Since our two Shelties are gone now, I'm looking for a puppy for my 5 year old niece's birthday. She loves dogs madly and still cries for my Robin and John.
I've been told that mixes are healthier and longer lived, so we want something tiny and 'fluffy', in her words. Any advice on how/where to find a Yorkiepoo puppy? We'd need it for Dec 1st.
I looked online a bit and I'm in SHOCK over prices. I would never buy a dog online and have it shipped! Remember when mixes were 'mutts' and no one wanted them- now they seem to be 'designer' dogs. We don't care about papers- just need a dog that will stay under 15lbs for a lifetime of sleeping in the bed and getting spoiled and kised.
Don't just pick up a pup yourselves and hand it to a kid, on a celebration day.
Don't give animals directly as presents.
OT1H, you're putting a poor pup in a confusing situation w/lots of people right after they left their sibs and mommies. This could be rather overwhelming for the baby. He should be able to go to a normal home situation and adapt to that rather than being thrown into a raucous party.
OTOH, you're not letting the kid - the actual potential owner - check out pups and pick. 1 should I think always go sight-seen, not blind (altho alot of big dog dealers buy any old dog from 3000 mi away if it has the ped they want). Let her choose; lots of times what you both approve of and fall in love w/is the best way to go. She mite not like the baby you pick up as much as another; her instincts mite point her to the best choice for her (altho children need guidance so as not to pick the "cutest" puppy - fearful, overaggressive, sickly, etc).
Give her a raincheck. Say you owe her a puppy and you'll go look at some and pick 1 out w/her.
Yorkie mixes are very good. A mix of Yorkie and Silky terriers would not shed same as the poodle.
I would just look in the local paper to find the best mutt.
Good Luck with your new little friend.
>I've been told that mixes are healthier and longer lived,<
Ok, so a Yorkie, which has unstable knees, and a Poodle, with unstable knees, are bred together (hypothetically). What makes you think the pups won't have the same genetic disease? Scientists have proven that dogs of different breeds have such close DNA it's near impossible to tell them apart genetically.
You are far better off to adopt a more mixed dog, if that's what you want, than a cross-breed which probably was bred to make money, with no thought to health or genetic problems.
And, as far as long lived, our beloved Annie dog lived to be 18, and her daughter made it past 17. The 3rd generation is still here at a young 16, and all are the same breed, with AKC pedigrees (they came from respectable bloodlines, had Vet care and were fed quality, nutritious food). We joke that these blasted dogs are like Duracell batteries - you can't kill them off.
Have you tried http://www.petfinder.com/?
Go there and select "dog," then breed "Yorkshire Terrier Yorkie" and type in your zip code.
I just did and 260 Yorkies were available in my area. The very first one was a YorkiePoo.
Adoption fees usually run about $150 or less and include the cost of spay/neutering and all shots.