Jackie you know first hand about my Lil Bit, he is doing great now and had been until about 2 weeks ago, he just completely bottomed out.
It was due to nothing but stress of the temperature change.
I just can't imagine wanting to breed for these sizes and pass them off to someone else.
I know most health guarantess don't cover Hypoglycemia so if the pup dies from Hypoglycemia you are out of luck.
Something else to consider.

Deana
Prestigeous

I have to say I agree with you on this so much. I have a very small one right now that was born from standard size parents. I have yet to sleep in my bed and have stayed with her since they day she was born. I still don't feel comfortable leaving her alone thru the night. I have no plans currently about placing her or not since it will be quite awhile before I feel more comfortable to even consider placing her if I ever do. These little ones are so hard to stop worrying about.

hey all......

okay..... I will admit I am partial to smaller sized yorkies. I love the tiny ones with the little compact bodies... they look like puppies even when they are adults! In my opinion, there is no comparison.... I am a big fan of smaller sized yorkies...especially when they have a fiesty little personality. We lucked out with Jaya, and when it came time to get our second puppy, we just couldn't afford the prices for teacups ($2800+).

Jaya is almost 2 and half pounds, and will reach 3 lbs full size. She is a replica of her father who was exactly 3 lbs. Her mother was 8-9 lbs, and the other two puppies in that litter will max out at 4 and 5 lbs.

Jenna is a little over 2 lbs at 11 weeks and will max out 4-5 lbs. The other dog in her litter is bigger. The breeder had another litter born the same day and they are half the size of Jenna (that litter's parents were SO beautiful, and so healthy...both 4-5 lbs, the pups were all small because she had 4 pups which is unheard of for her size), but the breeder was selling those pups at a ridiculous price which pissed me off, but what can you do... right... they have to make a living too I guess. I bought both my pups from the same breeder...

Anyways!

With Jaya... she is such a sturdy dog...... very very outgoing... loves to run and attack everything... when I hold her, I can tell she is a strong and sturdy dog. I mean she bounds up and down the stairs in seconds, and her legs are very powerful. She is very slim, but she's all lean muscle.

Basically, what I'm saying is, you have to look at the parents and the way the pup is reared before you pick it up, as well as the build of the dog. Jaya was a sturdy puppy even if she was the smallest of the litter. I would not classify her as the 'runt' because she was not projected to be smaller than her father, but simply followed his genes.

What is worrisome about smaller yorkies, is if they are "runts" which I classify as those pups who don't get enough food and attention due to the other, more stronger pups in the litter. The runts are usually projected to be smaller than the parents (and grandparents) and they usually look weaker and frailer than the other pups in the litter. For a runt, small is not due to genes, but due to health, and those are the pups with health issues.

In regards to those breeders who purposely breed for size..... i don't know much.... When i was looking for yorkies, all the females were always over 6 lbs so I dont know much. That other litter that i mentioned earlier with the four teacups, the father was at least five lbs...the mother was smaller, but those two were bred for more "show quality" rather than pet quality.

There was one breeder who was selling a 4 month old pup who was a little over 1 lb, who was projected to weigh 2 lbs. I had to decline because his body was extremely compact and he just didnt seem to feel right...he was almost as wide as he was long! and the lady did not have the parents, so the alarm bells were ringing, and I had nothing to compare him with.

When a person is looking for a "teacup" or a yorkie that is 3 lbs and under, he or she must examine everything. But like I said earlier, there is nothing wrong with the small ones (i LOVE them)...... you just gotta know your stuff and you must must must! see the parents and the other pups of the litter. And never settle for a runt, just to get a "teacup"...its just not worth it in the long run.

My male is 8 years old and 2.8 pounds. While he is absolutely adorable, i would never have another tiny one.

I also have a 5 pound yorkie and 8 pound maltese. I really prefer the 5-6 pound size for many reasons. :thumbup:

I didnt know zip when I bought my first Yorkie. They were charging $250.00 for the girls(there were 4 girls). I asked if I could have the runt for $225.00 and they agreed. She was the best $225.0 I ever spent!!! She was the absolute love of my life and grew up to be a whopping 3 1/2 lbs. She went everwhere with me, hiking and in the swimming in the creek, to the store and for car rides. She didnt have any health problems but did have luxating patellas. They didnt bother her until she was about 12 years old. she started walking a little bit stiff. she lived to be 15 years old. I was sooo paranoid about anesthesia, I didnt have her spayed until she was 10 years old. thats when a very knowledgable toy vet moved into town.I cried all the way home knowing that she might never wake up. She came through with flying colors. I still get tears in my eyes when I think of her. I dont have children, but she was my child.

Very good post!
Last winter was the first winter since adopting our 8 year old Gizmo and he scared the hell out of me. I just couldn't keep him warm enough and he had 2 hypoglycemic episodes, the vet explained he used all his energy up trying to keep warm, even with jammies he still shivered. I had to start feeding him several little meals through out the day as opposed to the normal 2 meals a day he was on previously and we kept him bundled up with sockies and 4 legged fleece jumpers. When he has had a bug he has dropped weight so quickly, at 2.8 pounds that just isn't good.

Other than that he has been pretty healthy accept for the old age things setting in such as arthritis and bad teeth.

Kudos to you for lowering your price on the small ones that you kept until 7 months!!! :thumbup: Sad to say that doesn't seem to be the norm. Makes me think you really care about your dogs and are not in it only for profit margin.

Yorkies
 

I would like to say in general that the yorkie breed is a more difficult breed to raise and require more care in general than any other dog I have ever raised. Alot of the larger yorkies can have all of the same problems as the smaller ones. I hear of liver shunt, bad patella's, heart murmers, and the like in the larger yorkies. If a yorkie is cared for properly, it requires more time and care than do most breeds. This is what anyone who is considering a yorkie should know if they do the research on the breed before purchasing one. On the flip side of that, I find that the yorkie is more loving and loyal and personalble than most. I raise yorkies and my breeders are between 5 1/2 and 7 lbs. I do not sell the runts if I get a smaller one, I place it with a person who has experience and time and they keep their money incase it were to develope a medical condition. I also keep all of my pups till they are 3-4 months old. I have my vet do extended heath checks to insure they are healthy before I sell them, it costs more but I dont have to replace the dogs due to health issues later on. My babies are not in kennels, they live in my home with me as my kids. I must say that they are alot easier to raise than my 5 daughters were. Thanks for listening

I'm sure we all agree that the top priority to look for in a breeder is healthy lines. At 2 yrs. Sugar was 3 pound and naturally I thought that was his adult weight. I was surprised to find out that now at 3 yrs he is 4 pounds. He isn't overweight, he just filled out. I guess he was a late bloomer.:p Other than some recent food sensitivity he is my healthiest dog. Gracie is 8 or 9 pounds and has LP and reverse sneezing. Bigger does not always mean healthier. There are irresponsible breeders who specialize in "tea cups" and ONLY care about tuning out tinies which is horrible. There are also breeders who breed yorkies that are much larger than standard- they are also in it only for the money and can turn out unhealthy as well.

I have talked to 2 different vets about this, and they both agreed, that most of the time, the tiny ones do not live as long as the ones that are bigger..this is why, although the little ones are cute, I don't want a little tiny one..I want to have them with me as long as possible...and there are people that breed them at 3 lbs. oh my, to me, I love my dogs too much to take these chances..:(

This is a HEART BREAKING issue for me with my precious Cali. I'm a big believer in spaying/neutering your pets. My Cali is only 1 lb and 3 ounces. She is extremely petite and tiny, literally fits into the palm of your hand. If there ever was a TRUE teacup sized dog, it would be Cali. We haven't had her spayed yet because of her size and I can't tell you how I always worry about her possibly getting cancer in the future because of not being spayed. It's a NEVER ENDING worry on my part and it makes me literally feel sick to my stomach sometimes just thinking about it.

Cali is MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH more limited than my others 2 dogs, who are 5 lbs and 8 lbs. She aboslutely can NOT jump on or off the bed and couch. She can NOT walk up or down the stairs. She gets sick SOOOOO MUCH MORE QUICKER than any dog I've ever seen in my life. It seems that she always has a never ending cold during the winter months. I don't take her outside all winter because of this but I do walk Codie and Tia daily in the winter and they are totally fine and hardly ever get sick -- I know in my heart it's because they are bigger than she is and can tolerate the cold better because of that reason.

I love my Cali with all my heart and if I had to do it all over again, I definitely would because I simply cannot imagine my life without her. She really completes our family in such a special way. But I don't think I would ever again get one this tiny. Not because of the money or anything so superficial but because my heart can't handle the constant worry of losing her. It really does take a toll on me and my husband because he loves her just as much as I do and when she gets sick, he's a nervous wreck that we're going to lose her.

On a side note, in my opinion I don't believe tiny dogs of any breed (Cali is a Chihuahua, not a Yorkie) are good for people who aren't in a good place financially. And when I say this, I mean it in the most kind and sincere way possible. I don't mean to put people down and say they don't deserve to own a dog if they are poor. But what I'm saying is when Cali gets sick, she must immediately go to the vet. There is no 2 or 3 day grace period to wait until you get paid that Friday and then take her in. She has gone to the emergency ER vet that is open all night several times for simple things like the sniffles because I simply cannot wait until the next morning for her regular vet to open up. Just to WALK IN the ER vet it's $100 and that does not include the vet touching her at all, that's just the walk-in fee. Then comes the exam and whatever else the vet has to do to her. If the vet has to keep her over night or for a few dayss, you're looking at a few hundred to possibly even thousands of dollars. The few times we're gone to the ER vet, we've never had a bill less than $200. Cali has cost me a lot more money in her one and a half year life span -- so much more than Codie and Tia. Everything for her is more money, even a regular check-up at the vet because of her tiny size.

I don't regret having her ... in fact, my feelings are quite the opposite. She has brought such joy to my husband and I and we thank god for blessing us with her, Codie and Tia. But there are risks involved and my love for her can't change any of that.

To anyone who has a tiny like my Cali, I wish you all the best of luck with your little one. They truly are a blessing. :)

Jodie, I can feel your pain. We have that same problem with Cali. When she is sick, she loses weight but at 1 lbz and 3 ounces, she can't afford to lose even 1 ounce!! She needs every ounch possible to keep her going.

Gizmo is in the best place possible. You take such great care of him. If I rememebr correctly, you even helped him gain a little bit of weight. :p I wish I had that luck with Cali but no matter how much she eats or all of the extra supplements I give her to gain weight, the scale doesn't budge ... I wish I could same the same for me lol :p

Nikki--You bring up good points. ANY dog of ANY size can have health issues as the result of bad breeding. Likewise, you can have dogs in great health right down to the smallest little Yorkie out there. But size and the problems that come with it are still issues that can't be avoided even in the healthiest of dogs.:( Whether the dog is healthy or not is not the primary concern when it comes to these extra small ones...size is.

(Not arguing, just expanding on your points.:) )

And consider that there are scum out there churning out these super small cuties rapidly, and charging astronomical prices...well, do you honestly think the well being and overall health of these little ones is a concern at all? I doubt it. I'm sure they don't give LP or shut a secong thought.:thumbdown

We are on the same page with our thoughts about the little tiny ones.
I think some people if they were allowed to watch their dog during a CSection and how awful it is to see them cut open and bringing the puppies out. It is just horrible even with a bigger girl. To think of the little ones that are being bred and some breeders do CSections with every litter because they don't want to take a chance at loosing puppies.
It is a terrible shame that this is going on.
This is what they tell you hey this is america we can do it if we want, thats the attitude that the breeders that do this have.
So very sad :( :mad:

Deana
Prestigeous Yorkies

I believe this too and I can't tell you how it makes me sick with worry over my baby Cali. :( :(