STANDARD TRADITIONAL YORKIES
We believe every Yorkie deserves to be well bred!


Helpful Tips & Topics
Questions To Ask Any Breeder
When choosing a breeder, you should feel comfortable working with them and confident that they will be available for you should you have questions or problems now or in the future. You are entrusting your puppies health and happiness to this person. Do not pick the first cute puppy that you run across, the puppy with the saddest story, or the smallest sick puppy because you feel sorry for it. Take a little time to find the right breeder and they will help you find the right puppy. The right puppy is worth the wait.

Health Screening
Confused about all the talk about Health Screening?
Ask your breeder exactly what health screenings they performed.

Routine Health Care
VETERINARY CHECK-UP
* Can Be performed by any veterinarian.
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* When available, reproductive specialists are the gold standard for care for breeding animals.
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* A general exam will tell you if the sire/dam are of overall good health.
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* A breeding exam will tell you if the dam/sire are expected to be physically capable of producing a litter.
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*Breeding specific testing, such as Brucellosis Testing can assure you that the dam/sire are not carrying the disease and are healthy to breed. This should be performed when using animals outside your own breeding program.
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* Veterinarians do not specialize in the breed standard of each breed and do not generally know what is considered a good breeding candidate to maintain the parent club written standard.
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* Clearance by a veterinary health check-up barely brushes the surface and lets you know a dog is healthy, not whether or not it should be a breeding candidate.

DNA Testing For Inherent Conditions & Traits
GENETIC HEALTH SCREENING
* There are several companies offering Genetic Health Screening. I use Embark and therefore that is what I am the most familiar.
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* This is a fairly new science and is changing rapidly. More tests and traits are being added as they become available.
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* The purpose is to look at any possible conditions or traits the breeding pair may pass on to offspring.
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* Of specific interest to Yorkshire Terriers are:
Primary Lens Luxation
Progressive Retinal Atrophy, prcd
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* There are over 200 markers in a panel screen but not all are relevant to Yorkshire Terriers. This is not an all inclusive list, but other notable items can be:
Degenerative Myelopathy, DM
Dilated Cardiomyopathy, DCM1
Copper Toxicosis
Proportionate Dwarfism
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* Testing allows breeders to select safe clear/clear or clear/carrier pairs. Two carriers of any given genetic trait should not be breed.

Orthopedic Foundation For Animals
OFA TESTING & REGISTRATION
* Promotes and records health testing results.
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* Testing is performed by private licensed veterinarians.
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* After completion of breed recommended testing, which varies by breed, The Canine Health Information Center number is assigned. Each dog has an individual CHIC number.
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* Testing and registration is voluntary.
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* Records are made public.
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The recommended health screeings for Yorkshire Terriers are:
ACVO Eye exam (1 year, 3 years, 6 years)
Patellar Luxation (knees)
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Does The Registry Really Matter?
Yes, it does!
There are three registries in the US and there is a clear difference.
Here is my unofficial take on the three.

Purebred Registry
AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB
Founded in 1884
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* Has a strict registration policy of only AKC registered dogs with a proven pedigree.
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* Dogs must be purebreds produced by registered parents.
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* Dogs can have a registered DNA profile that proves lineage.
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* Focuses on conformation of breed standards as set by the individual breed clubs.
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* Does kennel inspections and breeder education & emphasizes ethical breeding.
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* Promotes public education, sponsors The Canine Health Foundation, promotes conformation & sporting events.

Purebred & Mixed Breed Registry
CONTINENTAL KENNEL CLUB
Founded in 1991
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* Has relaxed registration requirements, and will register dogs without pedigrees.
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* Will register dogs as purebred with a picture and statement that the dog is purebred.
* Will register any mixed breed dog and does not register DNA profiles.
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* Founded by breeders who could not register their dogs with the AKC or UKC.
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* Does not perform kennel inspections or breeder education.
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Purebred Registry
UNITED KENNEL CLUB
Founded in 1898
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* Registers dogs with UKC & AKC registration but not recognize CKC registrations.
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* Dogs must be purebreds produced by registered UKC or AKC parents.
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* Does not keep a DNA profile registry for verification of parentage.
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* Focuses on performance sports instead of breed standard conformation.
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* Does not perform kennel inspections or breeder education.
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Our New Puppy Owners
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I couldn't be happier with my experience working with Kelly from KanDew Yorkies! I had searched tirelessly over a year looking at different breeders throughout the country until I finally found KanDew. It gave me a full sense of comfort knowing my next Yorkie, Paisley, was coming from the best in terms of high ethical, health, and care standards to ensure the well-being of both the puppies and their parent dogs.
From the very beginning, Kelly was professional, extremely knowledgeable, and incredibly caring. She kept me updates throughout the entire process with photos, videos, and regular check-ins. I was overwhelmed and overjoyed from the pictures and videos to see such an immaculate setup for the puppies in their loving environment with considerable attention. You can tell the puppies are a part of the family before they go to their forever homes. This gave such peace of mind, and made the wait so much easier and more exciting for my Paisley!
It was clear that KanDew Yorkies puts a tremendous amount of love and effort into raising their puppies in a clean, nurturing environment. I opted to pick up Paisley, and from the moment I arrived, I could tell this was a loving and responsible environment, with many toys and play-sets for the puppies. The home was beautify, clean, well-organized, and full of happy tails and wagging excitement!
Kelly and her husband took the time to walk me through the puppy's daily routine, dietary needs, health records, and answered every question I had with patience and care. I was provided with a thoughtful and wonderful care package for Paisley, filled with a few puppy toys and other go-to necessities for maintenance and grooming. Meeting Paisley's parents was also a huge plus. Both were beautiful, friendly, and healthy which gave me peace of mind about the kind of dog I'd be bringing home. The whole experience felt personal and reassuring. I left feeling not only excited but also fully supported in the journey as a new puppy parent.
I flew home to St. Lewis that day with Paisley. Although she was somewhat timid (as expected) in a new and busy airport environment, she did wonderfully. She was full of curiosity and excitement checking out her new surroundings and playing with her many new toys when we got home. She also did spectacular the first night in her new home, thanks to all the work Kelly put into crate training the puppies. Potty training also went extremely well from the beginning due to the extra efforts by Kelly working with the puppies.
My little Yorkie, Paisley, was everything I hoped for and more - healthy, well-adjusted, and full of personality! If your looking for a trustworthy, responsible Yorkie breeder who goes above and beyond, I wholeheartedly recommend KanDew Yorkies. I'm beyond grateful for my loving furry gal pal. My first two years with her have flown by much too quickly! Thank you KanDew Yorkies, for such a smooth and heartwarming start to a lifetime of love, memories, and ongoing Yorkie fun!
Paisley lives with Lauren in Missouri
Beamer & Hundo Puppy Born November 11, 2022