What is a teacup puppy?

What does teacup mean on a puppy listing?

It's a word for how small a seller expects a puppy to stay, and it carries no official meaning. Each of the breeds we raise has its size set out in inches, and some in pounds as well, and teacup isn't one of them.

The people who know these breeds best agree. There's no officially recognized Teacup or Imperial Shih Tzu, here or abroad. A toy Schnauzer is simply a small Miniature and shouldn't cost more for it. Even for the Chihuahua, a breed often sold this way, labels like teacup and pocket size are wrong and misleading, and they can lead buyers to think a puppy is worth more.

Is a teacup Poodle a real size?

No. Poodles come in three sizes, measured at the highest point of the shoulders. A Standard stands over 15 inches, a Miniature over 10 inches and up to 15, and a Toy 10 inches or under. There's nothing below the Toy, so a Poodle sold as a teacup is a Toy Poodle with a smaller-sounding name.

A grown Toy Poodle weighs 4 to 6 pounds. The Poodles we raise are Miniatures, one size up, and our Miniature Poodle size guide sets the sizes side by side.

Why do very small puppies need extra care?

Low blood sugar is the first concern. It can strike very young or very small puppies, young toy puppies most of all, because they have little fat and muscle and a young liver and so can't store enough fuel. A puppy like that can run low between meals, especially when it's active, cold or stressed.

Emergency vets most often see it in puppies under 12 weeks old, newly brought home and of toy breeds, and they can arrive very sleepy, wobbly, unconscious or having seizures. Small, frequent meals help young puppies, as your vet directs. For a small puppy in trouble, light corn syrup or honey by mouth can steady it for a short time, and then it needs a vet right away.

Nearly every puppy that has it grows out of it, and it most often affects toy puppies from weaning to about 3 or 4 months old. Some very tiny dogs, the so-called teacup size, can go on having attacks throughout their lives.

Are very small dogs more fragile?

Their bones can be. Broken front leg bones after a fall are among the most common problems vets see in toy breeds, because the bones are small and fragile and the dogs live among big furniture, with couches to jump off and children who carry them and let them leap from their arms.

Health problems are also often the reason a dog is very tiny. With any small puppy, watch the jumps from the sofa and the young children who want to carry it around.

How big do the small breeds we raise get?

Here's the usual weight for a grown dog of each breed beside the adult weight we expect for ours, estimated from each puppy's parents.

• Shih Tzu. Usually 9 to 16 pounds, and ours are expected to reach 8 to 13 lbs. Read how big Shih Tzus get, or see our Shih Tzu puppies.
• Miniature Schnauzer. Usually 11 to 20 pounds, and ours are expected to reach 10 to 18 lbs. Our Schnauzer size guide has more, and our Miniature Schnauzer page lists the puppies.
• Miniature Poodle. Usually 10 to 15 pounds, and ours are expected to reach 13 to 16 lbs. Meet our Mini Poodle puppies.
• Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Usually 13 to 18 pounds, and ours are expected to reach 19 to 22 lbs. The Cavalier price and colors guide covers the breed, and our Cavalier puppies have a page of their own.
• Cavapoo and F1B Cavapoo. A cross has no official weight. We expect Cavapoos from our litters to reach 15 to 20 lbs and F1B Cavapoos 13 to 15 lbs, and how big a Cavapoo gets explains why the parents matter so much. Browse our Cavapoo and F1B Cavapoo puppies.
• West Highland White Terrier. Usually 15 to 20 pounds, and ours are expected to reach 13 to 19 lbs. Our Westie size, lifespan and price guide has the detail, and the puppies are on our Westie page.

Any estimate can miss in either direction, and our health guarantee page says what ours can promise.

How does Teapup describe a puppy's size?

Each puppy's page gives the grown weight we expect, estimated from its mama and papa, and links to the parents' own pages wherever they're posted, so you can judge the grown dogs with your own eyes. The word teacup doesn't appear on any of our puppy listings.

If you'd like a dog toward the small end of its breed, say so on your puppy application, and we'll talk through the puppies and parents that fit. You can meet the puppies in Syracuse, Indiana, during our hours or at another time on request, and every puppy on our site is listed with its expected adult weight.