Teacup Maltese: What the Word Really Means

"Teacup Maltese" is one of the most searched phrases in the breed, and one of the most misunderstood. There is no teacup breed and no teacup size in the AKC standard. The Maltese is already a toy breed, and the word simply describes a very small one.

How Small Is a Maltese Meant to Be?

The AKC breed standard asks for a Maltese under seven pounds, with four to six pounds preferred. Most Maltese fall in or near that range. A dog described as teacup is usually one expected to finish toward the bottom of it. How big a Maltese gets has the growth detail.

Can Anyone Promise How Small a Puppy Will Be?

No. A puppy's adult weight can be estimated from its weight, its parents and its littermates, but it remains an estimate, and a breeder who promises an exact adult weight is promising something nobody can know. Ask for an estimate, and expect to hear it called one.

What Very Small Puppies Need

• Regular small meals. Tiny puppies can drop their blood sugar if they go too long without food, so they eat little and often.
• Careful handling. A fall from a sofa or a pair of arms can hurt a very small dog. Young children need to sit on the floor to hold one.
• Warmth. With no undercoat and little body mass, a small Maltese feels the cold.
• A breeder who keeps them long enough. Twelve weeks with their mother and littermates gives the smallest puppies time to grow strong.

Our Teacup-Sized Puppies

At Divine Maltese a teacup-sized puppy is the smallest puppy of a normal litter from normal-sized, health-tested parents. It is not bred down for size, it costs the same as its littermates, and it goes home at twelve weeks like every other pet puppy.

Teacup Questions