How To Choose a Teacup Puppy & Breeder

♥ How to Choose a Teacup Puppy ~
(Written & Created by Spoiled Rotten Schnauzers)

THESE ARE JUST "TIPS" ~
THEY WILL NOT GUARANTEE YOU WILL GET A TEACUP
the more you educate yourself, the better chance you have of getting what you want.

We are not experts.
Below is just our opinions based on the last (15 years) experience we have being involved in the pet industry.
We have worked hands-on with vets, trainers, breeders, rescue & rehab's as well as owned pets our entire life.
We hope you find these "tips" helpful in your search for a new teacup schnauzer baby!

Is the HEALTH of your teacup puppy important to You? Or Just the Size?

DON'T EVER buy a "teacup puppy" from a breeder that makes you feel like it's okay to take the "teacup size" puppy home before the age of 10~14 weeks and in some cases - up to 16 weeks. If it is a TRUE "teacup size" then it's NOT okay to take a teacup before then and if the breeder somehow "justifies" on why it's okay in YOUR situation - then that should tell you right there that the teacup puppy is NOT being raised correctly. ANY breeder that understands teacup size puppies is going to know that families that take their teacup puppies home TOO EARLY end up with a MUCH HIGHER RISK for (*crashing & hypoglycemia issues*) which means in & out of vet hospitals trying to (*stablize*) the puppy and / or can lead to early death. Don't believe us? Talk to your vet about it - they deal with it all the time. NOT all breeders have their families or their puppies best interest at heart. Especially once they have your money! Alot of breeders WANT the family to take the teacup puppy home early because (to them) it's a liability!!! This means as long as THEY have the teacup puppy with them, THEY run the risk of the puppy manifesting: health issues, eating issues, hypoglecima issues & heaven forbid ~ even death. This puts them in a position to pay for not only the vet bills to "stablize" the puppy but then having to REFUND you. So in the end they LOSE money, LOSE the sale, and now have to try to re-sell a puppy with problems. So if your going to buy a teacup puppy, YOU MUST UNDERSTAND that from weaning time upto about 10 - 16 weeks (each teacup is different) is a real critical time frame (because teacups develop much slower then toy size) for the breeder to be able to evaluate any "issues" that might be arising. Teacup size puppies REQUIRE ALOT more "hands-on-raising" & they can be very (time) demanding. Breeders that are (*stretched thin*) on the quality care & actual time they can devote to their teacup puppies WILL most likely start having "issues" with their puppies and can even have a high fatality rate. Their answer is to have YOU (since your home most of the time) pick up the puppy early so that it's all on YOUR shoulders. BIG MISTAKE for you to fall into that trap. Also, many times the breeder will blame their sickly teacup puppies on the fact that "teacups are just that way" BUT IN FACT, the breeder is most likely just NOT raising or weaning them correctly. So just remember, IT DOES NOT MATTER if the teacup puppy is doing "great" at the breeders, it STILL needs to stay at the breeders longer for maturity reasons. Why? Because at the breeders the puppy is in a familiar environment and can continue to flourish there during that critical age range. But as soon as you rehome ANY puppy they become "stressed & excited" as you expose them to all different sights, sounds, smells, routine, diet, animals, family members, kids, diseases etc....so for a teacup that isn't old enough, matured enough & ready to go ~ then all that "stress & excitement" during the "rehoming" process can weaken their immune system and tail spin them on a downhill cycle of various health issues & struggles which pose a serious threat to such tiny babies . Besides, breeders that keep the teacups longer are able to do more vet work on the puppy (vet checks, dewormings, puppy vaccines, fecal tests etc..) which WILL strenghten & build the immune system for you.

Studies have PROVEN that ANY teacup puppy (Teacup Chihuahua, Teacup Yorkie, Teacup Maltese, Teacup Schnauzer etc..) that have been "rushed" in their development are ALOT MORE likely to have Long Term Health Issues & Eating Issues.

Aren't Teacup size Puppies Unhealthy?
Sometimes we get families writing us asking about different "horror stories" they have read online regarding teacup size puppies. BE CAREFUL when researching online because you rarely get the full story from both sides, especially when someone is mad. Yes, there are poorly bred teacup size puppies out there (just like there are poorly bred puppies in ANY breed and ALL sizes of dogs) Sadly, those families have had a real roller coaster of heart-breaking, tragic and devastating experiences ~ BUT ~ there are ALSO very high quality teacup puppies that are fun-loving, well socialized, and extremely healthy that ARE living a long rich full life with families who adore them. Just remember ANY breed of dog you choose to buy REGARDLESS of it's size has a risk for health problems due to the fact it's a living breathing animal. Below we have posted "tips" to help teach you ways to improve your chances of buying a healthy puppy because choosing ANY puppy (regardless if it's a teacup size or not) SHOULD BE so much more involved than just if the puppy is cute in the picture. If that is how you buy puppies, then your chances of adopting a puppy with health problems or even social behavioral problems is alot higher then if you have taken the time to research, know what to look for and then hand-select. Also, we will warn you right now, puppies from "petstore" are NOT well bred dogs. You will NEVER find a healthy high quality puppy there. Only unethical breeders & brokers sell (dump) their puppies to petstores for re-sell.

Remember, almost ALL breeders will SAY they have their puppies best interest at heart,
but MAKE THEM PROVE IT in the way they raise & sell them.

TIP #1 ~
NEVER buy a "newborn" schnauzer puppy posted as a teacup.

In the schnauzer world especially, you can NOT be fooled by low birth weights. Yep, that is correct ~ birth weight means nothing! DON'T GET US WRONG ~ a low birth weight CAN mean the puppy IS a teacup size, HOWEVER, there are also many other reasons that can cause low birth weight. Only TIME can tell if the puppy will STAY tiny, Catch Up to the Others, OR EVEN Surpass the others in size. So DON'T trust birth weight. Here at Spoiled Rotten Schnauzers we post all our newborn puppies as ( teacup / toys ) that way families know they are not full size miniatures, standards or giant schnauzers but that the puppy will end up somewhere in the 3 - 10 pound range. Once the puppy is old enough to start estimating adult size, we will then mark it as a "toy size" or "teacup size" with a specific weight range we are thinking the puppy will end up in.

TIP # 2 ~
Don't Believe Every Single thing You Read & Hear

Prepare yourself for some confusion. When researching the topic of teacups you are going to come across alot of heated debates & conflicting articles, stories and experiences. The topic of teacup size animals provoke alot of very strong & passionate emotions (good & bad) in people so NEVER base everything on what ONE person tells you or ONE website article says. Do your homework. Read alot of things regarding BOTH SIDES of the "argument" so that you can have a FULL UNDERSTANDING on where everyone is coming from and then you can determine where YOU personally stand and make the right decision for yourself. Be weary of anyone that uses absolutes. Take caution when someone sinks to the level of slandering, bad-mouthing and pointing fingers to prove their point and then justifies that behavior by claiming people should know the truth. And last, just remember it's common practice for people to take bits & pieces of various information they find from other places in order to back up, strengthen, & support their own personal point of view & opinions. Both sides will do all these things. So take all this into consideration when you are forming YOUR OWN perspective.

Tip #3 ~
Teacup puppies are NOT the same as Premature / Runt puppies

This is an extremely common misunderstanding. Teacup size miniature schnauzers are NOT the same as (premature or runt) puppies. Alot of people don't understand the difference and so when they hear the word "teacup" (they assume it's a premature or runt puppy) so they get panic through their heart, a chill up their bones, run like the wind & tell everyone to stay FAR AWAY from buying them.

So what is the difference between a teacup puppy & a premature or runt puppy.

First let's talk about what a "premature / runt" puppy is. When a female dog is bred NOT all the puppies are "conceived" at the same time. This means that the females eggs are not released all at once by the ovary, they drop over a period of time. So the problem comes when the female goes into labor because ALL the puppies are born whether they are fully developed or not. The puppies that were conceived later and haven't had enough time (inside the mothers womb) to properly & fully develop would be considered "runt or premature" puppies ~ "Premature or Runt" puppies ARE at high risk for serious health problems because sometimes one or more of their organs are NOT fully functioning or developed properly. Matter of fact, most don't even live past the first day or two, rarely you will see one live maybe upto a week and the one's that do make it often have long-term health issues like open fontanels, portosystemic shunts, heart problems, collapsing trachea, hydroencephaly, neurological issues, digestive or respiratory issues and much more. At human hosptitals there is a section called "neonatal intensive care unit" (also known as NICU or "Nickyou") this is more of where your premature or runt puppies would end up IF they had the same type of section at the vet's hospitial. It's usually not hard to spot a premature or runt puppy out in the litter because they not only act "off" and look "off" but they are a real challenge to raise as they struggle for life. One of the main problems is that people tend to use the word "runt" THINKING it means the smallest or tiniest puppy in the litter. We will hear people say things like "awe, we want the runt puppy. Or which one is the runt baby." It's really important to understand that the word "runt" does NOT mean the healthy & tiniest one in the litter.

Now let's talk about a "teacup" size miniature schnauzer. They ARE born ontime. They ARE fully developed. They ARE healthy, they are just tinier because of the smaller gene pool in their pedigree. Let me give you an example we can all relate to. My mother is over 6 feet. My grandpa is over 6 feet. Yet my sister is barely 5 feet!! She's tiny. Does that make her a sickly premature human "runt" baby with life long health problems. NO, she was a perfectly healthy baby AND she has lived a perfectly healthy normal life. She is just a smaller adult because in my father's gene pool (family tree) there are some smaller genes that she inherited. When you research all the sizes in Schnauzers you will learn how they crossed "Standard Schnauzers" with Great Danes & Bouvier des Flandres to create that larger "gene pool" in the Schnauzers in order to create a more powerful breed called "Giant Schnauzers." To get the "Miniature Schnauzers" they had to cross the affenpinschers & poodles with the "Standard Schnauzers" to reduce the size and get that smaller "gene pool" to create the "Miniature Schnauzer" size you see today. Now for the toy/teacup size miniature schnauzers they did use the teacup/toy poodles but instead of using affenpinschers some have used the pomeranians as both these breeds created the tinier "gene pool" you are now seeing in the toy & teacup size miniature schnauzers. Now given, it is ALOT more complicated & involved then this elementary example so if this topic interests you, feel free to research it more as well as discuss it with your vet.

Tip# 4 ~ Do you understand the word ~ "teacup"

DON'T take the word "teacup size" literal!!

The word teacup is used just to give families and IDEA as to what the size range of that animal will be full grown. That is the sole purpose of the word. It's VERY IMPORTANT you understand that when you hear the word "teacup" that you do NOT automatically assume that the animal will be a size that will fit (literally) inside a pocket, purse or even a teacup itself. The word "teacup" is breed specific. This means the teacup size range VARIES PER BREED. Example: a teacup yorkie usually weigh around 3-4 pounds. Where as a tiny teacup or micro teacup yorkie weigh arond 2-3 pounds. Same with Chihuahua's. But NOT all animals can be bred down that tiny and still be healthy. Teacup Pugs are 10 pounds or under. They even have Teacup Pigs that weigh around 30~65 pounds. Now clearly when you think of a 65 pound animal, 10 pound animal, or even a 7 pound animal you don't think "teacup size" but clearly for those breeds that would be considered a "teacup." As a tiny puppy they might have fit in an actual "teacup" but NOT as an adult. So before you commit to buying a "teacup size" in anything, make sure YOU understand the "teacup size range" for that particular breed. So again, DON'T take the word "teacup size" literal.

TIP #5 ~
Be Careful of (toy schnauzer) breeders using puppy weight charts

Puppy weight charts are "breed specific." Just think about it. Would you use a "Saint Bernard's" puppy weight chart to follow a "Shih-Tzu's" puppy's growth pattern. NO, of course not. Yet it surprises me how many "toy & teacup schnauzer breeders" are using "other breeds" weight charts like: (teacup yorkies & teacup chihuahua's) to follow their schnauzer puppies growth patterns. Just because they all have the word "teacup" in front of it does NOT make those charts accurate for each breed. Puppy weight charts are based on the long history & growth patterns for that particular breed. "Great Danes" and "Great Pyrenees" are both Giant Breed Dogs AND they both have the word "Great" in front of it. But I guarantee you, that you could not properly follow the growth of a "Great Pyrenees" puppy using a "Great Danes" puppy weight chart. As of right now, there are NO reliable puppy weight charts for "toy & teacup" size miniature schnauzers. Breeders have not been breeding down the Miniature Schnauzers long enough to produce a credible puppy weight chart for this newer size in this breed. Now there are "Miniature Schnauzer" puppy weight charts, and alot of breeders try to estimate their "adult size" of their toy & teacup size schnauzer puppies off those charts. But we (personally) don't see how that could be very accurate either for multiple reasons. The main reason would be even though "toy & teacup" size schnauzers ARE "Miniature Schnauzers" those "Miniature Schnauzer" weight charts are based on a long history of producing full size Miniatures that fit into the traditional standard sizes, NOT the recent downsizing history pattern of the small "toy & teacup size" miniature schnauzers.

TIP #6 ~
Proof of weight & comparison photo's are always good

There is no harm in having the breeder "prove" current weight & height. You can ask the breeder to put the puppy by a milk carton, soda pop or even on the scale itself can to help you visually see a size comparison and/or see the exact weight. We like to write the families name & the date on a piece of paper and then put that next to the puppy so they know they are getting current & accurate photo's. I will tell you right now, this may annoy alot of breeders for several reasons. But the way we see it, YOU are not in the wrong (as the buyer) to want to see "specifics" on the puppy your interested in adopting. Breeders should understand this, as THEY THEMSELVES want detailed specifics when they are buying a new breeding puppy to add to their program.

TIP #7 ~
"Experienced teacup breeders" are your best bet.

We personally strongly suggest buying a teacup puppy from an experienced teacup breeder that is confident in raising them healthy. And Yes, there are several Schnauzer breeders out there that really do understand how to properly raise the teacup sizes. If you buy from a breeder that does Not have the "hands-on" experience with raising the tinier sizes ~ their ignorance (as innocent as it may be) can not only affect if they will have long term health problems but studies have proven inexperienced teacup breeders are more likely to create *eating issues* with the teacup puppies leaving YOU with a higher chance for having to deal with hypogleycemia & other health issues in your puppy. Also, breeders that don't get alot of "teacup sizes" very often are more likely to misjudge their adult size. They might just have a puppy that is alot tinier than what they are used to producing and so they assume it's a "teacup size" when in reality ~ maybe it's just a tiny toy. Whereas breeders that have that constant "hands-on" experience with the teacup sizes are alot more confident in distingusihing between the different sizes. Most breeders will post on their website how many years they have been breeding. Well if they have been breeding a certain size or even a different breed during those years, that is not the same as if they have actual hands on experience directly with the raising specifically the tinier sizes. Because having that "hands-on" experience with raising these itty bitty ones is a whole different ballpark then raising the toy size or larger size puppies.

TIP #8 ~
Buying from a "proven producer" is smart

A smart idea when buying a teacup size puppy from a mom or dad is to find out if one (or both) have thrown past puppies that have "proven" to stay within the teacup range for that breed. Breeders start to learn what their females & males generally will produce in not only size but also in coat, color, structure etc....So look for a mommie, daddy or both that have a history of throwing those tiny babies your looking for.

TIP #9 ~
Health Guarantee is a must in our eyes.

We personally would not buy a teacup size (or any size) puppy without the breeder offering at least a 2 year health guarantee against all life-threatening genetic issues or life threatening birth defects. (the longer the health guarantee the better.) If a breeder is going to "create a life" then there should be a commitment to that "life" beyond the quick cash for it. Any responsible breeder is going to stand by their puppies just out of care & concern for them, if they don't ~ they are clearly ONLY in this for the money and do NOT want any ACTUAL responsibility over their puppy.

TIP #10 ~
DON'T focus everything on the weight of a puppy

Too many families are buying "teacup schnauzer puppies" based soley on what the puppy weighs at certain ages ~ unfortunately that is probably why alot of families are ending up with larger dogs. Weight DOES play a factor in determining adult size, but low weight can be caused by so many variables.

Here are a few reasons a puppy's weight might be low.

Reason #1 ~ Alot of breeders measure how much food they feed their mothers while they are pregnant to purposely keep down the puppies weights in order to reduce the risk of emergency c-sections or other delivery complications due to the passing of the larger size puppies. They do NOT starve the moms. They just look at the instructions on the bag of food which tells them exactly how much to give each day for a pregnant dog that size. They will take away "extra treats" during pregnancy. These things CAN create "low birth weight" in puppies for easier delivery.

Reason #2 ~ How much and what the breeder is feeding the mother after she delivers will impact weight & health of the litter. Many breeders buy the cheap low grade adult or puppy food in bulk to save on their costs since it's expensive to feed multiple animals. But cheap low quality food will often keeps the puppies weights down since they are not getting all the proper nutrition for healthy growth.

Reason #3 ~ Tragically, alot of breeders purposely with-hold food (also known as starving!) their puppies so that when they weigh them their weights will stay lower ~ it also helps them "look" tinier in the photo's. Then when the families get the puppies home and feed them a proper healthy puppy food, the puppies weight shoots up because now the puppy's body has real nourishment that it can grow on. When you approach the breeder about it - most will just blame it on "growth spurts." Yes, growth spurts are real, however, clearly that is NOT the case in these situations.

Reason #4 ~ Many times a puppy can be stressed in the breeders (good or bad) environment for multiple reasons and that will cause low weight. Sometimes even if the puppy IS being offered good quality food, they might not be eating very much of it due to their stress levels in their living arrangements. Teacup size puppies especially CAN struggle more if they are being raised in cage banks, crates, kennels, breeding facilities, loud scary areas, too hot or too cold areas, being left alone too long OR NOT being handled by people very much, rough or wild children and toddlers can stress them to the point of not eating well. All these things (and many others) can make a puppy pick at their food or just not eat as much. (which WILL keep their weight down)

Reason #5 ~ Sick puppies can have low weight. Have you ever heard of the most common puppy health issues like: Giardia, Parasites, Worms, Cocciddia etc.....any of these issues can cause lower weight, especially if the puppy has been sick awhile. As soon as you treat them, the puppies weight will shoot back up. Just an F.Y.I. ~ it's NOT always the breeder fault when a family receives a puppy with one or more of these issues. They are just picked up too easily. However, keep in mind any responsible breeder is going to keep their puppies CURRENT on ALL medical care (vet checks, dewormings, vaccines etc...) in order to help prevent those issues & increase optimal health.

TIP #11 ~
Wait till the teacup puppies are weaned before picking one

"Eating issues" in a teacup puppy WILL make a HUGE difference for you. Eating issues are when the puppy is picky, finky, and just plain stubborn about eating their food. The tinier you get, the more common it CAN be. Eating issues are NOT very common in toy size or larger puppies. Most likely this is due to the fact that the "teacup" size puppies still tend to have a baby / infant mentality at this age while the toy sizes are more mature mentally and acting like toddlers. HOW the breeder weans & raises the litter will have a huge effect on if the puppy ends up with an eating issue. Puppies with eating issues are usually at higher risk for hypoglecmia & are generally overall alot higher "maintenance" than puppies that eat great. Some puppies can be so difficult to wean they will just flat out ignore any food you offer them. They can even clamp their mouth shut, or turn their head side to side in an effort to get away from the food if you are trying to feed it to them. They may even spit out or just let it sit in their mouth with no desire to swallow it. Yes, it's true. Some puppies (especially your tinier sizes) can be down right stinkers to wean. And to make it worse, if the breeder is not "experienced" in how to handle this ~ they CAN make the eating issues worse. Teacup puppies that have eating issues are really NOT suggested for 1st time teacup owners. By waiting until after the litter is weaned, YOU are able to discuss if any of this was a problem with the puppy your interested in.

On a side note, Here at Spoiled Rotten Schnauzers we have a very personalized, gentle & natural way of weaning our teacup puppies. Matter of fact, we do it gradually over a period of time, we use only high quality foods, vitamins, healthy immune strengthening treats and we introduce them to food in such a positive way it creates very healthy eating habits. If we do ever have a puppy that has any "eating issues" without a doubt we would share that with the family because for everyone's best interest (including the puppies) it's important that the family is confident & comfortable in being able to handle any special care, attention or needs that a specific teacup puppy will require. But we rarely get puppies like that due to our successful weaning approach.

TIP #12 ~
Not all teacups are the same

If you have ever been around teacups you will know that you have your more solid, sturdy, hearty, teacups that bascially act like the "toy size" puppies but are just alot tinier.

Then you have your teacups that are alot more high maintence, demanding, and / or even frail. They are just so tiny & delicate they are almost like owning a baby their whole life and often even have that "infant" mentality.

NOT all teacup's are suitable for every environment and the last thing you want to do is get home with a teacup baby that starts having problems because it's struggling in your type of lifestyle, schedule, routine & household.

So it really is important to wait until the teacup puppy is weaned and alittle bit older so you can talk to the breeder about the differences in size, structure, health & hypoglecmia issues, eating habits, personality, any special needs, etc.......

TIP #13 ~
Small parents DON'T always mean tiny puppies
Understanding "throw backs"

MORE Coming Soon......

♥ CLICK HERE To See Our "Available Teacup Puppies" ~

Spoiled Rotten Schnauzers
Located in Utah
801-623-8555
spoiledrottenschnauzers@yahoo.com