[JiggityJig]

I'm posting this because another member was writing, frustrated, because every person who calls about her available puppies is looking for a "teacup".

Besides all the stories of poor breeding practices and potential health problems, I just don't think that people realize just how dangerous DAY TO DAY LIFE is for these little ones, and how fragile their little bodies are.

I own a very tiny yorkie....she is almost a year old, and has yet to break 2.5 lbs. I ended up with her because her owners were no longer able to care for her.

She is incredibly attached to me, and my husband adores her, and she has just been a dear and funny addition to the zoo we have around here. But we ALWAYS have to "worry" about her. Whether it's someone going in and out of the door....or the kids tossing around a ball...or just walking across the kitchen....we are constantly having to caution: "Look out for Mazie!!!!"

Well, we had a really bad accident take place here a week or so ago. It's taken me awhile to feel like posting about it, and maybe as you read you'll see why.


My six year old and I were up late one night, just talking and cuddling, and off and on petting Mazie, who was in our laps. We were messing around with a calculator of all things, just quietly passing it back and forth while we talked. Well, at some point it slipped from our hands, fell MAYBE four inches, right on Mazie's head.

Let me repeat that....a CALCULATOR fell FOUR INCHES.

We started laughing and apologizing to her, and Elijah sd., "It didn't even wake her up!" I shook her a bit, and felt unsettled when she seemed to be a little TOO sound asleep, so I picked her up. I was initially relieved to see that her eyes were open, but then her mouth fell open, and her tongue hung out, and obviously I realized something was wrong.

I told my son, "Wake up Daddy and tell him that Mazie's unconscious!" I quickly realized she wasn't breathing, and started doing CPR. When my husband got there he took over. She wasn't breathing and her heart wasn't beating for I don't know how long. Seemed like forever, of course, but I'm sure it wasn't.

Finally, a twitch of an ear let us know she was "back" again, but it was like she was totally paralyzed otherwise. She was laying out stiff as a board, and we couldn't even FORCE her legs to bend. Then slowly over the next hour or so, with her heart beating very slowly, her body came back to "life". It was so sad because one whole side of her body stayed numb longer than the other, and for awhile, her head was twisted to the side, and all she could do was scramble in circles.

But the vet said that all this was standard when their blood stops moving through their veins so suddenly like that, and then starts again. He likened it to our foot "falling asleep", and then taking awhile to get all the mobility back once the blood starts circulating again.

She was a little shaky and tired easily for several days (concussion?), and I was very paranoid about her. The vet brought up an additional concern, which I wasn't even aware of: he sd. that often a blow to the head like that can dislodge a cornea (retina?) and lead to glaucoma (but luckily she checked out all right).

Honestly, after this happened, I felt so MAD. Mad that people are deliberately breeding (and looking to buy) babies this small. It is so unfair to them, and their quality of life.

I have something I want to say, and I want to try to word it as diplomatically as possible. I certainly don't judge ANYone for the size of their dog, however little or big. Mazie is what I think of as an "accidental tiny"---not deliberately bred for that size--and of course, that happens, and these special little babies deserve loving homes too.

But I have to admit, it has bothered me at times to see YTers here, as much information as we have been exposed to, say that they are PLANNING for their "next yorkie to be a tiny". Indulge me please in cautioning you to PLEASE THINK TWICE before taking this step, and definitely PLEASE do not express interest to breeders who are deliberately breeding for these smaller sizes.

A four or five pound dog is a VERY SMALL DOG. I really don't personally think that there is any justifiable reason for breeding them any smaller, when it is so detrimental to their health and safety, on so many levels.

So, this is my story, and my caution, and my plea. I hope I haven't offended anyone with it, but maybe our nightmare experience will justify me speaking out at this time.

God bless all the 'cups, 'pots, and in-betweens, and keep them safe!!!