The Myths about Micro-mini's, Teacup and Rare Colors

There are NO chocolate yorkies

When looking to buy your new puppy please be aware of certain myths that exist about these wonderful toy breeds. Many people do not know how to tell a reputable breeder from an unethical or uneducated breeder. One definitive factor is a breeder who advertises their puppies as Micro-mini's, Teacups or Rare Colors. Most of the time these terms are used as attention getters to draw in clients. Many times a breeder or broker will label the puppies they are selling with these terms to make the buyer believe that they are selling something unique or special with the puppy. This is one of the biggest and ploys in the marketing of puppies for profit.

The Yorkshire Terrier and the Maltese are grouped by the AKC (American Kennel Club) as a “toy” breed. These “toys” bred correctly should adhere to the AKC standard. This gives breeders guidelines by which they should abide when breeding these dogs to keep them within a recognized standard set by their parent clubs.

A healthy weight range on either breed would be between 4 and 6 pounds. Now imagine some breeder marketing their “Teacups” that end up being nine pounds. Believe it or not it has been done before…SUCCESFULLY! Keep in mind that the size of the parents is not the best gauge for knowing what size your puppy will be. A good breeder will know the pedigree behind the puppy and should be able to talk with you about line breeding, in-breeding and out crossing and how this affects the size of the puppies.

This is precisely why these terms like “teacup” and “mico-mini” are not used by reputable breeders. These terms are completely subjective. There is no merit behind them. Beware of any breeders who sell their puppies using any term that are not listed in the AKC standard.

Finally the latest is advertising Yorkies or Maltese is to list them as “rare colors” – According to the AKC Breed Standard, YTCA and the AMA, they do not recognize any color other than the one listed in the standard.  Colors that are out of the standard could increase your risk of some genetic defects that may affect the dog's long term health.