[Nancy1999]

It depends why the dog is tiny. Some dogs are tiny because of genetics and are perfectly healthy, some are tiny because they have an illness such as liver shunt that makes it difficult for them to grow. You also need to be careful whom you buy from. People that purposely breed for tines are apt to be breeding for that quality only and don't look at other features, they are also likely to not give the mother proper nutrition in the hopes of producing smaller pups. Some breeders say that their dogs are tiny, but sell them at 8 weeks, instead of the recommended 12 weeks, and the dogs will be larger than expected. The best way to find a healthy small dog is to find a breeder that breeds to standard, and tell her you interested in a smaller dog. Remember, that a good breeder won't use a female dog under 4 pounds in her breeding program anyway, so a tiny female has to be sold as a pet. Also, make sure you really know what a three-pound dog looks like, that is really small, and will need extra precautions to ensure its safety.