To their credit and last I heard, no breed club uses the term t cup to
describe their dogs size or anything else. In general it is used by
unethical breeders who want to make it look like the puppy they have
for sale is especially small. The term T Cup chihuahua is hilarious to
me because chihuahuas are already the smallest breed of dog in the
world. The standard is no more then 6 pounds which is a very small
dog. For a puppy to be no more then 6 pounds full grown it would
have to be 2 pounds or less at 8 weeks old. (As a general rule) So if
someone is selling you a t cup puppy and it already weighs 2 pounds,
it is most likely not a t cup even by their own definition.
A 2 pound puppy will be able to sit upright in your hand as so many
people are showing you in their pictures. Don't be fooled. Get the
facts. Be smart about your purchase if this is truly what you want.
And please consider these thing first.
describe their dogs size or anything else. In general it is used by
unethical breeders who want to make it look like the puppy they have
for sale is especially small. The term T Cup chihuahua is hilarious to
me because chihuahuas are already the smallest breed of dog in the
world. The standard is no more then 6 pounds which is a very small
dog. For a puppy to be no more then 6 pounds full grown it would
have to be 2 pounds or less at 8 weeks old. (As a general rule) So if
someone is selling you a t cup puppy and it already weighs 2 pounds,
it is most likely not a t cup even by their own definition.
A 2 pound puppy will be able to sit upright in your hand as so many
people are showing you in their pictures. Don't be fooled. Get the
facts. Be smart about your purchase if this is truly what you want.
And please consider these thing first.
What is a T Cup Puppy?
| Is This Puppy Really 8 Weeks Old? |
A puppy can survive without its mother after 4 weeks of age. It is not
recommended but it can be done. It can eat solid food by then and it is
getting around pretty good. So if someone is wanting you to think this
puppy is going to be a smaller adult, then they may try to sell you a
puppy who is only 5-6 weeks old in stead of the recommended 8 weeks.
Of course sense it is illegal in Florida to sell a puppy who is less then 8
weeks old, they will tell you it is 8 weeks. This is so common its
unbelievable. I am experienced with how an 8 week old puppy looks and
acts. I have gone to flea markets and looked at puppies for sale there. I
saw more 6 week old puppies for sale there then 8 week. There are 2
times a puppy has a tremendous amount of growth. Sense a puppy does
a good deal of growing between the ages of 4 weeks and 10 weeks, at 6
weeks it is going to be a lot smaller then it will be at 8 weeks. It will be
able to play and eat and survive without its mama but it will be smaller.
Unfortunately this is the lesser evils that t cup dog breeders do to
unsuspecting buyer. But its the oldest one. Whenever people tell me that
they could hold their puppy in their one hand when they got it and now
its a 10 pound dog, I can be almost sure this is what happen. There are
other things, more detrimental to the dog that people do.
Check your puppies teeth. It should have its canines by 8 weeks old and
their should be a healthy row of teeth visible even on a smaller puppy.
recommended but it can be done. It can eat solid food by then and it is
getting around pretty good. So if someone is wanting you to think this
puppy is going to be a smaller adult, then they may try to sell you a
puppy who is only 5-6 weeks old in stead of the recommended 8 weeks.
Of course sense it is illegal in Florida to sell a puppy who is less then 8
weeks old, they will tell you it is 8 weeks. This is so common its
unbelievable. I am experienced with how an 8 week old puppy looks and
acts. I have gone to flea markets and looked at puppies for sale there. I
saw more 6 week old puppies for sale there then 8 week. There are 2
times a puppy has a tremendous amount of growth. Sense a puppy does
a good deal of growing between the ages of 4 weeks and 10 weeks, at 6
weeks it is going to be a lot smaller then it will be at 8 weeks. It will be
able to play and eat and survive without its mama but it will be smaller.
Unfortunately this is the lesser evils that t cup dog breeders do to
unsuspecting buyer. But its the oldest one. Whenever people tell me that
they could hold their puppy in their one hand when they got it and now
its a 10 pound dog, I can be almost sure this is what happen. There are
other things, more detrimental to the dog that people do.
Check your puppies teeth. It should have its canines by 8 weeks old and
their should be a healthy row of teeth visible even on a smaller puppy.
| Is This A Healthy Puppy? |
To keep a puppy small people do some cruel things. All puppies need extra
nutrition while growing up. There are many good puppy foods on the market.
But there are some poor ones also. If a puppy was fed a store brand adult
dog food and only given enough to barely survive, then it will be stunted
when you first get it. Once you start feeding ti good food and letting it eat all
it wants to, it will grow and may get bigger then promised.
Ask what food your puppy was being fed and if you are not sure of the
honesty of the person ask to see the food. You should also be given a
sample to take home with your puppy.
nutrition while growing up. There are many good puppy foods on the market.
But there are some poor ones also. If a puppy was fed a store brand adult
dog food and only given enough to barely survive, then it will be stunted
when you first get it. Once you start feeding ti good food and letting it eat all
it wants to, it will grow and may get bigger then promised.
Ask what food your puppy was being fed and if you are not sure of the
honesty of the person ask to see the food. You should also be given a
sample to take home with your puppy.
Sometimes puppies are smaller due to some genetic problem such as liver
shunt or heart defect or hydrosephylis. In Florida all puppies must be
examined by a veterinarian and given a health certificate. However a liver
shunt is not always apparent on this exam. So you are taking your chances.
This is when I start preaching. BUY FROM A RESPONISBLE BREEDER ONLY. It
will be hard to find a responsible breeder who will use the term t cup and they
will not breed these tiny dogs on purpose. But we all get them when we breed
dogs like chihuahuas and yorkies. This is where you are going to get your best
bargains where these tiny dogs are concerned because we all dread getting
them. We know they will be a lot of work money and we will need to keep them
longer. Not profitable at all. We will not sugar coat things for you and tell you
this puppy will be fine without you taking special care of it. It will be worth the
trouble to wait on a tiny dog from a breeder like this.
shunt or heart defect or hydrosephylis. In Florida all puppies must be
examined by a veterinarian and given a health certificate. However a liver
shunt is not always apparent on this exam. So you are taking your chances.
This is when I start preaching. BUY FROM A RESPONISBLE BREEDER ONLY. It
will be hard to find a responsible breeder who will use the term t cup and they
will not breed these tiny dogs on purpose. But we all get them when we breed
dogs like chihuahuas and yorkies. This is where you are going to get your best
bargains where these tiny dogs are concerned because we all dread getting
them. We know they will be a lot of work money and we will need to keep them
longer. Not profitable at all. We will not sugar coat things for you and tell you
this puppy will be fine without you taking special care of it. It will be worth the
trouble to wait on a tiny dog from a breeder like this.
| What Do I Need To Do To Keep My Tiny Dog Healthy. |
Most tinys will be at least 10 weeks old before you get them. The breeder
should have made sure they were eating well. Still it will not hurt to give
them a supplement like Nutracal or even just a little Karo Syrup to keep the
blood sugar up. They can not produce enough sugar those first few months
of life without eating enough food. They can not miss meals. Make sure he
goes to the vet for a well puppy visit as soon as you get him. The vet can
give you good advice on how to care for them. Warning: Most vets do not
like to see these puppies.
I like Biljack for all my puppies because it is easy to chew. I prefer they don't
get can food because it fills hem up with liquid in stead of nutrition. But if
can is all they can handle, then give them can.
Shots should be given with great care by an experienced veterinarian. I
don't like the idea of these tiny dogs getting rabies shots at all. Its
rediculous anyway. If an animal with rabies were to bite one it would most
likely die from the bite long before it gets rabies. Still its the law.
should have made sure they were eating well. Still it will not hurt to give
them a supplement like Nutracal or even just a little Karo Syrup to keep the
blood sugar up. They can not produce enough sugar those first few months
of life without eating enough food. They can not miss meals. Make sure he
goes to the vet for a well puppy visit as soon as you get him. The vet can
give you good advice on how to care for them. Warning: Most vets do not
like to see these puppies.
I like Biljack for all my puppies because it is easy to chew. I prefer they don't
get can food because it fills hem up with liquid in stead of nutrition. But if
can is all they can handle, then give them can.
Shots should be given with great care by an experienced veterinarian. I
don't like the idea of these tiny dogs getting rabies shots at all. Its
rediculous anyway. If an animal with rabies were to bite one it would most
likely die from the bite long before it gets rabies. Still its the law.
| How Was My Puppy Bred? |
This is an important question. You don't need special schooling on genetics to
breed dogs. Most we find out about our dogs genetic health we learn by breeding
them and getting results. Unfortunately there is not a lot known about this dwarf
gene that is now showing up in some breeds. It makes a tiny dog that sometimes
only lives a few years and suddenly dies for no apparent reason. Its a mutation
carried in breeds but most often found in chihuahuas. From listening to people talk
about this I have found that the ones who died came from a breeder who
specialized in breeding these tiny dogs. I don't know enough to be certain but I am
thinking that these people have accidentally found 2 dogs who carry this mutation
and breed the 2 together purposely to get them. Usually the 2 dogs used are
smaller then normal themselves with a father maybe being only 2 pounds and the
mom being around 4 pounds. I would be cautious buying a puppy whose parents
were both that small. I really don't have any proof of this but I wouldn't do it. Its more
of a common sense thing then an actual scientific reason. But it is based on what
many people tell me who come looking for a puppy from me. Also I have been
breeding these dogs for 10 years. I learned a few things in that time. For instance, I
can breed 2 normally small dogs together and get a tiny. If just the male is about 3
pounds he throws just as many tinies as one who weighs 5 pounds. So I conclude
from this that all these dogs who weigh under 10 pounds must carry so sort of
mutation that is possible to mutate further and make an even smaller puppy. So if
you breed 2 of these doubly mutated dogs together, (by taking the smallest and
keeping them for breeding) you are going to get a more mutated litter of tiny
puppies. Do this for several generations and make breeding tiny the goal of your
kennel, then you are going to keep changing the dog. Short lives has been shown
to be the side effect of this practise. Of the ones I have sold, the ones who
survived the ignorance of their purchasers, (See Loosys story half way down the
page) have lived long lives. But I don't breed 2 tiny dogs together. Common sense.
Not dollars and cents. So to say that breeding these dogs to be tiny on purpose is
causing some sickly puppies, is not an ignorant assumption.
To be safe you can wait on the breeder who breeds normal size for their breed and
who gets a tiny one occasionally. Ive had tinnies come from some pretty big mamas.
Breeds like chihuahuas all carry this mutation. It is what makes them small. My last
tiny came from a 16 pound pekingese. Her baby is a 2 and 1/2 pound pekingese
chihuahua cross who is now 6 months old and probably full grown.. Her future is
uncetain as I know so many of these tiny ones don't live more then a few years. But
her chances are better because I did not breed 2 smaller dogs together and
concentrate this dangerous mutation even more.
breed dogs. Most we find out about our dogs genetic health we learn by breeding
them and getting results. Unfortunately there is not a lot known about this dwarf
gene that is now showing up in some breeds. It makes a tiny dog that sometimes
only lives a few years and suddenly dies for no apparent reason. Its a mutation
carried in breeds but most often found in chihuahuas. From listening to people talk
about this I have found that the ones who died came from a breeder who
specialized in breeding these tiny dogs. I don't know enough to be certain but I am
thinking that these people have accidentally found 2 dogs who carry this mutation
and breed the 2 together purposely to get them. Usually the 2 dogs used are
smaller then normal themselves with a father maybe being only 2 pounds and the
mom being around 4 pounds. I would be cautious buying a puppy whose parents
were both that small. I really don't have any proof of this but I wouldn't do it. Its more
of a common sense thing then an actual scientific reason. But it is based on what
many people tell me who come looking for a puppy from me. Also I have been
breeding these dogs for 10 years. I learned a few things in that time. For instance, I
can breed 2 normally small dogs together and get a tiny. If just the male is about 3
pounds he throws just as many tinies as one who weighs 5 pounds. So I conclude
from this that all these dogs who weigh under 10 pounds must carry so sort of
mutation that is possible to mutate further and make an even smaller puppy. So if
you breed 2 of these doubly mutated dogs together, (by taking the smallest and
keeping them for breeding) you are going to get a more mutated litter of tiny
puppies. Do this for several generations and make breeding tiny the goal of your
kennel, then you are going to keep changing the dog. Short lives has been shown
to be the side effect of this practise. Of the ones I have sold, the ones who
survived the ignorance of their purchasers, (See Loosys story half way down the
page) have lived long lives. But I don't breed 2 tiny dogs together. Common sense.
Not dollars and cents. So to say that breeding these dogs to be tiny on purpose is
causing some sickly puppies, is not an ignorant assumption.
To be safe you can wait on the breeder who breeds normal size for their breed and
who gets a tiny one occasionally. Ive had tinnies come from some pretty big mamas.
Breeds like chihuahuas all carry this mutation. It is what makes them small. My last
tiny came from a 16 pound pekingese. Her baby is a 2 and 1/2 pound pekingese
chihuahua cross who is now 6 months old and probably full grown.. Her future is
uncetain as I know so many of these tiny ones don't live more then a few years. But
her chances are better because I did not breed 2 smaller dogs together and
concentrate this dangerous mutation even more.
| Is My Home Safe For A Tiny Dog |
Things to keep in mind. Small children can easily hurt a tiny dog. Consider how
old your children are and if you have a safe place for your puppy away from the
children.
Do you have room for a puppy play yard? This is a good thing to have for these
tiny dogs. They can get lost in your house and usually they can climb high on
furniture that if they jumped off of it, they could be hurt.
What other animals do you have. Do you have a large breed dog who may get
irritated and snap at a tiny dog. Even a snap can be fatal for one so tiny.
Look around your home and make sure your home is safe for a tiny dog no
bigger then a rat. Recliners, old shoes, open boxes, are some thing your puppy
can get into that can harm it. Spiders bees and wasps are extra dangerous for a
tiny puppy. Birds of prey do not know the difference between your dog and a
tasty rabbit. Never leave your dog outside without supervision and never at
dusk or early morning..Owls are the boldest of all birds of prey and will swoop
down to pick up your pet while its standing less then a foot away from you.
Even if we don't see them, they are everywhere. Even Kites can be vicious
attackers of a tiny puppy.
Lets not forget 4 legged wild predators. Coyotes, fox and even raccoons can
harm your dog. Keep them inside at night,
old your children are and if you have a safe place for your puppy away from the
children.
Do you have room for a puppy play yard? This is a good thing to have for these
tiny dogs. They can get lost in your house and usually they can climb high on
furniture that if they jumped off of it, they could be hurt.
What other animals do you have. Do you have a large breed dog who may get
irritated and snap at a tiny dog. Even a snap can be fatal for one so tiny.
Look around your home and make sure your home is safe for a tiny dog no
bigger then a rat. Recliners, old shoes, open boxes, are some thing your puppy
can get into that can harm it. Spiders bees and wasps are extra dangerous for a
tiny puppy. Birds of prey do not know the difference between your dog and a
tasty rabbit. Never leave your dog outside without supervision and never at
dusk or early morning..Owls are the boldest of all birds of prey and will swoop
down to pick up your pet while its standing less then a foot away from you.
Even if we don't see them, they are everywhere. Even Kites can be vicious
attackers of a tiny puppy.
Lets not forget 4 legged wild predators. Coyotes, fox and even raccoons can
harm your dog. Keep them inside at night,
| Can I Afford This? |
Besides the initial cost you can be sure this puppy is going to cost you
money. Any mistake is going to send it to the vet. They can not survive in
this world without your help. And heaven forbid it break a leg or need
surgery. It has a heart that will fit in a thimble. All its other organs are tiny
tiny. Not just the dog you see but its innards are also tiny. What if ti eats a
piece of paper and gets a blockage. Or its stung by a bee. Do you have the
extra dollars it going to take to care for this puppy if it gets sick? Don't think
your Vet bills will be the same as vet bills for a beagle. Theres more risk to
the Dr and more risk to your bank account.
Please think this through before you get one of these tiny dogs.
money. Any mistake is going to send it to the vet. They can not survive in
this world without your help. And heaven forbid it break a leg or need
surgery. It has a heart that will fit in a thimble. All its other organs are tiny
tiny. Not just the dog you see but its innards are also tiny. What if ti eats a
piece of paper and gets a blockage. Or its stung by a bee. Do you have the
extra dollars it going to take to care for this puppy if it gets sick? Don't think
your Vet bills will be the same as vet bills for a beagle. Theres more risk to
the Dr and more risk to your bank account.
Please think this through before you get one of these tiny dogs.
Both these chihuahuas are
full grown and owned by
Shannon Olivero.
full grown and owned by
Shannon Olivero.
Loosy, owned by Barbara
Russell
Russell
Rocky weighs about 2
pounds now as adult. This
is a puppy picture where he
weighed about 12 ounces.
Hes 6 months old here. He
had been sick and was
underweight.
pounds now as adult. This
is a puppy picture where he
weighed about 12 ounces.
Hes 6 months old here. He
had been sick and was
underweight.
Rocky Full grown. 2
years old. 2
pounds. Rocky is
about 5 years old
now.
years old. 2
pounds. Rocky is
about 5 years old
now.
Less then 2 pounds full grown
Rocky at 4 months.
