I am sure , you would do the same as the one you referred to .

What?? :confused:

I agree, I have never understood why they charge more for girls than boys either. It doesn't cost more to birth a girl than a boy. Some breeders vary prices greatly, but sell with a pet only clause. If they are all going to be a pet and can't breed, then why the price variations? They can't show them if the get them fixed. So it doesn't make any sense. It's like putting a value on each of your kids with a different amount.

I agree, The amount of work time and money that go into the smaller ones(teacup, Tiny) is a lot, They are way more expensive to keep than a normal size yorkie. You have to think of the time involved caring, feeding, keeping safe and also most breeders keep the small ones for a lot longer and that in turn is yet more money in food, vet bills etc. I don't agree with the use of the name as a selling agent to scalp uneducated people out of their money but the word doesn't bother me.

Honestly if people did any reaserch before they buy a dog they would be educated enough to see that paying $5000.00 for a dog out of the same litter as one being sold for $1500.00 because it is being advertized as a tea-cup, mini, micro mini, teaspoon or anyother name they are called would be able to walk away with their money and not be scammed.

As long as there is uneducated buyers that don't take the time to learn the breed standard and care of them there will be price gouging and scams going on. Serious i have had people ask me if mine 2 were yorkies or yorkshire terriers like there was a difference:confused::eek:

I wanted to add i don't feel you should breed for tiny dogs but it does happen in a normal litter. Nor do i feel that the small ones should be thousands more than a reg size one but i can see a little higher price to recoupe the extra cost.

hmmm, not sure I know what you are trying to say. can you explain please:)

:thumbup:huh???lol

I feel the same way as the OP on all of that, in addition I hear a lot of the term "teapot" but when "teacup" is used, everyone is up in arms about it!! I don't get that at all (I understand the use of the word to obtain more profit for the pup, which I feel is wrong)... The only other thing I can think of is they are possibly making fun of the whole "teacup" thing...
:confused::eek::confused::eek:

I know there are varying opinions on this but I personally feel like the term "teapot" is absolutely making fun of the term "teacup". Why else would we use it with such jest? Without breeders taking advantage of people by calling small dogs "teacups," "teapots" would not exist.

:thumbup::thumbup: great thread and great question..
I feel the same way.. and teenie is used too I believe.. I do not like that a breeder uses this term to get more money.. but your right.. tiny, teenie. and teacup are all words used to descibe small.. small....anne

Before I joined this forum.. a girl down south called her girl a teapot.. I was so upset with her.. to me she was really putting down the size of her yorkie.. yet she loves her to death.. she is like their child.. but hates that she is bigger then what she expected..
I saw it on here and thought.. oh I guess she had heard that term before..anne

Thanks!!! I didn't think I was totally nuts!! I just think it's so funny when the same people that call their own yorkies "teapots" get furious when someone posts anything with the word "teacup" in it... I guess it would be safe to say there is no such thing as "teapots" either??!! HeHe :D:D

I think the difference though, is that people who use the term "teacup" are generally misinformed and need to be corrected. People who use the term "teapot" know that teacups don't exist, just like teapots don't exist. Both are terms used for referencing the size of a Yorkie. However - the term teacup is used mainly by breeders who want to take advantage of buyers, or buyers who are about to be lied to and cheated out of their money. Hence the corrections. It is also used by snooty people who think their dog is better than yours because it weighs 2lbs.

my friend and myself went to a pet expo in florida in the winter.. she saw a yorkie and went up to the woman.. my friend asked how old the yorkie was.. when she heard she said oh I guess she will stay small.. woman said well she better for that is what I paid for.. I could have slapped her.. snooty was not the word for it..anne

What would you want a breeder to say when describing the size of a puppy? I think a 4-5 lb. dog is "small". What would you call a dog that might be 3 lbs.?

My opinion on the male/female thing is the females cost more because more people want them. Not to breed but more likely because they think males are harder to house train. They don't want a "marker". So the females are more expensive.

I personally don't try to educate everyone I meet. If they are buying a puppy from me -- then I take all the time in the world to make it clear what the standard is.

Why do they even have to say "small"? Why can't they just say __ lbs?

Why do they even have to say "small"? Why can't they just say __ lbs? And to me, a breeder shouldn't have to advertise the SIZE of their Yorkies.. they should advertise the health testing, the pedigree, the adherence to standard. If it's that important to the buyer, they will ask the breeder.

i agree. :) supply and demand.

First off, I would just like to say how much I respect the OP of this thread..... Your choice of words and the way you express yourself is just great... especially with such a controversial subject. I'm so glad that you had enough courage to post this thread

Second, I completely agree with almost every post in this thread!! Teacup is mainly used to describe and 'sell' for size. Right now "small" is in demand... you see the hollywood purse pups, and every woman in the country wants a cute, cuddly furball... its just the way the ball rolls... and we just need to educate the public about what it means to have a dog that is under 3-4 lbs, and we need to do something about those businesses who breed for such tiny dogs. There is nothing wrong with small dogs... what is wrong is when those small dogs are a unhealthy size

I must admit that I was one of "those" people who went out and looked for a "teacup" sized yorkie and came home with Jaya. I had wanted a small sized dog for many reasons, especially the cute factor. When we got our second yorkie, size no longer mattered - we had fallen in love with the breed.

Jaya is now fully grown and is barely reaching 3 lbs. She is very petite, and turned out to be exactly what we had been looking for initially. Jenna is about 4 lbs, sturdy and strong, and will most likely get to 5 lbs. She is clearly larger than Jaya, but still very petite and compact. In my opinion she is perfect because she is so sturdy.

I am in a constant state of fear for Jaya... she is very athletic and strong and outgoing, but she is so petite that she can easily get hurt. My constant stress is "is she eating enough"... I have food out for her all the time, and I just want to put some meat on her!! I do not have nearly as many worries with Jenna...... and it is clear to me that breeding for such tiny dogs may in fact endanger them.


I think I've gone off on a tangent....... i just think this is a huge problem and I dont see it going away any time soon. I feel sad to think about how many yorkies are being bred for size - how many yorkies are being put in danger - simply for size and especially for a certain weight - a weight that many people are not able to safely handle, a weight that makes life difficult for the actual dog, a weight that just isnt right.

And if I - a person with good intentions - can fall into the trap, I wonder how many others are falling into it. I just dont know what we can do to stop this frenzy for fragile little dogs that has totally spiralled out of control.

im sorry, but you saying that you cringe when you hear that people want a dog to fit in their purse is a bit hypocritical, because from the icon you have as your default, your dogs are wearing clothes.

agreed. its just to describe its size.

same when ive read that people say 'silky' to describe a yorkie's texture, but its not a 'silky terrier' cuz thats a whole 'nother breed.

teacup just describes the size of the yorkie. not a certain breed.

:)

agreed. its just to describe its size.

same when ive read that people say 'silky' to describe a yorkie's texture, but its not a 'silky terrier' cuz thats a whole 'nother breed.

teacup just describes the size of the yorkie. not a certain breed.

im sorry, but you saying that you cringe when you hear that people want a dog to fit in their purse is a bit hypocritical, because from the icon you have as your default, your dogs are wearing clothes.

What does a dog fitting into a purse have anything to do with it wearing clothes?

......People are just voicing their opinions....

lets try and remember to stay positive ..and perhaps less critical of others in the thread..........

i totally see where youre coming from and that woman coming off as a bitch and whatnot, but a yorkie is a TOY dog; same as the chihuahuas.

if someone wants a small dog, theyd hope the dog theyre getting is small. if not they coulda just bought a beagle or a dalmation, etc.

she might love her dog, but i mean if she specifically got a toy dog for its size, then you cant get mad at her for that. you know?

fashion.

you think dogs enjoy being in clothes? probably not. they have enough fur/hair as it is. its uncomfortable. of course they look cute, so its not a prob if you get them used to it. (ive seen dogs wearing shoes which i think is going overboard) - but you saying you cringe when people want a dog to put in their purse for fashion or trend - is the same as dressing up your dog.

I agree with you Diana ............. but you know, some people consider dressing their dogs just as bad as putting them in compact little purses... I don't... but some do.. I get people commenting negatively when they see my yorkies in their sweaters..... I always tell them that there is a reason.... they get cold! And it really depends on what kind of clothing you put on your dog to determine if its 'comfy' to them or not. Yorkies have only one layer of hair, and they do get cold. My Jaya is very thin, and gets cold VERY easy... she always needs to wear a sweater when we go out and its cool weather. She even needs pj's or bathrobes after her bath because she begins to shiver uncontrollably.

In regards to the purse issue... some purses you can get now are just as good and open and large as carriers... just more fashionable and trendy. I don't know.. I just try to always keep an open mind.

There's nothin wrong with being a fashionable dog owner :D

exactly. i dont see anything wrong either with dressing them, but if one person is going to "cringe" at the thought of putting their yorkie (or any small dog) in a purse, yet they dress them - thats being hypocritical .
;)

I don't think it's hypocritical at all. Dressing your dog is not the same thing as carrying them in a purse. Maybe for some people it is, but probably not for all Yorkie owners. Like Pam said, Yorkies DO get cold and sometimes NEED to wear clothing. I'm not saying I disagree with your point necessarily, but I don't think it's hypocritical because it is definitely two different things that can be done for different reasons.

I cringe because I think they are going for some "look" that's fashionable today without taking the needs of the dog into account. There's nothing wrong with using a carrier for your pet, but a yorkie shouldn't be an accessory. Many of these same people give their dogs away after a few months when it's too big for the purse or too much hassle. I've read threads where people didn't want the yorkie anymore because he reached 7 pounds. Dressing my dog has nothing to do with me making a fashion statement; he's making the fashion statement.

From the other thread you posted today, it doesn't sound like you've had a yorkie before and one thing different about this breed is that they don't have an undercoat like most dogs. Joey literally starts shaking when he gets cold, even in Arizona, clothes come in handy in the winter, and in the summer with air conditioning he often need a shirt. The last few months he's been neked except for his Red Wings jersey during the play offs.