How Big Do Teacup Dogs Get? [Comparing 13 Teacup Breeds]

If you are looking for a tiny, adorable dog, you’ll be particularly interested in a teacup. And there are plenty of advantages to their small size too; they do not take up a lot of space, do not eat a lot of food, and do not require a lot of exercise. But how big does the average teacup dog get? Let’s find out.

So, how big do teacup dogs get? Teacups dogs generally weigh under 5 lbs and are typically less than 17 inches in height. They are the smallest classification of dog size. Although, the teacup size is not recognized by all international kennel clubs, such as the AKC (American Kernal Club).

Let us now take a closer look at what makes a dog a teacup before turning to 12 different teacup breeds and the exact size you can expect them to grow to.

What Makes A Dog A Teacup?

A teacup dog is one that has been bred to purposefully be as small as possible. For this reason, most teacup dogs will weigh under 5 pounds. It comes as no surprise that they also go by other names – pocket-sized or micro dogs.

There are no specific ‘teacup dog breeds.’ Instead, the term ‘teacup’ is applied to any dog who is bred to be purposefully much smaller than the average.

As such, you can typically find teacup versions of many existing small dog breeds.

The most common ones include:

• Teacup Poodles,
• Teacup Pugs,
• Teacup Yorkies,
• Teacup Maltese,
• Teacup Pomeranians,
• Teacup Shih Tzus.

Although there are several more.

Let us now look at the individual sizes of each teacup breed.

How Big Do Teacup Australian Shepherds Get

Teacup Australian Shepherds typically weigh between 7-18 pounds and stand at between 10-13 inches in height. Males are generally larger than females on average.

How Big Do Teacup Beagles Get

Teacup Beagles typically weigh between 15-18 pounds and stand at between 10-13 inches in height.

How Big Do Teacup Chihuahuas Get

Teacup Chihuahuas typically weigh between 3-5 pounds and stand at between 5-6 inches in height. Teacup Chihuahuas are considered the smallest of all teacup breeds.

How Big Do Teacup Dachshunds Get?

Teacup Dachshunds typically weigh between 6-8 pounds and stand at between 10-13 inches in height. Teacup Chihuahuas are considered the smallest of all teacup breeds.

How Big Do Teacup French Bulldogs Get?

Teacup French Bulldogs typically weigh between 15-18 pounds and stand at between 11-13 inches in height.  

How Big Do Teacup Maltese Get?  

Teacup Maltese typically weigh between 4-5 pounds and stand at between 6-8 inches in height. They are one of the smallest teacup dog breeds.

How Big Do Teacup Maltipoos Get?  

Teacup Maltipoos typically weigh between 4-6 pounds and stand at between 8-10 inches in height.

How Big Do Teacup Morkies Get?  

Teacup Morkies typically weigh between 4-7 pounds and stand at between 6-8 inches in height.

How Big Do Teacup Pomeranians Get?

Teacup Pomeranians typically weigh between 3-5 pounds and stand at between 6-10 inches in height.  

Read our full Teacup Pomeranian size guide to learn more.

How Big Do Teacup Poodles Get? 

Teacup Poodles typically weigh between 4-6 pounds and stand at between 9-15 inches in height.

Read our full Teacup Poodle size guide to learn more.

How Big Do Teacup Pugs Get?

Teacup Pugs typically weigh between 3-8 pounds and stand at between 7-10 inches in height.

How Big Do Teacup Shih Tzus Get?

Teacup Shih Tzus typically weigh between 5-7 pounds and stand at between 6-9 inches in height.

How Big Do Teacup Yorkies Get?

Teacup Yorkies typically weigh between 4-5 pounds and stand at between 5-7 inches in height.

How Are Teacup Dogs Bred?

Teacup dogs are bred from two of the smallest dogs of previous litters. Sometimes, the dogs selected to breed the teacup puppies are small due to birth defects or other medical conditions.

Other strategies used by breeders to produce teacup dogs include purposefully stunting the growth of puppies in the litter – through malnourishment.

As such, there is a lot of controversy surrounding the ethics of teacup dogs and how they are bred.

At the same time, there are serious consequences and repercussions for the health of teacup dogs who have been bred unethically.

Then there are other breeders who will market their dogs as a teacup, even though they are regular-sized.

Therefore, if you are considering getting a teacup dog it is essential that you conduct thorough research into the breeder and exercise appropriate due diligence.

While this should be the case with any dog, it is particularly important with teacup breeds.

It’s also more challenging as you cannot go through organizations such as the AKC (American Kennel Club).

They will not be able to put you in contact with reputable breeders, as is the case for other ‘normal-sized’ breeds.

The key when getting a teacup breed is to find an ethical, reputable breeder who has had a little of smaller than average puppies.

Those that have been born naturally, and without any scrupulous practices to do so.

They should be able to provide a health guarantee.

Do Teacup Dogs Stay Small?

Teacup dogs will stay small for the duration of their lives. They will of course grow somewhat from the time that they are young puppies, but they will never generally exceed 5-10 pounds in weight nor 17 inches in height.

Finally

There are several different breeds of dogs that can produce teacups.

And while teacup breeds can range in weight and height, even the largest ones are not big by a long stretch.

If you do want to own a teacup dog, then you are going to need to spend some time researching.

This is not the kind of dog to take on without much thought and consideration either.

Being so small, they certainly need a particular owner to thrive.

They also need to be looked after in a very mindful, careful way.

For instance, these dogs are very vulnerable at heights, and they are very fragile by nature.

At the same time, they must be fed little and often and never left alone for long periods of time.

Nevertheless, you can adopt a teacup dog and make it all work.

And if you do.

Well, you are in for an exceptionally cute dog!