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If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Yorkshire terrier puppie

7 replies

Youvegotafriendinme · 19/07/2018 13:49

After much much talking, deliberating and weighing up we have decided to get a Yorkshire terrier as DH had them growing up. I grew up with a variety of dogs from miniature dachshunds to German shepherds so are well aware of what looking after a dog entails. I would much prefer to rehome a dog of any age but DH would prefer to get a puppy so we are looking into both possibilities. After a look online, I’m struggling to find a reputable breeder if we do decide to go with a puppy. I do not want to go through gum tree or pets4homes as I just do not trust these. I’ve taken a look on kennel club but only 2 and they were born at the beginning of the year. Does any one have any advice or could point us in the right direction please. Thank you

OP posts:
pigsDOfly · 19/07/2018 15:18

Are you looking to find a puppy ready to be taken home now? If you do find one available straight away it's pretty much a given that it'll be from a puppy farm.

You need to do your homework to find a good breeder. You will probably be put you on their waiting list, you'll be vetted, and you will have to wait until the breeder has puppies available.

Could be some time. But that's how good breeders work.

TheHodgeoftheHedge · 19/07/2018 15:35

Please stick to your guns and DO NOT buy from a backyard breeder off gumtree or wherever.

There are over 20 Assured Breeders for Yorkies.
www.thekennelclub.org.uk/services/public/acbr/Default.aspx?breed=Yorkshire+Terrier
Give a couple of them a call. They may be expecting or planning litters soon.

As pigs said, any decent dog and any decent breeder will not have puppies that you can just go and pick up the same day. You will generally need to wait.

Nesssie · 19/07/2018 15:44

You've made a huge mistake asking about breeders on here...

Personally, I would check for KC registered and/or licensed breeders. Go and have a look, ask to see all the area and mum. Look at previous buyers reviews. Ask lots of questions, ask to see all paperwork, vet reports.

The website Champdogs is also a good starting place to get a list of breeders.

WillowDogs · 19/07/2018 16:43

Personally I wouldn't bother looking for a litter of puppies. You should look for a breeder.

You need to decide what matters for you in terms of a credible breeder. For example do you just want to ensure that it is not a puppy farm or do you want a breeder who is trying to better the breed. They are not the same thing.

I use to source dogs as part of my job. The main priority for my workplace would be finding a litter that was healthy. Secondly would be behaviour. So the first step would be to find out all the health and behaviour concerns listed for a breed. Don't just look at the kennel club because currently they don't recommend any checks for Yorkshire Terriers, really do your research. Speak to your vets, do a Google search and look in a good quality dog book, I would usually make a list. Then find out what the relevant tests for all these health problems are. Then I would go through the list and highlight which health problems are the most important to have checked for me and which are not as important. For example Yorkshire Terriers are prone to Chiari malformation Syringomyelia which can be screened for by MRI, equally they are notorious for having terrible teeth. Therefore if I was looking for one my main requirement would be an MRI test and I would be willing to expect I may have some dental bills in my future. In all honesty as the kennel club doesn't recommend any health tests for this breed you will probably struggle to find a breeder who has tested. So this is why you will need to be aware of what health requirements you have. That way you can search for breeders who do test but equally you're aware of what you could get yourself in to. When I look for a breeder I tend to prioritise health concerns with no cure so for example the Chiari malformation Syringomyelia, I would not want to watch a dog suffer.

After I had done all of that and found a breeder who met my health criteria I would then have to investigate the litter. Firstly I would have to investigate the inbreeding coefficient for the litter, this can be done on the kennel club's website and is very simple. You enter both parent's names and then it will generate a number. The lower the number the less inbred the dog. This means the genetic issues should in theory be smaller because the gene pool is larger. This is also a good way to check that the breeder is registered and the puppy is not imported.

Only after all of that would I even contact the breeder. Then I would have a long list of questions, mainly centred around health and behavioural. It's also good to ask how long they've been breeding, how many litters they've bred, how many dogs they own, whether or not they show, why they breed. You want a large picture so you can determine whether or not they are a puppy farm.

If I was happy speaking to the breeder after the phone call then I would go and see the litter. I would pay close attention to the mother and any other dogs at the premises, the house, the breeder. In my personal experience a caring breeder has many dogs, whom they have dedicated their lives to. Their entire home will be covered in hair probably as well as many pictures and ornaments of their breed. A caring breeder would also be able to tell you about the puppy's personality, and the mothers and any other dog in their care. I would also ask to see copies of the health tests. I would also ask what vets they are registered at. During this meeting I would expect to be asked as many questions about myself as I am asking about the breeder.

After my visit I would then ring the vets they are registered at to check that they are. Puppy farms don't tend to register, I would also ask the vet general questions 'would you consider x to be a responsible breeder' 'are x's dogs cared for suitably.'

If all of this was ok only then would I purchase a puppy. I do hope you find this helpful.

WillowDogs · 19/07/2018 16:58

Sorry I should add the best way to find a breeder would be to start looking on things like Champdogs. However, a lot of caring breeders in my experience don't always show and therefore aren't always registered on Champdogs. Equally the Kennel Club can be a hot topic among breeders, ideally you would like the breeder to be registered with them but be aware that being an 'Accredited Breeder' does not always mean that they have been thoroughly checked. It means they have paid for the title.

Once you had decided on your health criteria I wound begin googling 'Yorkshire Terrier MRI checked puppies' for example. You can also try googling 'Chiari malformation Syringomyelia clear Yorkshire Terrier Breeders' play around with words and see what comes up

It has occurred to me though that you may not have any health criteria or you may not have any success in finding a breeder that matches your health criteria. In which case I would begin just looking at adverts for puppies. I would still check they are registered with the Kennel Club and then I would move on to calling breeders.

To find the adverts I would use Champdogs initially. I would also cross reference the advert once I'd found a litter. So I would check on pets4homes or gumtree to see if the same advert was elsewhere and if so does it contain the same information. When checking adverts check spelling. Simple things like weaning or injections are often misspelled and it's a good sign that someone doesn't know what they are doing.

Another good sign would be if the breeder has a puppy contract for you to sign and an information pack for you to take home or read before. Anyone can give away a bit of bedding from mum but information packs take a lot of time and contain a lot of useful information. They are generally only completed by the truly caring.

My apologies for the length of these posts I have got a bit carried away.

LandShark · 19/07/2018 18:19

My other dog is a pedigree yorkie, although he'd give the KC absolute fits if they saw him - he's what they call a "giant yorkie", which means he's well over the breed standard of 4kg (he's about 8kg and lean with it).

Had him from 8 weeks. Champion little dog, if somewhat difficult to train, mainly because he doesn't really care one way or the other for your approval - doesn't have any need to please whatsoever. Greedy little wotsit, though, so treats are the way forward - virtue is definitely not its own reward for him! Still, he's socialised marvellously and is excellent with other dogs and people alike. Also, you don't need a doorbell in a house with a yorkie, so if a silent dog is what you need, a yorkie isn't it.

We got him from a breeder known to the family, and were able to get some info on his tree beforehand - these dogs can be prone to knee trouble in their back legs, and there was no history of that, for example.

One plea from me, though: please don't get a teacup yorkie. They're terribly compromised through being so very small; digestive and joint issues abound. A good yorkie should look like it's only a good haircut away from being the bringer of doom to any rat it sees.

SpanielsAreNuts · 19/07/2018 21:40

You don't want to look for a puppy you need to look for a breeder. (Or call the breed rescue if you want a rescue Yorkie).

Breed clubs are usually by far the easiest way to find a good breeder. The club secretary will usually know who is due to have a litter or planning to breed a litter in the next few months.

The vast majority of very good breeders never advertise.

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