Small dogs have also charming personalities. And they are also hugely adorable. So, we can say that Teacup Yorkie is no exception. In this world, many of us like to have a pet. Nowadays, tiny dogs normally called Yorkshire tea cup is becoming very famous. They have small sizes and wonderful personalities.
Teacup Yorkies are among the most popular dog breeds in entire America. They are very adorable! Indeed we need to know how to take care of this breed so that we have these mini Yorkies live a long, happy, and healthy life. Then this guide will cover everything which we need to know about Yorkshire tea cup. Well, let’s get started with this article here:
The Origins of the Yorkshire tea cup:
The first thing we need to know about Yorkies is that they are Yorkshire Terriers but they have small sizes. The American Kennel Club did not recognize them as a breed of its own.
While these tea cup Terriers have been around since the nineteenth century. They made an appearance somewhere around the 1990s. Moreover, it was the decade that we can saw many celebrities and supermodels going for the miniature pet trend.
Miniaturization:
However, these miniature tea cups are not exactly. Some Yorkshires are naturally very small. But, others are bred that way. There is a breeding practice which is known as Miniaturization. That is why we can see the Yorkies of today.
The Yorkshire tea cup miniaturization Terrier:
When we are moving on, it is important to note that these tea cups aren’t the only ones to have a ‘Yorkshire’ variation. This miniaturization is very common in other toy breeds. They are such as Pomeranians, Chihuahua, and Maltese. Also, They have a compact size and they can make them hugely popular in the world. They have smaller in size and they make them seem to be in perpetual puppyhood.
However, it is noting none of the yorkies breeds is officially recognized by AKC despite their popularity. Now lets we just find out how small a Teacup Yorkie will stay with us.
Yorkshire tea cup and A Pup in a Cup:
Teacup Yorkies have small enough to fit in a teacup. Yes, it has in small. They have enough to fit in our palm. Google and we will find heart-melting photos of many people they are holding these babies in hand or a Starbucks cup.
We just do not forget that these parent breed. They have the name Yorkshire Terriers. It is a toy breed itself. It means they have a regular Yorkie. They will not grow beyond 8 to 9 inches and they should ideally weigh under 6 to 7 pounds.
Now, since Teacup is not recognized as a breed. Then there is no official size specification. We have no Yorkie Teacup that is supposed to stay smaller than a regular Teacup.
Yorkshire tea cup and their size:
If you get down to the numbers, then we terrier is a teacup. If this breed does not grow beyond 6 inches and they can weigh under 4 pounds. These breeds are probably never going to grow bigger than a can of soda or sprite.
Well said, it is worth noticing that there are so many breeders. We will sell a Yorkshire teacup pup as a Teacup Terrier. We may realize it only after it grows beyond the teacup size only. It is highly important to find a good kind of breeder.
Their appearance:
When we are discussing their appearance then we could it is similar to the regular Yorkshire. They have smaller heads, shorter legs, standing V-shaped ears, and silky coats.
Their coat is silky and they have usually varying shades of brown, black, grey, and gold. There is a bit of silver and blue which is not uncommon either. Their coat can get too long. They may look gorgeous and glamorous. Also, They are best to get if it is trimmed in summer. They need more grooming in a while. They have smaller in size.
Their personality & behavior:
When we are speaking of personality. They have a lot of contrary to how they may have seemed like them. These mini yorkies aren’t just for the show only. They have made for an amazing companion. They may also turn out to be vigilant guard dogs. These Yorkies get a lot from their parent breed. They are very playful, lively, and loving.
Yorkshire tea cup traits and important aspects of their personality:
There are so many traits and attractive aspects of this breed are following here:
Loving and Demanding:
They are loving animals and they can become very attached to their human. Also, They have tiny hearts. They are full of affection and love. They are highly prone to separation with anxiety. These Yorkies were not to leave them alone for too long. They may have a good thing they are easy to carry around with you.
Sprightly and Energetic:
They were originally bred to catch rodents and small animals. Moreover, they have babies. They won’t shy away from a chase. The sight of any other smaller animal will trigger their hunting instincts. However, these breeds aren’t generally aggressive or hyperactive at all.
Friendly and Playful:
Indeed, there is a mini tea cup and it takes a little bit of time to open up. But once they become familiar with certain faces. It is an extremely friendly creature. They love to play with their owner. They are familiar with every person. However, it is a super delicate breed. It is not suitable in a home with kids or any other aggressive pet.
Cute Quirks:
Overall, they are very smart, friendly, and obedient. While they may well behaved. These Teacups do have a few quirks.
Too Picky about Food:
Yes, they can be picky eaters. Most owners may agree that their little tea cups prefer tasty food over nutritious and wholesome food. They have so many treats and they might add to the problem. They are switching to a different food for any legit reason. This is also quite difficult with food. We might catch our Yorkie and they are eating things that may upset their tummy and grass etc.
No Love for the Leash:
Our little tea cups love to be able to move freely. But, it is a little tough to get all of them to walk on a leash. They may necessarily walk. Where we want them to go and we will show resistance and stubbornness for them. It can be a great hazard for their delicate frame.
Instead of a leash, we can find a soft comfortable harness. It won’t make them feel bound or restrained at all.
Lots of Licking:
As it is a highly affectionate breed. These teacups can take licking to the next level. Honestly, they are quirks and most owners never mind.
Barking and Noise of Yorkshire tea cup:
These Yorkies have made it adorable. They have amazing sounds. They may even their bark isn’t that loud. The problem is that when we may be just as big a fan of their voice as we are.
They are not too loud or annoying. Their barking is quite a common behavior. They may be the only trait that can loosely be categorized as ‘bad behavior’ in these mini muffins and creatures. We can control barking or any other bad behavior with proper training.
Training of Yorkshire tea cup Teacup Terrier:
We may have highly affectionate and smart. They may take to training. They may have willingly and they are generally fond of learning and interaction.
Start Early training:
We may start training our terrier. The faster they will learn. However, they don’t pressure them when we first bring them home. It is a good effort to give them a little time to explore the exciting place of one room at a time.
Proper training should be the responsibility of just one person. They may have as too many people. They are trying to command these mini floors and they may be confusing for them.
Use Positive Reinforcement for Yorkshire tea cup:
Yes, these are little Yorkie are very pleasers. They may work hard to get the owner’s approval and praise. Therefore, it is positive reinforcement. They might work better on the teacup and it does on many other pet dogs.
These are small pups with delicate hearts. Our anger or stern behavior might make them very sad.
We can give shower them with praise. We may give them healthy treats and we would be surprised by how quickly they will learn.
Punishing our little furball might be counterproductive. Their result may have in bad behavior and disobedience.
Slow and Steady Socialization of Yorkshire tea cup:
We should socialize with our little doggo. We should be a part of Teacup Yorkie’s training. Otherwise, they can become wary of new people, places, and animals. But, it might make them act a little aggressive.
Without proper socialization training, our Yorkie might act shy, afraid, or nervous.
Here are some behavioral cues to look for:
We may be hiding, cowering, or trying to stay too close to and we should be trying to run away from every new thing or person around us. Also, We can teach shaking, trembling, or growling as if they are scared.
We can teach them excessive barking and threatening other animals or people. We should try not to introduce them to new places, people, and animals all of a sudden. Let them familiarize themselves with only one new animal or person at a time. Also, we should make sure they aren’t left unsupervised around kids or animals that can attack them.
These cups are too delicate even for rough play with other animals.
This is an important part of socialization and training for the Yorkshire tea cup. It is familiarizing them with different places. It should include introducing them to different types of elements from both outdoor and indoor environments as well:
We can arrange many varieties of surfaces such as grass, sand, carpet, hardwood, and concrete and we may also introduce them with noise such as that of home appliances car engines, horns, birds, etc.
Their potty training:
Most pet owners may want to find some potty training. Their small dogs are tougher than training with large dogs. Again, we may start early to get our puppy trained faster. The best time to start their potty training is around 8 weeks, and our pup will be potty trained by the time of its 3rd month.
Here are a few more tips that can help and train our pups faster:
There is a designation in one area for bowel and bladder relief. We can put a litter box in that area. But we are recommending that you should be starting with a paper first.
Shift our pup to that designated area after 15 minutes of their meal. Indeed, not every pup will need to pee or poop within 15 minutes after the meal. We may have some patience and see if our baby takes longer. Adjust our next trip according to our diet routine.
While waiting for our pup to relieve itself after the meal, then we should observe its behavior. We should, especially how to act right before the act. We will familiarize ourselves with the signs so that we can take our baby pups to the litter whenever they need to go. Also, we won’t have to wake up to answer false alarms in the middle of the night.
What are the Training Tips for Yorkshire tea cups?
The best tools we can use for training our little teacup are patience and flexibility.
These mini Yorkshire tea cups are very quick learners. They will respond positively. They may easily get overwhelmed. We won’t be too harsh on them. We can treat them with love and patience and the reward will be huge.
Some personality traits are common among a breed. Every dog does have an individual personality as well in this world.
Some teacups may be social and outgoing while others would prefer staying home with their owner. They love to play with their toys. Do not force these little ones to go against their nature. We can cherish their individuality very well.
Caring for our Yorkshire tea cup:
When we bring home a pup as small as a teacup. Then we should be prepared to pamper it all the time. While this may not be temperamental. This is not a low-maintenance pup at all.
Whether we are choosing the right diet or picking the perfect grooming product for them. These Yorkies need a lot of attention and care.
Yorkshire tea cup’s diet:
The dietary requirements for dogs may change with their size. The smaller dogs may need to eat more frequently than larger dogs. They may only eat tiny portions at a time.
For our little teacup, 5 to 6 meals a day is recommended. Frequent meals, there is no more than 3 hours apart. They can face an important prevention of hypoglycemia. It is a problem toy and teacup breeds are susceptible to.
This means we might have to wake up in the middle of the night to make sure our baby is well-fed. It is especially important for most puppies as they are much smaller and weaker in life.
Yorkshire tea cup’s schedule:
Here is a list of how we should adjust their meals according to their age and weight:
1 to 3 months:
For the initial three months, let our little pup eat whenever they want. Yes, it is good for them and this idea is to refill their bowl just a few minutes after their meal. Both we and the babies may be unaware of their needs at this stage. So it’s the best idea to let their hunger dictate their schedule.
3 to 12 months:
Now, this is when we can start scheduling their meals. Starts with 6 meals in a day as we discussed above. This schedule will also help us potty train our pup.
We can tweak the schedule a bit to skip nighttime meals without comprising their daily calories. Let’s see how we can count the calories for Yorkies.
Calories and Nutrition values for Yorkshire tea cup:
When they are at three months of age, then their caloric requirements are around 40 calories per pound of weight. If we have dog food for a toy or micro breed, then there is one cup of that dog food. It would generally amount to how much our dog needs per day.
As for the rest of their nutrient value, our tiny pup needs protein, fats, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. However, their carbs aren’t good for the tiny Yorkies because they might cause some tummy difficulties.
Similarly, we should strictly avoid dog food. Because dog food has a lot of fillers, artificial flavors, preservatives, or additives of any sort. These are the ingredients that may also be bad for their sensitive stomach. They are generally found in low-quality dog foods which may lack some essential nutrients.
When we may go for dog food that not only has meat as the main protein source but it may also contain healthy greens ingredients. This dog food is full of antioxidants and healthy compounds such as DHA, and EPA. They may have compounds that are essential for healthy skin, bones, teeth, and the immune system.
In short, a balanced diet is needed for the overall well-being of a baby dog. It will keep little Yorkie much healthy, happy, and active all day.
Exercise and Activities for Yorkshire tea cup:
Teacups are very energetic and they have little furballs. They are almost always running and jumping around with their owner.
Another interesting fact is that they can be well-trained for the entire exercise routine. They can take place inside our house. These Yorkies don’t require frequent romps in the park. The outdoors isn’t a safe environment for them. These tiny Yorkies supervised playtime and a bit of indoor running are usually sufficient for them. Only twenty minutes of light exercise is enough for a Teacup.
We will also have to make sure they aren’t jumping around too much. Even their small jump from the couch might cause an injury to their fragile frame. If we have another pet, then we should make sure they do not indulge in any kind of rough play with them.
Grooming of Yorkshire tea cup:
This breed like most toys and is a designer breed. This means their grooming and pampering may needs are different from other dog breeds. In simpler words, it cannot be wrong to say that they may require high-maintenance pooches.
There is a cute little fact, they love to be groomed. The more the better, but grooming these pets at least once a month is required.
Since these tea cups have long silky coats. They have the grooming sessions usually revolve around cleaning, detangling, and brushing the coat. They may also need regular trims. Also, They are important for the prevention of mats and knots. We should also get their nails clipped every month.
Yorkshire tea cup’s baths:
Yorkshire may need regular baths and they are also important. We should use gentle shampoo and it is suitable for a long-hair coat.
We can bathe our baby between grooming sessions. However, few should use frequent baths and they are not good for young pups as they might catch a cold.
What are the Health concerns of Yorkshire tea cups?
When it comes to a dog’s health, then its size does matter to an extent. Toy and teacup breeds are very fragile in the world. They are very susceptible to lots of health issues and problems. Teacups are no exception. Some of the common health issues are as follows:
Hypoglycemia:
Hypoglycemia is a type of disease in which low blood sugar levels. This generally happens due to a lack of proper meals on time. Once he skipped a meal then it is enough to cause Hypoglycemia in Teacup. It can trigger vomiting and seizures in them.
Heart Disease:
This can develop heart disease, and it is one of the most common causes of their death. Then we should take care of two things to prevent this problem: we should socialize them well to prevent stress and fear and then we should choose food with heart-healthy nutrients like taurine and carnitine.
Respiratory Issues in Yorkshire tea cup:
These are also susceptible to a collapsed trachea. They may cause breathing issues and chronic coughing. It means that they are born with a narrower trachea.
Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease:
They have a delicate frame and weaker bones. These Yorkies may also develop this disease at an early age. This disease causes mobility issues in them.
Other Diseases in a Yorkshire tea cup:
There are commonly observed many diseases. These diseases include Portosystemic shunt and progressive retinal atrophy. It is very important to note that most of these genetic diseases may propagate due to bad breeding practices.
Pros and Cons of owning a Yorkshire tea cup:
Let’s take a look at some pros and cons of owning Teacup puppies:
Pros:
They are easy to travel to due to their tiny size.
Also, They are hypoallergenic.
They make some spirited companions as well.
They need only moderate exercise
Cons:
They may have many serious health issues due to their small size.
They can be stubborn and somewhat difficult to train.
Also, They can be jealous of other household pets.
They are vocal dogs who like to bark
Most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1: Are Yorkshire tea cups hypoallergenic?
Ans: Yes, despite they have lovely locks. But they are hypoallergenic dogs. They do not need to shed too much and they are great for people suffering from allergies as well.
2: How long do Yorkshire tea cups live?
Ans: A Teacup is born of healthy parents and they can live a happy healthy life for up to 15 years. However, these are very delicate breeds of dogs.
3: What is the price of a Yorkshire teacup puppy?
Ans: Due to a higher demand for these puppies, Yorkies may cost more than Yorkshire Terriers. One pup from a reliable breeder may cost between $1,200 and $2,000 or even more.
4: Are Yorkshire tea cups good for family dogs?
Ans: No at all, Yorkies are not recommended for homes with kids or any other animals. However, they do not pose any threat to the child. But we can become a great cause to harm these delicate dog breeds.
The Final Words:
Yorkshire tea cups are adorable and loveable. However, like all designer breeds, they have a great demand and also required a lot of care and attention. They are very delicate and sensitive. We will have to be extra careful about this little creature. We should take care of everything from their diet to grooming as well.
But if we think we are ready for that commitment, then we will have a wonderful companion by our side. Just make sure that we can get a baby pup from a reliable and ethical breeder in the market.