# Help Finding A Yorkiepoo Breeder



## LouB87 (Sep 2, 2017)

Hi all,

First and foremost, I'm new to this forum and I apologize if this isn't the right thread.

I'm looking for a Yorkiepoo breeder in the UK. I was hoping you guys might be able to help.


UPDATE:

Thank you all for your input and advice so far.
Just to clarify we are in search of a breeder that is maintaining the highest ethical standards with regards to this particular crossbreed. We understand that such a breeder may be incredibly uncommon or may not even exist, but would value any insights that might help us find one.


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## labradrk (Dec 10, 2012)

Hi, is there any particular reason you are looking for this cross versus either a Yorkshire Terrier or a Poodle? it's quite hard to find an ethical breeder of crossbreeds as they tend to be bred for the wrong reasons.


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## LouB87 (Sep 2, 2017)

labradrk said:


> Hi, is there any particular reason you are looking for this cross versus either a Yorkshire Terrier or a Poodle? it's quite hard to find an ethical breeder of crossbreeds as they tend to be bred for the wrong reasons.


Hi, 
Yes, I've noticed that it's very difficult to find an ethical breeder, unfortunately. 
My partner and I have looked after both a Yorkshire Terrier and a Yorkiepoo, and we both prefer the Yorkiepoo due to the fur coat, build and the combination of personality traits. We find the Yorkiepoo less stubborn than the Yorkshire Terrier yet still very inquisitive


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## FeelTheBern (Jan 13, 2016)

LouB87 said:


> We find the Yorkiepoo less stubborn than the Yorkshire Terrier yet still very inquisitive


As it is a crossbreed, that is unlikely to be the case in all Yorkiepoos. As for the coat, one Yorkiepoo's coat could differ greatly from another because it's a crossbreed. I'd suggest looking in a shelter for a dog that matches your criteria.


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

LouB87 said:


> Hi,
> Yes, I've noticed that it's very difficult to find an ethical breeder, unfortunately.
> My partner and I have looked after both a Yorkshire Terrier and a Yorkiepoo, *and we both prefer the Yorkiepoo due to the fur coat, build and the combination of personality traits*. We find the Yorkiepoo less stubborn than the Yorkshire Terrier yet still very inquisitive


But you won't necessarily get that with a crossbreed, crossing 2 distinct & very different purebred dog breeds will always be a gamble when it comes to inheritance of traits- you could get all of one breed, none of the other, a mix of both, some of the good & some of tha bad, or even all of the worst aspects.

This will be further exascerbated by the fact that it will be extremely difficult (& more likely completely impossible) to find any ethical breeders of this mix, so the dogs used to produce them will definitely not be the best examples as far as health & temperament goes.

People searching for this sort of cross are the dream of all puppy farmers & backyard breeders.


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## labradrk (Dec 10, 2012)

LouB87 said:


> Hi,
> Yes, I've noticed that it's very difficult to find an ethical breeder, unfortunately.
> My partner and I have looked after both a Yorkshire Terrier and a Yorkiepoo, and we both prefer the Yorkiepoo due to the fur coat, build and the combination of personality traits. We find the Yorkiepoo less stubborn than the Yorkshire Terrier yet still very inquisitive


Maybe look at Poodles then? they are generally more biddable than Yorkies who despite being 'toy' breeds are very much terrier in personality.

The problem with a cross is that they can go either way personality wise.


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## LouB87 (Sep 2, 2017)

FeelTheBern said:


> As it is a crossbreed, that is unlikely to be the case in all Yorkiepoos. As for the coat, one Yorkiepoo's coat could differ greatly from another because it's a crossbreed. I'd suggest looking in a shelter for a dog that matches your criteria.


I agree. This is the reason why we're looking for different breeders of that specific crossbreed to have as many options as possible in order to find the type of Yorkiepoo that would be the best fit for us.


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## LouB87 (Sep 2, 2017)

simplysardonic said:


> But you won't necessarily get that with a crossbreed, crossing 2 distinct & very different purebred dog breeds will always be a gamble when it comes to inheritance of traits- you could get all of one breed, none of the other, a mix of both, some of the good & some of tha bad, or even all of the worst aspects.
> 
> This will be further exascerbated by the fact that it will be extremely difficult (& more likely completely impossible) to find any ethical breeders of this mix, so the dogs used to produce them will definitely not be the best examples as far as health & temperament goes.
> 
> People searching for this sort of cross are the dream of all puppy farmers & backyard breeders.


Hi, 
Of course that is always a possibility. We are aware of the outcome of crossbreeding and potential issues of certain popular crossbreeds. We would insist on meeting the litter and parents as well as do a thorough heritage check before making any decision. We have a close friend who is a vet who would assist us in assessing the health of the litter.


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## FeelTheBern (Jan 13, 2016)

LouB87 said:


> I agree. This is the reason why we're looking for different breeders of that specific crossbreed to have as many options as possible in order to find the type of Yorkiepoo that would be the best fit for us.


That's not what I said. I think it's better for you to look in a shelter if you want a Yorkiepoo-type dog. If you locate a breeder and buy from them, you'll probably be lining the pockets of an unscrupulous individual. If you adopt, you'll be giving a home to a previously unwanted dog.


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## labradrk (Dec 10, 2012)

LouB87 said:


> Hi,
> Of course that is always a possibility. We are aware of the outcome of crossbreeding and potential issues of certain popular crossbreeds. We would insist on meeting the litter and parents as well as do a thorough heritage check before making any decision. We have a close friend who is a vet who would assist us in assessing the health of the litter.


The problem is that the dogs behind these cross breeds aren't usually the best quality in the first place. This is because good breeders don't endorse the dogs they have bred to be used in the creation of cross breeds.

I am not sure what your friend who is a vet would be doing to assess the health of the litter. The health tests that need to be done on the parents should be done BEFORE they are bred. With this cross it will be extremely unlikely that you will find a litter from two health tested parents. It would also be odd for the breeder to own both the dog AND bitch, as it is very unlikely the male they own would be the best dog to complement their bitch. Most bitch owners seek an external stud dog for this reason.


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## LouB87 (Sep 2, 2017)

FeelTheBern said:


> That's not what I said. I think it's better for you to look in a shelter if you want a Yorkiepoo-type dog. If you locate a breeder and buy from them, you'll probably be lining the pockets of an unscrupulous individual. If you adopt, you'll be giving a home to a previously unwanted dog.


I fully understand your point, and adoption is an option we are keeping open. However we have been advised to find as many options as possible so as to be able to make the best possible choice both for us and the dog.

Whilst I share your concerns related to the current state of puppy breeding in the UK especially as it pertains to aesthetically pleasing crossbreeds, it is no less and option we are interested in exploring, and rest assured we have no intention of doing business with an unscrupulous breeder.


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## LouB87 (Sep 2, 2017)

labradrk said:


> The problem is that the dogs behind these cross breeds aren't usually the best quality in the first place. This is because good breeders don't endorse the dogs they have bred to be used in the creation of cross breeds.
> 
> I am not sure what your friend who is a vet would be doing to assess the health of the litter. The health tests that need to be done on the parents should be done BEFORE they are bred. With this cross it will be extremely unlikely that you will find a litter from two health tested parents. It would also be odd for the breeder to own both the dog AND bitch, as it is very unlikely the male they own would be the best dog to complement their bitch. Most bitch owners seek an external stud dog for this reason.


I appreciate your insights into the potential difficultly of finding a healthy cross of this nature from a legitimate and ethical breeder. The purpose of reaching out on this forum was to potentially find a lead in that direction. We fully understand that such a breeder may be extremely rare if not non existent in the UK, however we would still like to explore it as an option.

Yes, when I referred to our friend assessing the health of the litter, I meant more specifically making sure all the ts are crossed with regards to the health tests of the parents. I also have a colleague whom is a kennel club registered breeder and would seek their advice and input.


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## FeelTheBern (Jan 13, 2016)

LouB87 said:


> I fully understand your point, and adoption is an option we are keeping open. However we have been advised to find as many options as possible so as to be able to make the best possible choice both for us and the dog.
> 
> Whilst I share your concerns related to the current state of puppy breeding in the UK especially as it pertains to aesthetically pleasing crossbreeds, it is no less and option we are interested in exploring, and rest assured we have no intention of doing business with an unscrupulous breeder.


The thing is you might not know they're a dodgy individual. Most puppy farmers/unscrupulous breeders will make everything look nice for potential buyers. You might not find out what you have got yourself into until much later on. The puppy might look fine when you buy it, but its condition could deteriorate over time. It could have inherited genetic diseases from its parents. It could be malformed as a result of poor breeding. It could die an untimely death. Is this something you would be willing to get yourself into? There could be huge costs-financial and emotional-if the dog needs an operation or needs to be put down.


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## 3dogs2cats (Aug 15, 2012)

FeelTheBern said:


> The thing is you might not know they're a dodgy individual. Most puppy farmers/unscrupulous breeders will make everything look nice for potential buyers. You might not find out what you have got yourself into until much later on. The puppy might look fine when you buy it, but its condition could deteriorate over time. It could have inherited genetic diseases from its parents. It could be malformed as a result of poor breeding. It could die an untimely death. Is this something you would be willing to get yourself into? There could be huge costs-financial and emotional-if the dog needs an operation or needs to be put down.


Best not get a dog from a rehoming centre either!


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## Rafa (Jun 18, 2012)

Hi.

Usually, ethical and conscientious Breeders are producing purebred pups, to either work or show or to try and produce better and better specimens of their chosen breed.

When it comes to Crossbreeds such as Yorkiepoos, there is really only one reason for someone to breed them and, unfortunately, that's money.

The trouble can be that, those in it for the money are all about how much they can make out of it and little care or consideration is given to the health of the puppies they're breeding.

Unfortunately, I don't believe any of us here can point you in the direction of an ethical Breeder of Yorkiepoos. It will be a situation where you take your chances.

Why don't you consider a Poodle? You would get the coat type you're looking for and Poodles are very characterful little dogs, not at all the precious lapdogs they have been wrongly characterised as


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## LouB87 (Sep 2, 2017)

FeelTheBern said:


> The thing is you might not know they're a dodgy individual. Most puppy farmers/unscrupulous breeders will make everything look nice for potential buyers. You might not find out what you have got yourself into until much later on. The puppy might look fine when you buy it, but its condition could deteriorate over time. It could have inherited genetic diseases from its parents. It could be malformed as a result of poor breeding. It could die an untimely death. Is this something you would be willing to get yourself into? There could be huge costs-financial and emotional-if the dog needs an operation or needs to be put down.


This is indeed exactly what we are seeking to avoid and under no circumstances would we acquire a dog from any source that we weren't 100% comfortable with.

To perhaps shed more light on why we have hope of finding such a pup, I will give two examples of dog whom I know:

One is a Yorkiepoo whom we have dog sat for a while now, he is 12 years old and in good health. He was bred in France, according to the owner, whom is French, he is from a highly reputable breeder of purebred Yorkie's in France. This breeder for whatever reason 12 years ago decided to crossbreed a litter of Yorkiepoos. This may be a incredibly rare occurrence, possibly more common in France than in the UK, or a complete falsehood (though we have no reason to believe otherwise).

Secondly is a Cavapoo whom is owned by the aforementioned colleague whom is a registered breeder themselves. I have not enquired as to his origins but I trust that this colleague would not have even considered acquiring a pup from a breeder that they did not completely trust to have the pups best interests in mind.

These two dogs (amongst others I have met) suggest to me that there are some breeders out there that are electing to crossbreed healthy adults in the interest of producing healthy litters and laying the groundwork for new breeds. As presumably is the history of many of the purebreeds that we know and love to date.

As such during this very early stage of our search for a companion, we are seeing if we can locate such a breeder.


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## LouB87 (Sep 2, 2017)

Sweety said:


> Hi.
> 
> Usually, ethical and conscientious Breeders are producing purebred pups, to either work or show or to try and produce better and better specimens of their chosen breed.
> 
> ...


I do understand that this may well be the norm, and we are accepting of the fact that we may not find what we are looking for.

What you say of crossbreeds I'm sure is commonly true, however if you read my response to FeelTheBern above you may understand why we are interested in at least searching for such a breeder. The majority of breeds we consider purebred today were at some point in history the result of crossbreeding, including the Yorkie and the Poodle both.

I do completely understand that you may not be able to help us, and I do appreciate you taking the time to respond and share your insights. Please believe me when I say that I would much rather not have a dog than deal with any breeder who did not have the dogs best interests at heart.

The Yorkiepoo has drawn our attention because of the dog I mentioned in my previous post. We have also regularly looked after a friends rescue Yorkie, whom we adore, and a purebred Yorkie is also an option. However temperamentally the Yorkiepoo is overall less stubborn, less vocal, and less inclined to chase birds and squirrels, yet he has plenty of the character traits of the Yorkie that we have come to love. Physically the Yorkiepoo is slightly smaller, yet has a more solid frame and his coat is less inclined to become greasy. Obviously with crossbreeds the temperament is likely to be down to luck of the draw, and that is a risk you take, though this is loosely true of all animals, humans included.

Overall we are not ruling out any options, we are just currently exploring the one that appeals to us the most. Which may well not be possible, we can but try


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## Jobeth (May 23, 2010)

I have a 4kg Yorkie and she doesn't have any of the negative traits you mention. I am probably biased though! She has zero prey drive for other animals and isn't stubborn. She goes to the groomers every 6-7 weeks and has a lovely coat. She does love her tennis ball and will yap with excitement when playing fetch. I did have issues with her being nervous due to other people not controlling their dogs (her recall is excellent), but after 1:1 training her confidence has increased dramatically. She is working towards the equivalent of the gold KC award and has bronze and silver. 

I also have a Lhasa/poodle and he is pretty much the perfect dog. I would go for either a toy poodle (as I love the intelligence) or another Yorkie next time. Good luck with your search.


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## SingingWhippet (Feb 25, 2015)

I guarantee that the vast, _vast_ majority of breeders producing crosses (particularly poodle crosses) are not doing so either as an outcrossing project to eliminate particular health issues or increase genetic diversity in a specific breed. Nor are they trying to create a new breed by carefully selecting for health, conformation and temperament then breeding back to either parent breed to help set type and get their dogs breeding true.

Health testing isn't the be all and end all of a good breeder but it's a good place to start looking. At the very least any remotely reputable breeder will be making use of testing schemes for conditions which could potentially affect the puppies of that particular cross.

In the case of a yorkie x toy poodle both parents should have current BVA eye tests (these are repeated annually) to check for signs of hereditary cataracts which can affect both breeds. Both should have been DNA tested for prcd-PRA with at least one testing clear. Both should have had their knees thoroughly checked as both breeds can be prone to luxating patella. The poodle parent should also have been DNA tested for von Willebrand Type I. This is very often skipped by breeders of poodle crosses as vWD isn't present in most of the breeds they're commonly crossed with however it's not a simple recessive trait (meaning a puppy would have to inherit one copy of the gene from each parent to be affected) and dogs who are only carriers can become symptomatic to a degree. Although this is rare, any conscientious breeder would be testing for this so they know if there's any possibility of producing vWD carrier pups.

A genuinely dedicated breeder would not only want to health test to avoid their puppies potentially being affected by heritable conditions but also so they know if those puppies could be carriers for other conditions even if it's not possible for them to be affected. Anyone trying to create a new breed (or outcross for health/diversity) needs to be extremely careful they're not introducing recessive genes for new heath issues into their lines. There are a number of conditions which can affect either the yorkie or toy poodle but aren't shared between them and so puppies of a first cross could not be affected but I would expect someone crossing these breeds for the right reasons to want to have as much information as possible about the genetic health of their dogs. I would want to see the breeder having DNA testing done for Primary Lens Luxation for the yorkie plus Gangliosidosis, Macrothrombocytopenia, Mucopolysaccharidosis and Degenerative Myelopathy for the toy poodle.

Yorkies especially can also be affected by quite a number of conditions which can be inherited but for which there is currently no type of available screening. A decent breeder will have thoroughly researched the pedigree of the dogs they're using for any signs that relatives have been affected by any of these issues. One particular concern with yorkies is Chiari Malformation/Syringomyelia, although not as badly affected as the CKCS it is known within the breed and even if outcrossing if any relatives have shown any sign of being affected I would expect the breeder to be having an MRI done to check for any signs of CM/SM before breeding, especially as it's not completely unheard of in toy poodles.

As I said, health testing is really just one small aspect of responsible breeding but it's probably the easiest way to weed out the iffy ones so you can then check those that are health testing appropriately out further to see if they're doing everything else right as well.


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## LouB87 (Sep 2, 2017)

Jobeth said:


> I have a 4kg Yorkie and she doesn't have any of the negative traits you mention. I am probably biased though! She has zero prey drive for other animals and isn't stubborn. She goes to the groomers every 6-7 weeks and has a lovely coat. She does love her tennis ball and will yap with excitement when playing fetch. I did have issues with her being nervous due to other people not controlling their dogs (her recall is excellent), but after 1:1 training her confidence has increased dramatically. She is working towards the equivalent of the gold KC award and has bronze and silver.
> 
> I also have a Lhasa/poodle and he is pretty much the perfect dog. I would go for either a toy poodle (as I love the intelligence) or another Yorkie next time. Good luck with your search.


That's really fantastic insight, thank you for sharing it  Having only had hands on experience with one Yorkie, I'm basing my assumptions about the breed on her, generic profiles and a conversation I had with crazy lady I met on the bus whom told me at length about her 7 Yorkies. It is really useful to know that this may not always be the case.

The Yorkie in question also having been in a shelter also may have had certain traits exacerbated by the experience, or what she experienced before ending up there.


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## LouB87 (Sep 2, 2017)

SingingWhippet said:


> I guarantee that the vast, _vast_ majority of breeders producing crosses (particularly poodle crosses) are not doing so either as an outcrossing project to eliminate particular health issues or increase genetic diversity in a specific breed. Nor are they trying to create a new breed by carefully selecting for health, conformation and temperament then breeding back to either parent breed to help set type and get their dogs breeding true.
> 
> Health testing isn't the be all and end all of a good breeder but it's a good place to start looking. At the very least any remotely reputable breeder will be making use of testing schemes for conditions which could potentially affect the puppies of that particular cross.
> 
> ...


This is also tremendously helpful advice, thank you. This is exactly the kind of information we were looking for and we will take it on-board should we find any potentially promising leads.

Chiari Malformation is actually one of the conditions that I have been most concerned about with regards to Yorkies and CKCS, another breed I have spent some time with and have considered. A truly horrifying condition.

Thank


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## LinznMilly (Jun 24, 2011)

@LouB87 you've been given fantastic advice and reasons for avoiding this cross, and instead, opting for a pedigree poodle or yorkie. Whether you take that advice on board or not, is your own prerogative.

In addition to the advice you've been given, I would urge you to look up the breed characteristics of both the poodle and the yorkie - both the good and the bad - so that you know what you may end up with. Prepare for the worst of both breeds, and hope for anything better than that.

One specimen of one crossbreed that you know personally, isn't a true representation of the breed/cross - the owner of the one crossbreed that you know, has more than likely, simply got lucky. There's no way for you to know if the rest of the litter did as well as the 12y/o yorkie cross that you know personally - much less the yorkie x poodle population in its entirety.



3dogs2cats said:


> Best not get a dog from a rehoming centre either!


It's true that adopting from a rescue centre means that you probably aren't getting a dog who was ethically bred, (notice I say "probably" - not "certainly") because any ethical breeder worth their salt will usually do all they can to keep their pups out of rescue, but the criteria is different.

1) You're not handing money to a BYB, meaning you're not encouraging them to continue to churn out puppies from unhealth-tested parents in the cheapest way possible, and for maximum profit.

2) The adoption fee goes towards mitigating the cost for the dog's food, water, day-to-day care, any vaccinations it may have needed, spaying/neutering (if old enough), and to help with the day-to-day running of the rescue.

3) You're freeing space in that rescue centre for another dog.

4) You could actually be saving a dog's life by taking it from death row. Most rescue euthanise their dogs after a certain time period - often that's as short as 7 days. 

I was born with a Chiari Malformation. I know first hand what these dogs suffer and go through. Mine wasn't detected until I was 26 and I started getting pains down both arms. I was lucky in that I'm human. I can tell others how I feel. A dog doesn't have that chance.


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## LinznMilly (Jun 24, 2011)

Reading through this, I think the OP has all the information she needs to make an informed choice when selecting a breeder/puppy. How much she chooses to take on board, is up to her, so I'm making an executive decision to lock this thread.

If anyone objects, please feel free to PM me.

:Locktopic


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