Let's get straight to the point. The teacup Yorkshire Terrier doesn’t exist as a standard because the AKC (American Kennel Club) does not recognize the teacup Yorkie. The AKC instead, acknowledges Yorkies as toy dogs when and only when they fall within the five to seven pound range. Any Yorkie below that range is not only a non-toy -- it's dangerous. For this reason, the AKC refuses to admit the teacup Yorkie in its current standards.

What Makes A Yorkie A "Tea Cup" Yorkie

What is commonly known as a "Teacup" Yorkshire Terrier is a Yorkie dog weighing between two to three pounds. What differentiates them from litter runts is that they're bred at this size on purpose -- usually at a high cost. This isn't just a financial cost mind you, it's a health and emotional cost as well since Yorkies weighing in at only two to three pounds are more susceptible to diseases.

Problematic Health Problems

Porto-systemic shunt is just one of the diseases that's common in teacup Yorkies, however complicating things even more is the fact that these dogs can't handle the anesthesia used as part of the condition's corrective surgery. Even worse is their short-life span. Since few of them live longer than four or five years, their 'sudden' deaths can be emotionally draining.

Why The Tea Cup Craze?

Why do breeders create Teacup Yorkies? Reputable breeders don't breed them because of the risks involved. Those who want to scam the general public however, do -- just so that they can make a quick buck. They place way too much emphasis on the Yorkies' naturally small size, and then they try to lead the public into thinking "the smaller, the more valuable" when nothing could be further from the truth. They'll even charge more for an undersized Yorkie as part of the scam, but if you were to try and register your teacup Yorkie into the national database of purebreds or enter it into a dog show, you wouldn't even make it inside the door.

Tea Cups Should Cost Less - Not More!

This is of course, in great contradiction to reputable dealers who sell smaller Yorkies for less! Reputable breeders know that that Yorkie fans want dogs that conform to AKC Yorkshire Terrier breed standards. Since pups weighing under these standards lose value, they can't justify a regular asking price, let alone a higher one.

Say No To Tea Cup Yorkies

You must exercise extreme caution when you're approached with a tea cup Yorkie and Just Say NO. Yorkie runts exist -- but they're not a 'special' type of Yorkie and they certainly aren't more valuable (at least, not in AKC's eyes). If you fall in love with an undersized Yorkie, make sure you're doing so for the right reasons. There's absolutely no financial gain from investing in the non-existent teacup Yorkie, but there's an insurmountable gain from loving and caring for a helpless creature.

Learn More

For more information regarding tea cup Yorkies and miniature Yorkies, be sure to read our articles entitled, "Say No To A Teacup Yorkie From A Puppy Mill," and "The Miniature Yorkie As One Of The World's Smallest Yorkshire Terriers."