Sassyville Yorkies

Q. & A. with Mary

• Why did you start breeding?

  I have always been an animal lover and wanted to be a dog breeder. I bred and raised my first litter(Cocker Spaniels) at the tender age of 8, 60 years ago. My mother was not a huge animal lover so that was end of my breeding experience until I was in my 20’s when I bred, raised and trained GSD’s for obedience. In 2002, I started breeding Yorkies and started in the conformation ring in 2004.

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• What makes your program special?

  Borrowed from a breeder ! There is a reason Yorkies are expensive. These are not dogs that live in the back yard, eat Old Roy, and when the female come into heat she gets pregnant by your male while you’re at work. Eight weeks later you don’t come home to a pile of cash nursing on the mom and just have to wait another 8 weeks for that tidy sum to mature so you can cash in. Each year dignified breeders spend tens of thousands of dollars on the care and breeding of their dogs. Quality food, vet bills, health tests, DNA, supplies... When we have puppies they don’t leave our sight for the first 8 weeks... we call it #teamnosleep because we don’t sleep. We monitor nursing (every two hours, 7 days a week for weeks), we bottle feed, we tube feed. We pour ourselves into these tiny little lives to the point where we become sick. We cancel our lives: vacations, school plays, weddings, anniversaries, births and birthdays... everything is on hold when we have puppies. When we don’t have babies we still have the daily upkeep of our dogs. We also use this time for research, training and further educating ourselves so that we can produce the healthiest babies possible. So, yes, we work our butts off keeping these amazing babies not only alive, but healthy, well adjusted and ready for their new families. Not to mention the heartache breeders go through when we have babies that struggle to survive , we put our heart and soul into trying to save them and it has nothing to do with money , and when people tell me oh that price is too high I can find one cheaper , well , breeders that truly love their dogs and do this because it’s truly a calling from your heart to be a part of bringing these precious babies into this world ,people that love the breed and truly cherish being part of a Yorkies life and seeing the love and happiness these babies bring to their new families, there’s just no words to describe how that fills a breeders heart with total happiness,,,, I could go on and on but this says part of how a breeder feels, it has nothing to do with the money,, this is meant in reference to reputable breeders. INVEST IN A PURPOSFULLY BRED DOGS FUTURE. EXCLUSIVELLY OFFERING WHAT “RANDOM BRED” DOGS CANT. PREDICTABILITY, HEALTH, DEDICATED WELFARE, CENTURIES OF HERITAGE. DO YOUR HOME WORK, I HAVE! PURPOSE-BRED PRESERVATIONIST, CREATING HAPPIER, HEALTHIER FUTURES FOR ALL COMPANION DOGS. I care very much for all my Yorkshire Terriers and enjoy both breeding and showing them. I test my breeding dogs for genetic disorders using Embark, make sure they are socialized and ready for their new homes using early neurological stimulation and raise all my puppies in our living room. BUT I DON'T WANT A SHOW DOG! Why do people recommend choosing a breeder who shows their dogs to folks who are just looking for a pet and have no interest in showing? Why should breeding to breed standard be important to a pet home? Does it seem excessive, or “snobby”? It’s not, and here’s why. Dog shows are a means of evaluating dogs against the breed standard, to evaluate soundness, movement/gait, type, and temperament. Soundness: The state of physical and mental health when all organs and faculties are functioning properly, each in its rightful relation to each other. Type: Breed type encompasses appearance, character, condition, bone structure, temperament, and movement; "breed type is all these things." Breed type also includes a character specific to each breed, a combination of behaviour, temperament and carriage that demonstrate an essence of the breed. Gait: The gait of a dog is its quality of movement. You want to see ease of movement, unimpaired by illness or poor structure. Temperament: The general attitude a dog has towards other animals and people. From the Labrador Breed Standard "True Labrador Retriever temperament is as much a hallmark of the breed as the “otter” tail. The ideal disposition is one of a kindly, outgoing, tractable nature; eager to please and non-aggressive towards man or animal. The Labrador has much that appeals to people; his gentle ways, intelligence and adaptability make him an ideal dog. Aggressiveness towards humans or other animals, or any evidence of shyness in an adult should be severely penalized." So. That’s a very basic intro to what goes on at a show... why does this matter? You want a pet, a companion, not a show dog, right? Well, you chose a Labrador for a reason. You’ve done your research, and have read that they’re great with kids and other animals, they’re gentle, not aggressive, they make excellent companions and love spending time with their people. That their good and kind nature predisposes many Labradors to be excellent therapy dogs. Good, responsible breeders seek to preserve those definitive and positive characteristics. What about type and structure? How the dog is put together, able to move freely and comfortably? Would you rather buy from someone who has proven publicly, over time, that the dog they’re breeding can move well, free of limp, or a structural problem? Or just trust someone who has no interest in proving their dogs? It’s your puppy’s quality of life and comfort (as well as your wallet) that’s at stake. Not every dog in a well-bred litter is going to be show quality- there will ALWAYS be pet-quality puppies. Well-bred, but maybe with a slight imperfection, and those are the puppies placed in pet homes. You don’t have to want a show-quality puppy to get a well-bred puppy! This is not about being snobby, being elitist, thinking that one dog is “better” than another, it’s about ensuring you get a puppy that acts and looks like the breed you fell in love with. It’s about ensuring that all puppies have the best start in life, and will grow into a loving family member. It’s about loving our breed enough to want to see everything that’s good about them preserved for future generations to enjoy. If you want a healthy dog, with a properly sweet temperament, choose your breeder wisely!

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• What are the different breed coat colors in your program?

  Our puppies are blue and gold. Colors will vary depending on the parent dogs.

• Where do your breeding dogs live?

  They live in my home.