Anyone's Shorkie their first dog?

[Pinky]

Was your Shorkie your first dog?

For those of you that have read my previous thread you know I had a horrible experience from buying a puppy from a puppy mill and she died 3 days after I got her..so now I'm super paranoid. I am asking everyone I can think of about the breeder I'm considering and a couple of people have expressed their concern at the breed I'm choosing..the Yorkie half of a Shorkie. They think Yorkies are stubborn, hyper and notoriously difficult to potty train...all things I've read myself and perhaps I'm disillusioned, but I just don't picture MY dog being like that. Potty training I believe just comes down to diligent training. I plan on training my puppy to use a litter box indoors. The hyper factor I don't really mind. I see my best friend's dogs and they are sooo lazy! One is only 12 weeks and he's the laziest puppy ever. I WANT a puppy that wants to play. I do want her to cuddle with too and I've read Shorkies are great at adjusting to playing and then settling down for cuddle time. And the stubborness...well, that's their personality. I don't think anyone can guarantee that my puppy won't be stubborn, but I know it's a possibility. Their worry is that the puppy will be too hard for me to train bc it's a terrier and my restricted time. I work 7-4 so the puppy will be alone until about 3 when my little brother comes home from school. I have class on Tuesday and Thursday nights so I'll be away from her then too but she won't be home alone. They think I should go with an "easier" breed..since you guys actually have Shorkies..what do you think? Should I consider getting another breed? I know I want something small and I don't think I could get another toy poodle bc of the experience with my previous puppy. Is a Shorkie not good for an inexperienced dog owner? I know they're just trying to help, but it kind of hurt my feelings. They said Shorkies can't be left alone and really only retired people or housewives should have them, but I don't want to wait until I'm old to get one!

[shorkiejem]

Hey Pinky, just got back from Florida so here's my take on this.  Just my opinion.  I bet you will fall in love with honee and that is just what the seller hopes too.
If I read it right she sells her pups for 1,200 and you have 3 days too make sure the puppy isn't sick?  OMG RUN RUN RUN

Now I copy and pasted her emails below that you posted previously posted.  I will answer them in parts:

These are her e-mails:

Just taking a break from grooming a few puppies and thought I'd check my emails. Glad I did and saw that you are still interested in honee. She is a doll! I think you will fall in love with her. If you'd like to see her this weekend let me know? If you like her, then you can put a non refundable deposit on her. As far as her health warranty, all I have ever given people in the last 17 years, is 3 days to get your dog into the vet, once the vet says he/she is healthy, it's up to you to keep him or her healthy.

Really?  Of course you would keep her healthy.  But what if hereditary problems show up at lets say 8 months?  Like a liver problem, which is a known problem in these dogs.  And they die.  You email her and she says, sorry, your puppy was healthy when you had her vet checked within 72 hours!  You lose 1,200 and no pup given to you for your loss.  Shame on her for that alone

 I always say that non of our health is guaranteed. My daughter just had her son, and no one is guaranteed a bill of health.

Come on is she nuts??  You can't compare a human life with a puppy.  What a way for her to put it.

 So you'd have to be comfortable with that idea.

I sure would NOT be

 You take the puppy, get it to the vet within 3 days, if the vet says something is wrong with the pup, I will credit you for another pup, no refunds given.

What does SHE consider sick?  What if he has a upper respirtory
infection.  Would she say, oh well that's treatable. I'm just using that as a example.  Ask her what actual illness's does she allow credit for another pup?

 In all the years of doing this, I have never had a problem. It's nice to be able to actually come into my home, meet me and my family, the parents of our puppies, and see how our puppies are raised.

Tell you what, if what she is saying is that in 17 years she has never had a puppy with a problem, she is a LIAR.  Top breeders with show dogs, who test their parents can still throw a puppy with problems.  I should know.  And that is honesty. This woman is no top breeder and certainly doesn't test the parents

Please do not meet people in parking lots to see their puppies, when you get here, I will explain to you why. Long stories to tell you.


Simply put, you don't get to see the parents, you don't get to see the living conditions of the puppy.  Those are 2 reasons.

And:

Yes, I've seen all those websites that vow they do genetic testing. I find it funny that we don't do that to our human conterparts.

Again, how the heck can she compare a human to a dog??


 All the hype out there on all these websites are funny. Way back in the day, none of this existed,


That is correct until we found ways to correct and learn how to avoid the problems.  Like testing and knowing you are breeding sound dogs.  We did not have these options available to us.  But we do now.  Truth is?  She doesn't want to spend the money on testing.  If she did 1,200 is ok to ask.
Depends on what you want.  I did not care too much about testing on my pups parents.  But I didn't spend anywhere near 1,200, I paid 400.00 and she is ok so far at 21 months.  So why pay 1,200 for a pup with no parental testing when you can pay so much less for the same thing.  Now if I was buying a dog for breeding I would pay 1,200, even more for parents with all clearances.

you have to believe what you choose to believe.  You may be more comfortable then going with someone who claims to do all the genetic testing, I'm not sure.

I'd be more comfortable elsewhere for 1,200, that's for sure




The people who are doing all these so called tests are also charging $1500 to $2500 for their shorkies. I do wish you the best of luck in finding your little puppy.


And Pinky remember, there are plenty of honee's out there.  I really didn't like flying my puppy but I'd do that rather than buying from this woman.  Breeders like that anger me so much.  17 years with no problems. yea ok.

What do you guys think?

What I think is run run run


I like the idea of being able to visit the home and I like that she grooms them there too so I can take my puppy back there to be groomed. She says she's been doing it for a long time and I asked her for references just now so we'll see if she's at least able to provide me with that.

Be careful of references, she can give you anyone.  Hate to say this but be careful of breeders vets.  Breeders vets make lots of money from their breeders.

Pinky all that I have said is just my opinion.  I do wish you the best.  And if you choose Honee, I wish you the best with her too

[Pinky]

Thanks sooo much for your response! I was still a bit hopeful, but I totally see how shady she sounds. I seriously can't seem to find another Shorkie breeder in AZ, though, but I guess I'll just have to keep searching. Thanks again!

[shorkiejem]

Pinky, email me, I found Shorkie pups in AZ.  I did not look at them all but one is 895 BUT has shots, worming AND 1 year health guarantee.  Of course there are questions you need to ask them and I can't say they are good, but research them.

[bat27]

Hi Pinky,
This is my second shorkie i bought my first one from a breeder in PA (i'm in N.Y.)we communicated back & forth pictures every week , she asked us about our home life because she wasn't giving her pups to anyone (I pd 700.00) We went to her home to pick up saw the parents and actually this lady did keep these pups and all her dogs in her home with her family she had a separete bedroom for her dogs and the pups stayed in with family for social purposes, they were loving and trained. Well he was great up until 9 months later when we thought he swallowed something upon xrays the vet called me asking if my pup was ever hit by a car thrown down stairs (of cause nothing) he had a pneumothorax which could only be generic or happen in a extreme accident. I t was a very serious condition. I never contacted the breeder until after my beloved shorkie dies at 1 years old, as we loved him unconditionally and her response was a simple sorry.

[bat27]

Pinky,
I also wanted to add that I loved this breed so much I purchased another last september only a few short month after my first one dies. I went on petfinders.com and i was extremely nervous about this but did find a women who i communicated with, she knew my story and this time I only paid 400.00 that included airfare from Kansas to NYC, I felt this person wasn't in it for the big money and I to looked into one of those expensive 1200.00 and more breeders looking for a guarantee, I just wasn't comfortable. My "Ozzy" came here this women called me to make sure he had a good fligh and also followed up with him daily fo about 2 weeks. He is the best, not a mean bone in his body, very pleasant, not a barker (only if he knows something isn't right) playful, lapdog,etc. so don't give up on the breed, (i know people with yorkies andthey don't compare)
Good Luck.

[Pinky]

Bat, I'm so sorry! What an awful experience!

I started looking into just Yorkies, but they're not what I want. I would be settling and I don't want to always wonder what my puppy would be like if it was a Shorkie.

Shorkiejem, I PM'd you. I hope this breeder works! I've been looking at classifieds, but haven't had much luck.

[minnie mee]

Don't worry, Pinky, you'll find the right dog.  Shorkie Jem's answer was brilliant... I didn't have a good feeling about the whole thing.

[Mai Tai]

And shorkie jem says I put too much faith in her........LOL.  Great answer.  Pinky, you will find the dog that is right for you.  Just research, research, research!  My Mai Tai is more Shih tzu than yorkie in temperment, and was very easy to housetrain.  He does bark though at other dogs and strangers.  Mo is much more yorkie, and was very hard to housetrain, but he finally got it.  He is very very sweet, but a nervous little guy.   I love them both dearly, and am very happy I have shorkies.  Each breed has it's own strengths and weaknesses,and dogs within a breed vary greatly in things like housetraining.  I wish you the best, let us know how it goes.

[shorkiejem]

Bat, I'm so sorry! What an awful experience!

I started looking into just Yorkies, but they're not what I want. I would be settling and I don't want to always wonder what my puppy would be like if it was a Shorkie.

Shorkiejem, I PM'd you. I hope this breeder works! I've been looking at classifieds, but haven't had much luck.

I love Yorkies