In the unlikely event a Yorkshire Terrier isn’t small enough for you, there’s always the Teacup Yorkie.
These small little terriers are adorable little dogs that are quick to melt hearts with their appearance and personality.
The Teacup Yorkie has become increasingly popular over the past decade or so.
Sometimes called Mini or Micro Yorkies, the Teacup Yorkie is perfect for those who live in a small apartment in a big city.
They don’t take up a lot of room, while their pleasant personalities make these little dog social pets.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at the Teacup Yorkie.
With the introduction over, let’s delve into the history of the Teacup Yorkie.
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Where are Teacup Yorkies from?
The Yorkshire Terrier is a small dog that was used in the 19th century to hunt rodents at mills. They went on to become popular with Victorian ladies as lap dogs. They make great companion pets.
Most Teacup Yorkies weigh less than the breed standard, with these mini Yorkshire Terrier usually weighing around four pounds (rather than seven pounds).
It’s important to state that the AKC doesn’t recognise the Teacup Yorkie as a breed. So a Micro Yorkie happens by chance or is the result of deliberate breeding.
Despite some thorough research, we were unable to find the origins of the Teacup Yorkie.
What does Teacup Yorkie look like?
Teacup Yorkies are miniature versions of the Yorkshire Terrier. Therefore, they should have a blue steel and tan coat that is floor length at adulthood.
They’ve got a delicate appearance given these dogs weigh substantially less than a fully grown Yorkie adult.
How big does Teacup Yorkies get?
Some breeders claim that they have Teacup Yorkies that weigh two pounds or less. However, this is unlikely to be true given the smallest recorded dog was a Chihuahua in 2015.
Teacup Yorkies tend to weigh around four pounds in weight and four to five inches in height. They’re very fragile dogs with tiny frames that need to be handled with care.
When do Teacup Yorkies stop growing?
While it’s difficult to ascertain when a Teacup Yorkie will stop growing given there’s no breed standard, we can use the Yorkshire Terrier as a rough guideline.
Yorkies do most of their growing within the first 12 months of their lives, although some could continue to grow until the age of two.
Are Teacup Yorkies good pets?
Yorkshire Terrier ready to go home (Photo: Adobe Stock)
If you’re considering a Teacup Yorkie as a pet, you’ll need to consider some factors such as the home environment.
These Micro Yorkshire Terriers usually weigh around three or four pounds, so they’ve got a very delicate frame that needs to be treated with care and respect.
For that reason, bringing a Teacup Terrier into a family home with young children probably isn’t a good idea. Older kids will need to be educated on how to handle these dogs.
If you’ve got big dogs in the family home already, you may want to avoid a Teacup Terrier given their small size.
While children will need to be careful, adults will have to watch where they walk to avoid stepping on these little pups.
Are Teacup Yorkies smart?
Given Teacup Yorkies are a just a minute version of Yorkies, we can judge their intelligence levels by looking at their larger relations.
Yorkies have a reputation for being relatively clever dogs and are ranked within the top 40 most intelligent dog breeds in the world.
They should be quite easy to train, although Yorkshire Terriers do have a reputation for being difficult to house break.
Do Teacup Yorkies shed?
The Yorkie has human-like hair that doesn’t shed quite as much as some dogs. However, if you’re looking for a dog that won’t trigger an allergy, Yorkies and Teacup Yorkies still produce dander.
How much does Teacup Yorkie eat?
Teacup Yorkshire Terriers have to follow a strict diet and maintain a regular feeding schedule.
They’ll need to be fed multiple times a day given their small bodies can’t store a lot of food. This also means more potty breaks!
Are Teacup Yorkies healthy?
Considering the size of these Mini Yorkshire Terriers, you’d be forgiven for wondering whether Teacup Yorkies are a healthy breed.
According to PetMD, teacup versions of dog breeds are often created by breeding runts of litters.
The respected website goes on to say that “common health issues for teacup dogs include hypoglycemia, heart defects, collapsing trachea, seizures, respiratory problems, digestive problems, and blindness.”
There are some health conditions that Yorkshire Terriers can suffer from – so by extension, Teacup Yorkies could also be at risk. Such illnesses include patella luxation and hydrocephalus.
What is the lifespan of a Teacup Yorkie?
While Yorkshire Terriers have an average lifespan between 13 and 16 years, Teacup Yorkies usually have slightly shorter lives. These Mini Yorkies tend to reach an age of around nine.
How much does a Teacup Yorkie cost?
The price of a Teacup Yorkie can vary quite a lot depending on each individual breeder. They can range from $800 to $5,000 in price.
However, these dogs aren’t recognised as a breed unlike Yorkies. So you should do careful research before you consider one of these tiny dogs.
Where to buy Teacup Yorkie?
You should avoid purchasing a Teacup Yorkie from an online website or third party breeder at all costs.
Instead, you should look to find a reputable breeder of these Micro Yorkies.
Given they’re usually bred by chance, you may find it quite difficult to find a Teacup Yorkie.
In conclusion
If you’re looking for a Teacup Yorkie, you should carefully weigh up whether you’ve got the right circumstances and the time to bring these small dogs in your home.
Families with young children are unlikely to be a good fit given these dogs are delicate and need to be handled with a lot of care.
