I have seen this topic over and over again. Both sides are adamant that they are correct. I have seen people state that if you google it you will get hundreds of pictures so they must be a real breed. That is not true, I could put a picture up of a flying purple people eater that does not mean they exist. I am of the belief that there are no such things as teacup and pocket dogs. That they are fancy names that people put on runts to try and get them to sell and when they did they started breeding runts together and called it a breed.
I have been all over the AKC website and I found a toy group. These were the dogs listed in the section:
Affenpinscher
Brussels Griffon
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Chihuahua
Chinese Crested
English Toy Spaniel
Havanese
Italian Greyhound
Japanese Chin
Maltese
Manchester Terrier
Miniature Pinscher
Papillon
Pekingese
Pomeranian
Poodle
Pug
Shih Tzu
Silky Terrier
Toy Fox Terrier
Yorkshire Terrier
Not one mention of a teacup or pocket.
If it cannot be registered as an actual breed with a reputable registry then how can you call it a "breed"? And yes I do know that there are more reputable regisries than just AKC so if one of them has a teacup or a pocket please let me know. Also why would you want a dog smaller than this? Some of those breeds are less than 6 pounds. I really want actual facts so if you are going to respond with "because they are" or "there are pictures of them so they must be a real breed" please don't. I want to have true information so that we can educate people on what is true and what is made up. Thank you.
Lexy–There were two questions (they both had questions marks).
1. Why do you (or anyone) believe that a teacup or pocket dog is a breed, and what is your proof?
2. Why would you want something smaller as some dogs are already under 6 pounds?
I am not looking to get one of these dogs. I am just trying to find why people think this is a breed, or group. Does anyone have any proof?
I see this people looking for a teacup or a pocket puppy and I do not think they exist. If I am wrong I would like to know. So if anyone has any proof or real information I would like to know about it.
Thanks
Thank you to everyone who responded. I really do want to try and understand both sides of this issue. I am aware that this is a difficult question as each side has their own seperate opinion. I like to hear both sides if I can, when I can, to any issue. Thanks again.
. Why do you (or anyone) believe that a teacup or pocket dog is a breed, and what is your proof?
A teacup or pocket dog is not a breed. It is a term used to describe a particular dog in a given breed. For Example. a Teacup pomeranian. The breed is a pomeranian and is registered as a pomeranian. But Teacup describes the actually size. Poms can be very small or medium
2. Why would you want something smaller as some dogs are already under 6 pounds?
I have a pomeranian who is only 3 pounds and yes she is full grown. People like small dogs that they can travel with. The small the less room, and feed required.
Tags: Pug
Yes I know, there are many dogs registrys not just the AKC, and the "Teacup" dog is not a breed.
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What is your question?
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I agree.
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Mutt
I've always thought the same thing… they probably just call their runts "teacups" because its fancy and people think its like a rare breed or something. Anyways it seems that teacups always have more health problems than other dogs so your better off just getting the regular sized dog. I have an Italian Greyhound and she is the sweetest dog you could ever ask for! I highly recommend the breed if your looking for a real companion type dog that's very affectionate and needy.
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I'm not really sure if other registries have them listed. I never knew people claimed that a "teacup" or "pocket puppy" was a breed, I thought it was just a group of really small dogs that people obsess over. I have seen Teacup Chihuahuas, as people call them, but in the AKC it isn't registered I don't believe. I totally agree with you. I don't think anything under 20 lbs. or 15 lbs. at the least is a dog. That would be a rat. What do they even do? I think the Working group is the best, they serve a purpose or even once did. Pocket Puppies are definitely not a true breed but I'm not sure about Teacups. Hope I helped.
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I don't believe it's a seperate breed all together
But I do believe that if a dog is a certain size
Then it's a teacup
I for one have a chihuahua
His name is Mickey Mouse
And everyone we go people ask if our other chihuahua is his mom
He's really really tiny and people think that he's like a few months old if that
When in reality he's almost 3 years old.
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My adorable little baby
We have a yorkie. Full size. They cost a good bit less than teacups. No one claims they are a breed, but they are bred to be small, and they fetch a lot more money. They are not the runt of the litter. These are small, delicate dogs. It's not proof. It's just that I've seen full size and I've seen toys. There is a world of difference.
It's like a little person is still a human being, but he's a small human being. The toys are the same breed as the big guys, but a bred-to-be-small version.
Personally, the teacups I've seen are too delicate. I think they are adorable, but we prefer a full sized, small dog. By the way, the teacups run 3-5 pounds. Our yorkie is 13 pounds. People want the tiny ones to carry them around and show them off. The thought of keeping a puppy in a pocket hurts me to the core.
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You are partially right, those tiny dogs are not the breed standard. For instance, if 2 AKC registered poodles are bred together and they have a very tiny puppy, that pup can be registered with the AKC because of its parentage. If that undersized AKC pup is bred with another very small AKC registered poodle, their resulting undersized pups can still be registered as AKC poodles. The undersized poodle is not the breed standard and any good poodle breeder would not register those pups or probably even keep them alive. A good breeder breeds for the standard…..the best qualities in the dog. An undersized puppy is not good quality. But, people are more than willing to pay very good money for these tiny little dogs, sometimes $1,000 or more. Money talks and unreputable breeders will take advantage of that and keep breeding these tiny little fragile dogs.
I personally don't believe teacup or pocket dogs are a separate breed, but are just a name given to these tiny, undersized dogs.
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. Why do you (or anyone) believe that a teacup or pocket dog is a breed, and what is your proof?
A teacup or pocket dog is not a breed. It is a term used to describe a particular dog in a given breed. For Example. a Teacup pomeranian. The breed is a pomeranian and is registered as a pomeranian. But Teacup describes the actually size. Poms can be very small or medium
2. Why would you want something smaller as some dogs are already under 6 pounds?
I have a pomeranian who is only 3 pounds and yes she is full grown. People like small dogs that they can travel with. The small the less room, and feed required.
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You are absolutely correct. When dogs are purposely bred to be extremely small, generally those dogs are more prone to health risks as size becomes the primary focus of those breeding them. The resulting small dogs are more prone to injury as well.
No ethical breeder would ever breed to get extremely small dogs, nor is their goal in breeding to "make money." They breed to the standard of the particular breed of dog with emphasis on conforming to that standard and making sure that the dogs are free from genetic health issues.
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Yorkie breeder 10+ years
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