The Size Problem - Why We Don’t Breed Micros

I should qualify that statement - we don’t INTENTIONALLY breed micros or “teacups.”  The Pomsky is still in its infancy as a breed, and with Pomeranians typically ranging from 4-6 lbs, occasionally the wee pups pop up in a litter, and we are lucky to have great families for them.  That being said, I have a beef with breeders intentionally aiming and focusing on breeding this size of dog, not just in the pomsky, but in general.  As a matter purely of personal taste, I’ve never understood the draw - one of my puppy-people once put it very eloquently “I don’t want a dog that feels like a roasted chicken carcass when I pick it up!”  Pups in that size inevitably seem to have rounded bug-eyes and look like they were recently beamed down from the mother ship to me.  But that’s not my actual beef, and I understand people are entitled to their personal perspectives.  My beef is that when we tamper with nature to the extreme, when the apple falls TOO FAR from the ancestral tree, we inevitably create problems.  Big ones.

We should take heed.  We are supposed to be stewards of these creatures, and that means they should be able to exist in a natural way and live a naturally healthy life.  Their life should not require constant artificial propping up with medications, surgeries, special diets, physical therapies, etc.  It’s one thing when it’s necessitated despite our best efforts.  It’s quite another to actually create the conditions that inherently force artificial intervention.  So here is my pitch for why breeders shouldn’t deliberately breed for “micro” size, and why prospective puppy buyers should reconsider that little purse dog.

HEALTH PROBLEMS.  Lots of them.  Body parts can only be shrunk so much before those said parts do not function properly, at all, or even vanish altogether.  I’ll just run off a quick list of common (some shockingly so!) list of problems:

1. Teeth - missing teeth, impacted teeth, double teeth.  “So what?”  One asks.

“If they’re that small they probably don’t need those missing teeth, or will use the extra teeth to better chew their bones….”  Well… it’s not quite as simple as that.  Nature gives animals the teeth they have for a reason.  Missing teeth can cause a fragile jaw and/or malformations.  So can impacted teeth.  Deciduous teeth can cause adult teeth to become impacted, or rot, or any number of dental issues.  As breeders and dog owners, who are we to decide they are unnecessary just because we like the idea of a tiny pup riding in our backpack or golf cart?

2. Tear Ducts - underactive or missing completely.  I don’t think that’s a particularly comfortable way to live as a dog.  As a fellow mammalian who suffers from seasonal allergies, I can tell you, having constant runny eyes is maddeningly uncomfortable.  Another condition brought on by micro breeding -  you will notice that teacups often have extreme tear staining.  Know why?  Because of all the tears that have underactive or no ducts to flow into!

3. Patellas - a fancy word for the knees on dogs.  Luxating patellas are no small matter and are essentially the knee slipping out of the socket when the dog is in motion.  It can be excruciatingly painful and inhibits a dog’s natural movement.  At the very least breeders should be testing patellas on their micro breeding stock because this condition is debilitating and often requires a costly surgery with a long recovery (6-8 weeks of immobility!).  And after all that, surgery often doesn’t fix the problem forever.

4. Open Fontanel - creates a mess with the skull, when skull plates don’t fully fuse after the tiny puppy is born.  The soft spot sometimes doesn’t fully close.  I don’t think I need to expound upon the concern with that one!

5. C Sections - Because of their tiny size, many, if not most micro or teacup size females do not have a big enough birth canal to give birth naturally.  Puppies get stuck.  Many are stillborn.  There is a very high maternal and neonatal mortality rate in micro dogs.  Is there any more blatant way of Mother Nature rejecting the fixation with tiny size?

There’s also the overall delicate nature of the dog to consider.  Limbs are tiny, easily broken even by a playful child’s misstep, a bigger dog, or a door closing too fast.  Tiny legs are much harder to repair in surgery and much more likely to just shatter during procedures.  Dogs both large and small are incredible athletes by nature - they need to move to be happy, and if we have to limit that so the animal isn’t seriously injured or even killed, is that good stewardship?

I often come across well-intentioned folks who desperately want that pocket puppy say something to the extent of “Well it’s our fur baby so they’ll want for nothing, we will get pet insurance, pay for all the medications and surgeries…” here’s the thing.  It’s still NOT good to bring tiny fragile creatures into the world that have to be artificially propped up to have any sort of quality of life.  So please don’t subsidize it.  A well-bred smaller dog is just as cute, without being as prone to these extremes.  I urge people to consider putting vanity and frivolous personal preferences aside for the sake of the health and well-being of the animal.  They are entitled to be brought into the world capable of leading a natural holistic life.

We ought to step back and ask if these ever-more-common issues indicate that perhaps we are moving micro/teacup breeds in the wrong direction.  I sure do think so!  When will we learn that whenever we manipulate nature in an extreme way, particularly in a monoculture way, where we focus on one or two traits obsessively, massive problems ensue?  And then we, all of us, breeders and owners, become a problem for these little animals when we ought to be their good stewards.    

This is my opinion, and I recognize that’s all it is.  I am aware some people will disagree and do what they want.  I know there will be outrage and triggering because of this opinion, but I stand by it.  If a puppy is quite likely to make its way into the world via a high-risk c-section, and without a full-formed skull, teeth to chew with, good joints so he can frolic freely, and is highly prone to accidents…well that’s not much of a life for him.

And now, in conclusion, I must provide a disclaimer because some belligerent-minded folks can’t wrap their brains around two things being true at once.  ALL breeds of dogs, even those who are generally healthy, are susceptible to their issues, and any breed can have the above issues here and there.  No dog is perfect, and despite people’s best efforts, problems are often unavoidable.  Mother Nature always has the final say, and I respect that. The point is that the above health problems are much more prevalent and inherent in teacup and micro dogs.  The fact is that micros and teacups in no way make any breed healthier.  That is undeniable.

Note: I am deliberately not stating a specific weight range in the definition of micro/teacup because dogs can really vary in their bone density, height, etc.  Weight alone does not determine size, build, or bone density of a dog.

As a personal anecdote, below are photos and a medical summary of a dog we once had that was missing TWELVE adult teeth due to her micro size.  A deep dive into research on micro dogs and thorough consultation with a dental specialist ensued, and as you can see, was quite an eye-opener for us!