Advice on purchasing a pup!
 

Hi I have been searching online for a female yorkie pup. I recently came across Tiny Terriers site and one of her pups caught my eyes. I want to contact her however I need to be sure she is a responsible true-to-the-breed breeder before I bother contacting the owners.

I have been looking for so long and it's been unexpectedly difficult. Please help.

I would stay away from any ad that says "TINY". Buy the breeder first, and then the pup! Start here, YTCA.ORG There are lists of many reputable breeders that breed to the standard listed by state, also a lot of good advice on the Yorkie., Best of luck. Also, be LEERY of anyone that may Private message you. The Pup should not leave the breeder until 12 months of age, and a good breeder will not just offer you a pup on the spot. Best of luck

I totally agree with everything Steve posted except it's 12 weeks not 12 months. LOL

Good catch. It had to be a Freudian Slip after the way the Spice boys have me running at 7 months. :D

I am not familuar with them but just wanted to say good luck in your search and there are great breeders out there, you just have to take time and do research. Welcome to YT!

I know what you mean I have 2 girls here that are going on 4 months.

I totally know what you mean!! I am having difficulty finding a puppy for me too!! I believe with time, the right one will come. ;)

Is this the site you are talking about? If so , there are several things that would concern me about the site.

TINY TERRIERS

Yes that is the site BUT how about you tell me what you don't like about the site. It really does not make sense not to say waht it is you do not like about the site.
Thank you.

I wasn't going to bother posting my comments until whether or not I knew that was the site you were talking about. It's customary when you ask about a breeder or a site that you provide the link so that we can all be sure we are commenting about the correct thing.


Now, back to the site.

Home page: She states-

Specializing in champion pedigreed yorkies! All our adults are champion sired or grandsired except Marshall who is a finished AKC champion. We have some of the best show lines in the US. Several of our pups are in the show ring now!
(RIGHT) AKC CH Rosemark Marshall Dillon. Thanks to Stephanie Miller for an awesome dog! He's now the foundation stud for our new breeding program! (see our puppies on the Available page!)

Rosemark Yorkies are quite well known. You need to read this thread about how Stephanie Miller dealt with Rosemark Kennels and some rather underhanded dealings with registrations. The thread specifically talks about Marshall.

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/yor...-responds.html


On the available pups page:

PUPS COME WITH AKC FULL OR LIMITED REGISTRATION DEPENDING UPON QUALITY AND PRICE. SHOTS AND WORMING UP TO DATE, ONE YEAR GENETIC HEALTH GUARANTEE. ALL OUR PUPS ARE VET CHECKED, DEW CLAWS REMOVED, AND COME WITH A PUPPY CARE PACK (WITH FOOD, TOY, BLANKET, ETC). WE PREFER PET HOMES FOR OUR PUPPIES AND OUR PRICE REFLECTS THAT, BUT FULL BREEDING RIGHTS AVAILABLE TOO ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.

Good breeders do not sell breeding rights to people they don't know.(Again, re-read how Stephanie Miller sold Marshall on an open registration!) Kennel names and reputations are on the line, and when a show breeder sells breeding rights, her lines and reputations can be quickly ruined by bad breeding. That's why they hold on to the lines and require spay/neuter contracts. If they do sell on full registration, it's only to other people who have a proven track record of breeding for the betterment of the breed. They generally do so on a co-own contract so that they have control over who the dog is bred to. Often times, they will only sell those rights to someone they have personally mentored or have come highly recommended to them. "Depending on quality and price" is a red flag that as long as you are willing to cough up extra bucks for the dogs, they'll sell the rights without these safe guards in place. It's a back door way that less than optimal breeders can claim champion lineages.

Now, on to her guarantee:

To be eligible for the following guarantee, Buyer must take pup for a vet check within 3 BUSINESS DAYS of purchase or guarantee is VOID. This guarantee IS NOT transferrable to anyone other then original buyers. If pup has MAJOR problems during guarantee period, seller should be notified IMMEDIATELY and BE INCLUDED IN DECISION MAKING PROCESS pertaining to the medical care for the pup, OR GUARANTEE IS VOID. Seller not responsible for any vet bills while pup is in buyer's possession.

The breeder is located in Pennsylvania. While it's not the best set of laws on the books, they at least DO have a set of puppy lemon laws that this breeder is trying to circumvent. Why would anyone willingly sign away their rights under the law?

For instance, while responsible pet owners will want to get their dogs in within 2 or 3 business days, the PA law states:

3. To preserve your rights under the Law, you must take your newly purchased dog to a licensed veterinarian for examination within 10 days of purchase. If a veterinarian determines, within 10 days of purchase, that your dog is clinically ill or has died from an injury sustained or illness likely to have been contracted on or before the date of sale and delivery, you have the following options:

The PA law also provides for reimbursement of vet bills up to the purchase price of the dog.

The site then goes on to say:

Should puppy die from communicable disease (this does not include parasites or hypoglycemia) within 14 days of purchase and buyer promptly sought treatment by certified veterinarian, and if said veterinarian certifies in writing that he/she says the pup was exposed to the disease PRIOR to leaving our kennel, buyer will get FULL refund of PURCHASE PRICE of puppy within 45 days of certification of death. Buyer must send certification (autopsy required only if vet is unsure of cause of death) to Seller within 4 weeks of pup‘s death.

Parasites ARE included under PA law.

PA law also requires that reimbursement be made in 14 days.

That's just a couple of things that jump out at me. I'm sure others will chime in and give you more details.

One last thing. She's breeding off color yorkies which are considered faults by AKC standards.

First I am sorry for not posting the link to the breeder's site. I not aware of many of the customs on this site as I am new to it.

Secondly, thank you very much for breaking it down for me. I am not at all familar with American state and/or federal laws so I would never have none all of that stuff.

As the saying go "word to the wise if sufficient" I have received your words of advise now I know that this breeder is not the one for me.

Thanks a billion!

First I am sorry for not posting the link to the breeder's site. I not aware of many of the customs on this site as I am new to it.

Secondly, thank you very much for breaking it down for me. I am not at all familar with American state and/or federal laws so I would never have none all of that stuff.

As the saying go "word to the wise if sufficient" I have received your words of advise now I know that this breeder is not the one for me.

Thanks a billion

First I am sorry for not posting the link to the breeder's site. I am not aware of many of the customs on this site as I am new to it.

Secondly, thank you very much for breaking it down for me. I am not at all familar with American state and/or federal laws so I would never have none all of that stuff.

As the saying go "word to the wise if sufficient" I have received your words of advise now I know that this breeder is not the one for me.

Thanks a billion

I have been on YTCA site attempting to find a breeder and I have had no success. I emailed and called a few breeders but none of them have responded. I was trying to find a pups in one of the following states MS, AL, or GA for the sake of not having to have the pup shipped too far.

At this rate I really wonder when/if I'll ever find my pup.

I have been on YTCA site attempting to find a breeder and I have had no success. I emailed and called a few breeders but none of them have responded to the emails and I can't get anyone on the phone. I was trying to find a pups in one of the following states MS, AL, or GA for the sake of not having to have the pup shipped too far.

At this rate I really wonder when/if I'll ever find my pup.

This appears to be an issue for many pet-seekers who use the YTCA to try and find a yorkie. There are some great breeders there, to be sure, but I've rarely heard of them replying to a pet seeker :(.

This is part of why people start looking all over the place, and can end up with a poorly bred/sickly yorkie.

One thing to try is PMing w/ a few of the members here at YorkieTalk. If you like the look of someone's pup - maybe try private messaging them and asking if the pup is healthy, and if the breeder is good. Also see if the breeder has a website, where you can evaluate how they represent their yorkies, and the breed in general.

Lastly, if you find a breeder you may like, post here and ask other's opinions. :)

Weekends are a poor time to expect an immediate answer. Most ytca people are at dog shows, busy with family events. Don't expect an answer right away.
Also when you contact them, give a little background info, the kind of home you can offer, what you are looking for, ie pet etc, your experience or lack of that sort of info.

I also forgot that you can find maybe dog shows in your area through the AKC site at American Kennel Club - akc.org You can attend a show and find breeders there who are showing their dogs and make an initial contact that way.

Sorry, but I have to disagree. Most of the YTCA breeders that I know of will respond to pet breeders but like Lorraine said, weekends are not a good time. Most do prefer a phone call to an email as they like to talk to and evaluate the type of home one has to offer. It may take some time, but it's worth the effort to find a good reputable breeder. Web sites can be deceiving so you must be very careful. Good luck in your search.

No worries. It's just that so many kennels have similar names, we want to make sure that we are all talking about the same person.

As far as the laws go, only a handful of states have puppy lemon laws. It's important to know if yours is one that does, or if you are getting are dog from one. The laws are woefully inadequate, but they are the absolute minimum you should see in a guarantee from a potential breeder. A great breeder stands behind the health of their dogs.

I have heard that some people have not heard back from YTCA breeders, but I did not find that to be true in my case. One thing I will suggest is (in addition to being patient, these are busy people) that your initial contact be more than a quick "do you have any dogs available and how much are they" kind of email. Take a few minutes to introduce yourself, explain your interest in Yorkies and tell a little bit about your lifestyle ( do you have kids, are you a work at home mom ...) Explain that you are looking for a pet and not a breeding dog. Let them know you are looking for a breeder that is breeding for the betterment of the breed, one that tests their dams and sires.

Ask them if they can refer you to someone who's breeding program they have confidence in if they do not have any pups available. Not all good breeders are necessarily YTCA members, and part of the code of ethics of YTCA members is
to refer you to other good breeders.

Let them know you are aware that you are willing to be put on a waiting list ( if you are). Good breeders want to know that this isn't a spur of the moment decision for you. They put a lot of time, love and effort in to these pups. Yorkies have a 15+ year lifespan and the breeders want to know you are in this for the long haul.

Go to the YT library and you will see lots of questions to help you identify a good breeder. Ask lots of questions. Take your time when choosing a breeder- you are building what should be a lifetime relationship with them.

Good luck in your search.

Finding a pup generally takes quite awhile if you are going about your research/homework correctly and finding a reputable breeder. :) The shortest search I've personally witnessed was a few months.

Good luck in your search and remember to be patient and stick with it! You'll save a lot of time, money, and heartache getting a pup from a reputable breeder. :thumbup:

You are right there and I do get many enquiries that I do follow up but now the enquirer doesn't respond. Many times I will get an email enquiring about a pup wtih no information even of where they might be located.
I reply asking a few questions and invite them to phone me/email me back at least for a start, and I will send my phone number or if they don't want to pay the Long distance, I ask for their phone number and a good time to call them. Most of the time, I never hear from the again.

I agree. when I 1st started my search, as most I was directed to YTCA. And to be honest only 3 of maybe 5/6 breeders actually got back to me. I was told the same thing about shows on the weekends and how they don't have much time...so i tried over on weekdays & even at specific times... but the others still didn't respond.:confused:

The ones that did respond either didnt have puppies...had one pup who was WAYYY outta my price range....or just seemed plain rude. ( I think its because I sound young on the phone. LOL)
So I've been lurking around here following some YT breeders...or PM'ing some YTers about their breeders.

Its about to be a YEAR I've been on my Yorkie search :D and I'm cool with it, because I've learned alot (and still learning soooo much).

And plus my Momma always told me "Good things come to those who wait." ;)

I do want to re-iterate that weekends are often not a good time to expect a response; show breeders are usually travelling often times to out of state shows; or competing at different events.

Telling them a bit about yourself, what you are looking for in a pup, is excellent advise.

I think it is great to go out to the shows and try to meet the breeders; here is what you can do; go to www.akc.org, click on Events, and pick the states you want to search for shows in. Then when you find a show that is one you wish to attend; note the Show superintendent. Then you can go to that website (ie show superintendents) and usually 7-10 days after the show entries close, they will post how many entries of each breed have entered this show. Here this will tell you how many Yorkshire Terriers are entered. Then you have advance notice of if and how many plan to be at the show.

There is a good article in the YT library on how to find a reputable breeder.

Good luck with your search.

Good for you, Islandloverr, take your time
 

A lot of good advice has been offerred here. YTCA is a good starting point, but don't totally dismiss other sources. Around my area there are very few YTCA members, and of those listed many haven't been active in breeding in years. I know several good New England breeders who are still serving out their "apprenticeships," or whatever you call the 2 year wait to earn sponsorship in order to become eligible, or, as in my case, gave up the quest as hopelessly political or non-helpful. I started breeding Yorkies as a 50 year old professional woman who was very willing to learn, but not to grovel, which is what would have been required.

[QUOTE=magicgenie;3596725]A lot of good advice has been offerred here. YTCA is a good starting point, but don't totally dismiss other sources. Around my area there are very few YTCA members, and of those listed many haven't been active in breeding in years. I know several good New England breeders who are still serving out their "apprenticeships," or whatever you call the 2 year wait to earn sponsorship in order to become eligible, or, as in my case, gave up the quest as hopelessly political or non-helpful. I started breeding Yorkies as a 50 year old professional woman who was very willing to learn, but not to grovel, which is what would have been required.[/QUOTE]


I'm just wondering what exact grovelling is required in your point of view?

And just for info; I am not a breeder of Yorkies, just an exhibitor/owner, and have met at a couple of NY specialites and other shows, more than a few breeder/exhibitors, and have been impressed with their welcome and their willingness to share information.

For me I've always expected in any professional and dedicated milieu to earn my dues. To go the distance, to learn to accept that some folks do talk "down" to you, I understand that respect is earned in a number of ways, and to take the time to earn that respect. You may be 50 yrs old, but were a novice ( I presume) in the breeding of Yorkies. And novices need to learn.

I think for "some" groveling means agreeing to only breed to standard.

Have you tried some of the Yorkie rescues? I've been seeing quite a few pure breed Yorkie pups in rescue lately. Here is just a for instance, It's a male Yorkie 7 months old. I'll include the link. The rescue is Rescue me and it's located in NJ / PA. Also if you are open to a young adult, you'll save on the spay and neuter because it will already be done for you in the price of the adoption fee. Elaine

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