Is there such a thing as a “teacup” Yorkie?
No. Many Yorkshire Terrier breeders claim to have “teacup” or
"Tiny" Yorkies and justify charging more for such claims on their puppies. The
Yorkshire Terrier standard gives no preference for smaller dogs within the 7 pound weight
limit. Extra care should be given to the more tiny Yorkies as some are more susceptible to
hypoglycemia, physical injuries due to falls, etc. The Yorkshire Terrier standard as
defined by the American Kennel Club (AKC) is between 4 to 7 pounds.
The desired size of the Yorkie is a personal choice. Families with small children might
try to find a larger Yorkie, where as other’s might be in search for the so called
“purse baby”. Smaller Yorkies may be more susceptible to disease and injuries
due to their size. Also, many vets will charge more for working on smaller Yorkies because
it is more difficult (and dangerous) because of the smaller size.
There is no such breed! The Yorkshire Terrier breed standard classifies Yorkies as up to 7
pounds. They may weigh from 4 to 7 pounds. If a breeder or pet store is selling a
"teacup" or "mini", run away! They may be shady and misrepresenting
the Yorkie. The tiny ones may be sold too early, perhaps just so they can call them
"teacups" or a "mini". If you are set on a smaller Yorkie, ask your
breeder when their next litter will be. There will be some "smaller" Yorkies in
the litter from which to choose from. Most consider a respected breeder to be one that is
AKC registered. While that does not always determine that they are to be trusted 100%,
there are standards and qualifications that AKC registered breeders must pass.
There are small, full-grown Yorkies that may only weigh 2 pounds. But, it is very rare for
Yorkies to be that small. If you have a Yorkie that is on the small side of the scale, you
must be very careful with them, as they are definitely more "fragile" than
standard sized ones and you must take extra precautions with them, such as making sure
they don't fall from a high place or that they don't jump off of places.
Ferragame's Yorkshire Terriers do not advertise or specifically breed to
produce teacup/tiny/small or any other nomenclature of non-breed standard
Yorkshire Terriers. However there are instances in which smaller than standard 4 lb.
Yorkies are born to a litter. In this instance, Ferragame's Yorkshire Terriers will take
extra care to place this puppy due to special needs of small Yorkies (as stated above).
- Terrance A. Ferragame
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