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YorkiePoo - Male

20 11:35:03

Question
I am in the process of purchasing a puppy.  This is a Yorkie Mix breed with Poodle.  I'm not sure if you can give me much info, but its worth a shot.  I am a first time seeker/buyer of this breed.  I want something small, no more than 5lbs.  I ran across a site that had one that I am interested in.  Can you tell me if this is an accurate description?  If so, is the price in the right range, and what other pertinent info can you provide that I should be asking the seller/breeder of this puppy?  Below is a description. Is it really safe to ship animals on a plan, what effects does it have and what should be done once you pick up the puppy from the plane?  What other questions should I be asking the breeder?  I checked them out on the BBB to see what their reputation was like, of course, they had a couple of reports, but the #'s were not high.  Just nervous, but excited at the same time.  I just want to ensure a smooth transition.

Description: A CUTE LITTLE Teacup Male Yorkie/Poodle Cross!!! He Is Tiny And Loves To Play!!! After Playing, He'll Cuddle You Until He Falls Asleep. He Is A Very Well Socialized Puppy Who Loves To Cuddle!!! His Shots Are All Up To Date And He Would Make A Wonderful Addition To Any Family!! Shipping Is $275 Anywhere In The U.S. Or $50 For Local Pickup.
Price: $350.00  
Gender: Male
Nickname: xxxxxxxx
Age: 11 week(s)
Color/Markings: Black/Tan
Availability Date: 1/6/2009
Size at Maturity: Small
Potential: Perfect Pet
Champion Bloodlines: No
Champion Sired: No
What's Included: Health Certificate
Health Warranty
Shot Record
Crate (if Shipped)  

Answer
Nic,

First and foremost do not buy a puppy over the Internet.  I realize the puppy is probably cute but you really don't know what you are getting. Any puppy sold over the Internet or in a pet store could potentially be from a puppy mill.  A puppy can be cleaned up and a picture taken of it and you have no way of knowing what conditions it has lived in or how it has been treated.  Most puppies require constant love and attention if they are to truly be socialized.  Unless you can see the home environment where the puppy was kept and the condition of the mother and father, it is literally a shot in the dark.  If you picked the puppy up from the airport and then got it home and it was sickly, or there was something else wrong with it you would basically be blank out of luck.

Since this puppy has no papers the price you should have to pay would be far less than a dog with papers.  I don't know what the market price is for pure bred puppies in your area so I really cannot comment on how fair the price is.  Also, keep in mind that they may tell you that the puppy is going to be small but it is possible that it will grow large and again, what could you do about it then.

My suggestion is for you to find a dog from your local paper.  If you live in a small town then get a paper from the closest large town or city.  You need to be able to see both the mother and father in order to determine if the puppy is going to be small enough for what you want.  If you want a dog that is going to be 5 pounds or less then you must have a small father (2.5 to 3.5 pounds) and a small mother (5 to 6 pounds).  Since they are charging 350.00 for the puppy and 275.00 for the shipping why not purchase a pure bred Yorkie in your area?  For 625.00 you should be able to get exactly what you want.

As a side note: All purebred Yorkies are born with the black and tan coloring.  It isn't until they reach 6 months that their hair will start to turn the colors they are going to be as adults.  All responsible breeders make a shot record and a guarantee of health available to their customers.

I hope I have not rained on your parade about this little puppy but I feel that it is important to be painfully honest about my advice when someone is making such an important decision.  Good Luck in finding what you are looking for.

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