# What is with the 'teacup' dog mania? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 22, 2008, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-the-teacup-dog-mania/453766 "2008-06-22T06:36:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![scrambledeggs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@scrambledeggs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scrambledeggs)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-the-teacup-dog-mania/453766/1 "2008-06-22T06:36:12Z")
Looking at classifieds and advertisements for purebred pups, I notice a good number are again ‘obsessed’ seemingly with bragging about how ‘small’ the pups are, in particular, they use the term ‘teacup’, the smallest type possible. Example: Weight: @ 22 wks. - 35 oz. Estimated Adult Weight: 3.0 lbs. Price: Sale Price $3000 [SOLD Already] > **[Метка: Мелбет Топ Зеркало | Мелбет зеркало](https://elvisyorkshireterrier.com/tag/melbet-top-zerkalo/)** When I was a kid I don’t remember seeing any bragging about ‘teacup’ this and that, as if the main goal in life was to breed a 48oz dog! I’ve also seen a ‘teacup’ Chihuahua which looked like a big gerbil, but the owner (of course a girl) swore it was fully grown. That one, and a ‘teacup’ poodle, adorable though they may be, were all owned by women. Did I miss something here? What is going on – ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-the-teacup-dog-mania/453766/2 "2008-06-22T12:24:04Z")
They fit in women’s purses. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-the-teacup-dog-mania/453766/3 "2008-06-22T13:10:08Z")
PARIS HILTON! For some insane reason she has become a cultural icon. Teenagers everywhere want her stupid big glasses and her equally stupid teeny dogs. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-the-teacup-dog-mania/453766/4 "2008-06-22T14:17:45Z")
Idiocy. It is a fad, and worse than most as it affects the health of the breeds involved. There is no such thing as “teacup”. It is not recognized by the AKC as a valid size classification. All these dogs would fall under the moniker of “toy”. Tiny toy, micro-toy, teacup and the like are terms used by unscrupulous breeders who breed only for size. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-the-teacup-dog-mania/453766/5 "2008-06-22T15:51:46Z")
[QUOTE=Ferret Herder] They fit in women’s purses. [/QUOTE] Yes. It’s dog-as-fashion accessory. ---
**Author:** ![Satellite\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Satellite\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satellite_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-the-teacup-dog-mania/453766/6 "2008-06-22T16:19:17Z")
Although I’m not attracted to the ‘teacup phenomenon’, I am the type of person who, if I was picking a dog out of a litter of puppies, would gravitate toward the runt of the litter. I think part of the ‘teacupmania’ is an exaggeration, or magnification of said tendencies. Also, puppies are always an ‘aww’ factor, moreso than their adult dog counterparts, so the teapups perpetuate the effect. S^G \*disclaimer - these are just wag’s for me… pardon the pun 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-the-teacup-dog-mania/453766/7 "2008-06-22T16:53:10Z")
I think it’s no more complicated that smaller=cuter. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-the-teacup-dog-mania/453766/8 "2008-06-22T17:02:27Z")
Moving to IMHO. **Scrambledeggs,** you have been starting a very large number of threads in General Questions lately, many of which would more appropriately be placed in IMHO. Please consider carefully whether your questions are likely to have a definite factual answer. I would recommend that in general you direct your queries to IMHO (or Great Debates, or perhaps in some cases MPSIMS) unless the answer is likely to well defined. Thanks. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-the-teacup-dog-mania/453766/9 "2008-06-22T17:59:23Z")
An answer to the [bonsai kittens](http://www.shorty.com/bonsaikitten/index.html) fad of a few years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_Dubinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@Alex\_Dubinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_Dubinsky)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2008, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-the-teacup-dog-mania/453766/10 "2008-06-23T01:57:17Z")
[QUOTE=Peter Morris] An answer to the [bonsai kittens](http://www.shorty.com/bonsaikitten/index.html) fad of a few years ago. [/QUOTE] hahaha what happens when you call the number? ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2008, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-the-teacup-dog-mania/453766/11 "2008-06-23T03:10:29Z")
They’re really cute to look at, but IME, they’re boring dogs with little to no personality to speak of. Every single one I’ve met just stays in the purse and shakes with fear and/or cold. (please note, that’s IME, I’m sure, especially now that I’ve posted this, or am about to, that there is some teeny teacup chihuahua out there somewhere with the personality of Benji and the skillset of Skidboot). ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2008, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-the-teacup-dog-mania/453766/12 "2008-06-23T16:01:05Z")
[QUOTE=CanvasShoes] They’re really cute to look at, but IME, they’re boring dogs with little to no personality to speak of. Every single one I’ve met just stays in the purse and shakes with fear and/or cold. [/QUOTE] I saw one hiking in the mountains of NH on Saturday, chugging along and doing fine, 5 miles into a 9 mile hike. ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_Dubinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@Alex\_Dubinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_Dubinsky)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-the-teacup-dog-mania/453766/13 "2008-06-24T02:39:32Z")
[QUOTE=Telemark] > [@](#): > > Every single one I’ve met just stays in the purse and shakes with fear and/or cold. I saw one hiking in the mountains of NH on Saturday, chugging along and doing fine, 5 miles into a 9 mile hike. [/QUOTE] One guesses the dog was finally warm? And/or too exhausted to worry. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-the-teacup-dog-mania/453766/14 "2008-06-24T03:06:50Z")
[QUOTE=Alex\_Dubinsky] One guesses the dog was finally warm? And/or too exhausted to worry. [/QUOTE] Nope, she was cruising along just fine. Looked like she’d been a hiking for years. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-the-teacup-dog-mania/453766/16 "2018-01-03T09:42:01Z")
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