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Breed guide · Dogs
She launches herself off the sofa like she's twice her size. I've put a step there.
Last updated 14 October 2026
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What they brought with them.
Tap a card to see what is going on.
At home
Barks at the door, and squares up to dogs ten times their size.
What's going onThey have the whole Yorkshire Terrier temperament in a body under 2 kg. Pick them up out of trouble, and keep hellos short.
At home
Too excited to eat, then quiet and shaky an hour later.
What's going onLow blood sugar is the first risk on a teacup Yorkie's health record. Feed them little and often, and contact your vet now if they are weak.
At home
A honking cough when they pull on the lead or get excited.
What's going onIf they honk like a goose when they pull or get excited, their windpipe may be weak. Walk them on a harness, never a collar.
At home
Launches off the sofa like a dog twice their size.
What's going onFor a dog this size, a jump off the sofa can break a leg. Put a step by the sofa, teach them to wait to be lifted, and carry them close to your chest.
At home
A puppy who stays tiny, goes off food, or seems dull and wobbly.
What's going onSome teacups are born with a liver shunt, where blood goes around the liver instead of through it. A puppy who grows slowly, vomits or seems dull and wobbly needs your vet, so do not wait to see if it passes.
At home
Baby teeth that stay put, and food caught between crowded teeth.
What's going onA tiny jaw holds a full set of teeth, and they crowd and trap food. Brushing at home every day is the part you control, so start while they are young.
The bit nobody tells you.
Their nerve
Built for: A ratter's.
In Dubai: Still wants to bark, chase and take on the world.
Their body
Built for: Tight spaces in the mills and mines.
In Dubai: A body smaller than a Yorkie is built for.
Their day
Built for: Chasing rats, and keeping going.
In Dubai: Meals at set times, a harness and protection from falls.
A slip costs them more, because their body cannot take a knock.
You cannot make them bigger. You can plan their day around the body they have, and the ten things below are how.
Your plan is built around a teacup Yorkie's health record: the risks that come with their size at every age, and the care that goes with each one.
Join the founding families. AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199.
Ten things that make their life better.
They have the terrier's urge to dig and search, and a small, safe place for it saves the cushions.
Every age
Why
They have the terrier's urge to dig and search, and a small, safe place for it saves the cushions.
What to do
Hide part of a meal in a snuffle mat or a box of towels on the floor, and let them dig it out. It doubles as one of their small meals.
They will go after a cat, and a cat can badly hurt a dog this size.
Every age
Why
They will go after a cat, and a cat can badly hurt a dog this size.
What to do
Keep them on a lead and harness outside, and pick them up when a cat or a loose dog comes close. Practise recall indoors.
The chase and the shake have to go somewhere, and their bones need it gentle.
Every age, most of all 2 to 7 years
Why
The chase and the shake have to go somewhere, and their bones need it gentle.
What to do
Drag a small, soft toy along a rug and let them pounce and shake it. A few minutes, then stop. No chasing on marble.
Barking came with the terrier, and it is not something their size switches off.
Every age, most of all under 2 years
Why
Barking came with the terrier, and it is not something their size switches off.
What to do
Let them bark twice, say "thank you" calmly, call them to you and reward them from their daily food. Do not shout back.
Their routine matters more than most dogs', and a kind stranger can undo it without knowing.
Every age, most of all under 2 years
Why
Their routine matters more than most dogs', and a kind stranger can undo it without knowing.
What to do
Tell the walker, the nanny and the family their meal times, no extra treats, lift them down rather than letting them jump, and pick them up away from big dogs.
They learn fast, and training from their daily food keeps them fed little and often.
Every age, most of all under 4 years
Why
They learn fast, and training from their daily food keeps them fed little and often.
What to do
A minute or two at a time, several times a day, paid with part of their daily food. Teach a cue word for being lifted, and reward them for sitting and waiting. Their plan includes a feeding schedule, little and often, as a juvenile and young adult.
A collar presses on their windpipe, and they walk close to hot pavement.
Every age, most of all from 6 months
Why
A collar presses on their windpipe, and they walk close to hot pavement.
What to do
Clip the lead to a harness. From May to September, walk before sunrise and after dark, and keep it short. If you cannot keep the back of your hand on the pavement for five seconds, carry them.
Crowded teeth are on their health record at every stage.
Every age
Why
Crowded teeth are on their health record at every stage.
What to do
Brush once a day with a finger brush or the smallest soft brush, and dog toothpaste. Build up from a few seconds. Their plan includes a professional dental clean every six months as a juvenile and young adult.
Fragile bones and a slipping kneecap are on their health record.
Every age, most of all under 7 years
Why
Fragile bones and a slipping kneecap are on their health record.
What to do
Put steps up to the sofa and bed, and lift them down. Lay rugs on marble. Have children sit on the floor to hold them, and carry them on the stairs with nothing else in your hands. Their plan includes an orthopaedic evaluation (a joint and bone exam) as a young adult.
A missed meal, a slow-growing puppy or a change in weight can be the first sign of trouble.
Every age, most of all under 4 years
Why
A missed meal, a slow-growing puppy or a change in weight can be the first sign of trouble.
What to do
Weigh them on kitchen scales once a week while they are growing, then monthly. Notice when they go off a meal, and part their coat to look at their skin. Their plan includes liver function testing (a liver blood test) as a juvenile and young adult.
Four of these are in your plan. The rest you can do at home.
Join the founding families. AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199.
Their health, at every age.
How old are they?
Their age
the first six months
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
6 months to 2 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
2 to 4 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
4 to 7 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
7 to 10 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
10 years and over
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Breed predispositions indicate an increased risk rather than certainty of disease. What is right for them always comes from their own history and an evaluation.
Before they come home.
Teacup, micro or mini
A teacup Yorkie is a Yorkshire Terrier bred smaller again, usually under 2 kg. Teacup is a selling word, not a size, and no major kennel club recognises it. Underneath is the whole Yorkie: the bark, the nerve and the long, silky coat.
Colours
Like every Yorkie, a teacup Yorkie is born black and tan. As they grow, the black slowly clears to a dark steel blue against the tan, so the puppy you meet is not yet the colour of the dog they will become.
The first six months
Vaccinations, microchip and Dubai Municipality registration come first. Feed small meals at set times, because a puppy too excited to eat can run low on blood sugar. A puppy who grows slowly, vomits or seems dull needs your vet early.
Puppy health, 0 to 6 months
Getting the flat ready
Buy a harness, not a collar, put steps up to the sofa and bed, and rugs where they will run on marble. A snuffle mat or a box of old towels gives the terrier somewhere safe to dig.
Ten things that make their life better
Before you commit
Teacup puppies are bred by pairing the smallest dogs, and their size is where the health risks come from. We will be straight with you: being this small is hard on a Yorkie's body. If you are still choosing, look for a Yorkie bred to the standard, whose mother and father have had their knees checked.
Before the clinics open
AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199. No payment now.
For a new puppy: First 30 days with a new puppy · Puppy vaccinations in the UAE · Heatstroke in dogs
When it is not behaviour.
With luck, they'll learn to wait at the edge for a lift. If they won't put weight on a leg, call your vet straight away.
Before they were yours.
The 1800s
Yorkshire Terriers started as ratters in the textile mills and mines of Yorkshire and Lancashire, small enough to get into tight spaces.
What they still carryThe nerve, the bark and the shake.
1886
The Kennel Club recognised the Yorkshire Terrier in 1886. The American standard caps them at seven pounds, about 3.2 kg, with no lower limit.
What they still carryThe Yorkie the teacup was bred down from.
Late 20th century
Breeders began selling Yorkies bred smaller than usual as teacups. No major kennel club recognises the teacup as a breed or a size.
What they still carryA body that pays for its size: low blood sugar, a liver shunt in some, crowded teeth, a weak windpipe and fragile bones.
Today
In the UAE, teacup Yorkies mostly live in flats, often carried through the lobby, still ready to take on anything that moves.
What they still carryA bold, loud little terrier in a body that needs protecting from falls, missed meals and a collar.
The ones you type at midnight.
If the Teacup Yorkie suits you, so might these.
Yorkshire TerrierThe same kind of dog: the Yorkshire Terrier at its usual size, just as bold, with fewer of the risks of being extra small.
Miniature PinscherAnother tiny, fearless dog of the terrier kind, with a smooth short coat that needs almost no grooming.
Toy PoodleThe same bright, affectionate temperament, in a curly coat that barely sheds.
Teacup PoodleA similar very small size and the same need for gentle handling and regular meals, in curls instead of silk.
