Maybe I am just naive...but I have always been under the understanding that tiny yorkies were bred by mating a average female with a tiny male. In which case breeding for them isn't hurting anyone.

Syd (in my opinion) is to small to breed...not that we ever considered it in the first place. But her mom is 8.5 lbs. and her dad is 4.5. All of the puppies (as far as I know) ended up being around 5 or 6 lbs...so right between the two parent weights.

I feel bad for the itty bitty yorkies that grow up to be only 2 lbs. or so...because they often have health problems. But Syd is about 5.5 or 6 full grown and she doesn't have any problems except for her LP (which she would have had regardless of her size). So as long as breeders are SAFELY breeding for smallish yorkies...I don't think it's a big deal.

All I have to say is,,,,, My Gus is only 2.9 lbs and is very healthy and although he's very tiny he beat the odds and survived an German Shephard attack. He shocked us all. Outside of being a bit more fragile, I don't see any real proof that they are more prone to illness just because of their small size. My vet's receptionist has 3 of the cutest tiny yorkies ages 4 through 7. 2 of them are around Gus's size and the other is even smaller and all are as health as any other dog big or small.

Big or small, I love all Yorkies.
I didn't pay more for Princess because she's a tiny,
because she's not. I paid more for her because I have
an Outstanding Breeder, who has all the history on all
her furbabies. I could have paid a lot less, but Princess had better
family lines, and I knew she would be healthy. That is more important
to me then size. :)

it's been said before, but i thought it's good to reiterate again.

the controversy "against tinies" is NOT AGAINST THE OWNERSHIP of tinies... i mean, most people are willing to admit they'd love to own a tiny because they're so cute due to their diminuative size.

the controversy is NOT AGAINST A BREEDING PROGRAM FOR tinies. it's a simple case of market supply and demand. many love to own tinies so even reputable breeders with safe breeding practices can have breeding program that will consistently result in litters of tinies. nothing wrong with meeting the needs of the public so long as it is done in a responsible manner.

the controversy is NOT AGAINST THE BREEDING OF MALE tinies. most will agree that the best way to breed and result in tiny yorkies is to have a good size dam and a tiny sire. no arguement there.

the controversy IS AGAINST THE BREEDING OF FEMALE tinies, making them mothers and subjecting them to health hazards for the sake of having tiny babies.


oh i just wanted to add... i would love for bunjee to stay at the 3-4 lb range he is... he's so adorable and cute at that size. but then at that size, even in my own home, i'm constantly afraid that someone might kick him, step on him, or sit on him because he's so small and not readily visible. i can't wait for him to reach his adult size of 7-8 lbs. :)

Excellent post! This is EXACTLY the message that I was trying to convey. Well said! :thumbup: :thumbup:

I think 99.9% of us agree that breeding tinies is bad. That isn't what this thread is about.

This thread is about owning tinies and having to defend oneself for wanting a smaller dog. Owning a tiny does not mean we are snobs or we got them for status. Not saying everyone says that but it gets said enough to be really annoying. And as I said, the threads like that always lead to back slapping about owning a large teapot and how healthy they are.

Imagine having it implied that you wanted a tiny dog b/c you are a snob and your dog is unhealthy. Not very nice.

Now that I think about it, I can see what you mean re: the back slapping about owning a larger Yorkie and how healthy they are. Sometimes that does bother me because I have owned 2 tinies (both from standard parents). But it does make me feel bad sometimes when people always say that all tinies are sickly ... not ALL of them are. Yes, the ones who are poorly bred are most likely prone to many health risks. But the pups who are bred from healthy standard parents can be very healthy dogs. My Tia is a robust little pony! She's so bouncy and frisky -- not a sick bone in her petite body.

[QUOTE=hunniebunnie]it's been said before, but i thought it's good to reiterate again.

the controversy "against tinies" is NOT AGAINST THE OWNERSHIP of tinies... i mean, most people are willing to admit they'd love to own a tiny because they're so cute due to their diminuative size.

the controversy is NOT AGAINST A BREEDING PROGRAM FOR tinies. it's a simple case of market supply and demand. many love to own tinies so even reputable breeders with safe breeding practices can have breeding program that will consistently result in litters of tinies. nothing wrong with meeting the needs of the public so long as it is done in a responsible manner.

the controversy is NOT AGAINST THE BREEDING OF MALE tinies. most will agree that the best way to breed and result in tiny yorkies is to have a good size dam and a tiny sire. no arguement there.

the controversy IS AGAINST THE BREEDING OF FEMALE tinies, making them mothers and subjecting them to health hazards for the sake of having tiny babies.


Very well said. I agree. :thumbup:

Right! And poor breeding can lead to health risks no matter what size dogs are.

My baby is huge compared to yours (3.5lbs. at 9 months) and she is very healthy too. Hasn't been sick or to the vet except for shots and spaying. well, she does get an upset tummy when she eats too much carpet crud :eek:

Your dog is 3.5 lbs? OMG it's a tiny precious little peanut!! Any dog under 60 bs is SMALL lolol :D I'm glad your baby is healthy ... that's what matters most. Hey my dogs eat carpet crud AND my hair! THEY LOVE MY HAIR!!! Especially my Maltese. Codie just gobbles it right up -- he's such a piggy. :p

Yep! :thumbup: Poor breeding of a Rottweiler or a 100 lb Mastiff can lead to major health risks. My friend bought a German Shepherd (a few years ago) from a backyard breeder -- a guy who bred his dogs in his house but he had no training and did no genetic testing or any other testing. Well this poor dog had SEVERE hip problems (hip displacia -- spelling may be wrong) and knee problems. She had to be euthanized at a mere 2 years old!! So really ANY breed -- large or small -- can have serious health problems if they are not bred safely and properly.