"Teacup" sized Papillon?

Question

First of all, I know that 'teacup' is not a correct term.

My friend has been desperately searching for a small Papillon. She travels quite alot and is lonely and wanted a small dog to take into the plane cabins with her.
She fell in love with the Papillon and is convinced to have one, but it cannot get any taller than 9 inches.

I agreed to help her search for one.
She is really a sweet woman.

She found only ONE and with a HUGE price tag, and when I checked for her I only found one as well.

Does anyone have any idea how or where to find a permanently smaller papillon, and oh, it also has to be female.

She said she is willing to wait for it until middle may, when she leaves for France.

Any ideas????

thank you

Answer 1

Tell your friend to wait until she goes to France since the breed originated there. She can find some knowledgeable breeders who are familiar with the smaller 'teacup' size dogs.

The term 'teacup' is just a catch phrase given to the runts in order to make them more appealing to buyers. That is until everyone wanted the smallest pup and the breeders seen an opportunity to make lots of money. The small ones are not show worthy, they lack the breed standard and aren't worth much at all except as regular pets to love. I own Chihuahuas and I would NEVER pay over the normal price for any SIZE Chihuahua regardless- I would pay more for Show Quality or Breed Stock Quality only. Also 'teacup' pups can have health problems that standard size dogs do not and the females are not really breedable. So she needs to do some research.

I am not sure of the actual going price for breed standard Papillons but most AKC registered small breeds sell in FAIR price ranges of $500 - 1000 with rarer breeds asking more. Plus the prices will variate in France since the breed is common. If she is wanting it registered it will be internationally registered. She should ask the breeder about registering it in the U.S. with AKC and she should contact the AKC about their own policies on internationally registered breeds to add the AKC tag to their registration.
Plus she needs to know that other countries have strict laws about animals entering their borders. Her new baby may be quarantined for up to 6 months if proper measures and paperwork are not completed.
Has she taken this into consideration?

Anyway good luck to your friend I hope she finds the Papillon she wants without paying a fortune.

Answer 2

I hate to burst your bubble, but there are alot of what ifs for this scenario.

First: She is planning on jet-setting abroad often? Has she thought about the regulations in all the different countries about bringing her dog in? In Australia they make your quaratine your dog 1 month, I think they are on the more strict side, but she is likely to run into problems there. There are fees associated with getting an animal through customs as well.

Second: Any puppy you get is not ever going to be guaranteed to be the small size you are looking for. Why 9 inches? That is certainly not the cabin requirements, where is this number coming from?

Third: Dogs that are bred to be "teacup" almost always have lots of health problems. It's like us trying to have underweight babies all the time. They get sick, thier bone structure is all wrong causing problems, liver shunt, etc. Larger dogs of the smaller breeds tend to be much healthier. You say there was a huge pricetag on the cost of the dog, but imagine the HUGE pricetag of all the treatments and surgeries and special food this dog will need. If she can't afford the dog, it might be a signal she can't afford the care for it either.

Fourth: Your friend travels alot, let's say its domestically so the first concern listed here is not an issue, what is she going to do with the dog at the hotel? Many hotels don't allow dogs at all, some do but you can't just leave them in the room. What happens when she wants to go to the beach and they don't allow dogs there, or out to eat, etc? Also most hotels that do add dogs will charge for it, an expense that needs to be planned for.

I'm not saying its impossible to do and do right, but there is certainly alot to consider, and it's the life and happiness of a little sentient being that we are talking about, so please be careful.

Answer 3

I am afraid you won't find a Papillon with a small price tag. Unless you get really lucky. Try looking for a long haired miniature Chihuahua. I am not sure if miniature is the right term either. But they look very similar to Papillons. Good luck!

Answer 4

We have been breeding for years, and trust me, very few animals that small are healthy. We have a tiny pap female, she's 3lbs and 6inches tall, and she's so fragile that she broke her leg falling of the second stair. Travel is *very* hard on a dog, and she needs something more sturdy than a light-boned pap. We just did a custom cross for a family friend, Papillon with a Maltese, and they came out great. Their bones are very firm, but two of three ended up with the pap coloring and maltese hair. Take a look at our site, it should tell about small dogs and the dangers of having them: http://tinytoykennels.com

Answer 5

why not a regular one? they're like 5lbs and are only 9 or 10 inches tall anyway

also the teacup ones are more likely to have health problems so if your friend can't afford one with "a big price tag" what is she gonna do about the bills since teacups tend to have

teeth
bone
heart
and organ problems

Answer 6

I just don't see how an extra inch is going to matter on such a tiny breed! If the dog will fit into a soft-sided carrier bag, what's the difference?

If height is such a big concern, perhaps she should consider rescue -- height is much easier to guarantee on an adult dog, and they don't have the "huge price tag".

She could start here:
http://www.papillonclub.org/rescue/
http://www.paphaven.org/

Answer 7

Any dog you find that is much smaller than the breed standards, or teacup, or whatever, is not a healthy dog. They are breeding runts with runts to keep them stunted. It's cruel and I highly encourage you and your friend to not keep these so-called breeders in business.