Teacup Puppy Blog

Is a Teacup Yorkshire terrier Right for Me?

The Teacup Yorkshire terrier originally came from England around 1800’s and was bred for hunting small vermin. Classified as toy dogs but referred to as Teacup Yorkshire terrier when matures to become smaller than its standard size of 4 to 7 pounds and 8 to 9 inches long from the shoulders. Commonly known as “Yorkie” or “Yorkies”, the Teacup Yorkshire terrier was registered by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1936. However, the AKC is against the term “teacup” and regards this word as a marketing term used by breeders to sell excessively small Yorkies at a high price.

Both the standard and teacup Yorkshire terrier are ranked as the second most searched and popular dog breed in the U.S. as of 2006. They are popular for their distinctively long and silky coats with shades of tan and blue. Fortunately, teacup Yorkshire terrier dogs do not have undercoats, so shedding will not be a problem. The hairs of Yorkies are like human hair, growing continuously that rarely falls out.
When evaluating the personality of teacup Yorkshire terrier, one can observe that the dog retains much of its terrier ancestry. Generally, Yorkies are independent, courageous and extremely intelligent. However, individual dogs will have different personalities, depending on how the owner trains his pet. As such, some teacup Yorkshire terrier may not be as bold, confident and vigorous as the standard Yorkshire temperament, but will show shyness and nervousness.

Like any other dogs, the Teacup Yorkshire terrier is prone to health conditions, such as bronchitis, cataracts, lymphangiectasia, keratitis sicca, hepatic lipidosis and hypoglycemia. Because of this, it is important to keep a schedule of checkups and vaccinations to prevent any disease from infecting your dog.

In terms of feeding, Yorkshire terriers are fussy with foods. They do cannot be forced to eat foods that they don’t like. A problem common to Teacup Yorkshire terrier is the delicateness of their digestive systems. So when you feed a Yorkie outside of his normal diet, this may result in diarrhea and vomiting. Many breeders of teacup Yorkshire terrier prefer households without children and other larger pets because Yorkies may become endangered.

The life span of regular-sized and healthy Yorkies is around 12 to 15 years. However, a teacup Yorkshire terrier generally has shorter life spans because they are more prone to vomiting and chronic diarrhea. Therefore, if you’re planning to adopt a teacup Yorkshire terrier, you should be ready to give extra time in training, grooming, supervising and taking care of your pet to avoid any possible diseases and let him grow up to be a happy and healthy dog.