Palo Verde Kennels

Teacup Myth:

WE GET MANY REQUESTS FOR "TEACUP" CHIHUAHUAS. USUALLY, THESE REQUESTS REFER TO A PUPPY THAT, AS AN ADULT, WILL NOT WEIGH MORE THAN 2 TO 3.5 POUNDS. FOR THIS REASON, WE FELT THE NEED TO DISCUSS OUR VIEWPOINT ON THESE TINY LITTLE CRITTERS.
THE OFFICIAL A.K.C. BREED STANDARD DESCRIBES THE CHIHUAHUA AS A SMALL DOG THAT COMES IN TWO VARIETIES OR COAT TYPES. THE DIFFERENCE IN COAT TYPE (THE LONG COAT AND THE SMOOTH COAT) IS THE ONLY OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION USED TO IDENTIFY A DIFFERENCE WITHIN THIS BREED. THEIR STANDARD DOES NOT CATEGORIZE THE CHIHUAHUA BY SIZE.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE ADDITIONAL ADJECTIVES USED TO DESCRIBE THE SIZE DIFFERENCES AND PHYSICAL APPEARANCES ARE MANY AND HAVE BEEN MISUSED FOR SO LONG THEY NOW SEEM LEGITIMATE. TEACUP, POCKET SIZE, TINY TOY, MINIATURE OR STANDARD - ARE JUST A FEW OF THE MANY TAGS AND LABELS THAT HAVE BEEN ATTACHED TO THIS BREED OVER THE YEARS. THERE IS CONCERNS THAT THESE TERMS MAY BE USED TO ENTICE PROSPECTIVE BUYERS INTO THINKING THAT PUPPIES DESCRIBED IN THIS WAY ARE OF GREATER MONETARY VALUE. THEY ARE NOT AND THE USE OF THESE TERMS IS INCORRECT AND MISLEADING.
TO ATTACH ANY OF THESE ADDITIONAL LABELS TO A PARTICULAR PUPPY IS TO MISREPRESENT THAT CHIHUAHUA AS SOMETHING THAT IS RARE OR EXCEPTIONAL AND CAUSES A GREAT DEAL OF CONFUSION AMONG THOSE NEW FANCIERS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR A CHIHUAHUA.

THERE ARE MANY HIGHLY REPUTABLE BREEDERS WHO BREED FOR THE SMALLEST SIZE POSSIBLE, THERE ARE MANY FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN THINKING OF PURCHASING A TINY, OR "TEACUP" CHIHUAHUA. FIRST AND FOREMOST, "TEACUP" IS SIMPLY A TERM...NOTHING MORE. SOME BREEDERS WILL USE THIS TERM AS A WAY OF ASKING MORE FOR THEIR PUPPIES, AND MANY OF THOSE PUPPIES DO NOT EVEN END UP BEING THAT SMALL SIZE AS ADULTS. NO MATTER WHAT ANY BREEDER TELLS YOU, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY WITH ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY WHAT SIZE A CHIHUAHUA WILL BE UNTIL IT'S GROWN. MANY BREEDERS ARE VERY GOOD AT PREDICTING THE SIZE OF THEIR PUPPIES, AND A BREEDER OF QUALITY PUPPIES WILL NEVER GUARANTEE THAT YOUR PUPPY WILL BE A CERTAIN SIZE. ALSO, THE TERM "TOY" REFERS TO THE AKC CLASSIFICATION OF THE BREED, NOT NECESSARILY THAT THE PUPPY WILL BE A TINY ONE...THOUGH SOME BREEDERS WILL ALSO USE THE TERM IN AN EFFORT TO CHARGE MORE FOR THEIR PUPPIES. JUST REMEMBER, ALL CHIHUAHUAS ARE CLASSIFIED AS "TOYS".

SOME BREEDERS DO NOT BREED FOR TINY PUPPIES. OCCASIONALLY, A SMALLER THAN AVERAGE PUPPY WILL APPEAR IN A LITTER, BUT USUALLY IT HAS JUST GOTTEN A SLOW START. IT USUALLY ENDS UP BEING ABOUT THE SAME SIZE AS IT'S LITTER MATES, GIVE OR TAKE A FEW OUNCES. ON OCCASION THAT THESE PUPPIES DO NOT CATCH UP WITH THEIR LITTER MATES, IT WILL NOT BE SOLD UNTIL IT IS A GOOD BIT OLDER THAN THE REST, AND THEN IT WILL BE PLACED CAREFULLY, IN ONLY THE MOST ATTENTIVE OF HOMES.

THE REASON WHY SOME BREEDERS DO NOT BREED FOR THE TINY SIZE, AND REASON WHY ANY TINY PUPPY THAT THEY MIGHT PRODUCE WILL BE PLACED VERY CAREFULLY IS THAT THE TINIER THE PUPPY, THE LESS LIKELY IT WILL BE AS HEALTHY AS THE AVERAGE CHIHUAHUA. THE VERY TINY CHIHUAHUAS USUALLY HAVE A GOOD DEAL OF HEALTH PROBLEMS AS ADULTS. THEY TEND TO HAVE SHORTER LIVES, AND A GREAT DEAL MORE COMPLICATIONS FROM PUPPYHOOD ON TO ADULTHOOD. THEY MAY HAVE PROBLEMS