[SoCalyorkiLvr]

I have been extremely lucky in all of the breeders I have come across because none of them would sell a tiny to anyone who was not capable of caring for it 24/7 and they all send "emergency kits" with the owners after 2 hours of instruction on how to properly care for these special babies. They give syringes, nutrical, baby food, Karo syrup with written instructions in case of a low blood sugar attack, coccidia or other problem. I have always had to fill out an extensive questionnaire and prove to the breeder that my lifestyle was condusive to the needs of the tiny yorkie. If they didn't do this, the puppies would die and they would lose money replacing expensive puppies all the time. They are also responsive by email and telephone whenever I have a question or concern.

I am not offended by the term teacup, tiny, or purse baby because the breeders I know simply use those terms as guidelines to explain the estimated size of the dog at adulthood. Most consider a teacup or tiny to be under 4 lbs at adulthood. Sure, they get more money for the smaller ones but I do not find that offensive. It's a business and it costs more to whelp and raise a tiny to 12 weeks and they are fairly rare, hence the price. While AKC doesn't recognize these size differences, that is irrelevant to me because they really only care about show dogs and I only have pets. I know the breed standard, but the littler yorkies suit my lifestyle better. I travel a lot and use my dogs as service animals so I need small dogs who travel easily.