should we buy one of these?

Question
QUESTION: Hi Melinda,
I have a question or two about buying yorkies.  If the mom breeds with a son, what should we expect from the puppies?  Are they going to be "not right" in the breed?  I have heard that things go wrong not in the 1st generation of mom and son, but future puppies.  Also, what should we look for when buying a puppy?

ANSWER: Connie,

If they are related it will effect the outcome of the puppies in several ways.  The American Kennel Club (AKC) only allows breeding back (brother/sister, mother/son etc) one time.  If you breed back more than this the AKC will not allow you to register the puppies.  Without papers you will have difficulty selling the puppies for a decent amount of money.  Breeding back also produces dogs with undesirable personalities.  The more you breed back the more anti-social and aggressive the puppies will be when they grow up.

When you go to buy a yorkie the most important thing is the size of the parents.  If you want a small puppy that will stay small you must see the parents.  The mother should be 5 pounds or less and the father should be 2.5 to 3 pounds.  That is the standard by the way for breeding also.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Ok, so my situation is mom mated with son unintentionally, this is the first time it has happened.  Mom had a litter previously, but the sire was not relation.  Do you think the puppies will be aggressive and non-social?  Would having another (older) dog in the house help to socialize the puppy?

Answer
Connie,

If you buy this puppy there is no guarantee that it will or will not be aggressive.  The only thing I can tell you is that if you want to be absolutely sure you are going to get a puppy that is not aggressive or anti-social then I wouldn't take a chance on this one.  Of course there are no guarantees anytime you buy a puppy but at least your chances would increase with a different set of parents.

As far as the older dog that depends on how much older.  If you are talking about a 10 year old that has been exclusive to you then you could have some problems with them getting along.  Only you can answer that question because you know your older dog better.  If she is aggressive already then chances are she will be toward a new puppy.  If she is spoiled then chances are she will be aggressive or get depressed because she now has to share you with the puppy.

You didn't say what breed the older dog was.  If it is a yorkie then you will probably be all right.  She may tend to growl and snap at the puppy at first but that will be to establish a pecking order.  The older dog must teach the younger dog who is boss and that the puppy must respect the boundaries set forth by the older dog.  It is best to leave them alone in this situation and let them sort it out on their own.  If however the older dog actually bites the puppy hard enough to leave teeth marks or breaks the skin then you will need to keep them separated.

I hope this has helped clear some things up for you.