Would the Real Yorkshire Terrier Please Stand Up?

Yorkshire Terriers are beautiful canines with two-tone coats that don’t shed, varying and unique personalities, traits that make them excellent guard dogs, and a weight that is generally less than seven pounds. Miniature Yorkshire Terriers, commonly referred to as “Teacup Yorkies”, are smaller versions of the adorable Yorkie family, generally running between three and four pounds. Recently, there has been an increase in the breeding of this latter type of dog and a very pricey premium depending on the size – smaller being more desirable, of course.

More Profit to the Purists or a Crime Against Canines?

Yorkie purists, however, are crying out for justice. Their dogs, they say, are between four and seven pounds, and that’s the way it’s supposed to be. No sane breeder would, in his or her right mind, breed a dog under four pounds, according to the Yorkshire Terrier Club of America. Puppy mills and home breeders are the ones producing these dogs, responsible professionals should have nothing to do with them, and even the name Teacup should be banned, if one asks their opinion. But is there any truth to this?

Reality Check

In a word, yes. Female Yorkshire Terriers less than five pounds shouldn’t be bred for safety reasons alone, according to the YTCA and popular opinion among veterinarians. It is also common knowledge that smaller dogs experience many more health problems, such as intestinal issues, more preparation before surgery or work on teeth, and even death caused by veterinary anesthesia.

It makes sense then, that no well-informed, intelligent professional attempting to breed a certain line would try to breed smaller and smaller dogs. So where do these dogs come from? They come from puppy mills and home breeders, with neither being better than the other.

Puppy Mills and Home Breeders

Smaller Yorkshire Terriers are bred in puppy mills where breeder dogs live in conditions just appropriate enough to survive and continue breeding. The dogs are bred in mass quantities, wholesaled to a middleman, and then sold to pet shops. The conditions on all ends are repulsive, disgusting, and even wrong. Most of the time, the dogs don’t get the proper medical care needed, and Yorkies not matching a certain standard are discarded.

Does that mean home breeders are any better? No, it’s just the opposite, in fact. Most home breeders lack the knowledge to understand the breeding process from selection to gestation to birth, and may create genetically flawed dogs that are more likely to die or need serious medical care.

Conclusion

It must be understood, then, that a professional wishing to breed Yorkshire Terriers must never breed a dog that is smaller than normal – both for the safety of the dog, and for the conscience of the breeder.