You best read the AKC Standard and the YTCA.org that sets the standard. There is no such thing as a Teacup....The Yorkshire Terrier is a Toy dog.

I would question your vet's knowledge in individual breed standards....
Taken from the YTCA website...

An Important Message About “Teacup” Yorkies
By Gale Thompson
If you are interested in purchasing a tiny Yorkie, sometimes called a Teacup,
Micro Mini, Teeny, or any other name that means “extra small”, there are
several things you should consider. The YTCA’s Code of Ethics precludes the
use of the words “teacup”, “tiny specialists”, doll faced, or similar terminology
by its members, and for good reason.

All breeders may occasionally have an unusually small Yorkie (hopefully healthy),
though no responsible breeder breeds for this trait. Many breeders prefer a
general weight range of 4-7 pounds believing that size retains desired Toy
qualities while maintaining optimum health. The Yorkie Standard states weight
"must not exceed seven pounds" and as a prospective pet owner you should
realize that even at 7 pounds, the Yorkie is still a small dog. (Females weighing
less than 5 pounds are considered by most breeders to be unsuitable for breeding.)

Special circumstances often come with extra tiny dogs. They are extremely
susceptible to both hereditary and non-hereditary health problems, including
birth defects that may go undetected for a long time. Other common
problems may include, but are not limited to, diarrhea, vomiting, along with
extra and expensive tests prior to routine teeth cleanings and surgeries.
Small ones are more likely to have poor reactions to anesthesia and die from
it. Tiny dogs are more easily injured by falls, being stepped on and being
attacked by other dogs. These health problems nearly always result in
large veterinary bills.

Please take this into consideration and make purchasing a healthy pet your top
priority, not size. The “novelty” is certainly not worth the pain, heartbreak, or
extra expense. Remember, all Yorkies are comparatively small. The most
important thing is finding a healthy puppy that will grow into a healthy adult,
especially since you looking at an 11 to 15 year commitment with your Yorkie.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Leave it to you Pat.....I love it.....But, I have lived in Fontana...not sure where this pup was purchased? But, I will say there is not one reputable breeder in Fontana.....

Excellent information for real Yorkie lovers.

Teapot is just a joke term made up here on YT to describe our larger than standard Yorkies. Some of us have Teapots, and others of us (myself included) have the whole dang tea service :p

How funny!!! Love it.

Great info everyone. But I must say.........no matter what is put in front of the OP - she definitely sounds like someone who is stubborn to learn, wants a tiny dog, as a fashion, or luxury statement, and doesn't want to hear anything other than "Wow...... you got a really tiny dog. You must have spent a lot of money for it. Let's put you on the top of the list of very important people?"

Don't worry.......... she'll be on here again looking for information once that very tiny dog gets sick again.

i wonder if the OP is going to feel differently if her yorkie ends up with very serious medical problems. Is she still going to think that her "teacup" yorkie is still the most greatest thing in the world, and still deny the fact that this term is only a marketing tool .
Wonder what she is going to do if and when her puppy becomes extremely ill. :(

.
Weight
.
Must not exceed seven pounds.
.
. Just copied this directly from the written standard
Sparklingblu

Hi Mary,
I was wondering if you could clarify not leaving a tiny at home for any amount of time. The reason I'm asking is sometimes I have to leave my dogs at home alone but they are not "tinies" (IMO), but just wondering exactly how tiny you mean. What is the safe size to be left alone in your opinion? Mine are 5 1/2-6 pounds (adult), 5 pounds (adult), and two 4 pounder's (kinda "tinies" but both are puppies: one 4 months, the other 6 months) - I've been fortunate for the last nine months to have a job that allows me the luxury of taking the pups (most of the time) but occasionally I do have to leave them home alone (pups are kept in an x-pen when left alone and the adults have most of the upper level of the house). "But" when I got my first Yorkie (she was 12 weeks/2 pounds - the now nearly 6#'er) I couldn't take her to work at that time, thus we did leave her home alone (contained in the bathroom set up safely for her). (I did take my vacation to coincide with getting her so I could be home with her everyday to help her adjust to her new home before I had to go back to work) Was that not good/was she too tiny/young to be left alone at that time? Concerned for her being alone at that time we did get her a 'friend' 3 months after getting her.
(I'm sure I'm being overly concerned, but I do hate leaving the pups in the x-pen, but sometimes it can't be helped).
Obviously, the oldest is no worse for the wear now (but I probably need something else to feel guilty about LOL)...just wondering for the future or if the pups now are too small (4#) to be left for several hours now.
Thanks

Glad you posted this Mary -- I was going to also, thinking that if she won't believe us, maybe she will believe the official Breed Club information. She might be playing silly, immature games but she may really think she knows. There are lots of uneducated people who glom on to a bit of information they think they know and then somehow feel all superior to the people who might actually be able to help them along the way. Shame on the breeder who sold her a puppy claiming it is a teacup, shame on her for selling before the puppy was 12 weeks old as also recommended by YTCA. Shame on her for not giving sufficient information to a new puppy owner and putting herself at her disposal 24/7 for ALL questions she might have about the puppies health and welfare.

The OP might not realize when people identify their dog as a teacup, they are telling how inexperienced and uneducated about the yorkie breed they are. Few vets get into the standards or differences in registered breeds. They worry more about what diseases and genetic problems a breed has more than any show or standard information. I don't necessarily think badly of a vet who does not know things like "there are no teacups in the Yorkie breed." As long as they know what health concerns are more prevalent in the yorkie breed, I am happy. But not knowing should have made him not comment -- not say that all puppies under the usual weight are teacups! Of course his words may have been taken out of context or even confused.

I don't even really have a problem with people using the term teacup, as long as they are no more serious about it than the folks who call theirs teapots. They need to know it is not an official designation, that breeders who use the terms normally have many other problems (as the professional breeders would never use the term!) and that MOST of the puppies being sold as teacups don't even wind up being on the small side of yorkies! I can't count the number of people who originally post they have a teacup puppy and then wind up having a 5-10 pound adult yorkie a year or two down the road! There have also been MANY sold as teacups and then the buyer later finds out the date of birth was lied about just so they would appear to be smaller than their age. It's not surprising either that a puppy being touted as a teacup is having such extreme GI distress immediately at the new home. Breeders who try to capitalize more on the small size than health concerns often wind up selling puppies who are sickly and in need of vet help right off the bat.

I am not writing this reply so much for the OP, 1yorkie, as I am any other actual concerned folks who wind up reading it while looking for info. Wink... Wink...my foot!

I'm not trying to belittle this person's situation and I genuinely hope that their dog is better, but their response post to everyone belittling YT and the kind people that tried to help him/her just screamed "troll" to me and someone that was trying to get a rise out of others.

OT, if you wonder why people wanted an update - it's because they care. It's because each person that comes through here and has a sick furbaby and is upset/hurting/worried becomes a friend to them and someone that they worry about. I don't post here every day, and I'm guilty of coming here mostly when I have questions about my yorkies, but the people that have responded every time have been kind, informative and very far from people with "no life".

For your sake, I really do hope you made this up and everything you said about your vet confirming there is such a thing as "teacup" was false as well. I'd be worried about taking my animal to ANY "professional" that blatantly disregards facts.

Logically thinking; You just bring a pup home from a breeders (12 weeks of age and in my opinion still a tinie), home 2 days . Pup is undergoing, adjusting not being with mom/littermates....being with new people....starting to just back on track in eating regularly. In my opinion a young pup shouldn't be left alone for extended periods of time. Now as the OP person describes.....this pup in her words is a "TEACUP", 11 weeks of age.....she wanted a TEACUP to carry in her purse...No, way would I leave one like this unattended.

But, that's me....I don't even like to leave my adults home alone for more than an hour.....I tend to be a bit over-protective....rarely placing a pup in a home where both husband and wife worked out of the home....And when I have I strongly recommend they take vacation time so they can help the pup make the adjustment. How would you feel....all of sudden being taken from your mom, litter mates to a new environment and then you're left alone....

When I worked, my son didn't leave for school until 9.....I came home at 11:30 stayed until 12:30....I hired the neighbor's children to come in when they got home at 2:45. I was home at 4:00.....But, at that time my yorkies (and I had 2 at the time, were kept in an x-pen, with all their creature comforts).

The OP poster has been a member since 2008.....she's been told over and over there is no such thing and given explanations.....I think that says it all.

:thumbup:

I see what you mean. She is trying for the "rise" -- we're stuck playing her game lest we leave incorrect information for other new puppy owners who may be searching for answers. Sometimes a toss-up when you know someone is baiting but you want to ensure Yorkie Talk remains a place where CORRECT information is found. At least the pup sounds to be okay FOR NOW and there is sufficient correct information about the "teacup" term being just plain wrong for Yorkies. I hope this is the only thing the OP has wrong in her Yorkie information bank. Would hate to see her have other crazy ideas that might affect the poor puppy's health and not listen when good, solid information is offered.

BTW -- I am right there with you about yorkies and being left alone. It seriously saddens me when I read of people who are crating these tiny puppies from day one and leaving them alone for hours at a time! So many going right back to work after getting a tiny puppy and leaving it in a tiny crate. What a horrible life for a pup -- not much better than a puppymill. :( I think a LOT of people really need to re-evaluate if they have sufficient time to provide for a Yorkie! Then I read others who are crating them when they ARE home, like they are a little toy on a shelf to be taken down only when a person feels like playing with them. I want my pups to be part of the family! Interacting, loving, playing, LIVING their life with us!

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: I wouldn't have it any other way either. Kaji is family and he goes on family outings with the rest of us. :)

:thumbup::thumbup:


thanks for the chuckle

well, im glad that the pup is doing well!
im surprised that this "breeder" sent the puppy without anything!!!
my breeder barely speaks english (i got my coco in korea) but the breeder explained everything to me. gave me the food and told me that its for babies and i should update to the puppy formula once i'm done this bag (and boy it was a big zip log bag!) she also gave me a nice pin brush & two combs (she sells them too and each got a price tag of $20 eeek!) a water bottle, leash, a toy, pill box that contained 3 diff coloured elastics and bows for the little one & of course medical book and the papers will be sent to me later.

As for the original poster defending and saying that they have a life. i really hope that a big part of her life involves her tiny baby. all pups need lots of attention especially the small ones... I even run after lunch to go check up on her (and i recently had surgery on my ankle and it hurts for me to run [ok i kind of jog hehe] but if it means i get to spend 10 more mins with her, i'll deal with the pain later.

Yes, my breeder sent Tibbe home with a box of supplies and toys, including a bag of food with things printed out such as what to do when and phone number at the top - as if I hadn't already memorized it and had it on speed dial.

What's the Opposite of a People Pleaser?
 

...WINK WINK. :rolleyes:
You are really trying to get under people's skin for obvious reasons. :mad:
If you really had this "life" you speak of why waste time coming here at all.
You are extremely rude to discredit everyone who is trying to help.
And I would have to agree with this previous post. :thumbup:
You obviously know teacups don't exist unless your are drinking out of it...on other forums we call people like you a "TROLL" because in reality you have NO life and just spend time trolling the net to irritate people.

By the way,
You should FIRE your vet!:warning:

The standard is set by the YTCA since its the breed club and its 7 lbs and under. The AKC recommended size for a yorkie is 4 -7 lbs

And if AKC did put a 4 lb. lower limit on its standard via YTCA to try to discourage teacup-sized Yorkie breeding, it wouldn't stop those people breeding those ultra tiny little dogs. It is so frustrating that people keep breeding them and at least a part of our culture is just apparently falling over itself to buy them.

This was posted a while back - but thought it was informative and the right place to add it.



The Problem With Teacup Puppies
• A CBS 2 Special Report

Apr 22, 2003 11:12 pm US/Eastern
NEW YORK (CBS) They’re advertised as puppies so small they fit in a teacup and even as adults they still look like puppies.

”I fell in love with her, she quaked she was just so small’” says Melissa Weiss. But these little bundles of joy could wind up costing you a bundle. CBS 2’s Kirstin Cole has the story.

”It cost us about $38,000 over the last 2 years,” says Kim Shamsky.

Teacup is a marketing term that breeders came up with to sell the smallest dog, the runt of the litter. Sometimes they’re inbred and can look alarmingly strange, but they’re also trendy, especially for city living because they can be trained to use a litter box and don’t need exercise.

When Sophie was born she weighed just over an ounce, now six weeks later she weighs in at a half a pound, but she can never hope to be more than 3 pounds making her forever fragile.

”This is a 2½ pound Yorkshire Terrier that jumped out of the arms of the owner and when he landed he fractured his bone,” says Dr. Paul Schwartz.

Dr. Schwartz says it's delicate surgery to operate on these dogs and they can really suffer.

Melissa Weiss wanted a dog that she didn’t have to walk, but her teacup couldn't walk because the knee caps were in the wrong place, “She needed 2 surgeries and has pins, one in each of her back legs.”

Sophie has already cost her owner $7 thousand in medical bills and for the rest of her life will be on medication for digestive problems.

Even knowing that teacups are costly and riddled with problems people still want them.

”Yeah I like, the smaller the better,” says Lyn Goldstein.

The 3 pound Yorkies that CBS 2 saw have liver, eye and knee problems. They have to eat often and be carried a lot because their tiny legs can’t climb stairs or get down safely from a bed.

”So you just make a little staircase out of pillows and they just go right up on the bed and they go back down,” adds Goldstein.

Teacups can fetch up to $3,500 each. Breeder Carolyn O'Rourke believes there are a lot of chronically unhealthy teacups because unscrupulous breeders and puppy mills are inbreeding, “When they take the little teeny tiny ones and they breed 2 and a half pounders with 3 pounders they’re playing with genetics.”

CBS 2 spoke with one midwest breeder who says her dogs are artificially inseminated, delivered by c-section and then the puppies go into incubators. Jack Levine at American Kennels calls that freaky and says he would never deal with that kind of breeder.

”Some of these breeders are here one day and gone the next, then what do you do, I mean we stand behind the animals,” says Levine.

Kim Shamsky's teacup had all kinds of health problems and died just a few months ago, but she says she would do it again, “It’s your heart, money is irrelevant when it comes to that as evidenced by all the medical bills.”

I'm sorry (not really) this shows me how sick even buyers are (I always assumed mislead and uneducated) but to go through a pup suffering and to know it personally and then make comments about her heart and how she'd do it again...really...again she'd financially support a practice that allowed a pup she said she loved to suffer in such a short life...that's a matter of the heart?
Seem and issue of the head to me...a very dysfunctional one!
Let alone the suffering of the breeding stock! The pups lost constantly...all of it is sickening to me-that's a matter of the heart.

Its getting ugly
 

This person Has posted a few times and has negative feed back while we may not admit it this word is used allover in ads in petshops and on the internet if she said a tiny would it have been better I hope her baby stays healthy and and even if she is to busy to post daily I hope you check out the posts when you have time its very educating most of the time. I wish you peace yorkie lover.

Thank you for that article. Am bookmarking that. It is the same sad story over and over.

thanks!!

I didn't post this article other than to make others aware of what a "teacup" entails. That it is only the "terminology" used by breeders to sell off the "runt" of the litter - nothing more than that.......... And that - "YES" there are greedy breeders out there breeding "runts" to "runts" trying to "give the people what they want". But in reality "the people" are going for "cute" and not realizing that these "cute tiny puppies" come with a lot of heartache. Yes, there are quite a few lucky ones out there with healthy puppies - but the majority of these "teacups" will come with a lot of health issues.

This is why I posted. Not to condone it!

Just because a term is used does not make it right and to condone it only perpetuates the vicious cycle of ignorance in pet ownership.

From my viewpoint...there has been nothing ugly about this thread but, what the OP brought to it...period!
;)-;)