Teacup Pomeranian Breed: Size, Price, Health & More

Teacup Pomeranians might be small and fluffy, but they have personalities larger than life.

They act as if they are large dogs trapped in small dogs’ bodies!

Despite their loud and boisterous personality, Teacup Pomeranians make fantastic lap dogs. Do not be surprised if your dog expects to cuddle with you every time you sit on the couch.

Before adding this fiery dog to your family, make sure you do your research.

Teacup Poms can come with big personalities, large price tags and many health issues.

In this article we share their price, size, personality, health and much more.

Teacup Pomeranian Dog Breed

If you are looking for a pocket-sized dog, the Teacup Pomeranian may be perfect for you. As adults, they can weigh as little as three pounds and will only be six to ten inches tall.

Despite being a teacup dog breed, this mighty dog has a big personality. If you can believe it, the standard Pomeranian was originally bred to be a sled dog in the Arctic.

Today, both Standard and Teacup varieties are best suited for companionship as lap dogs.

Like most small dogs, they are people pleasers and quick learners.

You will have a pretty easy time training basic commands. But you will need to make sure you get a good start on potty training. These puppies need to be let out frequently due to having very small bladders.

Many owners do not discover this until potty accidents become an issue.

Also it is important for potential owners to know that this breed is prone to a long list of health conditions:

• Periodontal disease
• Dislocated kneecaps
• Hypoglycemia
• Blindness
• Tracheal collapse
• Seizures
• Heart disease

Their health should not be taken lightly.

These health issues are mainly due to the way Teacup dogs are bred.

Typically they are bred from a litter of Standard Poms, where the smallest puppy is selected. The same is done from another unrelated litter. Both of these runts are selectively bred to produce a litter of mini Pomeranians.

This produces puppies that are even smaller, and over many generations this will breed a tea cup pomeranian.

History

The Pomeranian’s ancestor is the Spitz. Spitz-type dog breeds are known for their ability to pull sleds, but this might come as a shock when you look at a Pomeranian!

Pomeranians were originally bred hundreds of years ago in the Artic to be sled pullers. However, they weighed a considerable amount more than they do today.

The first Pomeranians likely weighed 30 to 40-pounds.

Through selective breeding practices, we now have the teacup variety weighing around three to six pounds.

It is unlikely that any Teacup dog could now pull a sled. They were bred to be a toy breed and are best suited for companionship.

Soon after their use as a sled dog, they became a common pet for Royalty to own.

Many people loved Teacup Pomeranians because of their small size and fierce personality.

In fact, several historic royal figures have owned Pomeranians including: Queen Victoria, Marie Antoinette, and Josephine Beauharnais.

Queen Victoria is often credited for making this breed famous. She showed her standard-sized Pomeranian at the 1891 Crufts dog show and took home best in show.

Names

Teacup Pomeranian is just one of the many names this popular breed goes by.

They are also widely known as:

• Micro
• Mini
• Pocket
• Miniature
• Toy

It is also not unheard of to shorten the breed name from Pomeranian to Pom.

Pomeranian or Pom is preceded by an adjective that means “small” or “teacup”. All of these names ultimately mean the same thing. They are smaller in comparison to a regular or standard sized Pom.

A standard typically weighs around seven pounds as an adult. Alternatively, a Teacup should weigh less than that and can weigh as few as three pounds when fully grown.

They are intentionally bred from standard Pomeranians that are runts. Their parents, the runts, have a genetic predisposition to being smaller than normal.

Appearance

Teacup Pomeranians are known for their fluffy and wolflike appearance.

Most have dark brown eyes.

There are many different coat colors for Pomeranians.

The Kennel Club groups them into one of three different color classes:

1. ROCS (red, orange, cream, sable)
2. BBB (black, brown, blue)
3. AOAC (any other allowable color)

The AOAC color class includes Pomeranians that are white, merle, brindle, beaver or parti colored. The most common coat colorations are orange and cream.

Pomeranians have a double coat that is medium length and straight.

Because of their double coat they require a moderate level of grooming. This grooming is similar in intensity to a Golden Retriever’s.

It is a good idea to get into a daily brushing routine with your Teacup Pomeranian. This will help prevent matting and maintain the coat’s natural cooling mechanism.

Most owners choose to get their pups professionally groomed every six to eight weeks. This allows them to keep a short and healthy coat that is easy to brush.

Dental care is another priority.

They are prone to plaque and tartar buildup, which can progress to periodontal disease. This is true for many small dog breeds as they have too many teeth in their small mouths.

Daily toothbrushing and dental treats will be needed. Not only will your pup have great oral health, you won’t have to deal with stinky dog breath.

How Big Do Teacup Pomeranians Get?

Full grown teacup pomeranians will weigh less than seven pounds. Some adults weigh only three pounds! Typically, they stop growing by twelve months of age.

In terms of height, they will fall somewhere between six to ten inches tall. They have a very petite body and short legs.

These Pomeranians are classified as a teacup breed.

A toy breed is classified as weighing less than 15 pounds. A teacup breed is a dog that weighs between two and five pounds. The Teacup Pom falls into the teacup classification.

At eight weeks of age most Teacup Poms weigh 11 to 30 ounces. They will steadily gain at least two ounces every week until they peak at around four to five pounds.

Do They Stay Small?

Teacup Pomeranians are bred from standard Pomeranians that are considered runts.

This means that the parents of Teacups are below average in height and weight. This selective breeding practice is how Teacup Pomeranians are bred.

A standard Pomeranian can weigh between five to seven pounds, but a Teacup Pomeranian will weigh about three to five pounds.

Typically, they are fully grown by one year of age and stay much smaller than standards.

A standard female will be less than 10 inches tall, while a standard male will stand about 10 inches tall.

Teacup Poms can stand anywhere between 6 and 10 inches tall. This depends on the height of their parents.

The way they are bred allows for a lot of fluctuation and variation in size.

Many owners have a hard time building up fat mass on their Poms. This can make them prone to hypoglycemia.

It is very important to make sure they are on a properly formulated diet that is specifically for toy dog breeds. Some owners may even split up their pup’s food into five small meals spaced throughout the day to prevent low blood sugar levels.

Your Teacup Pomeranian should be fed a puppy-formulated dry kibble until they reach 12 months of age.

Healthy snacks such as baby carrots and green beans can be fed in moderation.

Health

Teacup Pomeranians are genetically predisposed to many health issues.

A breeder is purposely selecting the smallest dogs in the litter, and there are chances that this breeding technique will also cause certain health conditions.

Some of the most common health conditions include:

• Blindness
• Tracheal Collapse
• Respiratory Difficulty
• Seizures
• Heart Conditions
• Periodontal Disease
• Gastrointestinal Disease
• Liver Shunts
• Arthritis
• Dislocating Kneecaps
• Skin Disease

It is important that you know about these conditions prior to adopting a Teacup Pomeranian puppy.

If you are expecting and aware of these health issues, you will be better prepared to address them as soon as they show up.

The lifespan of a Teacup Pom can be up to 15 years with appropriate veterinary care.

For your dog’s well-being, it will be important to establish a good relationship with a vet. A good vet will be aware of this breed’s health conditions and will be able to detect early signs of illness or disease.

Like most other teacup and toy breeds, they are also prone to retaining their baby teeth.

Many vets will remove remaining baby teeth at the time of spaying or neutering a puppy. This allows for sterilization and tooth extraction to happen during one anesthetic.

According to VCA Hospitals, it is important that baby teeth get removed because they can cause crowding and malocclusion in the future.

A dog’s teeth are naturally designed to have an efficient self-cleaning mechanism.

If the teeth do not have perfect positioning, then this cleaning mechanism no longer works and your dog will then be at risk of developing periodontal disease.

Training

In some ways, the teacup Pomeranian is very easy to train.

They are smart little dogs that love to get praise from their owners by listening and doing cute tricks. They quickly pick up on simple commands.

The exceptions to this rule are potty-training and barking.

Potty-training can be very difficult with small dogs, given that they have such small bladders. It gets hard for them to learn when they have to go out so often.

Pomeranians are also big barkers.

Barking is an easy habit for them to get into and a hard one to break. A lot of people struggle with trying to get their Poms to stop barking.

Negative reinforcement rarely works when training any dog. This is why things like treats or praise are very important when it comes to training them. The more they get rewarded, the more they will copy good behavior.

Doing things like yelling will only make their barking worse.

Price

Teacup Pomeranians are not recognized by any major kennel club as they are a smaller version of the Pomeranian. However, this does not reduce their price.

On average a Teacup Pomeranian costs about $1,500.

Teacup Pomeranian prices can range quite a bit. Adoption fees can range anywhere from $500 to $6,000.

The amount your puppy costs will depend on the lineage and quality of the parents. Color and health are two additional factors that will increase or reduce price.

Poms that are white, solid black, or lavender are the most expensive. Solid brown and red Pomeranians are less expensive because these two colors are more common.

It is important that you do your research prior to adoption.

Double check that the breeder is responsible and promotes nothing but the best welfare and wellness for their dogs.

Typically, you will want to find a Pomeranian breeder that just happens to have a runt in their litter. Avoid breeders who advertise litters of Teacup Pomeranians.

It is also important to keep in mind that the adoption fee is only the first cost.

Teacup Pomeranians will need lifelong veterinary care in order to live a long and healthy life. It is well known that they are prone to many health issues.

The American Kennel Club estimates that you will spend over $15,000 on this breed during its life.

This cost includes veterinary care, food, treats, toys, grooming, boarding, and puppy training expenses.

Breeders

You will have the most luck finding a Teacup Pomeranian from a breeder.

This can be tricky, though, as the teacup size is not officially recognized by any kennel club. Also, some breeders are irresponsible and do not take the proper precautions to make sure their puppies are healthy and not inbred.

Therefore, it is important that you do your research when adopting from a breeder.

You want to make sure that your puppy is from a reputable breeder who understands the health risks associated with teacup dogs and does their best to mitigate them.

In many instances it is best to find a reputable standard Pomeranian breeder in the hope that by natural selection one of their puppies is small.

Another option is finding a Teacup Pomeranian in a rescue.

Pomeranian rescues can occasionally have the teacup-sized variety. However, Pomeranians of any size in shelters might be mixed with other dog breeds.

The benefit of adopting a dog is that you will already know their adult size.

Personality

Feisty. Loyal. Fiery. Playful. Friendly. Energetic. Loving. Spunky.

These are just a few of the many adjectives that describe this dog breed.

Teacup Pomeranians make great companions for adults and children and are wonderful lap dogs. They may be small, but they are certainly mighty!

They have personalities that are bigger than life.

Their high-energy personalities mean they love to play with dogs of all sizes. They can often be found trying to play with giant dog breeds.

As with most small breed dogs, they are prone to “small dog syndrome.”

Teacup Pomeranians think they are the boss and enjoy being in charge.

At times this behavior might be acceptable, but it is always a good idea to train your puppy. Jealousy and territorialism are two additional traits that owners need to be aware of.

With proper training and socialization, your dog will be able to understand that jealousy and territorialism are not encouraged behaviors.

Socialization should not only be with other dogs, but it should be with other humans.

Barking

Teacup Pomeranians are notorious for barking and yapping at loud noises in order to alert you to a threat. Their personality traits mean they want to act like guard dogs and watch dogs.

They will bark at strange noises in order to get your attention.

Also, they love to yap.

With correct training from puppyhood it is possible to teach them when and when not to bark or voice their opinion. However, this is hard work.

You will have to be prepared to train them not to bark at every sound they hear. If you live in an apartment, you will want to get on top of bark training right away!

Are They Good Pets?

Teacup Pomeranians are incredible dogs and make fantastic lap dogs.

Despite their large personality, Teacup Pomeranians have small bodies. This makes them fragile and sensitive to rough handling.

Children should be taught that Pomeranians of any size should be played with gently and not dropped from tall heights. Despite enjoying rough housing when playing with other dogs, it is important to make sure children do not rough house this breed.

They are little balls of energy and may seem like the Energizer bunny at times. It is always a good idea to keep them physically and mentally stimulated.

At the minimum, they need 20 minutes of daily exercise. This can be in any form ranging from a walk around your neighborhood to supervised play at a dog park.

Pros and Cons

Teacup Pomeranians were bred for companionship as lap dogs.

People loved the foxlike face of the Pomeranian, as well as the fluffy body and curled tail. However, a lot of people wanted them as pets but didn’t want a big dog.

Breeders started selectively breeding the smallest Poms they could find, until they produced a smaller breed.

The Teacup Pomeranian was a very popular breed among royalty. In the 1800s, Queen Victoria re-popularized the breed by showing her own small Pomeranian.

Since then people have loved this adorable, smaller version of the Pomeranian.

Puppy Care

A litter of Teacup Pomeranians can range from one to five puppies.

They will need to be nursed by their mom until eight weeks of age before being available for adoption. At this age they will be between 11 and 30 ounces.

After you bring home your puppy, your first two priorities need to be veterinary care and training:

• For veterinary care, your pup will need to go through a series of booster shots and de-wormers. Most puppy vaccine boosters are completed by 16 weeks of age. After this your dog will receive its first rabies vaccination.
• For training, you will want to make sure your dog starts potty training and socialization.

Small dogs are notoriously difficult to potty train.

They have very tiny bladders and will need to be let out frequently. Potty pads are an option for the early potty training process, but they can be a hard habit to break for some dogs.

Besides housebreaking, you will need to work on socialization and bark control.

Teacup Pomeranians are easy to train because they are quick learners and love to please their owners. Basic obedience and dog tricks come very easily.

Summary

Teacup Pomeranians are bred from Standard Poms that are smaller than average. These runts are selectively bred to produce a litter of teacup-sized Pomeranians that can weigh just three pounds.

This breed is known for being lively, fiery, and energetic.

They may be small, but they are certainly mighty. They are best suited for companionship as lap dogs.

Teacup varieties have a lot of positive attributes and a handful of negative attributes.

The two biggest downfalls to this breed are their health problems and barking.

Training can help prevent and reduce unwanted yapping, but some health problems are hard to prevent. If you want your dog to live a healthy and long life, it will be important to establish a good relationship with your vet.

Overall, the Teacup Pomeranian has a lot of love, affection, and loyalty to offer its owner.

Do you think this dog is your cup of tea? Let us know.