Teacup Morkies – good idea?
They’re so tiny and adorable, who wouldn’t want one, but before you decide, please read up on so-called teacups, teensies or baby dolls and the problems in “miniaturizing” purebreeds like Yorkshire Terriers, Maltese and Morkies.
National kennel clubs around the world set out the breed standards for all purebreed dogs, and those standards state that the Yorkshire Terrier is “ideally four to seven pounds.” Even professionals dog handlers who show Yorkies for a living prefer their dogs around five or six pounds, so smaller isn’t better. The Maltese breed standards are a tiny bit heavier – the ideal specimen weighs in at about 5 to 8 pounds.
When dogs are too small – under four pounds – owners face at least five serious problems including:
- feeding – very sensitive stomach, plus tooth problems – too many in a small mouth
- house-training – very, very tiny bladders so don’t expect much when it comes to being potty-trained
- organs are often underdeveloped and can suddenly fail
- sudden low blood sugar that can lead to shock and even death!
- One of the big concerns in a super small dog is just how delicate the dog is. Their bones are VERY fragile and can be broken by jumping off of a couch, falling off of a bed, being stepped on or worse. They’re not for children of course because of their fragility.
Besides their size, are Teacups different than the ‘regular’ or ‘standard size’ version of the breed?
Breeding runts to runts
No — “teacups,” “teenies” and “baby-dolls” are just cutesy labels for Yorkshire Terriers that are far too small. Puppy mills and unscrupulous breeders are “miniaturizing” popular toy breeds and using these adjectives to make them sound even more adorable. Meanwhile they’re selling genetic misfits, fragile dogs who will probably have lifelong health problems.
Toy dogs under 4 pounds are at risk for the diseases above, but can also have a very short lifespan. Sometimes they live only 5 or 6 years.
Want to read the 7 Things You Must Know Before You Get a Morkie!
Get your FREE downloadable report – 7 Things You Must Know Before You Get a Morkie!
No obligation, no strings attached. Just 19 pages of solid information about the adorable combination of Yorkshire Terrier and Maltese dog – the Morkie!
(Although this says “add to cart, there is absolutley NO CHARGE)