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.
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