Yorktese Breeder

My friend is lookig for a quality breeder of Yorktese puppies can anyone
help her? I only had bad luck with the puppy mill Soo Big Dogs in Missouri.

shelly...

First, why does she want a mixed breed dog? What does she think a
Yorkie x Maltese will provide that a Yorkie *or* a Maltese will not?
In other words, what is it about either a Yorkie or a Maltese that
she finds undesirable?

Second, I can guarantee you that you will not be able to find a
responsible breeder of Yorkie-Maltese mixes. It's not that such a
breeder could not theoretically exist. They could (and, as Melinda
pointed out, they do exist in the world of working dogs). The
likelihood of a breeder producing a Yorkie-Maltese mix and *also*
doing it responsibly is not very high, though. These dogs are
produced by mills and backyard breeders exclusively to feed supply,
without any concern given to testing for genetic health or for good,
sound temperament. This sort of breeder does not care about
anything but the bottom line: creating pups for bucks. Because no
care is given to producing healthy, sound dogs, there is no
advantage in purchasing such a dog over obtaining one from a rescue
or shelter.

For me, it comes down to the fact that I am unwilling to reward
someone with my money for something that I think is unethical.
There are better ways to spend my cash, and there is no shortage of
dogs in need of homes. Far better to go to a rescue group or
shelter than to pay someone to carelessly breed more pet puppies, a
large percentage of which will ultimately end up in shelters
themselves.

Amy Dahl...

Hi Janet,

I think you will find that the folks who have offered you
helpful advice on this forum have essentially the same opinion
of breeders of cross-breeds that they do of "puppy mills."

The problem is that within a breed, there are defined standards
for temperament and structure, and data available on hereditary
health problems that can be used to reduce their incidence.
There are no such standards for crossbreds, no databases,
and each litter is a genetic "dead end"--no opportunity for
the breeder to improve his/her "line" with each generation.

The kind of breeder that is recommended here will be drawn
to purebreds, where standards exist describing the ideal dog,
and the potential exists to progressively improve.

I don't know if there is any scope for your friend to reconsider
what she is looking for. A purebred Yorkie, a Maltese, or any
of several breeds might be an alternative choice, and available
from a concerned breeder--although not necessarily immediately.

Amy Dahl