$1,500 for a Yorkshire Terrier?

[MissyDVC]

We paid that much 9 years for our Yorkie, Mickey. And he IS a real dog.

 

[Sgt Mickey]

I have both a yellow lab and toy yorkie. She thinks she is so mu h biger then him. She rules him with an iron paw lol

 

[luvmy3]

Are you serious? What kind of fundraiser allows people to get drunk and bid on a dog to take home? That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. I guess the dog was just lucky he got a good home then.

You do realize dog owners do enjoy cocktails.

OP, my dog was $1000 so I don't think $1500 is unreasonable.

 

[Skywalker]

You do realize dog owners do enjoy cocktails.

Let me assure you that I know this. lol.

Don't get me wrong, the way some shelters operate with home visits, interviews, references, must have fenced yard, must have someone home all day type stuff = way over the top. But I think this method - letting drunk people bid on a dog is way over the top the other way. I still say the dog got lucky to go to a good home. It sure seems like a surefire recipe for buyer's remorse and the dog ending up in a shelter very quickly.

 

[robinb]

Well bred dogs are expensive. My standard poodle poodle cost more that a measly $1500. Her dad was a confirmation and agility champion and her mom came from championship bloodlines. Both parents had thorough genetic and physical testing for common poodle problems. She is now 7-years old and very healthy. I figured I could pay at the front end and know that my dog is less likely to have common medical problems or I could pay at the back end for vet/medical services.

We are now looking for a smaller poodle (a miniature or toy) to join our family and I have been looking at rescues but I am afraid of taking on a dog from a backyard breeder or puppymill.

 

[luvmy3]

Let me assure you that I know this. lol.

Don't get me wrong, the way some shelters operate with home visits, interviews, references, must have fenced yard, must have someone home all day type stuff = way over the top. But I think this method - letting drunk people bid on a dog is way over the top the other way. I still say the dog got lucky to go to a good home. It sure seems like a surefire recipe for buyer's remorse and the dog ending up in a shelter very quickly.

I know, I was kind of joking. Personally I feel they should offer an after adoption free cocktail party. I know when I brought my pup home there were many times I needed a drink!

I agree with you, but I would hope that most people there were there for the purpose of bidding. The cocktails just made it easier to spend more than they would have sober

 

[goofy4tink]

Paid $800 for our registered, well bred golden 13 years ago. That breeder bred for the right reasons and was extremely choosy about where her 'for sale' pups went. Now? A golden from a good breeder is running close to $2000!!!
We are in the market for a new pup...trying to go the shelter route, but that's just not working. I refuse to fence in my backyard..hugely cost restrictive, and I refuse to give my indoor cat shots she doesn't need!! yes, those were recent reasons for not allowing us to adopt a mixed breed (mutt) puppy! Our vet gave us a very good recommendation...but since I don't give my housebound cat every shot known to felines, I wasn't an acceptable person!!
We'll keep trying...want to adopt from a shelter or rescue but it's getting very hard. And? They want close to $500 if it's a puppy and $425 if it's an adult. I understand the costs involved in rescued but really.

 

[mjkacmom]

They want close to $500 if it's a puppy and $425 if it's an adult. I understand the costs involved in rescued but really.

I don't think the shelters and rescue groups are making money off of finding homes for these animals. I only paid $250 for my dog (6 months old at the time), and I was surprised at the low cost. My gf paid $450 for her younger puppy.

I'd rather give $1000 to a shelter than a backyard breeder.

 

[ilovepcot]

I've always had Toy Poodles and the smaller they are, the more you pay (provided they are healthy and meet all breed requirements). The one I currently have is the size people refer to as a "Teacup". $1,500 would have been a bargain price.

 

[Disneyland1084]

We paid that much 9 years for our Yorkie, Mickey. And he IS a real dog.

That poster that said Yorkies aren't a real dog was just kidding. They're just SOOOO tiny and cute.

 

[MissyDVC]

That poster that said Yorkies aren't a real dog was just kidding. They're just SOOOO tiny and cute.

yup totally understood that. It just upset Mickey. He typed that part

 

[tripletots]

I had to beg the lady we got our Yorkie from to take money from us. That should have been my first clue. The lady just said she was to old to care for him (I am his third home). He was 7 months old in Jan. She also gave me all of his stuff (kennel, food, bowls, toys, etc...).

I had been looking for a rescue Maltese for over a year and could never find one (too far away, not quick enough, ect...).
My sister calls me one day in Jan. and tells me she knows of a Yorkie that is going to be taken to the shelter and wanted to know if I was interested. Well of course I was. I had done all my research on Maltese and Yorkies were small like Maltese, right?

Well, I do have AKC papers on him. He is 15 pounds and has floppy ears and is wild and crazy even with training! He is very needy, if we are separated by a house gate he barks, if I blink he barks, if I put him in his kennel he barks, he just barks at anything and everything! All he does is bark!

He eats the kids homework, eats the remotes, eats school books that are in his way. Eats flip flops but not shoes. He pees on the carpet even though he didn't the first 3 months. He ate a Disney collar I brought him back from Celebration (Woofgang Bakery). How did he eat a collar around his neck?????

Would I pay over $1,000 for him? Probably not. Would I rehome him? NO. He is a challenge everyday, but he loves me dearly.

 

[cheer25mom]

Reputable breeders actively show their dogs in AKC Conformation. If a breeder does not show their dogs, they are nothing but a backyard "greeder" or a puppymill looking to make money. Stay far away from those people.

I'm the owner of 2 Maltese so I'm quite familiar with the expense of these toy dogs. Yes, they are super expensive!!! But, there are reasons for that.

Dogs in the toy group have smaller litters, frequently with only 2 or so puppies vs a large breed dog that may have 9+ puppies. With a Yorkie being so small, they are also much more succeptible to having a C-section which is $$$$. A reputable show breeder only breeds dogs to improve the breed/maintain the quality of the breed -- NOT to make money. Quality breeders will ALWAYS keep a puppy until they are 12 weeks old. If a breeder is releasing puppies at 8,9, 10 weeks, run. You will also receive a health guarantee from a reputable breeder, usually from 1-2 years. Also, a contract will be signed stating you agree to spay/neuter the dog. You will receive limited AKC registration (meaning you can NOT breed the dog you get)...show breeders do not want you breeding your dog (plus it's irresponsible to do so). Usually one (preferably both) parents will be AKC Champions.

Yorkies are prone to many health problems, especially liver shunts (due to puppymills & backyard breeders) so it's especially important to get a Yorkie from a reputable show breeder unless you plan to adopt from a shelter or rescue. My first Maltese years ago was from a backyard breeder/possible small-scale puppymill and he had a liver shunt. He died before his 2nd birthday and it was heartbreaking trying to save him. We fought so hard for him giving him meds several times per day, having to see him incontenent and stumbling into walls, and he was too sick to have surgery (which was $3,000 and certainly not a guarantee it would work) or we would have done it in a heartbeat. He's been gone for 6 years and I still miss him and it still makes me tear up thinking a bad breeder essentially caused him to die by not being responsible.

you do NOT have to show to be a reputable breeder. You can do all your homework, pay attention to proper breeding practices, and do genetic testing without parading your dog around a show ring. We got our dog from a reputable, caring breeder who feels shows are a form of exploitation and want nothing more than for her dogs to be a happy part of a loving family. There is nothing wrong with that.

 

[mjkacmom]

Well, I do have AKC papers on him. .

AKC papers aren't worth anything - so many puppy mill dogs have them (I had one of those). Thank goodness that your little dog has your family! My last dog was a toy breed (puppy mill dog), and although we loved her, she was a lot of work.

I'm now blessed with a perfect little mutt that we rescued. My friend was her foster, so I knew she had no issues.

 

[robinb]

Paid $800 for our registered, well bred golden 13 years ago. That breeder bred for the right reasons and was extremely choosy about where her 'for sale' pups went. Now? A golden from a good breeder is running close to $2000!!!
We are in the market for a new pup...trying to go the shelter route, but that's just not working.

Are you set on a puppy or will a young adult be OK? You may want to contact the Golden breed club in your area and let them know that you're looking for an adult dog.

 

[cheer25mom]

AKC papers aren't worth anything - so many puppy mill dogs have them (I had one of those). Thank goodness that your little dog has your family! My last dog was a toy breed (puppy mill dog), and although we loved her, she was a lot of work.

I'm now blessed with a perfect little mutt that we rescued. My friend was her foster, so I knew she had no issues.

You are right about the papers. Even the dogs at the flea markets are "registered".

 

[mumto3girls]

We paid that much 9 years for our Yorkie, Mickey. And he IS a real dog.

When I was growing up, we had a Yorkie named Mickey. I have no idea what my parents paid for him though.

 

[Sabeking]

I currently have two yorkies. They are both boys and AKC. Kringle is 8 and Kenji is 6. They both cost about 700 apiece. Kringle looks like a typical yorkie while Kenji is rather large and has an overbite. We call Kenji our AKD ( American Kennel Dud) lol!!! They both came from reputable homes an are wonderful loving , healthy dogs. We had another yorkie that was a female; generally they cost more because they can have babies and because she was a teacup which are desired by some. She cost 1,500. Unfortunately was killed in an accident.

I think rescues are great as well but yorkies seem harder to find as rescues around here it seems. Good luck.

​

 

[Wendy31]

you do NOT have to show to be a reputable breeder. You can do all your homework, pay attention to proper breeding practices, and do genetic testing without parading your dog around a show ring. We got our dog from a reputable, caring breeder who feels shows are a form of exploitation and want nothing more than for her dogs to be a happy part of a loving family. There is nothing wrong with that.

We got our dog from a breeder just like this!

 

[robinb]

I currently have two yorkies. They are both boys and AKC. Kringle is 8 and Kenji is 6. They both cost about 700 apiece. Kringle looks like a typical yorkie while Kenji is rather large and has an overbite. We call Kenji our AKD ( American Kennel Dud) lol!!! They both came from reputable homes an are wonderful loving , healthy dogs. We had another yorkie that was a female; generally they cost more because they can have babies and because she was a teacup which are desired by some. She cost 1,500. Unfortunately was killed in an accident.

I'm sorry you lost your little girl {{hugs}}.

Generally, charging twice as much for females that can be bred and using non-AKC designations like "teacup" to describe dogs is a big red flag that you are dealing with a NON-reputable breeder. Reputable breeders don't sell their *****es to be bred to anyone. They are sold to those with an established reputable breeding program or to those who are involved in showing the breed and want to start a breeding program. Reputable breeders require that their animals be spayed and neutered before they sign over the AKC registration so any "accidental" pups cannot be registered. Reputable breeders don't use terms like "Royal Poodles" or "Teacup Yorkies" as there is no such thing .... it's a marketing gimmick and it says to me that they are breeding for size over anything else. "Royal Poodles" are nothing more big Standards and "Teacup Yorkies" are just smaller Yorkies.