But buyers beware... When you see an ad for a Yorkie for sale, exercise all caution to avoid a rip off. In general, most of Yorkie for sale ads you see are honest and placed by reputable breeders. There are few however, that are Yorkies for sale ads to avoid because they'll only yield disappointing results you if you decide to patron them. These are of course, Yorkie for sale ads placed by disreputable breeders who care more about money than the dogs that they sell.

Teacup Yorkies for Sale

One such ad promotes "Teacup" Yorkshire terriers. The AKC does not recognize "Teacup" Yorkshire terriers because they're underweight and prone to illnesses that normal-sized Yorkies can avoid. Why? Unusually small Yorkies are typically runts - flukes of nature if you will, but they're not supposed to be bred on purpose! Unscrupulous dealers will advertise Teacups as something special because they're so small, and then they'll use that small size to boost their costs. While there's nothing particularly wrong with raising an undersized Yorkie, there's something definitely wrong with giving customers the impression that you can buy a guaranteed prizewinner when nothing could be further from the truth.

Unusual Yorkshire Terriers for Sale

Another 'red flag ad' is one that promotes a Yorkie of a different color. The official colors of a Yorkshire Terrier are tan and black, tan and dark gray or silver, or tan and "blue". Tan may be substituted with gold, but if you see an ad that promotes a Yorkie that's solid black, gold, white, or some other non-official color, beware. Off-colored Yorkies are more appropriate for those who simply want a lovable pet.

Prize-Winning Yorkshire Terriers for Sale

Be aware of any ad that promotes a Yorkies characteristic that falls outside of the norm, too. And especially avoid ads that guarantee a winner. You might see an ad for example that promotes "prize-winning Yorkies" or something similar. Don't fall for that trick. Only dogs that have actually participated in a show and won a prize may be called that. An ad that calls its puppies "prize-winners" is misleading since the pups haven't met the age or weight requirements to even enter a show!

One more thing: Be aware of ads that promote more than one breed. This may indicate that the breeder doesn't give as much attention to each kind of litter that they deserve.

Ads with Confusing Terminology

As if all of this weren't confusing enough, you might also run into ads that promote "different kinds" of Yorkies. Don't be fooled. There's only one kind of Yorkie. Remember that teacup Yorkies don’t belong to a recognized standard. And neither do miniature Yorkies. Miniature and teacup mean the same thing, but a "toy Yorkie," although misleading, means something else.

A toy Yorkie is a toy dog that happens to be a Yorkie. It isn't any smaller than a true Yorkie even though someone might want you to believe otherwise. Calling a Yorkie a toy Yorkie in fact, is the same thing as calling a tennis shoe, a sports tennis shoe -- and it's just plain silly.