Teacup is a term not classified by the AKC. It is more of a pop or slang term to describe a very small yorkie. Yorkies are a toy class of dog. Often teacup is used to refer to dogs that are very small even for a toy breed. 
Many think that marketing dogs as “teacup” is unethical. I believe that the practice can be unethical, but it really depends on the details.
According to the AKC, a yorkie is a toy breed. The breed standard is from 3 to 7 pounds, again according to the AKC. A breeder who breeds dogs that are purposely bred to weigh outside of these standards is undoubtedly irresponsible. However, many litters produce dogs that may range anywhere on this scale. I call my girl puppy, Bella, a teacup because I believe that she will weigh 3 to 4 pounds full grown. This weight is in the proper standard that a yorkie should weigh. A yorkie that weighs under three pounds full grown is likely to be very sickly. However, a yorkie that was bred to be within the 3 to 7 pound weight range, as long as they were bred for health, is likely to be very healthy.
December 4th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
she is so cute uhhhhhh love her write back and tell me if she on sell for this chirstmas
December 7th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
I love this baby ………… my next dog is going to be just like this 1!
January 19th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
I needed to let you and others know that your pics of your dogs are being used by someone that says they are in Cameroon and are trying to scam people out of their money
April 7th, 2009 at 11:44 am
Aww she is sooooooooo adorable i’m getting my yorkie this weekend. i think ima name her “juicy”.
April 25th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Thanks for letting us know. I wish we could do something about it. Let us know if there is.
May 6th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
I have someone who just showed me the same picture of this yorkie They Are Tring To Sell It To Me, whos dog is it?
May 6th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Please tell me who is trying to sell you my dog.
You can see this little girl everywhere on our site, including posts about when we got her, dated in 2008.
I have some pictures up of other peoples dogs on my site, but I would NEVER claim to be selling one of them. Our site has classifieds for other dog breeders.
May 21st, 2009 at 1:52 pm
She is sooo cute!! My lil Yorkie is super cute yorkies are so unique!! i wouldnt give up mine for anything in this world..she weights 4 lbs.
I LOVE TIPSY!!!!
June 21st, 2009 at 6:15 am
hi, so i live in japan and this lady posted an ad of this exact same dog for sale for $150. when i asked her questions about the dog, all she would say was that the puppy was healthy and that she needed to sell her cause her new apartment did not allow pets. she is claiming to live in cameroon i kinda thought it was a scam cause she kept saying please reconsider buying her, i will take care of shipping her to you. the website she was on is okinawayardsales.com. i just wanted to let you know. i asked her for recent pictures and she said the recent ones were the two of her wearing the dress. when i mentioned to her that i saw those exact same pictures on a website, she said it was because she was trying to sell her earlier.
July 3rd, 2009 at 2:54 pm
please contact me
July 3rd, 2009 at 2:55 pm
please contact me if if uare in georgia cause i cant ship
August 2nd, 2009 at 7:06 pm
even though i dont have any dog at all i love your dog she is the cutest lil dog that i have ever seen lol
August 5th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
Lilianna,
wow thank you very much for the cute comment. Bella blushed when I told you think she is cute.
November 7th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
My yorkie is a female and weights 2,2 lbs and is a very healthy little dog..she loves to play and has lots of energy. My daughter also has one from different familly and she weights approx 2.4 lbs and is also very healthy….we just love them….
February 1st, 2010 at 7:36 pm
i love it! she is just right but mines it’s not going to be like this! but it’s fashion you go girl!
February 1st, 2010 at 7:38 pm
hey!she looks good baby she’s great boys!see
February 27th, 2010 at 1:27 pm
Your baby is so cute. I want to get a yorkie, but I am not sure how to find a good breeder verses one who breeds puppies for pure profit.
February 27th, 2010 at 1:44 pm
Kelly,
Only way I know is to go to the http://www.AKC.org website and lookup certified breeders of Yorkshire Terriers. Call them up and go visit them. Ask to see the kennel, and the Yorkshire’s mother and father where applicable.
People who care about the breed of the yorkie, do not sell their dogs for cheap. Nor should they, as they have put years into their skills of dog showmanship and use careful selection of studs for husbandry.