Please know that I respect you greatly Kathryn and I am sure hearing the vet use the teacup word afte what you have read on here was a shock and I mean no offense to you but.....
The word is not offensive to me and is quite commonly used now to refer to a dog who is smaller than the breed standard of several toy breeds including poodles and chihuahua.
I do not understand the contiuned uproar over a "word" and the fact that because it is
not part of the AKC classification, that it is wrong to use it to describe size or that "teacups do not exist".
It is no wonder that the average person would look at someone weirdly who would make such a comment. That is like saying dogs under 5 lbs do not exist when we know they do.
Also, teacups cost more because they are in demand and they are more expensive for a breeder, they require 24/7 care from birth and they have to stay with Mom longer so the vet incurs a lot more expense in raising them to the time of adoption.
I think we would all be happier if we stopped making such a fuss over such a commonly used term. JMHO.