# Sorry, no such thing as teacup chis!



## pastel (Jan 12, 2012)

I think I've had to tell alllll my neighbors there is no such thing as a teacup chi. They always ask if Nike's a teacup. I say nope. She's a regular, and teacup chihuahuas are just a sales gimmick.

Not to mention she's a whole 3 lbs!


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## jesuschick (Dec 5, 2010)

We take our girls out a lot. People always ask the same thing. When I am asked if they are teacups, my answer is, "No. They are dogs." I then explain that AKC standard for a Chihuahua is 2-6 pounds so they are well within the regular, plain old standard. I also explain that all Chihuahuas are a part of the Toy group. Even a 15 pound Chihuahua. 
They nod and usually then tell me that they have/had a teacup. I say okay and move on.

Oh, they are also called babies and puppies a lot. I think people just do not know Chi size or are used to bigger dogs like Rotties and Labs so they assume that I have some 8 week old dog at the hardware store. Two are headed toward 18 months but if you are used to Bull Mastiffs, I guess my girls would look like newborns! haha!


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## CarrieAndCalista (Jul 22, 2011)

LOL, I get this all the time and then have to explain that Calista is actually a pretty sturdy Chihuahua at 6.5 lbs!


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## Jerry'sMom (May 5, 2009)

It's surprising how uninformed the public are about Chihuahuas...
People always ask if Jerry is a Papillon and if Tabitha is a Pom! LOL!
They are shocked to know they are Champion-Bred long coat Chihuahuas AND littermates!


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## Christabelle (Dec 21, 2011)

Jerry'sMom said:


> It's surprising how uninformed the public are about Chihuahuas...
> People always ask if Jerry is a Papillon and if Tabitha is a Pom! LOL!
> They are shocked to know they are Champion-Bred long coat Chihuahuas AND littermates!


AND....steal your breath away GORGEOUS!


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## Angel1210 (Mar 14, 2011)

Gorgeous they are! I hate it when people say "teacup." I know that not everyone can know everything about dogs. It would be nice if some breeders out there would not use the term "teacup," That would be a good start.

I met someone in the park that said she had a "Mini" chihuahua! That one was new to me!


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## 20887 (Mar 16, 2011)

People ask me if my dogs are teacups all the time... Sigh..I say that they are regular chihuahuas, and then the person always said "well I had a teacup" or something similar. People also ask if they are babies, or if Lion is a Papillon.


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## Gilly (Jul 17, 2011)

So this is what I'll have to put up with once I get my chi  Experts telling me all about their micro-chihuahua  

Years ago I had a whippet, Tina, and even though she was a good inch above the breed standard folk STILL insisted on telling me (not asking!!!) that she was a 'baby greyhound' :foxes15: One woman I seemed to see every day would even butt in when I was talking to someone else and inform the other person that Tina was a baby!!!! I got fed up one day and told her that, actually, Tina was a purebred whippet from some of the best English and Irish bloodlines and was even posher than our Queen herself :coolwink: 

Don't know-alls just bug the hell out of you! :banghead:


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## Cream Chi's (Jan 24, 2011)

I am always being asked if Fizzy is a Papillon - and people say Kirby can't be a chihuahua as they don't come in black and white!!!!!!


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## jesuschick (Dec 5, 2010)

Welcome, Gilly!

Yeah, one woman after I told her there is no such thing as teacup Chis went on to tell me that she had a teacup Chi X Jack Russell and she was MUCH smaller than Hope. At the time Hope was maybe 2.5 pounds. 

What was I to say to that? Okay. Great. Bye. haha!


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## pastel (Jan 12, 2012)

haha welcome Gilly! yep, you'll get plenty of these comments once u get your chi! hehe


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## Yoshismom (Jul 6, 2005)

I have heard it so much that I just say "no" now and go on about my way. Most will argue with you anyways. I do come across people every so often that are willing to learn and when I get that vibe I try to educate a bit though ;-)


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## jesuschick (Dec 5, 2010)

Michelle, that is what I need to do.

Since Ruby's ears are down, we do get asked a lot "what" she is. I had decided to tell people that she was a teacup Golden Retriever. I suppose now that I have Eden, she can be a teacup Doberman (although no one asks about her)!!


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## qtchi (Jun 19, 2010)

I think most people generally don't know anything about dogs. They might know about Labrador and Golden Retrievers, English Bulldogs, and Dachshunds. Those breeds are popular and really hard to mistake for other breeds due to their face and body shape. I used to get asked all the time if my Husky was a wolf or I was told that she was a Malamute.

I get asked if Venus is a tiny puppy of some mix or if she's a tiny fox or rat terrier all the time. It really bugs me because she looks like a chi more than she doesn't and nobody believes me when I tell them chi's come in different colors other than tan. I get asked if my yorkie is a teacup and/or a toy all the time. I know that once I groom my new cream mini poodle to full poodle glory I will still be asked what kind of dog she is. I should get a Lab so everybody will know what kind of dog I have. I should make shirts for my dogs with the labels, Chihuahua, Miniature Poodle, Yorkshire Terrier.


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## Cream Chi's (Jan 24, 2011)

My bother has a flat coated retriever, liver colour - he is often at work with us (I work with my brother) we have had people tell us we are wrong and he is a irish setter MANY times!!!!!

Also I've been told pugs don't come in black so my black pug MUST be a mix!


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## ~LS~ (Oct 29, 2011)

Haha, since Chanel is larger than standard, I used to joke that mine is not a
teacup, she's a teaPOT, lol. People are funny, some believe anything and
everything. The truth is the best thing we can do is to educate the ones that
do not know any better. There are plenty of nice ways to go about it. But what
drives me a bit crazy is sometimes people do not believe me that there is no
such thing as a teacup, some folks are stubborn and truly think they are right.
What's really sad is that often puppy mills will advertise extremely young pups,
runts of the litter or premature pups as "teacup". Some of these dogs are
unhealthy or chronically ill, some live only a short while. I say if you are looking
for a pup and the "breeder" is advertising "teacups", RUN!


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## ~LS~ (Oct 29, 2011)

Cream Chi's said:


> My bother has a flat coated retriever, liver colour - he is often at work with us (I work with my brother) we have had people tell us we are wrong and he is a irish setter MANY times!!!!!
> 
> Also I've been told pugs don't come in black so my black pug MUST be a mix!



I can't tell you the number of times people thought Rocky was a Pitbull, and Benji a miniature Doberman. 

They are Basenji litter mates.









I understand that it is not a common breed, so I don't mind explaining what
they are, but what is really funny is when I tell them that my boys are Basenji, 
some folks say "I've never heard of that, are you sure they aren't a mix?" Oh lord!


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## svdreamer (Feb 20, 2010)

Yeah, I get this too, all the time. And that Reggie is a pom. Even at my vets, that always put him down as a pom. I was so greatful when an employee at Petsmart actually pegged him as a LC chi. lol It's really bad when I take in Twiggy, I get teacup and baby thrown at me all the time. I just explain the standard is 2 to 6 pounds so to have a "teacup", they would have to be almost nonexistent!


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## svdreamer (Feb 20, 2010)

~LS~ said:


> I can't tell you the number of times people thought Rocky was a Pitbull, and Benji a miniature Doberman.
> 
> They are Basenji litter mates.
> 
> ...


When we first got Jodi, mom was walking him and a young child came up and asked if he was a pig because of the curly tail!. Mom had a hard time convincing him that he was really a dog.


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## CHITheresa (Apr 30, 2011)

I get that with Amberleah loulou too, she is 3.1 lbs...A neighbor guy says his brother breeds tea cups, I tell him no such thing. oh I have never seen his brothers dogs as they are in different state, but what he describes he is BRB or puppy mill. they keep them in barn and so loud you cant hear each other talk. I tell him that bad and he needs to talk to his brother. GRR!!!!


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## Jennmay (Dec 31, 2011)

Yeah people ask me if Holly is a tea cup Chi I am like no she is just a puppy and will be a standard Chi LOL.. I was like if you want one don't buy from someone that lists them as that as all Chi puppies will fit in a tea cup of course but they are just a standard Chi.


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## Sky (Jan 7, 2012)

I actually don't get that upset when I hear people use the term. A dog is a dog and I guess I could tell people there is no such AKC term as "teacup" Chihuahua but I believe I can call my dog whatever I want (although I don't call her a teacup). People don't care and if they truly want to learn about they breed then they will, if they don't want to learn then no one can make them so I choose not to tell anybody anything as I don't really care that much. I really don't see it as a huge looming threat or anything. But that's just my opinion.


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## DKT113 (Nov 26, 2011)

Sky said:


> I actually don't get that upset when I hear people use the term. A dog is a dog and I guess I could tell people there is no such AKC term as "teacup" Chihuahua but I believe I can call my dog whatever I want (although I don't call her a teacup). People don't care and if they truly want to learn about they breed then they will, if they don't want to learn then no one can make them so I choose not to tell anybody anything as I don't really care that much. I really don't see it as a huge looming threat or anything. But that's just my opinion.


Totally agree and went to post, but seemed not be be what everyone else thought so I didn't.

I was asked a few times last night at our first class is she was a teacup ~ I just said No, she's a Rio.

Call her a Brick Oven for all I care, but if you want to enjoy her company be kind and compassionate.

If folks have an interest in something they look into it ~ if they don't you can talk to them until you are blue in the face and you won't change their minds. 

I am a lover of critters and while I might not know breed standards and specifics ~ if an animal is in trouble I do what I can to bring it back to health and find it a home and people to love it. 

We've had super expensive "finely bred dogs" / we've had pound puppies that nobody wanted ~ at one point we saved a "litter" of opossums. I don't even know if the experts would call them a "litter" or what the experts would do with them at that age and in the distress they were in ~ but we boxed them hydrated them, kept them warm and found a place to care for them. Pedigree / what specifically to call them ~ didn't matter ~ they needed human kindness and just as you apply that reasoning to them it can also be applied to dogs, cats, etc. ~ regardless how they came into the world, who their parents are and how many grand champions are in the lines. 

My son wants a "nice" boxer when he gets his place. I hope if I have done my job correctly he will look to the pound or boxer rescue first.


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## jesuschick (Dec 5, 2010)

I do not get upset. It does bother me that the myth lives on because people do not know.

The uninformed become the duped who become members here who become really sad to learn that their dog is the same as all of ours and not as extraordinary and unique as the breeder told them (and perhaps they paid for).


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## svdreamer (Feb 20, 2010)

Yeah, that's the reason I try to educate, so they don't pay through the nose for a "rare" chi that is just a standard chi. Chi babies are small, so breeders sell them as "teacups" and get an extra $500 to $1000 because of them duping people. If I can educate someone and they don't end up disappointed and leaving the dog at a shelter because it isnt what they wanted, then I will try. I have friends at the SPCA that have said people have turned in dogs that ended up normal or bigger sized because they were told they were "teacups" and kept growing past what they wanted.


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## svdreamer (Feb 20, 2010)

Oops, double post


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## pastel (Jan 12, 2012)

svdreamer said:


> That is why I educate, so no one gets scammed by the breeders into paying $500 to $1000 more for a "rare" teacup puppy that ends up being a normal or bigger chi. I have friends at the SPCA that have told me of people dumping off their chi because "it got too big, I was told it was a 'teacup'" So, yeah, I try to educate when I can.


That is just cruel, dumping the pups because they're an extra 5 lbs 
I can't stand people who think dogs are accessories that go with their purse


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## Finn (Sep 14, 2010)

At the rescue events, people ask if our Chihuahuas--all off which are obviously adults--will get any bigger. I am so tempted to say, "Oh yes, about the size of a Great Dane."


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## MiniGrace (Oct 31, 2011)

The funny thing about the "teacup" term to me is that a Chihuahua that fits within the standard 2-6 lbs is a tiny dog anyway. But I think it is fairly common for some breeders to sell the smallest pups for more than the larger pups. That's how I got Charlie - he was the biggest pup in the litter plus and nobody wanted him so he was sold to me at a reduced price. He weighs about 9 lbs and he still seems really small to me.


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## 20887 (Mar 16, 2011)

It doesn't upset me when people use the term "teacup", but it is disappointing that people can't recognize a standard chihuahua because they are so used to seeing larger chis that are more common here. I think they just assume that when someone has a chi that looks around 5lbs or less, it MUST be a teacup!


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## Princesschi (Jan 12, 2012)

A few years ago I had a neighbor and her sister went to the same breeder to get chis. Well, my neighbor bought the much smaller puppy because she said she wanted the smallest one and the breeder promised her she would stay the smallest and was the smallest in the litter. It was so funny when the larger puppy her sister got slowed growth and her puppy by-passed her sisters, lol. My neighbors ended up being 7.5 and her sisters, the larger puppy stayed at around 5 lbs, I believe. Lol I thought it was great!
I have seen tiny puppies grow to be huge and large puppies slow growth quicker and stay small. Who knows?


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## lulu'smom (Jan 4, 2012)

jesuschick said:


> Michelle, that is what I need to do.
> 
> Since Ruby's ears are down, we do get asked a lot "what" she is. I had decided to tell people that she was a teacup Golden Retriever.


Lulu's ears are down. Can she be a teacup Golden Retriever too so Ruby won't be lonely?


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## Gilly (Jul 17, 2011)

jesuschick said:


> Yeah, one woman after I told her there is no such thing as teacup Chis went on to tell me that she had a teacup Chi X Jack Russell and she was MUCH smaller than Hope. At the time Hope was maybe 2.5 pounds.
> 
> What was I to say to that? Okay. Great. Bye. haha!


 That's not a chi - THAT'S a hamster!!!!! 

It DOES annoy me a little when I see teacuops advertised because I think no matter what size they asre they are still a dog!!! When I get my chi he/she will NOT be carried around all over or treated like a precious fragile ornament - he/she will be a DOG! Taken on walks, trained, sleep on our bed with us, taken on holiday with us etc etc - in short, as all previous dogs have been, a member of our family :love8: 

Cannot wait to welcome my new baby into the household....am saving up as we speak


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## ~LS~ (Oct 29, 2011)

Gilly said:


> That's not a chi - THAT'S a hamster!!!!!
> 
> It DOES annoy me a little when I see teacuops advertised because I think no matter what size they asre they are still a dog!!! When I get my chi he/she will NOT be carried around all over or treated like a precious fragile ornament - he/she will be a DOG! Taken on walks, trained, sleep on our bed with us, taken on holiday with us etc etc - in short, as all previous dogs have been, a member of our family :love8:
> 
> Cannot wait to welcome my new baby into the household....am saving up as we speak


VERY cool! You must post pictures as soon as you get your pup!!


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## LadyJ (Aug 20, 2010)

Oh, dear, the general public is soooooo misinformed! A lady asked me yesterday if Lavender was a Spitz!


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## Gingersmom (Mar 12, 2009)

LOL...not to mention someone telling me their 15lb chihuahua was an original chihuahua because of size... or sis-in-law insisting that her 16 1/2 pound dog is a standard long coated chihuahua...because that's what the BYB told her(after hearing and meeting dog as a puppy..I "had" to take mine over to meet the puppy, VBEG)

I did have fun with Sullysmum pictures of her hamsters though...asked so innocently  on one of her hamster pics, "teacup chi?"...


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## Gilly (Jul 17, 2011)

~LS~ said:


> VERY cool! You must post pictures as soon as you get your pup!!


 Oh definitely  I'm currently saving my pennies and estimate that I'll have enough (plus extra for vaccinations etc) by May/June 2012.....cannot wait!!!!! 

I'm not sure whether to go for a pup or an older rescue. I've always had older dogs who came to me when they were between 18 months and seven years and it's never been a problem  I just treat them as a brand-new puppy and assume they've had no training whatsoever (usually they haven't which is why their previous owners have been so keen to rehome them! ;-) ) and take them right back to basics with housetraining, recall on the lead etc etc. Nine times out of ten all the poor dogs have needed is an owner who will exercise them properly and feed them good nutrtious food. Tina my whippet was 18 months when I got her and had NEVER been allowed off the lead to gallop and have fun!  I started her off on a long lunge line (from the saddlery shop) and on walks would encourage her to come back to me when I called, I'd give her a piece of cheese/cooked sausage etc and then let her ''Go play'' once more. After a month I reckoned she was ready so I took her to an enclosed field and let her know I had LOTS of cooked sausage in my pockets and let her off the lead. It was absolutely glorious seeing her stretch out and gallop round and round me and when I called her she turned on a sixpence and came straight back to me  
The joy of whippets is that they are perfectly happy being able to run free for about 20 minutes and will then spend the rest of the day asleep.....usually on YOUR bed LOL We would usually take Tina to the beach four miles away, let her gallop around and she would then be happy to go to bed with her Dad (my hubby Neil) whilst I went off to work for 5 hours. I would then take her out for a proper 2-3 hour walk in the afternoon. She was a fabulous dog and I cried buckets when she was killed in an accident, had a breakdown a year later and it's only now that life has settled down, work-wise, enough for me to have the time to properly devote myself to giving a dog the proper time and attention they deserve.
Tina came EVERYWHERE with me and so will our wee chi when I get him/her  Beach and countryside walks every day, best food money can buy, sleeping ON our bed no doubt ;-) and ALWAYS coming on holiday with us as we like to stay in caravans or cottages in the UK and just explore the area and walk and birdwatch and just generally chill out. 

I've just always loved chihuahuas ever since I mwet my very first one when I used to go horse riding as a teenager. The riding school owner had a stunning cream shorthair girlie with THE most fantastic love-everybody temperament and I have always promised myself that one day I too would be owned by a chi (or two! ;-) ). I'm 44 in March and over the past few months have been thinking ''Why not?''  I've done my homework and researched the breed and made a list of pros and cons (not many of the latter!) but it all boils down to ONE thing.....I am only half a person without a dog in my life!  

So watch this space......


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## LittleLuxie (May 7, 2011)

This is why we don't like the term "Teacup"!!!!! It's not just a word, it supports people like these breeding to get the smallest dogs at the expense of the dog's health. They are brainwashing people to think that a smaller dog is better. Look at this puppy and tell me if these people should be proud of having the "smallest dog in the world". WARNING: it's a little graphic. 






They also have another video showing an extremely small newborn chi, and it has 11 million views and most of the comments are "aww, cute!".






I personally think think this kind of breeding is animal ABUSE!! "Teacup" is not just a harmless word!


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## Sky (Jan 7, 2012)

People will breed for the smallest dog possible whether or not they call them "teacups". It is indeed a harmless word. The act of breeding for smaller and usually unhealthy dogs is the harmful thing. I have known people who breed only to offer the smallest dogs possible and they didn't use the term "teacup". The word doesn't matter.


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## quinnandleah (Sep 28, 2011)

I hate people who think they know everything. When Quinn was little I got asked if he was a baby lab. I'd had to have been carrying around a 3 week old lab with no mama around if he was. :/

I've had people ask me what they are mixed with (they get chi right away with all of them). When I tell them dash they disagree. Why ask if you are going to argue?


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