[uhhleesha]

I'm getting a puppy in February that I'm buying from a breeder. She'll cost $400, and they say she's a pure Yorkie. I've seen photos of the parents, and they look adorable. However, lately I've been thinking about the puppies in the pound and other rescue places. I've looked online, but I can't find a toy breed puppy. I'm mostly looking for a yorkie, for I've loved them ever since I was little.

What would be the best way to find a puppy at a pound/animal shelter that is of the toy breed? I can't really drive there by myself because I hate going alone. My mom gets off at four and all the other people I know are at school.

[ChihuahuaMomma]

If you want a purebred then the breeder is the best way to go. But rescuing animals from shelter and pounds is wonderful, you could have safed that animal's life. There are onderful companions at shelters. Most people that get animals at shelters are not looking for a specific breed, they just want a companion. I know when I first moved out on my own, I went to a shelter to get a puppy to keep me company, went there, and came back with a cat. It's the connection, if the animal seems to be well-suited for you and you for it, then go for it, despite the breed...

But again, if you are looking for a yorkie at a pound, your chances are slim to none. Go to a breeder.

[uhhleesha]

I wouldn't mind if I came home with a completely different breed. When I first started looking for a puppy, I was looking for a yorkie. Now, I'm not so sure. I just want a small, toy breed, puppy.

[ChihuahuaMomma]

There really is no such thing as a toy breed, they are small breeds, toy or teacup are names that breeders have put on them when they breed them to be smaller than normal. Sometimes this can be dangerous or unhealthy.

My point is, if you want a small breed dog, your chances of finding one at a shelter aren't very good, especially if you want to a purebred. Or a purebred puppy.

If you are interested in a purebred puppy, look into breeders in your area, and make sure that they are responsible breeders. If they are offering you puppies younger than 8 weeks, run. Babies shouldn't be away from their mommies earlier than that, some feel the need to keep them longer, so they are stronger.

The breeder I got my chihuahua from wouldn't let me take her until she was 12 weeks old. I respected that. I would come visit her everyday after work for two weeks, until they would allow me to take her home...

I would also stress not rushing into such a decision. Perhaps go visit breeders in town and get to see the pups and play with them some, see which one likes YOU better, which one clings to you the most... don't just pick the cutest or smallest one...

[uhhleesha]

Oh I know that when they try and sell smaller dogs for more, they're nothing more than scams. By "toy" I meant "small", sorry for the confusion. Purebred isn't much of a concern for me.

Maybe I'm just getting antsy about getting a puppy. I've really wanted one for so long, and now that I have the means to support one, I'm just really excited.

The breeder that I've talked to is in northern Kentucky and is about a four hour drive. She's a very nice lady and has answered all my questions so far.

[ChihuahuaMomma]

Perhaps find a breeder in your town, where you can see the puppies anytime you want, in the case that you need time to think about it.

Getting an animal is a very big commitment and responsibility.

[uhhleesha]

I'm very well aware of how big of a responsibility they are. Thank you for the concern. I have been looking for a small breed puppy that wasn't 1000+ just to purchase. I've recently obtained my license, so now I'm able to drive without relying on others to transport me. The only problem lies with me not knowing the roads to where most of these animal shelters are, and my nervousness of driving places I don't know well without someone.

Would calling the shelters and asking what small breeds they have up for adoption be a good idea?

[ChihuahuaMomma]

Most shelters have websites with someone of the animals pictures. You can Google the name of the shelter. And if a breeder is asking for more than $1,000 for a dog, don't trust them, they are scammers. While yorkies are one of the more expensive breeds to adopt, I wouldn't spend more than $800 on one.

[RubyPitbull]

I am sorry but I don't agree with Chihuahuamomma. You can find a toy breed by looking for a breed specific rescue. I don't think uhhleesha was referring to the proper name but to the breeds within that "toy" category CM. There is a rescue in my town that is full of chihuahua and chihuahua mixes that are in desperate need of good homes. I am none too happy that you are trying to convince her to go to a breeder first.

Uhhleesha, your heart is definitely in the right place. I am a rabid advocate of looking in your shelters and rescues first BEFORE you even consider a breeder. So many of these dogs are just thrown away and it is important that we consider giving them a home first. It will also enable you to spend some time with a dog and assess if it's temperament is right for you. You can't do that with a puppy from a breeder. You either buy it or you don't. You have been doing a great job of research. You are a smart young woman and I think you can evaluate your needs properly. You will make a great pet owner In my opinion.

If you want to PM and tell me the area you live in, I can send you some links to rescues in your area that have toy and smaller breed dogs.

[labman]

I wouldn't count on finding a healthy, smaller Yorkie at your local shelter. One of the best sources for dogs with a predictable personality is the rescue
Dogs. These are dogs that lost their home, but were taken into a foster home
To be retrained as necessary and placed in the right home for them. You may
Find a rescue near you starting at American Kennel Club - Breed Rescue The rescues charge a fee to help cover their expenses, but is much less than the price of a puppy plus all its medical expenses the first year. If you give your location, RubyPitbull may have some contacts to help too.

Finding a good breeder and purchasing a puppy that will make a good pet is very difficult. Almost nobody is intentionally breeding dogs to be nice pets. Most of your so called reputable breeders are breeding for show or something. They may say the puppies they don't keep for their purpose make great pets, but the truth is that the parents were selected for other than health and temperament. Often they keep the puppies in the kennel too long and they miss the important early socialization puppies need to live in the house with people.

Next are the disreputable breeders. The worst are the puppy mills. They breed any 2 registered dogs they can lay a hold of looking only at the money they can make selling them to pet stores. Pet store puppies are easy to find, but difficult to socialize into nice pets, perhaps difficult to even keep alive. You will not get what you pay for at a pet store.

There are the backyard breeders. They are perhaps more clueless than greedy, although they may be looking for a few extra dollars too. They don't understand the importance of carefully selecting parents or the proper way of caring for puppies. Their puppies may be no easier to keep alive and socialize than the puppy mill puppies.

For more on selecting a puppy, see Articles

You should be able to find more on Yorkies at American Kennel Club - akc.org if you haven't found that site yet.

[uhhleesha]

I was talking about animals that were in the toy category. Here's a link that shows more of what I'm talking about: AKC Breeds by Group - Toy Group

I have looked online and have called a few places, but they seem to be annoyed with all my questions. After that incident I've strayed away from the rescue agencies.

Thank you Ruby, I appreciate all the help you've given me as well as all the help you've given to everyone else.

EDIT: The places I were looking at online stated that they placed their yorkies in Foster homes.

I've seen pictures of the puppy and she said that I was welcome to see the puppies at any time, but that's a four hour drive that my mother is worried about me making. The breeder I've talked to, I'm not really sure what you'd label her as, but she's a really sweet lady. I wouldn't want to think bad about her. I actually have been across the AKC website, but the yorkshire rescue link that they have didn't do much good. All the rescue places were very far away, and my mother would be worried about such a trip. Plus, I'm sure that I could find a puppy much closer to home. Thank you, though.

[RubyPitbull]

Honey you are welcome. You might be encountering problems because of your age. Your voice might be easily recognizable as a teenager's and rescues workers will immediately dismiss you. If you aren't 18 or 21 (depends on their rules) they won't allow you to adopt. BUT, your mother can. So, I would suggest that you work with her on this. She can make the calls and talk to them. She can go with you and sign the paperwork. There are no rules that say that she can't allow you to choose the dog you want and you can pay for it if that is what you are doing. But, she is the one that is going to have to take responsibility on paper. It is all a legal formality.

[uhhleesha]

My mother agrees to sign the paper work as long as I pay for the puppy. She isn't able to call them because her business hours are 6am-4pm, and most shelters that I've called close at about 2pm or 3pm.

[RubyPitbull]

Well, some are open on Saturdays if that is her day off. Also, you have plenty of time between now and February. She may have a day off here and there during which they might be open. Also, ask her if she might be willing to call a couple from her office during her lunch hour. Write up a list of your questions that you have and give it to her.

One thing I meant to mention to you about the Yorkie breed. There has been some major problems in the breeding circles. They are finding that a lot of pups are suffering from a genetic disorder called "liver shunt". I am not fully up to date on what exactly that is but it appears to be serious. So, if the rescues don't work out and you are forced to go with a breeder, I will give you all the info I have on it and find out more about it. The primary thing is that they are recommending that you request a full liver screening prior to purchasing to ensure that the puppy is free from this defect. A reputable breeder won't object to doing it. A disreputable one will.

[uhhleesha]

She works on the week days, and usually works from home on the weekends. Though, her schedule is more flexible on the weekends. She doesn't have a lunch hour since she's heavily depended on at her work. She's very busy when she is at work, so I know she wouldn't have time to call them.

[labman]

I do hope you have given Ruby your location. Also try petfinders.com I don't think they do as good of a job of screening as the better rescues, but you can work on line and they have thousands of dogs.

[uhhleesha]

I have. Ruby has given me a few links, and I've emailed them to see if I could take a look at the dogs that are up for adoptioin.

I've looked through petfinders, but they don't have many toy breed puppies up for adoption. I still check in every now and again to see if they have any new dogs that are being showed.

Monday I plan on calling adoption/rescue places and questioning them about the breeds they have up for adoption and their open hours. My mother said she'd try to find an open day to go with me to look at the puppies.

[froggy7]

If you are going with a rescue (a good move, in my book!), then I'd suggest finding some in your area and see if they do "meet and greets". That's where they take some of their available dogs out to the local stores and.. well... meet people and introduce them to the dogs and the group and what they are all about. If they do that, then you can stop by and talk to them about their policies, what kinds of things an adoptive family should be prepared for, ask questions about the breed, etc. The advantage here is that you are just another person at the store, they can see how you interact with the dogs that are there, you can decide whether this is a group that you want to work with, and it's a lot more low-key than actually filling out the adoption paperwork. Do that for a bit until you find a group that you like, and then you can start hitting their meet and greets regularly, get to know a number of the dogs, and THEN bring your mom in. Interacting with a lot of their dogs will also help the adoption coordinator help narrow the potential pool of dogs down to the ones that will work best with your family and personality.

And, if you go with a rescue, listen to their suggestions about what dog they see you with. They want to put the right dog in the right home.

[uhhleesha]

The only problem with that is finding the time. I'm homeschooled, but I still have TONS of work I'd like to do before christmas is here, and I work part time. It's hard managing my time. Also, I'm working on getting a puppy proof room and proofing the whole downstars, which is where she'll be staying with me.

When I find more time I plan on visiting a lot more shelters.

[RubyPitbull]

uhhleesha, I will be sending you more links today. Just as an FYI, I just saw your edit to post #6. Are you worried that we think your Mom is not being helpful to you? Please don't worry about that. We can tell from your other thread and this one that your Mom is a nice lady. Any parent that is responsible is most definitely going to worry about you taking a 4 hour drive alone. We also understand that it is hard to balance work schedules. So, please don't think we are judging her here. We know she is doing the best she can and will help you as much as possible.

You have a lot of time to find the right dog for you and it is good that you are researching your options now. Take your time and build your contact list. Don't let the attitude of one rescue worker turn you off completely to that rescue. Sometimes you just get the wrong person on the phone. Sometimes when you go there in person, you just meet the wrong worker. In working with a lot of rescues in my area, I can tell you that there are ALL sorts of personalities. You are a serious adopter who can provide a good home. That is the most important thing. So, if someone is dismissive of you, ask to speak to the manager of the rescue. If you are dealing with the manager, you need to explain all the research on training you have been doing and talk about the progress you have made with your Mother's dogs. Mention books you have been reading and tell them that you really wanted to adopt to be able to save a life.

Even though you are busy, you just might want to consider volunteering for just a few hours a week at the shelter or rescue closest to you. That is the best way for them to get to know you, realize you are serious and dedicated, and they will keep an eye out for the dog that you want. You would get preferential treatment when it comes to adopting. It is just another option for you to think about.