[News] Small Dogs the Latest Fashion Accessory

[fasteddie]

Call it the Paris Hilton Effect. The hotel heiress and her Chihuahua, Tinkerbell, have made teeny tiny dogs the latest celebrity fashion accessory. If it barks and you can stick it in your purse or carry it in your arms, consider yourself part of a trend.

When Tinkerbell disappeared recently and Paris offered a $5,000 reward for her return, it made the national news. So did her reappearance. But The Simple Life star isn't the only one whose miniature dog has become a media hit. You can hardly open an issue of People magazine without seeing celebrities with their toy dogs.

Britney Spears was shopping recently at Whole Foods in Santa Monica, Calif., with Lucy, her Maltese, on one arm. Ice skater Kristi Yamaguchi owns a toy fox terrier named Piston.

And Jessica Simpson, Justin Timberlake, Mariah Carey, Mira Sorvino, Kelly Osbourne and Venus Williams also have much-photographed petite pooches.

"The style of the times is small dogs," says Bash Dibra, a New York dog trainer whose celebrity clients include Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Neve Campbell and Ron Howard's daughter, Bryce Dallas Howard. Dibra is the author of Your Dream Dog (New American Library, 2003, $22.95) and several other books. "These dogs have a brave heart, and they're a loyal friend."

The American Kennel Club says the popularity of small breeds has been rising slowly but steadily, but the golden retriever is still at the top of the list for purebred registrations. The question is whether most people are going to register a dog they plan to carry around in their purse. And teacup dogs - the really tiny ones you have to raise your voice several octaves to talk to - aren't a separate breed at all. Any toy breed can have its teacups. And the AKC isn't happy about them.

"They're being bred smaller and smaller because there's money in it," says Gail Miller, AKC's director of media relations. Teacups are "thought to be rare, so they can charge a lot."

People pay thousands of dollars for teacups and some toy breeds, while you can get a lovely golden retriever for $300.

There are two ways to produce teacup dogs, which usually weigh 2 pounds or less.

Reputable breeders let nature take its course, and with luck there's a runt of the litter. Unfortunately, more teacups are the result of inbreeding, which often produces unhealthy puppies. Until they're grown they can suffer from hypoglycemia or low blood sugar, unless fed every three hours or so.

Even healthy teacup dogs demand special attention.

"Some of these little dogs are really needy," says Arizona-based breeder Wanda Jones, who calls her business Tucson Tea-Cups. "They panic easily."

They also must be monitored closely. They can break a leg jumping off a sofa, and have questionable immune systems.

Jones recommends that consumers research the breeder before they buy and check references. Veterinarians are a good source for information on reputable breeders.

The current interest in tiny dogs might have started with the popularity of Taco Bell's commercials featuring a Chihuahua, one of the smallest of the purebreds and a perennial favorite.

Other popular toy breeds include Pekingeses, papillons and Yorkshire terriers.

"People tend to look at small dogs as accessories of their own," says Mike Campbell, owner of the newly opened Doggie Styles in Beverly Hills, Calif. "They can look even more fashionable if the little dog is dressed up."

He carries cashmere and silk sweaters, and T-shirts that run from $20 to $150. Little leather booties cost $70. Necklaces for dogs, not to be confused with collars, are made with Swarovski crystals and pearls (fresh water pearls) and will set the owner back $30 to $150.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepu...eacup0910.html

[Chelsie1978]

Ok..great article but as usual talks about "tea-cups" with out knowing anything about them.
QUOTE:
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"Even healthy teacup dogs demand special attention" "Some of these little dogs are really needy," says Arizona-based breeder Wanda Jones, who calls her business Tucson Tea-Cups. "They panic easily."

They also must be monitored closely. They can break a leg jumping off a sofa, and have questionable immune systems.
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This Im sorry is not true.Lady (my 10 month old yorkie) weighs 1lb 13 ounces as has none of the above problems..shes doesnt panic easily,she gets down from the couch with no problems,needs no more monitring than my 5lb yorkie,and has never been ill as of yet (touch wood)..so again we are having to listen to silly comments made by someone who has never actually owned a tiny dog.Why do tiny dogs upset people so much? Why cant they be healthy and normal,but just small? Do they Tell everybody ther´re sickly neurotic little animals so that no one will buy them? I just cant understand why people who have never owned a "tiny" stick their noses up in the air when they see them.All of a sudden people are popping up all over the place claiming that "tea-cups" are a big "no no"..the reasons? Because they get sick,you cant breed them,they die younger,they panic....but do the people who claim this actually own one? No!
Iv had Lady since she was 7 weeks old and 8ounces...she has had no special treatment,neither has she needed it..so Im sorry,articles like this just make my blood boil

[mishasmom]

I don't own a "tea-cup", but I agree with Chelsie 1978, I know people that do own them and they seem to be healthy happy dogs. Then I know people that own bigger dogs and they have health problems. A friend of mine has a big, but not overwieght maltese who hurt his back jumping of a pillow and he had to have a very expensive surgery. So all dogs can be fragile regardless of their size. Any one that owns an animal runs the risk of high expense due to sickness and injury. My moms boxer needs a lot of special attention because she has sugar diabetes and we have to be careful with when and how much she eats and inject her at the right time twice a day, so all dogs can need special attention.

[Chelsie1978]

Thanks mishasmom I just think that its not fair to stick a lable on "tinies".Its NOT true that they are ALL sickly neurotic pathetic and fragile..it just isnt.
They make them sound like time bombs! A tiny isnt compatible with kids,it must be constantly watched,it needs special treatment,it need tons of attention,they panic,they break...what the??? Are we talking about a dog or antique china?? For gods sake,they are exactly the same as any other yorkie,there is NO difference what so ever..beleive me,I DO have one.
Lady is no different to my 5lb yorkie,she plays,she gets down from the couch,she does as she pleases and my kids (5 and 7 years old) are always playing with her and carrying her around.
You have to be careful with ALL toy breeds,if they get sick,its common sense to get an under 10lb dog to the vet asap..because their size is their enemy when they ARE ill.But this goes for ALL small dogs,not just the tinies.Iv known bigger breeds with alot of health problems,and bigger breeds that are totally neurotic and panic,so as you can see..bigger isnt always better and smaller isnt always bad

[Gypsy Rose]

Hi Gina! Yeah I agree that a small dog can be just as tough and make a wonderful pet but also that they need to be taken to the vet even quicker than a bigger dog. Our Gizzie at 8 wks is 1lb 7 ozs so only now can I appreciate how tiny Lady is! I also couldn't believe Jess being 5lbs now!! They must look great together lol. I wonder how our two will vary in size! Ana xx

[bettyeanne]

Gina ... I have to say that when we were making our decision to buy a Yorkie, we read everything we could find about the breed. There is some pretty scarry stuff out there, however, have any of you read about other breeds? There's scarry stuff given by experienced professionals about lots of other breeds too! When we finally made our decision to buy Toto, we knew that we would "have" to be more cautious, etc. ... what we didn't know was that after having her for five minutes, we "wanted" to!! It's a committment we make if we love our babies and although Toto has exceeded our weight expectations [she is 14 months and weighs 4 lbs] we are still cautious and we always will be, but we would be just as over-protective if she weighed 15 lbs!! They are tiny, yes ... but, they are also sturdy!! Their little ribs look like that the little "pulley" bone in a chicken breast ... it's the most amazing thing I have ever seen. Also, the rib bone can be used as a bone graft [when needed] and as long as the part where it attaches to the rib cage is left intact, the rib will grow back!!! I watch way too much Animal Planet, but Toto likes it!! Bottom line, I think we were very brave to become "first time" Yorkie owners ... also, I believe that it was the wisest decision we ever made! Fortunately, our Toto is as healthy as a horse! We may encounter problems someday, but for now we just care for her as we would any spoiled child! I ignore things I hear about the tiny babies making them sound like sickly little freaks and just smile to myself because I KNOW the joy they can bring!!! By the way, I will never get over the striking resemblence of Lady and Toto! The first time Patrick and I saw Lady's picture we were amazed!! One thing for sure, we have two beautiful little girls!!!