Yorkie 101: All About Toy Yorkshire Terriers

Currently, there is an incredible demand for incredibly small dogs. This means there are many people who will pay for the smaller of two dogs that are identically bred. Sadly, wherever there is a demand, there is a supply, even if the supply is of living, sentient beings. Although Yorkshire Terriers are the second most popular purebred dog in America, sellers of these puppies have convinced a lot of people that there are smaller breed Yorkshire Terrier types.

Names were given by breeders, pet stores and the media to describe a very small representative of a purebred dog. They are called "tiny Toys" or "Teacup". This happens in other breeds of dog, not just the Yorkshire Terrier. The name implies that their puppies are assured to grow to only half the weight of normal representatives of their breed. There are also Teacup or Tiny Toy Beagles, Keeshonds and Jack Russells.

The term "Toy Yorkshire Terrier" has come up as a marketing gimmick, and not much else. This term implies that their Yorkies are smaller than the average. Consider that Yorkshire Terriers are small dogs to begin with – but apparently, that's not small enough for some people. They will try to breed incredibly tiny dogs for the "cute" factor. Logic goes right out of the window whenever money is involved. Any Yorkshire Terrier under five pounds in adult weight will be sickly, have an incredibly fragile skeleton and will have to go to the vet a lot.

However, even puppies advertised as Toy Yorkshire Terriers or even Teacup Yorkshire Terriers (which come to an adult weight of two to four pounds) can suddenly grow up into hefty ten pounders. They are still purebred Yorkshire Terriers, but they just grown up bigger than expected. This happens in any breed of dog – and even in people, too.

Don't be swayed by marketing gimmicks such as Toy Yorkshire Terriers being somehow more desirable (and therefore more expensive) than plain old Yorkshire Terriers. If you want a Yorkshire Terrier, than size does not matter. In fact, most purebred Yorkshire Terriers grow far too big to be considered show animals. A Yorkshire Terrier is disqualified if he or she is over seven pounds. Quite a lot of purebred Yorkies are more than seven pounds.

In conclusion, there is no difference between a Toy Yorkshire Terrier and a plain old Yorkshire Terrier. Each breeder has their own name for what they breed and sell. You must be very sure what the breeder means when they talk about their Toy Yorkshire Terriers. In the dog world, there are no guarantees about how big or small a puppy will grow. You can avoid all of this confusion by adopting a loving, healthy dog from your local animal shelter.

Susan Bailey has experience caring for many dog breeds, including Toy Yorkshire Terriers. There a certain health problems of concern in the smallest of Yorkshire Terrier types. Fewer Yorkies would be in shelters if people learned basic Yorkshire Terrier information before they bought a puppy.