So if I wanted to show my yorkie that I got at the local pet shop...
 

She wouldn't be eligible?:eek: what a pity:(

i don't think so most puppys from pet stores are from puppy mills. do you have papers on her? the akc standards are listed at

http://www.akc.org/breeds/yorkshire_terrier/index.cfm

If you have unlimited registration, you could show her. The main reason for showing and championing your dogs is too get approval of your breeding stock. The one problem big problem that you will have is not knowing her background, health issues, temperament issues, etc.......

showing
 

You can show ANY dog that is registered AKC at any AKC show..you can buy a puppy from the worst puppy miller in America and show it...that is not the point. The point is..Is the puppy show quality? Rarely, if ever will you find a show potential in a pet shop.
PS..if you have AKC papers, then you have a pedigree available, if you have a pedigree, you have history and can locate the breeder..

thats really sad :( poor puppys just cause they were born in a mill they're not "show quality" i'm going to try anyway i'm sure she'll have a great time even if she doesn't win anything.

No one said you couldn't show her. The purpose of showing your dog is to get approval of your breeding stock. Since your puppy was purchased in a pet store, most likely you don't have her history. Dog showing is an expensive hobby and not as easy as it looks. There's hours of training, conditioning and taking care of that coat. Show dogs need to have the attitude and temperament first before you take them into the ring. Some don't like it. If they're the most beautiful specimens of the breed, if there is no attitude they won't show.

showing
 

If you want nothing more then to have fun and winning is not a factor, take her to a fun match or a handling class. Why waste a ton of money and others exhabitors time to show your pet? If you find she is a show potential pup, then you can go to an AKC show and get serious.

People have the misconception that showing dogs are for fun and pets are welcome...not so..it is a very serious endeavor, entered by people who are dedicated to the betterment of the breed...no one has fun if you and your untrained pet have no clue what you are doing..you will go home with hurt feelings and a bad taste in your mouth for show people.
Of course, this is America and you may do as you wish.
Best of Luck

Totally agree with you. I forgot to mention the training one has to go through to enter the ring. It looks really easy from the outside looking in. I couldn't understand why the handlers were coming out of the ring, ringing in sweat with the airconditioning going full blast. Boy did I find out.....your dog can be very well trained, but when you get in the ring you need to anticipate their every move and correct it without being obvious. You'd never think one little yorkie could be hard to present.

Theres no such thing as the perfect yorkie so how do they know what pup has a good coat or what they're colors are supposed to be? I never understand that..so what can I do with my pup that she'll enjoy?

Knowing a good coat comes with years of knowledge, and studying. Coat is of the prime importance, but health and structure are number 1 in a reputable breeder/exhibitors criteria.

As Yorkie Rose said breeder/exhibitors are serious about their dogs and showing them. They've studied, worked hard and put a lot of blood, sweat and tears in to their programs.

Have you thought of doing agility with your little girl. But, have a physical done on her before you start. There is also syncrinized dancing, I understand yorkies are wonderful at that competition.

standard
 

If a person wants to learn what is correct and incorrect, you start by reading the standard, then go to shows to watch and learn...long, time knowledgable breeders got together a long time ago and perfected it... it is our job as ethical breeders to adher to the standard as close as possible.
You will not like what I say, but the truth is..if a breeder sells to a pet shop, they are not concerned with the standard or what happens to their puppies...all Yorkies clubs forbid breeders to sell to pets shops and remain a member.
I am sure your little girl is a wonderful companion..where she came from is no longer important..before the purchase it was, it is not now.
Best wishes

Yorkierose,

You are the bomb & boom!!!!!! I respect you very much.
Not one person who could give me information on yorkies I would respect more then you. Love your candor. You are facts and wisdom. You are a loved person. You dont Joke either....But this is the Home of the Joker......
.
But I do want and intend to show AKC.......and when I do.......Im very serious. And if I am the fool, its okay............. I always was..

Judges for conformation can be very blunt and harsh.

Obedience, rally, and agility training are much more fun than conformation.

Join a local Kennel club, and you will learn a lot obout showing. I wouldn't go into it blind.

Kelly
 

Kelly..I wish you all the luck in world in the goals you are setting for yourself..Best wishes

:( your making my puppy feel like a piece of pooh now

lol i'm really sorry that was immature of me to say I don't understand showing dogs I was just curious as to what is required thanks for answering my ridiculous questions;)

puppy
 

It wasn't immature, it was heart felt...as an ethcial breeder, it is my responsibility to education whenever possible. All Yorkies are special..it is no longer important where she came from or who bred her...it is important for people to know that the only way to stop the suffering in places where dogs are mass produced is to refuse to be a part of it, in anyway shape or form.....I wish you all the best with your companion.

You can try obedience and agility classes .

No one is trying to make your puppy feel like it's pooh. I'm sure she's wonderful. The whole purpose of responding to your post is to help you understand and give you guidens into the world of showing dogs.

It's not an easy process. There are no short cuts. I've seen plenty of people take their pets into the ring and be told by the judge that the little dog shouldn't be shown. And watched them come out of the ring embarrassed. My first 2 yorkies were bought as pets, that doesn't make them any less loved or beautiful, just not show quality.

Getting a dog and yourself ready takes hours and hours of training and preparation.

A lot of people started with pets. But it can be very heart breaking to find out that the puppy you bought and paid a lot of money for is not show quality. But it is a good way to learn, and you have every right to go and play with the other show breeders and exhibitors. You may want to start with one of the smaller shows, fun matches or even an International show where the judges will not be so hard on you. I have seen a lot of poor quality dogs at the shows some not even looking like yorkies. So I think if you go there knowing you are showing your pet and you are very proud of it you will have a good time.
Years ago a friend of mine came to her first dog show, with matted Shih Tzu on a pet leash and her dogs looked a mess. It was her first show and she did not in any way know what she was doing. I went over to help her a bit as much as I could. Later in the years to pass she became one of the top breeders in the breed. We all start somewhere, and not all of us get to start with the best dogs.

I wish you luck and a lot of fun, maybe you can go to a few shows and learn how things work so you will feel more comfortable and not hold up every one else. Best of luck to you and have fun!!!

Debbie Ray
www.sumtoiyorkies.com

Do you have pictures of your Yorkie ?

I am reading these posts from the opposite perspective. My newest little girl was bred and raised to 9 months by a show breeder. She was in the program so to speak. The breeder decided to let her go at 9 months. Even though it has sparked my curiosity to learn more about the show ring (just as a spectator) because of my pup's background, I can't help but superficially and vainly feel that she is showered with more one on one love and attention with us than she was housed in the kennel with several mates. Even though her breeder was very caring and one of the best, I'm sure. Everything looks different depending on which angle you are viewing it from it seems. I don't think you should feel that pet is not as good as show, because just maybe pet is just different than show....

I don't feel any pet store puppy should be shown because of one factor: If that dog was nice enough to finish and then be bred as most show people choose to do with their show stock, how would one truly trace it's ancestor's and know the true background of the lines. If it was turned over by it's breeder to a pet shop as a baby, then I can only assume not much thought went into many other things. Just my opinion.

Do you have a desire to show, op? Just curious. :confused: If so there are alot of people who will lead you in the right direction. Good luck to you Moncellacml

Dear Lucy Lu - what people are talking about is not a pet yorkie showing, but a puppy bought from a pet store.

Reputable breeders do not nor would never sell to pet shops. We care very deeply about our dogs and it is very important to us to sell them to the right people (best home possible) and to know where they are going. So then who actually would sell to pet shops? What type of ethics do they have? How do they keep their dogs? Do they know for sure which dog is breed to which? IEven if they are USDA - dogs must be kept in a seperate builing away from the home and they cannot bring the pups in the home.

But I too have bought from a pet store many moons ago (I would never never never ever buy from a pet store now) and did not know. I was with my husband shortly after we got married and saw this cute little puppy in the pet shop window. Yes, its play area was just on the other side of the window so as people walked by you could see the pups play. We could not resisit and bought one. Her name was Chrissy! She was a doll baby. Small and compact with a cute face. She grew to be 5 pounds. It is her that got me started in yorkies and going to shows and joining the yorkie club and so on. So for her - I thank her. I loved her with all my heart. We all had to start somewhere. Love you Chrissy! :love:
T.

WELL SAID!!!!

Lucy Lu
 

Lucy Lu...your point is well made. I would not buy from a pet shop or show breeder..any breeder who had too many dogs and too little time to properly raise and socialize their pups. Neither situation is ideal....I know what is involved with breeding/showing dogs..and it took all my time, money and energy to make their life as much like a pets life as possible...what a job!

No, I fully well understand that she meant an official dog show not a pet dog show. My point was to make her feel that she should definately not feel inferior in any way no matter where she got her pup from, as I have seen the good and the not so good aspects of dogs in the show breeding tract. Yes, they have good linage, yes they need to be as close to the breed standard as possible...etc. But, I'm just saying that a small deviation, and they too are sold off in the desire to breed another even more perfect.... So, is it for the betterment of the breed or the breeders hobby?....Just some thoughts

I am the owner of a yorkie that came from the pet shop...He is nowhere close to a show potential dog, by the standard he is even very low pet quality, complete with virtually every genetic defect (which I have put a lot of blood sweat and tears into fixing) common in toy dogs...Although I would never dream of showing him or breeding him (he is nuetered), owning him as a pet has gotten me tremendously interested in the yorkie standard and what it takes to finish yorkies, and I have read about it a lot. As the owner of one of these extremely "low quality" yorkies I think it is very important that they are not shown for conformation or bred by anyone even if it is "just for fun."

The reason I feel this way is because the breeders dedicated to the show ring have put a lot of time and heart into keeping the breed as close to the standard as possible, and preventing the breed from carrying the problems of bad lineage found in the types of pups you find in the pet store. Conformation showing in my opinion (as an outsider) is not just about giving the prettiest dogs ribbons, but about recognizing responsible breeders for their hardwork and dedication to the breed the exhibit. I think that trying to show a pet store dog really defeats this purpose.

Pet store dogs as I know are great companions, they are adorable and fun and joys to be around, but due to the numerous problems with the breeding practices of those who sell to pet stores I think that they no matter what should really be kept out of the ring.

Extremely well said :thumbup:

I did get a paper that shows me who her parents were and they're parents and so on. But if you guys say I can't show her then i'll trust you on that.