Teacup yorkies: unethical?

Posted on May 26th, 2008 by Amanda - Teacup Yorkie Dog Lover.
Categories: Teacup and Tea cup yorkies.

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.

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