Yorkie or Chihuahua
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If you insist on getting a Yorkie or a Chihuahua DO YOUR RESEARCH! Breeders are a dime a dozen for both breeds, and 99.9% of breeders are turning out ****-poor examples of the breed. And even when you get the dog make sure you contact a trainer ASAP and get going on NILIF and enrolled in training classes so that you end up with a good dog and not a shivering, quaking, barking, snarling mess that most Chis and Yorkies end up being.
Sorry, but working in the pet industry has made me VERY weary of small dogs, ESPECIALLY those two breeds simply because of popularity and temperment factors. Do right by your pup even before he comes home, and you should be fine.
Oh and if forced, by gun point, to choose one of those breeds it would be a Chihuahua . . . but it would take me years to decide on a breeder that was acceptable. If I am ever to get a small dog it would be a Doxie (since I already know a breeder who rocks and who has dogs who's temperments rock) or a Chinese Crested.
And don't get me wrong! I know Chis that I love, and I have this one Yorkie in my current class that I absolutely adore (talk about a smart and obedient little thing!). But those two breeds are so absurdly popular that there is a disgusting number of people breeding them and there are more poor examples of the breed turned out that great ones.
Sorry, but working in the pet industry has made me VERY weary of small dogs, ESPECIALLY those two breeds simply because of popularity and temperment factors. Do right by your pup even before he comes home, and you should be fine.
Oh and if forced, by gun point, to choose one of those breeds it would be a Chihuahua . . . but it would take me years to decide on a breeder that was acceptable. If I am ever to get a small dog it would be a Doxie (since I already know a breeder who rocks and who has dogs who's temperments rock) or a Chinese Crested.
And don't get me wrong! I know Chis that I love, and I have this one Yorkie in my current class that I absolutely adore (talk about a smart and obedient little thing!). But those two breeds are so absurdly popular that there is a disgusting number of people breeding them and there are more poor examples of the breed turned out that great ones.
I've found reputable breeders for both.. I've been e-mailing them and asking them questions but its so hard to choose! I love both of them so much.. So I just wanted input from others.. I've been doing research and they seem to have a great temperment and I would be able to train both of them myself..(With the help of my neighbor and obviously chazhound
) but now is the hardest part. I've always wanted a small dog and finally after researching every breed possible I have come up with the chihuahua and yorkie about 6 months ago and have been doing research and talking to breeders ever since. Now that its almost time for me to be able to get a puppy I can't decide. The yorkie is really pretty and has gorgous colors.. I love the long coat of it and the little bow.. The chihuahua is really pretty too long and smooth coat.. I love their tails and they are both adorable.
) but now is the hardest part. I've always wanted a small dog and finally after researching every breed possible I have come up with the chihuahua and yorkie about 6 months ago and have been doing research and talking to breeders ever since. Now that its almost time for me to be able to get a puppy I can't decide. The yorkie is really pretty and has gorgous colors.. I love the long coat of it and the little bow.. The chihuahua is really pretty too long and smooth coat.. I love their tails and they are both adorable.it realy all depends on YOU, on what YOUR looking for in a breed, a yorkie lover will come along and say yorkies are best, a chi lover will come along and say chis are best, we cant give you much of a personal opinion on which would suit you better wihtout knowing anything about you.
there are similarties between the 2 breeds but in reality they are 2 completly different breeds. so it would realy all depend on your life, your lifestyle and what exactly your looking for in a dog.
its very difficult to help based on "ive reaserched the breeds for 6 monhts and like the way they both look" tell us more about what you looking for, how much time are you home, what kind of exsersize can you offer, do you have a securly fenced yard, other dogs, other small pets, young kids, how long will the dog be alone, how long are you willing to spend grooming, what kind of hsedding are you willing to deal with, do you want a dog thats higher energy, what about noise level (do you live in an apartment with people livng nextdoor/above/below you?)
there are similarties between the 2 breeds but in reality they are 2 completly different breeds. so it would realy all depend on your life, your lifestyle and what exactly your looking for in a dog.
its very difficult to help based on "ive reaserched the breeds for 6 monhts and like the way they both look" tell us more about what you looking for, how much time are you home, what kind of exsersize can you offer, do you have a securly fenced yard, other dogs, other small pets, young kids, how long will the dog be alone, how long are you willing to spend grooming, what kind of hsedding are you willing to deal with, do you want a dog thats higher energy, what about noise level (do you live in an apartment with people livng nextdoor/above/below you?)
Yeah, I agree with FoxyWench.
Personally, I would run the breeders' websites by Chazhound just to get a second (or third or fourth) opinion on the breeders. Not that I'm saying they're bad breeders. But just for peace of mind . . . It's such a big decision, finding a breeder, especially for a popular breed.
Personally, I would run the breeders' websites by Chazhound just to get a second (or third or fourth) opinion on the breeders. Not that I'm saying they're bad breeders.
But just for peace of mind . . . It's such a big decision, finding a breeder, especially for a popular breed.Okay so here is my lifestyle I am 15 I'm a freshman.. I live in a single family home with a pretty big back yard and part of it is fenced in. I have time to excersize play and groom the dog. I do have three other animals a beagle a rabbit and cat. The only time it will be left alone is while I'm at school and thats 7 to 2:30 and thats only for another 4 weeks. When I do get the puppy I think I will already be out of school.
Here is the breeders Im looking at and their website if I have it:
yorkie:
deeslilyorkies.com
clover hill yorkies
Chihuahuas:
Lori's chi babies http://mysite.verizon.net/vze7bj4t/index.html
the other breeder doesnt breed often.. and I also e-mailed my vet for breeders.
Here is the breeders Im looking at and their website if I have it:
yorkie:
deeslilyorkies.com
clover hill yorkies
Chihuahuas:
Lori's chi babies http://mysite.verizon.net/vze7bj4t/index.html
the other breeder doesnt breed often.. and I also e-mailed my vet for breeders.
I don't like either breeder. The yorkie one does not mention showing her dogs any where and I also see nothing about health screenings. The chihuahua breeder also does not mention health screenings and say the dogs come from champion backgrounds but there is no mention that they show their dogs. I'm glad you showed us though, we are more than happy to help you find the right breeder.
i agree, i wouldnt buy from either of those breeders.
what do your parents think of getting a dog?
a repuatable breeder will show thier dogs, they WILL post pictures and brags about their ribbons, majors and points.
a repuatable breeder will also do extensive health testing on thier breeding dogs.
the chi breders chis are NOT a good representation of the breed, none of them look show quality to me.
what do your parents think of getting a dog?
a repuatable breeder will show thier dogs, they WILL post pictures and brags about their ribbons, majors and points.
a repuatable breeder will also do extensive health testing on thier breeding dogs.
the chi breders chis are NOT a good representation of the breed, none of them look show quality to me.
Gahh.. I swear that MA doesn't have any good breeders.. well I'm sure somewhere it does just none that I can actually find.. Do they have to show their dogs? I mean if they are just a hobby breeder and I got and see that theres nothing wrong with the place that they are being raised and the parents are fine. This is soo frustrating. The only breeders that I actually know are for beagles and there no champion lines their he breeds once in a while for hunting and an elderly woman who breeds shelties but I'm not sur eif she still does. I need help picking out good breeder.. I found a great one Blue Boy Chihuahuas or something but she doesnt breed often at all because shes always at shows.. Anyone know of anyoneee?
EDIT: i think i may have decided on a chi.. they are smaller.. they have two coat lengths and they come in differnt colors.. also i like that it is lively and proud.. i think it would go good with me and my other animals.
EDIT: i think i may have decided on a chi.. they are smaller.. they have two coat lengths and they come in differnt colors.. also i like that it is lively and proud.. i think it would go good with me and my other animals.
Yes they have to show. Breeders should not breed for pets, they breed for show dogs, to keep their breed alive and to standard. Of course not every puppy bred will be show quality. They may have minor faults like a too wide head, off gate, colors that don't match the standard or other minor things like that, that would prevent the dog from being shown. That is where your puppy would come in he was supposed to be a show dog but did not match the standard well enough so he is "pet quality" and sold to people looking for puppies like you.
If people keep the way they are and don't care whether the dogs are to standard soon a chihuahua will no longer resemble a Chihuahua since people kept breeding ones with faults and they turned into another bred altogether. Also the way people are breeding the toy breeds by making them smaller to appeal to people cute "sense" is unhealthy. They are breeding runts together, not all runts are unhealthy but many tend to be very frail.
With show breeders they are preserving their breed and working to make sure you get the healthiest pet possible. you also know they are not just trying to make money from breeding since showing dogs costs so much not to mention the price of getting studs and raising pups.
So in my mind that is why a breeder needs to show to be a good breeder. did you e-mail those breeders I told you about in your other thread? They were from the breeds club of America site so they are almost guaranteed reputable.
If people keep the way they are and don't care whether the dogs are to standard soon a chihuahua will no longer resemble a Chihuahua since people kept breeding ones with faults and they turned into another bred altogether. Also the way people are breeding the toy breeds by making them smaller to appeal to people cute "sense" is unhealthy. They are breeding runts together, not all runts are unhealthy but many tend to be very frail.
With show breeders they are preserving their breed and working to make sure you get the healthiest pet possible. you also know they are not just trying to make money from breeding since showing dogs costs so much not to mention the price of getting studs and raising pups.
So in my mind that is why a breeder needs to show to be a good breeder. did you e-mail those breeders I told you about in your other thread? They were from the breeds club of America site so they are almost guaranteed reputable.
Yes, it's very important that the breeder shows her dogs. There are so many dogs being killed in animal shelters that only exceptional dogs should be bred. In fact, if you go to Petfinder.com, maybe they'll list a chihuahua or yorkie rescue near you.
If you can find a breeder who also competes in a dog sport (like agility or, for a yorkie, earthdog), that's even better!
I don't know much about either yorkies or chihuahuas, but here are links to their profiles on YourPurebredPuppy.com, which I've found to be a great resource.
http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/chihuahuas.html
http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/yorkshireterriers.html
If you can find a breeder who also competes in a dog sport (like agility or, for a yorkie, earthdog), that's even better!
I don't know much about either yorkies or chihuahuas, but here are links to their profiles on YourPurebredPuppy.com, which I've found to be a great resource.
http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/chihuahuas.html
http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/yorkshireterriers.html
a GOOD breeder will ONLY breed to better the breed, therefore they wil work their breed in one way or another, since the days of yorkies ratting have been and gone, toy breeds are shown in the ring. these breeders also extensivly health test their dogs. so YES its important that the breeder shows, at least occasionally, otherwise your simply supporting back yard breeders.
A good breeder, one you WANT to give your money too, will only have 1 mabe 2 litters a year, but if you REALY want a healthy puppy from quality lines that you can love and dote on for the next 20 years then yes its WORTH the wait.
Also by simply looking at the parents you cant tell if the dog is truly healthy, you cant see the heart, the knees, some low grade luxation (luxating patellas are very common in both breeds) can go completly unnoticed for a long time, but if the breeding dogs arnt properly tested for luxating patellas then you (and the breeder) might not know and 2-3 yrs down the line you may end up with a puppy with a grade 4 patella problem and have to shell out ALOT of money for the surgery to fix it.
Heart murmers are also VERY common in both breeds, as are eye problems.
These are not things your usual vet will check for normally (they might hear some murmers but one could exist even that the vet cant hear. again, these are things that if a dog is effected it shouldnt be bred as the result can be devastating!
Youd also be suprised at the lenghts many Back yard breeders will go to sell pups. when i worked at the shelter animal control raided a back yard breeders permises after complaints of noise (this is in CONNECTICUT so yes this can happen ANYWHERE)
the "breeder" had a gorgeous house, stunning yard and a nice "play area" for the 8 dogs she said she had. (she bred cresteds, chis and yorkies)
Inside her home was immaculate, stunningly clean just a very nice home, one of the bedrooms had been turned into an office and "puppy room" this room had been lino floored and puppy proofed. When someone wanted to see a puppy or its parents they whent into THAT room as that was the "safe room"
this breeder claimed she raised her dogs in her home, underfoot all the good things good breeders do. and to look youd NEVER notice anything to say otherwise.
the Parent dogs always looked clean and were well behaved and frinedly, the puppies always looked like puppies, usually clean occasionally some poopy feet or tail but looked generally healthy and happy puppies
however what she wasnt telling her buyers
she had soundproofed her basment!
The AC whent down there and found over 50 dogs, all living in small cages encrusted in poop and most definatly NOT socilized, some obviously sick, one couldnt walk yet she was nursing a litter of 5 puppies!
after questinong it was founf out the breeder did infact have 8 dog she raised in the house, of those 3 males had had testicular implants after their neuters and the 5 females were spayed, these dogs were well cared for, socilized and ok examples of the breed. but these were NOT the parents to the puppies the people were being shown as the breeder said...she was using "dummy dogs" so the people wouldnt know she was operating a mill situation in her basement.
she woudl pull puppies at 4 weeks and force wean them, then advetise them as young as 5 weeks, when someoen was interested in comming seeing a pup (or a litter) that litter was imediatly bathes brushed trimmed as needed, nails done, the buyers had no idea.
this is an EXTREEM case and example of a Back Yard Breeder (though i think in honesty she classifes as a puppy mill.)
but i wanted to just show in BIG BOLD colours, that just by looking at the house and seeing the dogs parents...sometimes thats 100% worthless.
many of the puppies that lady sold have needed major operations due to genetic defects.
Save yourself the heartache, spend some extra time waiting for a well bred puppy from a good breeder, or adopt from a shelter.
Now some links to get you started on the process of finding a great breeder.
Heart of New England Chihuahua Club
Susan F. Payne, 899 Branch Rd., Suffield, CT 06078
[email protected]
Drop her an email, she should be able to point you to some repuatable breeders of chihuahuas in your area! there are repuatable breeders out there, but many are simply too busy to set up websites, going through a breed club is even better than going through the AKC directory as breed clubs are even pickier with the quality of the breeders.
http://www.ytca.org/breeder3.html#MA
theres a few Yorkie breeders on that page in MA, again supported by the Yorkshire Terrier club of america!
A good breeder, one you WANT to give your money too, will only have 1 mabe 2 litters a year, but if you REALY want a healthy puppy from quality lines that you can love and dote on for the next 20 years then yes its WORTH the wait.
Also by simply looking at the parents you cant tell if the dog is truly healthy, you cant see the heart, the knees, some low grade luxation (luxating patellas are very common in both breeds) can go completly unnoticed for a long time, but if the breeding dogs arnt properly tested for luxating patellas then you (and the breeder) might not know and 2-3 yrs down the line you may end up with a puppy with a grade 4 patella problem and have to shell out ALOT of money for the surgery to fix it.
Heart murmers are also VERY common in both breeds, as are eye problems.
These are not things your usual vet will check for normally (they might hear some murmers but one could exist even that the vet cant hear. again, these are things that if a dog is effected it shouldnt be bred as the result can be devastating!
Youd also be suprised at the lenghts many Back yard breeders will go to sell pups. when i worked at the shelter animal control raided a back yard breeders permises after complaints of noise (this is in CONNECTICUT so yes this can happen ANYWHERE)
the "breeder" had a gorgeous house, stunning yard and a nice "play area" for the 8 dogs she said she had. (she bred cresteds, chis and yorkies)
Inside her home was immaculate, stunningly clean just a very nice home, one of the bedrooms had been turned into an office and "puppy room" this room had been lino floored and puppy proofed. When someone wanted to see a puppy or its parents they whent into THAT room as that was the "safe room"
this breeder claimed she raised her dogs in her home, underfoot all the good things good breeders do. and to look youd NEVER notice anything to say otherwise.
the Parent dogs always looked clean and were well behaved and frinedly, the puppies always looked like puppies, usually clean occasionally some poopy feet or tail but looked generally healthy and happy puppies
however what she wasnt telling her buyers
she had soundproofed her basment!
The AC whent down there and found over 50 dogs, all living in small cages encrusted in poop and most definatly NOT socilized, some obviously sick, one couldnt walk yet she was nursing a litter of 5 puppies!
after questinong it was founf out the breeder did infact have 8 dog she raised in the house, of those 3 males had had testicular implants after their neuters and the 5 females were spayed, these dogs were well cared for, socilized and ok examples of the breed. but these were NOT the parents to the puppies the people were being shown as the breeder said...she was using "dummy dogs" so the people wouldnt know she was operating a mill situation in her basement.
she woudl pull puppies at 4 weeks and force wean them, then advetise them as young as 5 weeks, when someoen was interested in comming seeing a pup (or a litter) that litter was imediatly bathes brushed trimmed as needed, nails done, the buyers had no idea.
this is an EXTREEM case and example of a Back Yard Breeder (though i think in honesty she classifes as a puppy mill.)
but i wanted to just show in BIG BOLD colours, that just by looking at the house and seeing the dogs parents...sometimes thats 100% worthless.
many of the puppies that lady sold have needed major operations due to genetic defects.
Save yourself the heartache, spend some extra time waiting for a well bred puppy from a good breeder, or adopt from a shelter.
Now some links to get you started on the process of finding a great breeder.
Heart of New England Chihuahua Club
Susan F. Payne, 899 Branch Rd., Suffield, CT 06078
[email protected]
Drop her an email, she should be able to point you to some repuatable breeders of chihuahuas in your area! there are repuatable breeders out there, but many are simply too busy to set up websites, going through a breed club is even better than going through the AKC directory as breed clubs are even pickier with the quality of the breeders.
http://www.ytca.org/breeder3.html#MA
theres a few Yorkie breeders on that page in MA, again supported by the Yorkshire Terrier club of america!
Here are excerpts from YourPurebredPuppy.com.
For the chihuahua:
For the yorkie:
He gets more specific if you visit the links. As cute as they are with the little topknot and all, yorkies are terriers and were bred to chase rats . . . I'm uncertain what chihuahuas were originally bred for. (Companionship?)
For the chihuahua:
For the yorkie:
He gets more specific if you visit the links.
As cute as they are with the little topknot and all, yorkies are terriers and were bred to chase rats . . . I'm uncertain what chihuahuas were originally bred for. (Companionship?)the actual origins of the chihuahua are shrouded in mystery, its thought they were origionally bred from dogs that were origally bred for ratting, bed warmers, a good watch dog and food/sacrifices (the techihi)
many still have the chase instinct however now its mostly for bugs (i swear theres got to be fennec fox in them!)
Chihuahuas primariry purpose for the majority of its existence as we know it now is simply as a companion.
pros of chis:
-there small and easy to transport
-they make good watch dogs
-pretty low maintenece on grooming (even the long haired only need a quick comb through once in a while)
-they love their people.
cons of chis:
-many get attatched to one person and can become agressive/protective against anyone that comes near their person.
-they can be VERY difficult to housebreak
-they bond VERY strongly, they tend to suffer seperation anxiety when their person is gone for any period of time.
there are many more.
many still have the chase instinct however now its mostly for bugs (i swear theres got to be fennec fox in them!)
Chihuahuas primariry purpose for the majority of its existence as we know it now is simply as a companion.
pros of chis:
-there small and easy to transport
-they make good watch dogs
-pretty low maintenece on grooming (even the long haired only need a quick comb through once in a while)
-they love their people.
cons of chis:
-many get attatched to one person and can become agressive/protective against anyone that comes near their person.
-they can be VERY difficult to housebreak
-they bond VERY strongly, they tend to suffer seperation anxiety when their person is gone for any period of time.
there are many more.
Thanks for all the info.. I just sepnt the last 2 hours in the cold rain to watch a lacrosse game.. well anyways I like that the yorkie is good for allergy sufferers because my mom and uncle are both.. and I love their coat too. I don't mind barking and the chihuahua too.. although I havent seen too many long haired chis im trying to decide which one I like better I told myself before that if I got a chi I wouldn't base my decision soley on the look of her but for personality too.. I wouldn't mind the whole being attached to me thing. I think one of the reasons my moms letting me get a dog (besides the fact that i LOVE dogs) is because she is engaged has two boys both younger than me and now my sisters going away to college and I'm about to go from the baby to the oldest in just a few months.. And I've been stressed out especially because I went from being the baby who loves her mom and always helps out and in return my mom kinda spoiled me and now I kinda just sit around in my room or I'm on my computer because to tell you the truth I don't exactly like her fiance or his kids because they act like there five unless its convientent for them and I'm being jipped of what I used to have to the point I go next door to my grandparents house alot or sleep over there. So I guess getting me a puppy (after months of asking my mom and showing her all my research and stuff) I think she finally realized whats actually been happening. So thats why I want the dog to form a special bond with me above all others. Do you get what I mean? I guess from this you might be able to help me to pick a dog better.
And about petfinder.com I went there and I put in my area code (01835) and I searched for yorkies in expanded and the closest one was PA!
) is because she is engaged has two boys both younger than me and now my sisters going away to college and I'm about to go from the baby to the oldest in just a few months.. And I've been stressed out especially because I went from being the baby who loves her mom and always helps out and in return my mom kinda spoiled me and now I kinda just sit around in my room or I'm on my computer because to tell you the truth I don't exactly like her fiance or his kids because they act like there five unless its convientent for them and I'm being jipped of what I used to have to the point I go next door to my grandparents house alot or sleep over there. So I guess getting me a puppy (after months of asking my mom and showing her all my research and stuff) I think she finally realized whats actually been happening. So thats why I want the dog to form a special bond with me above all others. Do you get what I mean? I guess from this you might be able to help me to pick a dog better.And about petfinder.com I went there and I put in my area code (01835) and I searched for yorkies in expanded and the closest one was PA!
I think you have been given some good advice.
I just wanted to say that because of your age and place in life
getting a dog had me a bit worried. I am glad you mom is with
you on getting a dog. There are way to many people at your
age that go onto to college and end up not taking the dog with them.
Please make sure your mom will take on the responsibility
when you get older and move out if need be. I would not
assume this, actually sit her down and talk to her about it.
You may not feel right now you would ever rehome the dog, but
5-10 years from now things can really change when you
are that young and going through school, getting a job
etc
I just wanted to say that because of your age and place in life
getting a dog had me a bit worried. I am glad you mom is with
you on getting a dog. There are way to many people at your
age that go onto to college and end up not taking the dog with them.
Please make sure your mom will take on the responsibility
when you get older and move out if need be. I would not
assume this, actually sit her down and talk to her about it.
You may not feel right now you would ever rehome the dog, but
5-10 years from now things can really change when you
are that young and going through school, getting a job
etc