Puppy Pricing
You want how much money for something that can poop on the floor??? …Yes, I know; yorkies are not a cheap breed to own…
Owning a yorkie will cost you, period. The choice you have to make is: Do you want to pay for it upfront and have minimal headaches and heartaches by purchasing a quality yorkie OR would you rather purchase a lesser yorkie and spend that money on vet bills, socialization/obedience training, and health issues? The bottom line is, you are going to spend about the same amount of money. So why not get a healthy, well socialized, beautiful yorkie to start with? ….Before you pass out from sticker shock, please read the cost involved with caring for and raising quality yorkies; it is not an easy or cheap hobby, but I love every minute of it.
YORKIE INDOOR HOUSING I originally bought crates for all of my yorkies, but thought they were just too small. So, I had someone come in and professionally build custom in-door runs for my dogs. They are molded after the Rainbow Houses in Charleston, SC. Each run is 2 feet wide and 3 feet long each; I can sit in them comfortably and stretch out my legs and I am 5ft8. Each run has a LPV hardwood floor and walls and a squishy woobie/ dog pillow and a washable piddle pad. The pillowcase and piddle pad is pulled and washed DAILY and then pillows are washed weekly. I am a frontend web and graphic designer; I work from home, so if I am home the yorkie-nerds are playing. Typically the only time they are in the runs is to sleep or during nap time. I typically keep 2-3 dogs per run; they seem to do better having a “buddy” to snuggle with at night. Each night, I rotate who gets to sleep with me in the “big bed.” Usually it is whoever is behaving the best that day. Custom Kennel Pricing: $7,000+
YORKIE FOOD I only feed No Grain/ Limited Ingredients, 4-5 Star rated dog food. I have found that feeding a nutritious diet yields less veterinarian visits and happier dogs. Diamond Naturals Food: $45-50.00 Bag
YORKIE SIRE & DAM A Dam must have gone through at lest 2 heat cycles, be emotionally mature, pass the veterinarian’s wellness exam, weigh at least 4 pounds and pass MY temperament test before I am willing to breed her. This means she is at a minimum of 12-14 months old before she can have her first litter and she is then retired from breeding around 5-6 year old. A Sire must be physically healthy, pass a veterinarian’s wellness exam, be emotionally mature, not exhibit signs of overzealous aggression and pass MY temperament test before he is bred, which is typically around 12-15 months old. $500.00
PUPPY WELLNESS EXAMS The Sire and Dam are vet checked for congenial health defects BEFORE they are bred and then ALL puppies see a vet at least ONCE before going to their new home. Within 3 days of birth, tails and dewclaws are removed. ALL dogs and puppies are vaccinated, wormed and administered flea prevention. $200.00 Vet Exams For Puppies
LITTER CANINE REGISTRATION All of of my adult dogs are AKC or CKC Registered, but in efforts to protect my bloodlines. Limited CKC Registration will be forwarded once proof of spay or neuter is provided. If the new owner chooses NOT to have the sterile surgery, then NO papers are sent.
CANINE GENETICS & DNA ANALYSIS My Sires undergo AKC DNA Analysis and Canine Color Genetics Report. Each test runs $130.00. I am working on getting all breeding males and females tested, but it expensive and I have to do it along and along due to the cost. DNA Test: $130.00 each
PROFESSIONAL IMAGES I have a professional photographer from Charleston, SC get high resolution images on a monthly bases of my new puppies. This process is VERY time consuming and costly. A full day of shooting costs $800.00.
MY TIME Lastly, my time…Raising yorkies is a never-ending job. It is very much like having a daycare, but you never get to clock out….from caring for the adults to bottle feeding newborns or cleaning up messes. There is always something to do. Always. Most Dams prefer to whelp under the cover of darkness; mine like the hours of 9:00 PM -4:00AM for best whelping. (This ensures that I look like death warmed over the next day.) Whenever a Dam whelps I am there to hold her paw, cheer her on, and get ice chips the entire time. Puppies play in their food and run through their poop…I know when you pick up the yorkie she/he is beautifully brushed out and smells awesome… they don’t start out that way, trust me.
A female in heat can attract males from a 5 mile radius. (Yes, 5 miles.) One afternoon I took the trash out to the bins to find 5 neighborhood dogs on my porch whining and panting eagerly. They had all marked EVERY inch of my porch in hopes of being the Chosen One.
If you were to calculate my salary divided by hours worked, my hourly wage MIGHT be minimum wage….Maybe. In other words, I feel great pride for my yorkie-nerds. I have some of the most rare colored and beautiful yorkies around, but I am slightly bias!! I have invested my time, money, love, dedication, and energy to selling ONLY quality, beautiful yorkies; I hope my efforts are visible. There are a lot of factors that make up the price of my yorkie, some include: color, size, structure, temperament, gait, bloodline, and form.Typically, my TOY size yorkies are priced between $2,050-3,550.00. The smaller the yorkie, the higher the price. Females are priced higher than males, and rarely get discounted. (Most people want a female.) I DO get teacup and micro yorkies; those are yorkies that chart smaller as an adult, but I do NOT purposefully breed for them.
