Is my yorkie too big ?
 

When i got my lil guy they told me he was a tea cup. I even have the birth certificate to prove it. As it turns out he's almost one years old and I know for sure he's not a tea cup. I measured him today and he is 11 inches long from his neck to his tail. He's just about 7 pounds or so. Is my yorkie too big? :cool:

Your yorkie is definitely not too big. The yorkie standard states the size should be between 4 and 7 pounds (although many do get heavier than 7 pounds which is fine). Your dog sounds like a nice size yorkie, you have nothing to worry about. You were misled about the full size of the yorkie you purchased, but sometimes it is hard to predict how big they will get.

i second bently's mom youre yorkie is not too big...... average actually....... the breeder you bought your baby from was either ignorant or deliberatly misleading, there is no such thing as a teacup yorkie..... smaller yorkies happen because they are bred that small or they are runts, their is no separate classification..... how much did you pay for him???

My boyfriend bought him for me as a present. The breeder said that he was only going to be about 3 pounds and the dog next to him was going to be 4 1/2 and since i chose the smaller dog which is now my Rambo , that the price would be more for him cause of him being a "tea cup". We paid 2,000.. i'm guessing now that was a little to much. Was it too much?

OMG!!!!!!!!!!! :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:


(does that express my feelings effectively???)

Wow, i think you paid too much........... i would never pay 2,000 for a dog!!! Toby is going to be around 7 lbs and i only paid $500.... (but my baby doesnt have papers).... unfortunatly we hear stories like yours all too much these days, you love youre rambo and im sure that is all that matters...... But breeders taking advantage of people just BUG ME!!!!!!!!

Wow - you got taken advantage of. Out here in Seattle the average price is around $1,000 (luckily I was able to find one for less). A good breeder would never inflate the price just because a yorkie will be small. The label "teacup" has been made up by some breeders to have a reason to charge more than normal for a yorkie. Yorkies can be smaller than 4 pounds, but that just means they are small, not that they fall into a new type of yorkie called "teacup". Breeders who advertise these types are trying to scam you into paying more money than necessary. The only price difference should be between male/female and show/non show quality.

No, like people have already posted, your Yorkie is not too big, but yes, you’ve been ripped. As was posted earlier the official standard for the Yorkshire Terrier, as it is adopted by the Yorshire Terrier Club of America (“YTCA”, the official American Kennel Club (“AKC”), states that Yorkies “shall not exceed seven pounds” of course, just because a Yorkie exceeds seven pounds, doesn’t make it less of a Yorkie – just makes it too big to be a show dog.

I can’t say this enough: THERE ARE NO SUCH THINGS AS “TEACUPS” (other than the kind someone uses with a saucer!) That word started with toy poodles and has spread to encompass most of the dogs in the AKC “Toy” Group. It’s a marketing device and a ploy used by less than scrupulous and/or ignorant breeders who have recently jumped on the “teacup” bandwagon, fueled by a frenzy created by equally ignorant and fashion conscious pop-stars and teenage girls. Some of these breeders sell puppies for outrageous prices, and it sounds like you fell victim to one such breeder. To give you a comparison, my own POINTED SHOW DOG was less than $1,500. Incidentally, she is only four pounds.

Now, you mention that you have something in writing? I am doubtful it could be the dog’s papers as, at least, the AKC would not have put “teacup” next to “Yorkshire Terrier” in the pedigree. Is it some sort of contract or guarantee? Read it carefully. I am a lawyer, and as such, cannot give you legal advice in this instance (especially not over the internet like this) but I’d suggest that since we are talking about a sizable amount of money, and what you presumed to be a guarantee, your state (or the state of your purchase) may have a lemon-law that applies to the purchase of pets and a local attorney might be able to make a contract claim for you to recoup some of your lost funds. You should speak to an attorney and find out your legal rights and whether you can recoup some of your lost funds.

Lastly, as a more global post (not speaking to the chorus here): PEOPLE – NO ONE CAN PROMISE THE ULTIMATE SIZE OF A THREE MONTH OLD PUPPY! DO NOT BUY A PUPPY FROM SOMEONE WHO WILL SWEAR TO THE ULTIMATE SIZE OF THE DOG - ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE MARKETING IT AS A TEACUP! Amen.

To Big My Guy Is More Than 20 Pds Ha! Lmaao

There is no such thing as a yorkie being too big, it is only oversized for showing. As already mentioned, the YTCA lists a max of 7 pounds for showing, but there is no limit on the small size, although you will not see tinies in the show ring because good breeders will not take the chance on breeding a tiny female. The only thing on the AKC registery is that it is a yorkshire terrier, period. Not over sized, or tea cup, or tiny or anything like that. Also, just because a pup may be the runt of the litter does not mean it will be the smallest when full grown. A yorkies size depends and the history of the line it comes from, and there is always, always , the exception to that too. If you want a guarntee on the size of the dog you are buying, wait until it is full grown, then the person can guarntee it's size, and only then. That is why we show people keep our puppies until they are 6 months or more, so that we have a pretty good idea of their size and their qualities.

brownie is supersized LOL

Theres no such thing as a tea-cup,it just doesnt exist,so I dont know how they proved that to you with a certificate at all,there is no such thing as a birth certificate stating the yorkies size,simply because no one knows what a yorkie will weigh straight after birth.A yorkie is a yorkie and thats all you will see on any paperwork,so how she showed you any sort of document that "proved" this is beyond me.A yorkie can be bigger or smaller,but they are all just yorkies..any other fancy name used (tea-cup,baby faced,chocolate) is just to up the price and trick people into thinking they are buying something rare and special.
I have 2 yorkies,my 1 year old yorkie weighs 2 lb´s,whilst my 8 month yorkie weighs 8lb´s,but I can assure you they are both all yorkie.You were over charged for your yorkie,and you were also lied to..Birth certificates stating that your yorkie is a "tea-cup" dont exist,becuase as I said before,there is no such thing,so this could not be put into any serious document at all.

I had read that a yorkie or any toy breed that is less than 3 or 4 pounds when full grown may end up with health problems. Is that true? Bo is 3 months old and is already 4 pounds so I figure he will be over 7 or 8 pounds. I don't care. He is a sturdy little thing and a robust eater and we all adore him! :)

im sorry you got ripped off.... i know when i was first looking for a yorkie i too wanted a very tiny one... one that would be under 4 or 5 pounds, my husband didnt want me to spend alot of money... i did at one point find a breeder who had a great gurante but was way too much... besides the two year gurante she was giving outshe was also giving a size gurante too... told me that if i wanted a tiny dog and bought one from her, and it turned out bigger then what i wanted then i could get a new dog or my money back... was a good deal, but stilll could not see myself spending that much money... well i did end up finding my puppy..(beaker boy) who i only spent 550 on with pappers and is going to stay very tiny... i just got very lucky....

yea, i guess that breeder saw us coming from far and knew that he could take our money. I mean , i didn't know anything about yorkies and I'm sure he knew that. I just wanted to have a small healthy dog and he said this was the one that wouldn't grow and weigh that much which he then called it a "tea cup". At the time i didn't know that there wasn't such thing as a "tea cup" so when i heard that i really wanted to have him. I thought the smaller the better cause i could take him anywhere and it wouldn't be of any bother to my family.

I love my dog and i wouldn't trade him for anything in this world but I'm just uspet because he didn't tell us the whole truth. He should of been honest with us. I do have a certificate of registration that says" Minuti". Even though i recieved that in the mail after having him for like 3 months.

I don't have anything else in writing but he did assure me that my dog wasn't going to exceed that weight limit. I didn't know anything about yorkies and being that he was a breeder I of course took his word for it. Maybe it wasn't all the breeder's fault. Probably mine for taking his word.

Yeah, that sucks. But you know what? You've got a great little yorkie and he'll be really happy with you and you are really happy with him and that's all that matters now. Incidentally, mine's 9 lbs and 8 months, and it doesn't make him any less of a great pet. He looks like a little Ewok and you can't go wrong with Ewoks. As a little side note, I wanted to add that I get a little irked when people get all worked up about the size of their yorkie. They're great no matter what. And if they're a little bigger than you expect, well, you were just meant to live with a big yorkie, that's all!! But I'm sorry that you were lied to.

From all the replys to your posts it sounds like you have learned a lot, especially the fact that there is no such things as a "tea cup Yorkie"...

Schatzie is 8 months and 7 pounds, yes I too was hoping she'd be smaller but now it isn't even in my thoughts. She is wonderful and filled with so much love that she cold be 70 pounds and as long as healthy i wouldn't mind a bit.

Your baby sounds healthy too and that is what is most important.

The more I read from people who have Yorkies, the majority of them are on the bigger size which is the norm.

The smaller real tiny ones can have health concerns but I've also seen itty bitty ones who are healthy as can be. Either big or small all Yorkies need special care, what I mean by that is limit jumping off furniture, grooming, etc. But they are all loved no matter how big they get.

That is way to much to pay for ANY DOG in my opinion! I see on the internet where they are charging that much, but can't really believe people would pay that! He will be a lovely companion for you though, and you will love the heck out of the Yorkie personality. And no, he is not too big. I paid $800. for mine. Only because my daughter insisted I buy this one when she was on vacation and found her. I could have gotten one for around $350. in my home town if I had waited. But she is lovely, and we were lonely and sad after having having just lost our Peke to cancer. So price is not relevant when one loves their dog. But, sadly you did get ripped off!

Im going to be honest with you..Lady is 14 months old and weighs in at 2lbs.We have trouble with her keeping her weight up and she has been on high calorie food for the past 4 months to maintain her weight,because as soon as we take her off of the high calorie food,her weight goes down to 1lb 10oz (more or less).When they are so tiny,it IS a problem.But not only because of how fast they can deteriorate when and if they are ill,its also because of how extremly fragile they are.Lady cant get up onto furniture,she cant get down,and we have to be so careful when we are around the house so that she doesnt get stepped on etc,we also have to keep an eye on her sugar level (make sure she eats) because the tiny ones never grow out of hypoglycemic attacks,so even at a year old it can still happen..it is infact a huge responsabilty when they are very small.
Jess,my youngest yorkie,is 8 months old and weighs in at 8lb´s..now she is so much "easier" to have;) We are more laid back with her because she can hold her own and she is SO much bigger and stronger.She eats wonderfully and we dont have to count the kibble to make sure shes had enough..its just a whole different story.
What ever the size of your baby,after 24hours you wont even notice because you will be head over heels inlove;) It wont matter one bit how big or small they are:)

size
 

Who is to say what price is too much..but the breeder should stand by what they sell. If you want a tiny and pay the price of one, then you should get one. $2000 will in most breeder circles get you an average quality show prospect male or tiny pet. I find if you double the weight at 12 weeks it is a good rule of thumb..few of mine ever grow bigger then the 12 wk weight doubled..I keep tabs on pups who leave..if I have charged for a tiny then a partial refund is due.

I have to chime in on the price issue. I really think a lot has to do with where you live. When I lived in NJ it there were many more reputable breeders then there are down here in FL. I could have gotten a Yorkie for around $650 - $1,000. (not necessarily show quality)

But in my quest for a Yorkie down here in Naples they were definitely higher. The freakin' pet store was selling these poor babies who were no question puppy mill puppies for $2,700.00!!!!!! (I wish they'd shut every pet store down, but that's another topic...)

I paid $1,000.00 for Bowzer from a breeder and I'd do it again!!! He's awesome!!!

Like everyone else said, 7lbs is a good weight. Paying $2,000 is a little steep, but if you live in NYC, Yorkies are going to cost more than usual, regardless of their size. The average going rate around here is something like $800, but a good deal are listed for $1,200. So, you weren't ripped off as badly as it might seem, due to the average cost of Yorkies in your area. I hope that makes you feel a little better!

I paid $500 for my newest Yorkie, but he isn't registered. His parents were 3lbs and 3.5lbs and he's tiny himself, so it was a really good deal. Smaller Yorkies are sooooo exspensive around here, $1,200 and up. My second youngest Yorkie is AKC and champion sired and I got her for $550, but I think that was because I was young and cute and wanted a puppy. :) I think I payed $500 for the oldest. As for their weights, puppy is 3lbs (4 1/2 months), Maddie is 18lbs (but should weigh 12lbs) and Puppster is... 30lbs?? The weigh can vary a lot from dog to dog, even from the same litter.

Congrats on your baby!

I live in NYC and Archie cost us about $850. The reason is that we got him when he was 5 months old and he was already bigger than some of the other yorkies (5-6lbs). I was told that if we had gotten Archie when he was younger (at 4-8 weeks old) and smaller, we probably would have paid around $1,500 or $2,000....and why not? You'd see this tiny 1lb thing and say to yourself, awwww...he's so small, he won't grow big...he'll be like a really really expensive hamster for the rest of his life!!! But I think that at the point we got him, we all knew he was going to be big so they really couldn't really pull any "teacup," scheme even if they wanted to. Anyway, like I posted before, I talked to Archie's breeder yesterday (he's in Oklahoma) and Archie's sister is 3lbs., and the breeder told me that he has a hard time training her and getting her to eat, etc. But being a girl and 3 lbs., she can probably sell for $2,000 or more. May I just add that if you are thinking of buying yorkies, please please please make sure that you don't get them when they're too young? It's really bad for yorkies to be separated from their mothers too early--they end up having behavioural and health problems. And please do not let anyone sell you a much too young yorkie and tell you she's a "teacup." It's worth waiting until they are 2 or 3 or even 5 months old.

Luca Dean is 5 months and the word "teacup" was [thankgod] never mentioned when I spoke with the seller [her sick, pregnant sister- in- law was the breeder and had been so morning sick she was unable to get out of bed for long periods of time.] The breeder was apparently a good breeder though - talked to her on phone briefly.

So, I actually got a deal on Luca Dean because he was already 5 months old and the breeder knew her sis-in-law wasn't able to groom the pup and he was being kept outside. Breeder therefore reduced price. People want "puppies." I guess people no longer considered a 5 month old a puppy. He is registered and will be within AKC weight range for showing, but his personality is not "show dog" type. He's a bit shy and tenative. And he has bat ears. But he is our new love nonetheless!!! Anyway, he was $675. I was prepared to pay more, but my fiance would not let me pay more than $1000 for a yorkie unless it was show quality or championship bloodline. Anyway, we love Luca Dean and he's going to be probably around 6 lbs. I am so glad I got a yorkie this size, because we have an active household with other pets and my yorkie just wouldn't have done well if he were much smaller than he is now.

Thanks guys for your replies and the advice. I do really feel alot better about my situation. I'm glad I found this Yorkie Talk Forum. If it wasn't for this site I would still be very much confused. I'm so Happy and relieved I know more about these little bundle of joys,Yorkies.

Lickthestar where in NYC do you live?

i wouldnt trade him but i wish he was alot smaller i wanted a dog that i would actually lift lol :eek:

I used to live in Chelsea (19th Street between 8th and 9th), but now I live in Forest Hills, in Queens, off 71st and Continental.

Oh okay.. i live here on the Lower East Side. I was going to ask you if you knew of any good dog runs around here. I use to go to one on Tomskin Square but then I discovered one on 23 and on 11 or 12 avenue. I've only been to that one once but liked it better than tomskin.

You might want to check out www.urbanhound.com They list all the good dog runs in the city, including the private ones where they might charge a little fee. We have a park across the street where Archie goes everyday (although it says no dogs allowed, but really, who follows rules when it comes to their dogs?!) but he also goes to the dog run several times a week. I work downtown and would love to sneak Archie into Battery Park.

Skye
 

I hate to admit this but my first yorkie a female was sold to me for $600. She told me it was teacup and not knowing a lot about them I believed her. There is no such thing as a teacup believe me I found out the hard way.
Spirit is around 8 to 9 lbs now does that sound like a teacup LOL. My other one is 4.5 but she was one I kept from her mother's, litter.
They both mean the world to me and the size doesnt' matter. You couldn't ask for more loyal dogs.