[BakersDozen]

Originally Posted by C C Kent

I occasionally have very small puppies, it takes longer for me to place them because of the FBI background check I do on the potential new home. I ALWAYS point out to the new mommy that almost every vet procedure is going to be a big deal, involving extra expense. Finding a vet to perform simple anesthesia is only the first step. They will nearly always retain baby teeth and require anesthesia to have them removed at about 8 months, so the hope that everything will be OK begins there. The exceptionally small ones can happen with any size breeding pair, whether it's a gene copying error or simply differences in hormonal response regulating growth stages.

We should handle the uneducated with care because in order to actually educate them, we must show them common courtesy. I've heard it said that "A mind changed against it's will, is of the same opinion still." Very small Yorkies, according to the history I've read, have been prized companions of the affluent since the early days of the breed. The early breeders were likely not attempting to breed that small, given the job they were expected to perform, but genetic anomalies will always capture the attention of the casual observer, and the casual observer will likely be uninformed. It might be unrealistic to expect that to change. IMHO