If you read about Yorkie history on the YTCA website they tend to say that the Yorkie has been on the small side for about a century. The response above by "dezertblu" states that may be true but you have to go back further in the history to really see the whole gene pool. Don't know who is right.
If the dogs ancestors were quite large then they would still have those genes some where in the pool. Very reputable breeders today may occasionally have a larger pup but it is not (should not)be the norm. This is one reason why these dogs, like every purebred, have to be bred carefully by people who know a thing or two about the genetics of the breed. People who just breed one cute dog to another bring out the recessive genes that the dogs are carrying. So the traits that a good breeder has been trying to breed out of their line can easily be brought to the forefront by a bad breeding. Several bad breedings will continue to bring out the characteristics that a good breeder is trying to avoid. Then a new owner will look at their maturing pup and say, " I wonder if my puppy is really a purebred?" The gene pool gets so large that there is no consistency like there should be in purebreds.
And yes, people who advertize "tea cups" are trying to rip you off. They always promise that the puppy will not get any bigger than 4lbs. There is just no way a breeder can honestly make that promise. They are also increasing the gene pool even though they are breeding two small dogs together. |