[Wylie's Mom]

{Continued from above...}

Some breed standard information on a few of the toy breeds that fall subject to the Teacup myth...

Yorkshire Terriers-

No one on this earth has a "teacup" Yorkshire Terrier because no such classification exists. Let me clarify. The official breed standard for the Yorkshire terrier calls for adult Yorkies to have a weight of no more than seven (7) pounds.

To be exact, the breed standard states: "Weight: Must not exceed seven pounds." This definition was approved on April 12, 1966. To review the breed standard for Yorkshire terriers, click here.

Why then, you may ask, do so many breeders advertise teacup Yorkies?

There are only two reasons:

--Fraud

Some unscrupulous breeders advertise teacup Yorkies to take advantage of those people who are not very familiar with Yorkies. By telling someone that they are getting a "teacup", they make the buyer feel that they are getting something special (as if one get much more special than a Yorkie at all:-)). Beware, many of these people also advertise "toy" and or "standard" Yorkies with weights up to 10 or 12 pounds. As stated above, a standard Yorkshire terrier must weigh no more than 7 pounds.

--Ignorance

Sadly, there are people out there breeding Yorkshire terriers who simply aren't knowledgeable enough about Yorkies to know that there is no such thing as a "teacup". One can only image their general breed knowledge and the quality of their puppies.

I was told of a breeder recently who has Yorkies weighing less than two(!!) pounds all the time. The smallest dog in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, was a Chihuahua who weighed just under 2 pounds at 1 lb. 14 oz. For someone to claim that they regularly have adult dogs weighing less than 2 pounds is a stretch to say the least.

On average, Yorkshire terriers weigh between 5 and 7 pounds as adults. There are, of course, smaller Yorkies born that will weigh less. Most Yorkshire terriers that you see participating in the show ring tend to be 5 to 7 pounds. A dog weighing 3 to 4 pounds is considered very small and often requires special care. Dogs this small should not be handled by children expect under strictly controlled conditions. Children are clumsy by nature--not intentionally--and dogs weighing less than 4 pounds are fragile, with easily broken bones

Maltese-

The Maltese is a "toy dog". They are small already. The American Maltese breed standard states "Seven(7) pounds and under, with four(4) to six(6) pounds preferred". I guarantee that the lower end of the weight scale Maltese is quite tiny. There are people who even breed these "tiny" Maltese (which in all rights should be someone’s lap warmer) hoping to produce more tiny Maltese so that they can sell them as "teacup/tea cup/tcup/t-cup" size and charge lots of money for them. This, in my opinion, as well as many others’ opinions, is unethical and wrong. My heart goes out to the poor little dogs being used in this manner!!!! On many occasions I have heard of a "teacup/tea cup/tcup/t-cup Maltese" being eight or nine pounds and even larger, which is above our national weight standard according to the AKC Maltese standard. Just another con using a glitzy sales term to sale a dog. This is sooo sad!

Chihuahuas-

The official A.K.C. Breed Standard describes the Chihuahua as a small dog that comes in two varieties or coat types. The difference in coat type (the Long Coat or the Smooth Coat) is the only official description used to identify a difference within this breed. Our Standard does not categorize the Chihuahua by size. For the purpose of showing and record keeping, the American Kennel Club includes the Chihuahua (along with 16 other breeds) in the Toy Group. Therefore, irrespective of their weight or physical stature, ALL Chihuahuas registered with A.K.C. are considered to be a toy breed of dog. As with all living things, there will be a size variance between individual dogs within this breed. They are Chihuahuas-Long Coat/Smooth Coat, Male/Female. Unfortunately, the additional adjectives used to describe the size difference and physical appearances are many; and have been misused for so long they now seem legitimate. Teacup, Pocket Size, Tiny Toy, Miniature or Standard - are just a few of the many tags and labels that have been attached to this breed over the years. The use of these terms is incorrect and misleading. Occasionally, within a litter, there may be a puppy that is unusually small. That puppy is a SMALL CHIHUAHUA and any other breakdown in description is not correct.

There is no such thing as a "teacup Chihuahua" or a "miniature Chihuahua" or a "pocket Chihuahua”. Unknowledgeable buyer’s use this phrase when looking to purchase a (what size?) Chihuahua. Please be clear about what size you want, teacup does not describe anything. That term is in the eyes of the beholder and since there is no true definition for “teacup” you may be taken advantage of. Some breeders use these cute phrases as marketing tools to describe the different sizes that Chihuahua's come in, but these are all incorrect. Knowledgeable breeders will NOT use that term. A breeder trying to take advantage of the public may describe any Chihuahua as a “teacup” and will they be wrong?

Article from here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/hair-...0941996500177/