Teacup Yorkies
 

Is there really no such thing??? I have read in a couple other threads things making me think there is not a teacup yorkie. I have seen VERY small yorkies and I have seen VERY tiny clothes and I actually avoided looking for a teacup because I was afraid I would lose it because it always says how small they are. Is it a "fault" thing like I read about in the "Golden yorkie" thread?

Alot of people have heard the "Teacup Yorkie" term used over and over so they really honestly do think it's a breed. Or, you have people using the term to act like their Yorkie is better or more special than another Yorkie. I've discussed this with people for years - I tell them it's my soapbox when they ask for a "teacup". Yorkies are Yorkies are Yorkies. There is no "Teacup Yorkie", bad breeders have over used this term, the problem is that because there is no defination of "teacup" an unethical breeder could say his teacups are 5-7 lbs, another may say 2-3 lbs, or another even under 10 lbs. :confused: See what I mean? By the AKC breed standard for Yorkies the breed is supposed to be under 7 lbs although some come a little larger. Occasionally there are small Yorkies born in normal litters (or even oversized puppies from normal parents), I've had puppies who have only turned out to be 3 or 4 lbs with normal sized parents. These puppies are just smaller than normal (like I'm only 5'2" - shorter than normal - with a brother who is 6'1"). Sometimes the smaller Yorkies can be a little more fragile, it seems that they tend to have more luxating patellas but very often they are very healthy and can be good pets in the right homes. It's not right to breed female Yorkies who are under 5 lbs because of the risks associated with breeding tiny girls and that's the problem with people purposely breeding for the "teacup yorkie", they are using unethical means to breed tiny puppies. If you want a smaller Yorkie contact ethical breeders who would never use the "teacup" term and wait until they have a small puppy from normal sized parents.

Teresa

I agree with Teresa from Missouri.......Amen, just to make money is all it is. People
will do anything to make money. Absolutely right,
what Teresa said.

Well, I guess you've figured out by now that 'teacup yorkies' are just a more expensive way of saying . . really small yorkie. :)

And, though everyone loves the tinies ~ they do often require special care, attention, and sometimes come with their own special health problems.

well you learn something everyday in here. my Charlie is 11 pounds LOL he is more of a "stew pot" yorkie :p

I think they would call him a "teapot"" -- all with love

I also think some people time teacup and toy are one in the same. I have 3.5/4 lbs girl and people ask me if she is a teacup.. they have heard the "hype" of breeders who are taking advantage of the how little pups tug at our hearts and get confused. Thank goodness we all are different and love different dogs.. one size does not fit all:p

Agreed! I've been asked 2 different questions with my 7lb boy. My boyfriend asked if he was a teacup yorkie :rolleyes: and others have asked if he was a mix. Those that think he's a mix can't fathom the thought that he's purebred since he's so large. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: Last I checked, a 20 lb yorkie was still a yorkie, just more to love. :) What's the big deal on weight anyway? I've seen a more petite yorkie that weighed 8-9 lbs, and my boy is taller and weighs less?

Marketing terminology.

I have a "teapot" from standard size parents and it's one thing to get a "teacup" from standard size parents...they do exist but these are cutesy terms to describe a Yorkie...not terms a breeder should be using to sell you a pup.

Purposely breeding undersized dogs to get "teacups" is wrong especially because they are more prone to a lot of health issues correlating with their downsizing...I'm seeing the beginning of the "teacup" mini schnauzer craze...a lot of health issues with them too, like suddenly there are hypoglycemic schnauzies showing up!

I've talked with a few breeders and was told that the term teacup is normally used by shady breeders to make more money off their puppies. I was also told that if a dam has a litter the runt is normally deemed a teacup. Another reason for very small puppies is that the dam will have a large litter causing them to be on the small side of an already small breed. My Hercules came from a large litter, but I'm not sure how big he's going to be. At 8 weeks he weighs 1 lbs 10 oz. So we'll see. But I've been told that there is no such thing as a teacup on paper.

I agree with this. My boy is from two standard parents, his siblings are all around 5lbs and counting, and Harley is my little "cupcake" he is barely 4lbs wet. I get the teacup thing all the time, but honestly it's a scam. My breeder told me she heard someone talking about "teaspoon" yorkies to the other day and agreed that the terms made her sick.

Very true......I have 4 Yorkies, the oldest one Sassy Raz, just turned 15 on the 10th of February,
and he is about 7 pounds or a little less, then the next one Roxie Rae, age 3 is bigger, and the two
youngest ones, Lily and Macy, are 1-1/2 years old, and they are about 5 pounds. No
matter what their weight is, they all have the same sweet Yorkie personalities. All of
mine have different personalities. No matter what, they are adorable.

I also Have two adult yorkies and two pups My female adult is only 4 pounds yet her mom and dad and siblings are around 7 pounders. My male adult is 5-6 pounds, Yorkies all come in different sizes shapes and colores just like humans. Some use the word teacup to discribe there yorkie on the smaller size of the breed.

I agree! It's one thing when they are just how they are from standard parents...great "terms" for Yorkie moms to use not greeder breeders...oh how scary about the teaspoons I've read about them on here before sickening!

I got a call from someone a couple days ago asking me if I had a teacup Yorkie for sale. I said, well I have a small one, the runt (though not for sale). She asked what's the difference? I felt at a loss as it made me realize a small Yorkie and a teacup Yorkie to the public's way of viewing is the same. So I said nothing, it's semantics just some people don't like the term 'teacup'.
Her response was, "well, that's silly, what difference does it make, I just wanted a smaller Yorkie" I felt she was right...calling it a teacup was her way of describing the type of dog she was looking for. Which is certainly her prerogative as a buyer. Yes, I did take the time to explain how often times the extra small ones can have problems, etc...even explained the differences/delicateness between my 'runt' and her full sized brothers.

I don't want to start an argument and get bashed...just stating I really don't see the big deal if someone uses the term 'teacup' to describe a small Yorkie (or any other breed) --- yes, I agree wholeheartedly, that people should not breed specifically to make them smaller due to all the health issues, etc, however, the term teacup (to me) just seems like another descriptive term to indicate 'small' and I don't think people should make it out to be some horrible term.

I agree if the buyer is looking for a smaller Yorkie. Too many think that a "teacup Yorkie" is a separate breed and I think it's misleading to let them assume it is. When people call and ask if I have any "teacup Yorkies" I just ask them what size they are looking for. Most often I have to explain that there is no "official" description of "teacup" and I want to help them find the correct size for their family. A good deal of people looking for a "teacup" actually want a Yorkie who is 4-5 lbs anyway and not a tiny one - they just think it's a correct term. I don't think I've ever had a puppy who ended up smaller than 3-3 1/2 lbs anyway as an adult but I'm truely confused when anyone asks for a Yorkie who will be 2 1/2 lbs. Do they really know what a 2 1/2 lb dog looks like? Many people (myself included) are bad at estimating weight by looking at a dog and tend to undersize them. I wonder how many of those "3 lb Yorkies" are actually 4-4 1/2 lbs?

Teresa

As I'm still quite naive to many things, I appreciate the advice you gave to her...and that you noted there are health concerns in "teacups" or undersized Yorkies which is really important for people to understand or in the least be aware of...along with the difference of breeding for them as opposed to just having one 'come up small'.
Its sad so many "breeders" breed dogs that are too small for breeding just to produce "teacups".

That's where the problem is. They think the yorkie has the same standard of size as the poodle does. There is a standard poodle, a toy, and a miniature. There are many people who think that the yorkie is the same. A standard, a toy, and a teacup. And yes, many people believe they are a different dog entirely. What they don't realize is a yorkie is a yorkie, no matter the size.

The reason yorkies come in so many sizes is because when the yorkie was first bred it was a much larger breed and was bred down in size over the years by breeding 2 runts of litters together to produce a smaller breed so even now yorkies of the same litter can be different sizes.
Years ago what is now called a 'tea cup' would of just been called the runt of the litter which most people did not want as it was associated with health problems so as you can imagine breeding two runts together was prob not a good idea and could be where the breeds health problems come from today.
Breed standard of a yorkie is up to 7 pounds but thats just for showing yorkies.
I have had yorkies from 6 pounds up to 18 pounds.:D

Am I right or wrong here...or does anyone really know?
I'm just trying to get it figured out, out of curiosity.
It's hard to figure out what is fact and what is not and honestly I'd prefer to get research from the country of origin rather than here...but either/or

That in England the Yorkie is an averaged 6-8 pounds, until recent years when it was changed 4-6 pounds, and the breed standard there is slightly larger than here?>height and weight? That previously even with downsizing of the originating breeds, Yorkies were still intended to be around 10# until the registration began and people with smaller lines had their dogs promoted as the breed standard?

So what used to be considered a "teacup" was a standard size Yorkie now here and what is called a "teapot" now was the standard prior in England? :confused:
I think I just confused myself here! :rolleyes:

:eek: Your not the only one confused :D
I would say most yorkies here in the uk are of the larger size as we dont very often see the under 4 pound ones here but do see a lot of yorkies lets say the size of a westie.
As far as i know kennel club breed standard is the same in the uk and usa being must not be over 7 pounds to be able to show.
Yorkies were first bred to kill rats so had to be small enough to get in to small places but big enough to kill a rat as far as i can remember up to 30 pounds when they first started breeding them, they were dogs of farmers and property owners but when the wives of the property owners saw they were cute they wanted them as cute pretty pets so the fashion changed and they were bred down in size and no longer used as ratters.
There is no proven history of where the yorkie came from but most agree they came from Huddersfield Ben who was born 1865 and died in 1871.
Some records show that yorkies were given different names back then and showing had different weight classes but none were over 12 pounds but if you ever see a painting of ben you can see he is well over 12 pounds in weight yet he was shown so its hard to know what is the truth. :)

Some links both with different ideas http://www.ytca.org/history.html
http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/breeds/yorkies.html
http://searchwarp.com/swa292663.htm

Good response and I will say exactly that the next time I'm asked. Sometimes people just surprise me and I'm not always quick on the reply. Your reply to them is perfect...and a good way to open the door to get clarification on exactly what they are looking for and to help them understand some of the perils of having an extra small Yorkie.

My female Yorkie (also my first Yorkie) is 17 months old and weighs 2.5 pounds. When I got her she was 11 weeks old and was the same size as her 2 brothers and sister. Her Dad was 5lbs and her mom was 6 pounds. This is my first Yorkie and we love her so much. She had to have LP surgery on her back left leg in September. We took her to a Board Certified Surgeon in Pittsburgh and she did well with the anesthesia. The surgeon tested her for Liver Shunt which she does not have before the surgery along with some other blood panels. He said she was just a small Yorkie. I wish she was bigger I worry a lot about her. She is a great little dog and she loves everybody:) I would love to get another but I am afraid if it is much bigger then her she could get hurt just from playing around. I do believe that the "Teacup" term is "WRONG". And selling them for more money is wrong also. I would give a dog away if I knew for sure it was going to be loved for its entire life. All that matters is that it is loved and cared for all of its life:)

Oh you are in England! My ex-husband is from there and it was his family that started the whole Yorkie history interest for me, I've always loved them had them in my family as pets, but didn't ever really question their history...I wish I remembered her name bu his grandma's friend was a breeder there really into their history, anyways she passed on a lot of information I haven't seen here or haven't had many people agree with here so I've always wanted to talk to somene else across the ond and see if there was just a different perspective there or what not!

Thank you so much for your comments...I've noticed a lot of what you said too but I'm still in the early processes of learning so I'm hesitant to hold much stock in anything yet...

It is so wrong and unethical for someone to breed a yorkie trying for these designer dog labels they come up with for the mighty $$.

I don't think most have an idea how small a 4lb yorkie is my rescue savannah is 3.6lbs.

from the tip of her nose to the back she is almost 12" long and height to the top of her head is about the same her little legs are about 7" off the floor.

She is a bitty little girl and its been a big adjustment for me getting used to her little size and i have no small children.

I hate to get on my soapbox constantly but the person who had her bred my little girl twice :mad:

first time she had 2 puppies 2nd time 5 and she went into seizures...had to have a csection and you can guess why this lady was dumping her...the mighty $$$ and risk of having to spend it on another csection.

She gave me open paperwork and yep about 5 times pretty much told me she could probably have a few more litters...I held my cool but told her firmly that i already had plans on having her spayed since I am a one yorkie mama and just need a baby to love on after losing my precious binky.

Those searching for a puppy should note this life this poor little girl had

crated most of her 4 years and when handled it was roughly and she's made amazing strides in 3 weeks here.

If I was in search of a puppy I'd be asking about the parents and be hoping the were 5+lbs and hope my puppy would grow up to be 5+lbs.

P.S. she also has luxating patellas and is bow legged in in front legs but I don't love her any less

I also know with time and patience she will be happy and adjust but she'll still carry some of those fears and need an extra cuddle and encouragement for the rest of her life when something is not familiar with our daily routine.

Bless you! Some people are so sick! Ignoring both aspects of responsible breeding...the ethical treatment of animals and the responsibility of creating healthy pups...

Yes its all a bit confusing because the breeders of yorkies didn't keep any records so most of it is guess work :D

Yorkshire terrierhttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...tle_tootie.JPGA Yorkshire terrierNicknamesYorkie, Walking Jewel, Yorkshire TerrorCountry of originEngland[hide]TraitsLife span13 to 16 years[show]Classification and standardsFCIGroup 3:Terriers Section 4:Toy Terriers #86standardAKCToy GroupstandardANKCGroup 1 (Toys)standardCKCGroup V, ToysstandardKC (UK)Toy GroupstandardNZKCToy GroupstandardDog (Canis lupus familiaris)
The Yorkshire terrier is a small dog breed of terrier type, developed in the 19th century in the historical area of Yorkshire, England to catch rats in clothing mills. The defining features of the breed are its small size, less than 3.2 kg or 7.03 pounds, and its silky blue and tan coat. The breed is nicknamed Yorkie and is placed in the Toy Terrier section of the Terrier Group by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale and in the Toy Group or Companion Group by other kennel clubs, although all agree that the breed is a terrier. A winning show dog and a popular companion dog, the Yorkshire terrier has also been part of the development of other breeds, such as the Australian Silky Terrier.
Both Silky Terrier and Yorkshire Terrier are often confused with one another especially when they are at their puppy stage or having the same clip. The easiest way to differentia them is looking at their body shape. From a side view, Silky Terrier is rather “oblongish” (its length is slightly longer than its height) whereas Yorkshire Terrier is more squarely proportion.
Yorkshire Terrier was developed from a combination of Scottish and English black-and-tan terriers, Maltese, and now extinct Clydesdale Terrier. From each litter the smallest dogs were selected for breeding, and gradually Yorkshire Terrier was “shrank” to the ideal size of what we see today.
Silky Terrier was developed in Australia from crossing Yorkshire Terrier and Australia Terrier, when Yorkies were brought to Australia in late 1800s. Although Silky Terrier gained a foothold in America after WWII, it’s far away from the most popular breeds in US and UK till this day. (Just a little info on why we see a size difference) *Note this info was gathered via-internet and byno means is my own thoughts!

Yorkshire terrierhttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...tle_tootie.JPGA Yorkshire terrierNicknamesYorkie, Walking Jewel, Yorkshire TerrorCountry of originEngland[hide]TraitsLife span13 to 16 years[show]Classification and standardsFCIGroup 3:Terriers Section 4:Toy Terriers #86standardAKCToy GroupstandardANKCGroup 1 (Toys)standardCKCGroup V, ToysstandardKC (UK)Toy GroupstandardNZKCToy GroupstandardDog (Canis lupus familiaris)
The Yorkshire terrier is a small dog breed of terrier type, developed in the 19th century in the historical area of Yorkshire, England to catch rats in clothing mills. The defining features of the breed are its small size, less than 3.2 kg or 7.03 pounds, and its silky blue and tan coat. The breed is nicknamed Yorkie and is placed in the Toy Terrier section of the Terrier Group by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale and in the Toy Group or Companion Group by other kennel clubs, although all agree that the breed is a terrier. A winning show dog and a popular companion dog, the Yorkshire terrier has also been part of the development of other breeds, such as the Australian Silky Terrier.
Both Silky Terrier and Yorkshire Terrier are often confused with one another especially when they are at their puppy stage or having the same clip. The easiest way to differentia them is looking at their body shape. From a side view, Silky Terrier is rather “oblongish” (its length is slightly longer than its height) where as Yorkshire Terrier is more squarely proportion.
Yorkshire Terrier was developed from a combination of Scottish and English black-and-tan terriers, Maltese, and now extinct Clydesdale Terrier. From each litter the smallest dogs were selected for breeding, and gradually Yorkshire Terrier was “shrank” to the ideal size of what we see today.
Silky Terrier was developed in Australia from crossing Yorkshire Terrier and Australia Terrier, when Yorkies were brought to Australia in late 1800s. Although Silky Terrier gained a foothold in America after WWII, it’s far away from the most popular breeds in US and UK till this day. (Just a little info on why we see a size difference) We do have two kinds in this class of breeds confused as a yorkie or called a t-cup The Yorkieshire is usally smaller then the Silky Terrier *Note some of this info was gathered via-internet and by no means is my own thoughts!

Was that about my and S's comments? :confused:
We were talking about Yorkies not Silkys...well I won't speak for her...I was...she is from England though, pretty sure she knows the difference too...
I was referring to the change in the Yorkie standards of the breed club there in part I believe because the AKC standards were smaller now their standards are smaller but prior they were larger and you see a lot more "teapot" Yorkies there generally speaking and you don't see nearly as many "teacup" Yorkies over there- until recent I believe from my acquaintances accounts "teacups" are seen in a more negative light there as opposed to the market craze here...anyways that's neither here nor there because I was also referring to pets, they are extremely popular and foremost a pet there being they originated there etc. and not so much the show dogs...but I did see a couple many references to the show dogs historically there also being much larger than here prior...it's all the same in both breed clubs now...I was just wondering if everyone over there had the same perspective I heard prior.

no It wast about your S comment, After doing some reading about why people use the trem t-cup or teaspoon, and remembering while I was at the vet the other day they have a chart on the wall with all breeds witch list a sliky and a yorkishier and the sliky is slighty larger, Witch can mislead people into thinking that infact a Yorkieshier is a t-cup.