I didn't take your question in a bad way- I never met Peanut’s breeder. I was working at a Vet at the time and one of the clients who came in owned a Pet Store. She sold puppies. She never had a lot at one time and all the breeds she sold were from breeders in the area. Seeing her bring all the puppies in for shots and exams- we got pretty close. I told her to find me a Yorkie- I wanted a girl. She brought me a girl almost every week- I didn’t really like any of the girls she was bringing. I gave her a description of what I wanted, then one day she called me and said I have your dog. She brought me Peanut, before knowing he was a he, I fell in love- Then she told me well she is a he.. but I didn't care- I knew he was mine.

For me personally I don’t care what people say or think about me or where I bought Peanut. That stuff doesn't get to me. I just think sometimes debates on here are just silly.

Well, now we all know the T-word is bad! That's a good thing. Would be nice to educate people who are searching for a t- word pup about what online breeders are about. Even a place to tell them experiences from having one. They might not want one if they knew (saw)some of the stories I've read.

I think it is great to educate people, but I’m sure there is a point where people stop reading because of the nonsense in the middle.

:thumbup: Agreed!

I think it's quite helpful to members here and to the public with so many on YT working to try in some way to prevent the misery and suffering that comes from breeders risking breeding 3 - 4 lb. females to get smaller and smaller puppies in order to meet the needs of the public and in the process make bigger profits while creating Yorkies with yet more and more genetic problems as the tiny bodies try to downsize more and more with organs or joints and other body parts that don't make the transition properly.

If anyone doubts the reality of these very real issues for the little dogs involved and that it isn't wise to inform and even debate size-related problems of these dogs due to irresponsible breeding practices and the people involved in that big business, just Google the terms "problems with breeding teacup Yorkies" and see the heartbreak and suffering described in the long list of medical problems the puppies are prone to have from CT to liver shunt to terrible orthopedic painful conditions and on and on. If you are a suffering 2.5 lb. dog, unable to breathe properly and honking almost constantly due to your CT can't walk well let alone run or jump due to Grade III LP in both patellae, well then it's a big problem - it hurts and scares you and robs you of a good dog's life.

I'm really proud of the message that YorkieTalk sends to people thinking that a 2.5 - 3.5 lb. dog or smaller is what they would like and that message is know what you might be supporting in doing business with that breeder and the problems of the dog you might bring home and don't be shocked if your little tiny has many medical issues. And be prepared for the psychological pain you will have watching the dog suffer and the enormous vet costs if you do happen to get one of those that did inherit one or more of those size-related medical conditions.

Everybody is free to buy the size dog they want from the breeder they personally like and choose to support financially and YT is here to help inform those that want to hear about the sad business of breeding Yorkies ever smaller and smaller to meet today's womens' likes and wants and tell of the often grisly medical side of that process for the tiny little dogs involved. If they do choose to buy an undersized Yorkshire Terrier, at least they know what to expect and hopefully, their dog at least, will be healthy and happy and long-lived. But if it's not, at least they can't say they didn't know if they hung around and read much on YorkieTalk.

I read the original posts from the OP as why teacup is a bad word and why YT doesn't allow a club for pups under 4 lbs and I really feel that is what the majority of us were responding to. I don't really think anyone was bashing the breeder because as has been stated by many, even the very best of breeders get the tiny ones once in a while. The sad truth of the matter though is that there is an awful lot of bad breeding going on to produce the tiniest of babies and we have all read the horror stories about the health issues some of them of had. Honestly to the OP we have followed your story and felt your joy with your breeder and Miley and I don't think any of us were trying to pick apart you, your breeder, or beautiful little Miley.

I wasnt bashing her breeder and was just curious when I asked for the website. I appologized to Courtney because some things out of line were said and she appologized to me so all is good between me and courtney. I think she still has concerns about the way people are treated on here when they say they want a tiny. So that is the lingering issue remaining

I completely agree...EDUCATE. But at the end of the day if someone decides to purchase a "teacup" anyway that's THEIR decision and they made that choice knowing all of the precautions and dangers that come with having a "teacup"

I think "tiny" needs to be defined. It doesn't mean the same thing to everyone.

I can't think of anyone who has been bashed for wanting a small Yorkie. The only thing I have read is frustration when people 1) go to wrong sources for the small dogs, i.e. brokers, and put size above all else 2) when people bring home a pup and then are upset when the pup starts growing larger than what they had hoped.

I am so glad all is worked out between you. I honestly didn't feel you were being mean at all. I also have concerns at times about treatment of others on here but I really think everyone is trying to do much better. The sad thing is that we really cannot educate or be educated if we try only to make people happy by what we say. There are always going to be differing opinions but after you have been here a while you figure out if you post a controversial thread that is just what you are going to get lol. I think we all at one time or another have been offended by what someone said to us but YT is still to me the best place to learn about our breed there is.

correct chachi ;) I wholeheartedly agree that it IS important to educate those who come across here about "teacups" because where I live people throw the word around as if it's the name of walmart. I was a victim to that because that's all I knew. I hadn't done any research and when I realized I started my search for the perfect "teacup" it became evident that NO reputable breeder breeds to get these pups. I could just tell from certain websites that it was a scam (and I was almost scammed twice by some "pastor who was moving out of the country and couldn't take his dog"). People were selling dogs and all you had to do was pay via paypal...that to me was a red flag I mean dogs aren't clothing items they shouldn't be put "in your cart" like an online store! Buta s you have stated my concern is the way some people (not speaking of you chachi) interrogate and approach members abrasively who want smaller yorkies. I just want people to understand that there ARE smaller yorkies who do come from reputable breeders (not by fault).

Haha! Great post. I should add the word "teacup" to each of the product pages in the online boutique to attract more traffic from search engines.

And I get that. A couple of weeks ago I commented on a thread of a new member who was really upset and leaving YT because of all of the "education" she was receiving. I realize how passionate a lot of us are about our dogs and the breed as a whole and they were simply trying to stop her from a future heartache. The website she posted was nothing but red flags. A kindergartner could've seen that but she didn't know any better so even though she was upset i'm glad she did come across YT to become educated.

hahahaha :yelrotflm:yelrotflm:yelrotflm

Ha! Great idea!!:thumbup:

Courtney I understand your concerns but you have to rremember some of us have been here a long time. We have seen tiny breeders who have claimed to be reputable on here. One in particular was very sought After and alot of members bought pups from her in time though serious health issues shown up in her lines and members were left with pups with serious health issues that she did nothing about. Its not just her its been others and it has always ended badly. We have seen the tinies in the sick and injured section with liver shunt. We have seen the ones injured because they jump off a couch. that is why there is passion when educating on this issue

I saw that too. If we could get a section, area, something to post about teacups so people could go there and get eductated, that would be great! Educating could be done, but there would be a link to use to further the research for the people who want to know about them. Less bashing a new person over the head with the proverbial t-word yorkie! More new members staying to learn!

The subject is covered in the library under Yorkshire Terrier Yorkie Frequently Asked Questions, and in the breeding section, how to find a reputable breeder.

"Is there such as a thing as a teacup Yorkie?":
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/gen...html#post63423

When I first came to YT I was very confused at one point because I heard all the things about not buying pups advertised as teacups because they were bred by bad breeders. At that time we had a breeder who sold pups who were from dams weighing under 4lbs. I started a thread about why it was ok for some to breed and sell them here and others not, and you want to hear drama lol you should of read that one. There were so many I respected defending this breeder because she was a member here, and so many had bought pups from her. Her puppies were tiny and beautiful but like chachi said it eventually showed up with so many of these poor souls being seriously ill. I guess that is why I feel such a need to educate the unsuspecting buyers. Oh I could of gotten upset and left over it but I chose to stick it out and learn.

It's so true that even the most reputable breeder can have a runt or very undersized puppy. My Jilly was a runt born half the size of her littermates, so ill she was barely alive, but deliberate or not, she still had so many size-related medical problems, as can other unusually small puppies that make it to adulthood. Of course, not all runts stay small or are unhealthy and all are still noble animals. Still, it's probably wise to always proceed with caution, be prepared and know what you might be getting into when considering getting the smallest pup of the litter if it is unusually small or frail.

Here is a simple, short article about little runts.

What Causes a Dog to Be the Runt of the Litter? | Dog Care - The Daily Puppy

nevermind. I thought it would be a good way to educate, but we have it, so it's not needed.

I remember 20 years ago the measuring stick for yorkies was how long and beautiful the coats were and you didnt hear as much about size.

thats fair and i should've taken that into consideration I guess when I was talking I was thinking on a more simplistic level and in terms of if say the most reputable breeder in the history of breeders had a tiny. I wasn't thinking about the breeders who consider themselves reputable that purposely breed for tinies. I was thinking more along the lines of someone on the YTCA website had a litter that popped a tiny.

There is a lot of information in the library and in various "sticky" threads but I see new people come here all the time that apparently never think to do any research on their own. You can direct them to it but it seems some are not really interested in reading very much. They have their particular issue or question and apparently don't have the time or interest to read further.

There are good experienced and reputable breeders here at YT and it would be nice if they would write some articles about purebred breeding and why they need to take the time and expense that they do in order to continue producing quality pups. So many people think you can just take any purebred and hook it up with any other purebred and get some of the same. That kind of breeding results in dogs that eventually look little like the original breed not to mention the health issues it brings forward.

Some people get away with buying a BYB or puppy mill pup and so they think it's all nonsense, totally disregarding educated and experienced breeder's warnings. Most are not so lucky and above all the dogs used for breeding continue to suffer.

Can I ask about the type of problems that showed up in the tinies of the breeder that was on here? Just curious.

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/gre...yorkies-3.html
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/bre...e-yorkies.html

It was terrible because of the number of members who had bought from her. It was AAI that showed up in her lines. She denied it. It was Natalies yorkies and she claimed to be a reputable breeder because she had been doing it for 30 yrs

Oh I agree a reputable can and do get tinies and they just have to place them in an appropriate home

I'm jumping in late here. I must say, I agree with Courtney.

I have a tiny yorkie. Tatiana is 3 lbs. I don't mind when others refer to her as a teacup. She's approaching six years old, and healthy as a horse. Every major vet procedure she went through (spay, dental extractions, etc.), she made a full recovery quickly. The vet remarked how scrappy she was.

Not every tiny yorkie is sickly or came from a bad breeder. In fact, Tatiana seems healthier than some larger yorkies I've come across.

Also, Tatiana looks remarkably young for her age. She ages well, too. People do a double-take when I tell them her age (they asked me). Some crazy woman told me,"Almost six years old? You must mean in human years, so she's almost one year old." I said,"No, she six years old in DOG years. She was born in 2007." That woman was shocked. Incidentally, why would say my dog's age in HUMAN years??

You have to understand that MOST breeders think they are reputable, when we know that most are NOT. Does a byb'er label themselves as such? Of course not. I would even go as far and say that millers don't think they are millers.