There are many disadvantages to getting a Yorkshire Terrier puppy from a pet store. You do not get to see what the parents of the puppy were like. Getting to see the parents is a great indicator of what kind of dog the Yorkie puppy will grow up into. Puppies in pet stores that spend weeks or months sitting in a cage think that that is all there is to life. They miss out on the best window of learning nature has given to a puppy.

Puppy mills are cruel places where dogs are treated worse than patio furniture. The adults spend all of their lives in stacked wire cages. They never get time for playing or socializing, and often having to lie in their own waste.

There is also no assurance that your Yorkie is a purebred. This can all be avoided by going to a Yorkshire Terrier breeder.

Buying a puppy from a pet store only perpetuates this entirely preventable misery. If there weren't anyone buying puppies from pet stores, then there wouldn't be a need for these horrible puppy mills. No reputable Yorkshire Terrier breeder will ever sell their puppies to a pet store for many reasons, but mostly because they do not want to collaborate with the bankrollers of puppy mills. Pet stores are also the worst place for a young puppy to live.

Puppyhood is the most crucial learning time in a dog's life. What they learn as puppies will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Studies have shown that a puppy can best learn from the ages of seven to fourteen weeks. This is the time they should meet with as many different experiences as possible in order to be well-adjusted dogs. Living in a pet store denies them this crucial learning experience.

Now that you know where not to get a Yorkshire Terrier puppy, where should you go to get one? You can go to one of three places ? your local animal shelter, a Yorkshire terrier breed rescue group or a licensed Yorkshire Terrier breeder. Dog breeders get their license from wither the state they live in or from the American Kennel Club (AKC).

Take your time finding the right Yorkshire Terrier breeder that you can get along with and has the dogs you can get along with. You can find them from the American Kennel Club, from the Yorkshire Terrier Club of America, any proud Yorkie owners where you live, your vet or your local animal shelter.

Great Yorkshire terrier breeders will also let you bring the dog back to them if your circumstances get so bad that you can no longer take care of a pet.