The Teacup Myth
I feel the necessity to add this page about the so called "Teacup" chihuahua, due the alarming number of inquiries I get from people who think they want one. To put it frankly, there is NO SUCH THING! The AKC only recognizes 2 varities of Chihuahua... smooth and long coat. There are no size categories in AKC breed standard for Chihuahuas, like there are in Poodles (miniature, toy, standard). ALL CHIHUAHUAS ARE IN THE TOY GROUP.
Again, there are only 2 varieties of Chihuahuas:
Smooth Coat and Long Coat. All Chihuahuas are in the toy group!
The tiny (3 pounds & under - so called "TeaCup") Chihuahuas, that have become so popular these days due to the Movie Stars and Entertainers that own them and flaunt them as fashion accessories, are NOT of the norm. The average size Chihuahuas in the show ring today are around 4 to 6 pounds. That in and of itself is a very small dog! There are some that remain under 3 pounds full grown. Personally, I don't breed for the diminutive size. I breed to the AKC standard, for quality.
According to the AKC BREED STANDARD, Chihuahuas should not exceed 6lbs, this does not mean that a Chihuahua that exceeds 6 pounds is not a full blood Chihuahua. It just means that any Chihuahua over 6 pounds is not eligible to be shown in AKC conformation events. There certainly isn't anything wrong with a beautiful 7 + pound Chihuahua. In fact, most times the larger Chihuahua is better suited for an active family life style, especially when there are children in the home. Even at 7 to 9 pounds, that is still a relatively small dog.
Please remember that Chihuahuas are NOT fashion accessories, they are living, breathing, animals! Many times there are medical reasons why a Chihuahua will remain under 3lbs. Hydrocephelus or heart problems or liver problems, often accompany the tiny, so called "Teacups". Frequently these tiny dogs have serious health issues that can result in huge Veterinary bills and subsequent nearly death.
Yes, they can remain tiny due to genetics, but this is not always the case, as ethical and conscious breeders generally will NOT breed solely to get "Teacup" chihuahuas. Breeding tiny females to tiny males doesn't mean they will make tiny puppies. The genetics from Grandparents, Great Grandparents, GGGrandparents, so on and so forth also play a role in the adult size, shape and form of each and every pup. Runt puppies can and many times do grow up to be full size Chihuahuas. Sometimes they remain stunted, this is many times what the general public refer to as "Teacup" chihuahuas. Four pound parents can have 2 to 7 pound offspring. Six pound parents can have below 3 pound offspring. This is why raising Chihuahuas is so challenging and nerve wracking.
These tiny dogs ("Teacups") must have constant care. They are very prone to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). They must be kept warm, as their tiny bodies don't have the mass to maintain a proper body temperature. They cannot be allowed to jump off of furniture, as their little bones are like toothpicks and will break easily. They cannot be left alone more than a couple of hours a day, as they must be fed 4 to 6 times a day. It is a must that these tiny ones eat numerous times a day to avoid low blood sugar. The reason they must eat so many times a day is their tiny tummies don't hold much at a time. Their activity must be monitored carefully to avoid low blood sugar.
Do you really want to have to worry about this every day?
Please be careful of breeders that blatantly advertise "Teacup" Chihuahuas for sale. I have witnessed many unethical breeders offering what they call T-cups, Pocket Pets, micro, Extra Tiny, Tea Cups, rare, that are actually very young, 5 to 6 week old puppies. All 5 to 6 week old Chihuahuas are tiny. Most are under or right at the 1 pound mark at that age. Many of these 5 to 6 week old puppies will grow up to be normal sized and possibly over sized adult Chihuahuas. It is IMPOSSIBLE to guarantee adult size of a *5 to 6 week old puppy. Even at 12 to 16 weeks it is very difficult to accurately predict adult size.
*Puppies should not be sold at 5 to 6 weeks old. They need to remain with their Mom until they are at the very minimum of 8 weeks old.
Chihuahuas grow until they are about 7- 8 months old. By this age they have pretty much reached their adult height and length. However, many will continue to "mature out" and will gain weight and muscle mass, the older they get. I've seen some that don't actually come into their full maturity (body weight) until around the 2 year old mark.
Good luck in your endeavor to find that perfect Chihuahua to love. Please don't be sucked in by the deceptive terms used by some ... "Teacup, T-Cup, pocket pets, extra tiny, micro, rare!" These are just a few of the monetary marketing labels that have been attached to the breed over the years.