trusted someone they should not have trusted.
I really do have to run as I am working today.

I believe a lot of the dogs have been sold with the understanding that nothing out of the dog is to be sold back to North America.. however in places where contracts are not enforcable...the agreement is only as good as the word of the person making it. Even if someone does stick to their word, once they breed the dog out, or sell offspring out of it to another show person in their own area, what binds that next person into honoring the agreement between the N/A breeder and the original buyer of the dog..? I have seen lots of very obvious lapses or complete lack of integrity. :( A persons word should be golden. Obviously this isn't happening. :( Obviously $$$$ is the motivator..and that's just sad. Now will this eventually stop N/A breeders from sending their dogs overseas? I don't know.. I guess that depends on how much the N/A breeder cares about their line, and where it ends up. If it does stop it.....it's very sad that a few have ruined tremendous opportunity for many to improve their dogs.

Ki Ki,
are you being sarcastic? Your dog is beautiful! I understand everyone trying to protect the lines but in order for the
Europeans to strengthen their gene pool, there needs to be an influx of new stock..otherwise the recessive genes for the undesirable traits (LP's, Liver Shunt) will start to emerge. I don't understand in line breeding but I did notice on my Gia's pedigree she has some cousins who mated. Didn't seem smart but maybe in dog breeding is ok. Obviously there are different types of dog breeders, those who are trying to achieve excellence and those who are trying to just make a yorkie looking dog to sell. When I wanted my pretty pet, I encountered alot of those yorkieish
dogs but was not inclined to shell out money for such.
The thing you have to take into consideraton is the cost of buying a European bred show quality dog is great and out of reach of many non serious, backyard breeders, so in that respect, the lines are protected from abuse. And so, the good gene pools are shared among professionals, as it should be., tor the advancement of the bred.

OK, I was just wondering.. Some NA-originated dogs have massive amounts of offspring in some countries... Sad, I think.

If this is directed at me, I would say the same thing Deanna said yesterday. newcomers make mistakes and try to rectify them. i currently have only one girl to breed and feel I have done my best to get decent lines and improve myself over the past year.

Might be that I was :rolleyes: :D He has his faults, I'd wish for even better front and darker blue on him. Anyways, I do love him dearly.

I understand if the breeders in NA are becoming more and more careful, if the dogs sold to foreign countries are being used not according to ther agreement. I was just wondering how and why the dogs have ended up there.

Dee,
I don't think she was singling anyone out in particular on this thread. But if you think about it some newbie websites that are out there would have reputable breeders running the opposite direction and that would be me included. Lots of red flags on many websites and I'm not including you Dee because actually I haven't been to your website so I can't say anything. I haven't been in the fancy long enough to even begin to sell a show dog without my mentors advice or comments or approval or even consider selling with breeding rights without what I just said.

Donna Bird
Brooklynn's Yorkshire Terriers

I've only been showing for a bit over 2 years. I was blessed that a small breeder whose dogs had come from a good line was willing to take a chance on me. Connor isn't perfect but we have traveled the road together and learned alot. He has thrown some very nice pups that are doing well in the ring and is out with a handler presently. I got him into alot of bad habits so I had to call in the pros to reform him and finish him. I'm waitiing for my next show male which will be from a long time breeder with a great reputation. Each time I ask she says be patient. It's not easy to be patient but I show with her often enough that I know she won't give me crap to put in the ring. It will be worth the wait and she'll be picking out the pup (with over 35 years experience she'll do better than I could).
Hang in there Dee. Find a club and join. Get to know the exhibitors that are in your area. Go to handling classes, Specialties, and club sponsored matches. Try for a great male first and put your whole heart into showing him. Save up your money to put him with a handler if need be but be determined to finish him. Have a teachable spirit and a teacher will come along. You can do it, you just have to get on the patience wagon with me.

Tami it's all about patience :) Finding a good mentor and doing whatever necessary to help the breed and better it and keep learning! I joined my local yorkie club before I bought a show dog and bought from within my club and it just happened from there. I was serious about my showing and representing this breed to it's best and I've been lucky to get where I am today but it's because of my great mentors and determination and my GREAT love for this breed! I don't breed often and actually I don't care for the breeding aspect of this but sometimes it's a must but I'd rather be in the show ring with the most gorgeous yorkie that best represents this beautiful breed! With health being of the utmost importance :)

Donna Bird
Brooklynn's Yorkshire Terriers

In a perfect world a breeding/show dog would be kept until 12 months and all health clearance would be done before being allowed to be shown/championed and bred.
I would like to see as much focus on health testing from all breeders from the top breeders and the the small breeders.
I have noticed in the most all of the contracts I have seen is that the key thing is they want the dog Championed before being bred, but they leave out the really important issues of all health testing/clearances done before being allowed to be shown/championed and bred. And some want you to run ads in the mags etc.
Why is that?
I think health testing should be one of the most important key to the contracts.
We are focusing much more on doing all the testing in our program right now. When we started no one did a lot of the health testing and still very few do, I hope more breeders will start doing more health testing. If you look on OFA the Yorkies there are not very many listed as compared to the number of Yorkies being bred. If you truly love the breed then health testing is something that has to be done.