I think I have a future 'teapot'

[FryFry]

Leo weighed 3lbs when he was 8wks old. I just weighed him on my scale and it said 4.6-4.8lbs (it kept switching between the two weights) my scale might be wrong. He's 12wks old now. He goes to the vet tomorrow for his 2nd set of vaccines, so I guess I'll find his real weight tomorrow. Does he look like he'll be a teapot?

[Princes mom]

Only time will tell, but he is certainly a cutie!

[yipyap]

LEO's size depends a lot on the size of his own parents! My little yorkie, Taffy, was the puppy that no body wanted because he was the 'biggest pup' of the two litters. His own brother was only 1/2 Taffy's size! (The other litter was two little females.) However, my breeder/friend said she would be really surprised if Taff ever got out of the 5-6 lb. range, since his mom was only 5 1/4 lbs., and his dad was slightly smaller. Sure enough, he stopped at 5 lbs. when he was 6 months old, and he stays right around 5 1/4 to 5 1/2 now at age 3 years. She said it is hard as a breeder to have people always asking for "tiny puppies" as she believes they are prone to more health problems. My vet said the same thing...she said Taffy is the size she prefers for veterinary care.. around 5 lbs. or higher. Taffy also did nicely in his 1 year old obedience class, where the instructor said many tiny yorkies were too hyper or timid for training classses. So, if you want some idea of Leo 's future size, find out how big his parents are. He may have a very nice build and a good, friendly disposition! A Yorkie does not have to be a "teacup" -- read the breed's standards by the AKC--to be a breed standard size Yorkie. They can be big or small, but it's what you think that counts!!

[Mork]

What's a teapot yorkie? Regardless, he's such a cutie!!

[FryFry]

Originally Posted by yipyap

LEO's size depends a lot on the size of his own parents! My little yorkie, Taffy, was the puppy that no body wanted because he was the 'biggest pup' of the two litters. His own brother was only 1/2 Taffy's size! (The other litter was two little females.) However, my breeder/friend said she would be really surprised if Taff ever got out of the 5-6 lb. range, since his mom was only 5 1/4 lbs., and his dad was slightly smaller. Sure enough, he stopped at 5 lbs. when he was 6 months old, and he stays right around 5 1/4 to 5 1/2 now at age 3 years. She said it is hard as a breeder to have people always asking for "tiny puppies" as she believes they are prone to more health problems. My vet said the same thing...she said Taffy is the size she prefers for veterinary care.. around 5 lbs. or higher. Taffy also did nicely in his 1 year old obedience class, where the instructor said many tiny yorkies were too hyper or timid for training classses. So, if you want some idea of Leo 's future size, find out how big his parents are. He may have a very nice build and a good, friendly disposition! A Yorkie does not have to be a "teacup" -- read the breed's standards by the AKC--to be a breed standard size Yorkie. They can be big or small, but it's what you think that counts!!

His Mom is 7lbs and his Dad is 8lbs. The breeder said of puppies from previous litters usually ended up 6lbs

[yipyap]

Dear MP,
I just saw your last posting in which you said Leo's parents were medium-sized Yorkie in the 6-8 lb. range. So, you now have a very good idea that your Leo, especially being a Male, will be at least his mom's size and maybe a bit bigger than she is. I would not fret if Leo isn't a 'teacup size' yorkie, I think you will love your 'teapot size' little guy if he grows to about 6-8 pounds. People did go a bit fad crazy with "Look how Tiny my dog is!" (It was not healthy for all pups.)
I love your new term for his mid-size..."teapot!"
My 5 pound Yorkie's "uncles" is in Leo's father's size range; he is 8 pounds, and he has done really well in dog obedience classes! He carries wooden dumbbells over hurdles and does all these commands and fetches, etc. He may not fit in a lady's purse like a teacup yorkie, but boy, can he do many things his tiny cousins can't do! You may find that going on walks & also housebreaking Leo is a bit easier with his medium size.
The main tip is KEEP him with you and LIMIT the room(s) he is allowed to go into! Our dog does NOT go in rooms we rarely use...the dining room, the company bedroom, and the main living room. (Close doors, use a baby gate, or buy clear strips of plastic sheets from Lowes Hardware--ask them to cut them in half so they are easy for you to step over...our Yorkie hates them and won't go over them!) Graff the spends most of the day with me in the bedroom, kitchen, den, or basement..but he stays where I am! I took him outside Frequently as a pup right to his two metal potty stakes by bushes. I stayed away (like by the door) and let him sniff out by his stakes and go to the bathroom. Then, I immediately went to praise him & give him a treat!! (I remove poop with kleenexs and flush them!) Our pup got too distracted by us being right beside him when he was little & just wanted to play, but he went 'pee & poop' very quickly if we put his leash on the dog stake and walked away, he liked to have "his privacy" in the early a.m. and during the day. (Now, we do go on "real walks" for fun & exercise, sometimes he stops to pee on a shrub, but that's very normal with all the native wildlife around here.)
Leo will be able to keep up with you more easily on long walks than some of his tiny cousins, and his bladder will be a bit bigger, so if you potty train him well, he will probably go a bit longer between potty trips outside, or to his potty tray. Of course, if he is a little bigger, then his pee 'puddles' will be a bit bigger..which will really get "you" focused on doing potty training! Stay positive!...yorkies respond better to praise & treats, and repetition..set a timer 15 min. after meals and after drinks of water...and every hour, till you get a feel for his "times to go."
Don't worry, by the time he is older, you will know when he needs to go..our guy circles on the back door mat! Yorkies supposedly rank 25th out of the many dog breeds in intelligence, according to the National Geographic Special on the recognized dog breeds. So, don't let his size fool you into thinking he can't be trained! Actually, it's us, the owners, who have to be trained on "how to train" our dogs!! And yorkies, being terriors are stubborn, but they love their owners!
Some good books about the breed I enjoy are Deborah Wood & D.V.M, Wayne Hunthausen's "The Yorkshire Terrior" and Tracy Barr & D.V.M., Peter Veling's "Yorkshire Terriers for Dummies". Library has 'new tapes' on puppy training!
Have fun with Leo! He looks like a really good puppy! LOL, Sue & Taffy