The term "teacup" is a selling gimic made up by irresponsible breeders in an attempt to make more money off a sale to an uneducated buyer. Usually these animals are labeled as "teacup" because they are smaller than the breed standard allows, the runt of the litter, or are too small to be used for breeding. Sadly, there are a long list of health problems that go along with "teacup" size dogs. Unless you are educated and ready to deal with such problems as hypoglycemia, please do not even consider a toy breed.
A great example of the "teacup" misconception is the chihuahua. The AKC requires that all chihuahuas be six pounds or under. If you're working with a responsible breeder, you can be assured that your puppy will remain under six pounds (with exceptions in rare cases). Why do people think that a four pound chihuahua should be labeled as a "teacup" size? The answer is simple. There are so many irresponsible breeders out there that people seem to think that chihuahuas should be a 10-20 pound dog!
Please do your homework before going out and buying a new pet. It will save you time and money in the long-run.
*CAUTION GRAPHIC PHOTOS*
