Businesses Breeders Classifieds Forums Photos Chat News Video Features Events Clubs Books
Reptile & Amphibians Insects Birds Cats Dogs Exotics Horses Aquaria Ponds PetHobbyist PetPress PetSupport RescueNetwork My Account
auctions - advertising rates - site news - help - contact

Looking for a pet? Try a rescue first! Alabama Alaska American Samoa Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Columbia Fed. St. of Micronesia Florida Georgia Guam Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Marshall Islands Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota N. Mariana Islands Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Palau Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virgin Islands Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Alberta British Columbia Labrador Manitoba Newfoundland New Brunswick Nova Scotia Nunavut Northwest Territories Ontario Prince Edward Island Quebec Saskatchewan Yukon Territories Other click here to add your rescue

Weekend Chats: Saturday 9 PM ET Dogs, Dogs, and More Dogs Sunday 10 PM ET The Bull Pen

Posted by teepee on February 26, 2003 at 16:45:22:

In Reply to: What are tea cups? posted by antigone2071 on February 25, 2003 at 09:30:13:

The original Chihuahua was a 15 lb dog. The U.S. took them and have been breeding them down for many years. A true teacup usually is bred from small line dogs, although they can pop up in any chihuahua litter. If the parents are large, there may be a health reason as to why the pup is small. Remember that a true teacup is under 2 lbs and will fit inside a coffee cup as an adult. They are ultra rare, although there are many people selling dogs that will be 4 lbs as an adult as a teacup. As a breeder myself, I hate to produce them, and avoid trying to do so. They are hard to raise as things like low blood sugar problems usually kill them at weaning time. They take round the clock care to raise, and many of those breeders out there who produce them, lose most of them. The smallest chihuahua I have produced is 13 1/2 ounces at adult weight (6 years old now). She is healthy, but I sold her less than what I would normally sell a pup, because she could be accident prone and require a lot of supervision. At this size, she can squeeze under things like the fridge. Cats often mistake them for rodents and kill them. Hawks and owls will carry them off and eat them. I can't tell you how many times someone has called me looking for a teacup. When they actually see a teacup, they turn it down. They wanted a teacup "like that" all the while pointing to a 5 lb adult dog. Are you sure you want something that is rodent sized running through your house? They are easily stepped on.
The Chihuahua Club of America frowns heavily on the use of the term "teacup". Breeders are encouraged to refrain from using the term. Anyone who sells them for more money is not a responsible breeder, and should be passed by when looking for a new puppy. For more information on the topic of "teacup Chihuahuas" visit:

http://www.chihuahuaclubofamerica.com/

Mike

:I was looking for a chihuahua puppy on the internet when I came across something that talked about tea cup chihuahua's. I saw a pic of a few and they where so adorable. I was wondering if anyone had any information about these, and if so, where can I find a breeder?

Follow Ups: