Teacup Yorkie Puppies

One of the most frequently asked questions that we get is "do you have any teacup Yorkshire Terrier puppies for sale?" The simple truth is that neither we nor anyone else has a "teacup" Yorkie puppy because no such classification exists. Let me clarify.

The official breed standard for the Yorkshire Terrier calls for adult Yorkies to have a weight of no more than seven (7) pounds.

To be exact, the breed standard states: "Weight: Must not exceed seven pounds." This definition was approved on April 12, 1966. To review the breed standard for Yorkshire Terriers, check at www.akc.org.

Why then, you may ask, do so many breeders advertise their puppies as teacup Yorkies? There are only two reasons:

Fraudulent advertising for Teacup Yorkie puppies.
Some unscrupulous breeders advertise teacup Yorkie puppies to take advantage of those people who are not very familiar with Yorkies. By telling someone that they are getting a "teacup" Yorkie, they make the buyer feel that they are getting something special - as if one get much more special than a Yorkie at all :-). Beware, many of these people also advertise "toy" and or "standard" Yorkie puppies with adult weights up to 10 or 12 pounds. As stated above, a standard Yorkshire terrier must weigh no more than 7 pounds.

Ignorance about Teacup Yorkshire Terrier puppies.
Sadly, there are people out there breeding Yorkshire terrier puppies who simply aren't knowledgeable enough about them to know that there is no such thing as a "teacup" Yorkie. One can only image their general breed knowledge and the quality of their Yorkie puppies for sale.

I was told of a breeder recently who allegedly has adult Yorkies weighing less than two (!!) pounds all the time. The person writing wanted to know if we had Yorkie puppies of that size. I must point out that as of 2002, the smallest dog in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, was a Chihuahua who weighed just under 2 pounds at 1 lb. 14 oz. For someone to claim that they regularly have adult dogs weighing less than 2 pounds is a stretch to say the least.

One must also be cautious regarding the time at which a weight is taken. A breeder could happily tell you that a dog weighs only 4 pounds. If that weight is taken at 12 weeks of age, however, that Yorkie puppy will probably weigh about 8 pounds as a fully grown adult.

On average, Yorkshire terriers weigh between 5 and 7 pounds as adults. There are, of course, smaller Yorkie puppies born that will weigh less. Most Yorkshire terriers that you see participating in the show ring tend to be 6 to 7 pounds. A dog weighing 3 to 4 pounds is considered very small and often requires special care. Dogs this small should not be handled by children except under strictly controlled conditions. Children are clumsy by nature--not intentionally--and dogs weighing less than 4 pounds are fragile, with easily broken bones.

One must also be cautious regarding the time at which a weight is taken. A breeder could happily tell you that a dog weighs only 4 pounds. If that weight is taken at 12 weeks of age, however, that puppy will probably weigh about 8 pounds as a fully grown adult.