DON’T FALL FOR THE “TEACUP”! There is no such a thing as a teacup in this or any breed. “Teacup” (unless you are drinking tea out of it) is used as a sales tactic to get you to look at a, more often then not, too small puppy and think “How cute”
The term 'Teacup' is not recognised or endorsed by any of the major Canine Associations such as the AKC (American Kennel Club) or the British KC ( Kennel Club ). It is a purely descriptive term for a Toy dog which might, or might (quite often) not, be smaller than the official size standard. Whether the term 'Teacup' is recognised or not people obviously like using it and regardless of varying Associations the phrases Teacup Dog and Chihuahua Teacup puppies are, no doubt, here to stay!
Chihuahuas are a Toy breed. They are small already. The breed standard for Chihuahuas states '' Up to 6lbs, with 2-4lbs preferred''. The average is about 4lbs, and anything much smaller than that is too tiny to be anything other than a pet.
I can guarantee that the lower end of the weight scale Chihuahua is very tiny. The majority of our puppies end up between 4 and 5lbs. Very small (less than 3lbs) Chihuahua females are NOT suitable for breeding as they are too fragile, which can result in big problems with pregnancy and delivery of the litter and/or unhealthy puppies. I wouldn't suggest to anyone to get something that will be less than 3lbs when grown, unless you understand that you may be taking on a very unhealthy pup that will need a lot of care and may not live as long as a Chihuahua should.
All in all, the majority of breeders of toy dogs breed responsibly and don't intentionally breed for very tiny dogs of less than the breed standard recommended weight. If one appears in a litter, then it should go to a pet home only. The tiniest puppies are not always premature or 'runts'. I have known people that have litters from lines that have consistently produced very tiny puppies each and every time, all puppies in a litter of a consistent tiny size, and all healthy. That's when genetics, not health problems or premature birth, are responsible for the puppies' size. This is very rare!
Tiny puppies and dogs are at far more risk in the health department. Their little bones are extremely fragile and they can be badly hurt by simply jumping from your lap. They tend to have much greater difficulty regulating their blood sugar and can easily fall into hypoglycemic comas (please read our page about hypoglycemia), so cannot be left for long periods on their own. The very tiny puppies are not usually as hardy as the bigger puppies. They do require much more care and attention. Most breeders will ask more money for the tiny puppies because of the extra time, expense and effort it takes to get them to the point where it is safe to let them go to a new home. This is usually not until they are at least 12 weeks old and stable from weaning and vaccinations. Working double and triple shifts to ensure the puppies remain healthy gets a little pricey!!!!
