If you’ve been looking to get a teacup pug, you might be second-guessing yourself since there is a strong backlash when it comes to teacup pugs.
What makes them unique is their small size, and in case you’re wondering if they can fit in a teacup, they can.
But there is so much to a teacup pug more than their small size. In this article, we will discuss:
- A teacup pug’s general features
- A teacup pug’s life span
- The health and nutrition of a teacup pug
- The pros and cons of having a teacup pug
- Common health issues of a teacup pug
- How much does a teacup pug cost
- And much more!
Let’s dive in.
What are Teacup Pugs?
A teacup pug is a crossbreed of a teacup chihuahua and a pug. They’re commonly known as dwarfism or teacup.
1. Teacup Pugs History
A teacup pug is not a purebred, it’s a chihuahua and a pug cross. Some people also call them Pughuahuas or Chugs.
2. Teacup Pugs Vital Stats
Size : An adult pug is at least 2-5 pounds
Coat: They have a double-layered coats, and comes in different colors such as silver, white, brindle, black and fawn
Exercise: At least 30 minutes a day (they need to walk 6 miles a week)
Life span: 6-8 years
Breed group: Toy
3. Teacup Pug Appearance
Although a teacup is very tiny, it has a similar square frame like an ordinary pug.
Teacup pugs have big dark eyes, a big rounded head, and wrinkled blow.
An adult pug weighs a maximum of 5pounds (they’re classified in less weight than the dog’s toy group) and comfortably fits in a teacup.
Like normal pugs, teacup pugs have velvety ears, black face masks, short black muzzle, and tiny teeth.
4. Teacup Pug Skin & Coat
Although most pugs are black and fawn, you can also get a teacup pug of the following colors:
- Brindle
- White
- Silver
They have a double-layered coat, so be prepared to deal with a lot of shedding.
You’ll have to brush their coat regularly to maintain their sleek coat.
Teacups are still wrinkled and need to be cleaned frequently to prevent them from getting infections.
Teacup Pug Behavior and Personality
Every dog has a unique personality, but the following are common in most teacup pugs:
1. Teacup Pugs Temperament
Teacups are loyal, loving, playful, and have a very great attitude. They easily get along with cats, babies, and adults.
With that said, with teacup pugs, you have to show them that you’re in control.
Otherwise, they start developing a guarding behavior and start guarding toys, food, and other stuff in the house.
Luckily, this can be corrected through proper leadership. There is no need for hard punishment since teacup pugs are susceptible to their owner’s voice.
You only need to be calm, firm, and consistent in ensuring they follow your orders.
When it comes to training, although they’re intelligent, they get bored very easily, so try being creative.
2. Barking Issues
This is one of the cons of owning a teacup pug. Fortunately, you can train them to communicate without too much barking.
The best time to train a teacup pug to stop their excessive barking is when they’re still young.
What if your pug is barking too much and everyone is complaining about the noise? A no bark collar on amazon might help.
Before you train your teacup pug to stop barking, learn their language as they only bark to convey a message.
3. Adaptability
A teacup pug is very versatile, so whether you’re living in the countryside or town apartment, they’ll settle in just fine.
As long as you feed them, exercise them enough, and give them attention, you’ll have a happy pug.
Teacup Pug Health and Nutrition
Here is what you need to know about the health and nutrition of your teacup pug:
- Health
Since teacup pugs are bred from the runts in the litter, they are very delicate, and their immune system isn’t very strong.
They are prone to many health issues (more of this is discussed later in the article), but with constant health checkups and proper nutrition, they can stay healthy.
- Nutrition
For the most part, the health of your teacup pug is determined by the type of food you give them.
Therefore, you have to be careful in ensuring you feed them with a balanced diet.
Here are some tips:
1. Buy from a reputable brand
Many manufacturers are now making food specifically for puppies, with some manufacturing foods for specific puppy breeds.
Choose a food type that allows optimum growth and development of your teacup pug.
Be careful to choose the right variety, depending on the age of your teacup
2. Teacup pug cooked food.
If you decide to give your teacup homemade food, observe the right diet ratios. That is 30% starch, 30% vegetables, and 40% meat.
Here are healthy foods to include in your teacup pug’s diet:
- Carrots
- Sweet potatoes
- Brown rice
- Green beans or peas
- Parsley
On the other hand, avoid the following foods to prevent allergens:
- Seasonings butter or salt
- Raw potatoes, avocado, green tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic, onions
- Raisins, grapes, currants
- Wet or canned foods as they may have a high-calorie ratio
3. Teacup Meal Frequency
To ensure your teacup is healthy, having a feeding schedule for them is careful. This table will help you with that:
Age | Meal Frequency | Quantity |
1 – 3 months | 3-4 times a day | ¼ – ½ cup |
3 – 6 months | 3 times a day | ¼- 1/3 cup |
8 – 12 months | 3 times a day | 1/3 – ½ cup |
Over 12 months | 1 – 2 times a day | ½ cup |
What You Need to Know Before Choosing a Teacup Pug
Before you buy any pet, it’s important to evaluate the pros and cons to determine whether it’s the right pet for you.
Here are the pros and cons of getting a teacup pug:
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There are many reasons why people love teacup pugs; some of them include:
- They’re economical.
Teacup pugs don’t need a lot of food, so you’ll save a lot.
Although buying one is quite pricey, you’ll end up spending less than large dog owners in the long run.
- Everyone loves teacup pugs.
This means they’re great conversation starters. Once you go out with them, everyone will want to play with them.
- They are portable.
This is the best part of being a teacup pug owner.
They can literally fit in your pocket so you can travel with them anywhere in the world without any problems.
- They can live anywhere.
Teacup pugs can live in small apartments without any problems.
In fact, some landlords don’t allow large dogs into their apartments, but there is no time you’ll face this issue with your teacup pug.
- They don’t require too much exercise.
A few stairs are enough to make your teacup pug tired. Therefore, they’re very suitable for people who don’t have time to walk their dogs.[/su_box]
[su_box title=”Cons” box_color=”#bf000a” title_color=”#ffff” radius=”6″]
As much as teacups are adorable, they’re a few setbacks of owning one. They include:
- High vet costs due to their complex health conditions
- Teacup pugs have a short lifespan
- They’re not good with kids as they are fragile so kids can easily hurt them
- They’re very demanding as they might even require your help climbing the bed or couch because of their small size
- They shed heavily
- They will require heavy sweaters for walks during summer, and an AC during summers
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Teacup Pug Common Health Issues
Teacup pugs come with similar health risks of pugs since they’re brachycephalic.
Unfortunately, with their small size, they may be prone to other multiple ailments.
Here are the common ailments that a teacup pug is prone to:
1. Stress
Pugs are creatures of habit, and even small changes can stress them.
For instance, if they’re not used to being in the car, even a short trip can be stressful.
This is especially true for pugs because they’re somewhat fragile.
Also, teacup parents tend to carry them a lot, so when they have to be left at home, their separation anxiety can be very intense.
Some of the signs that your pug is stressed include:
- Trembling
- Excessive barking
- Excessive whimpering
To prevent your dog from stress, create a safe environment from them, and avoid carrying them around too much. This allows them to get used to their environment.
2. Heart Defects and Diseases
Unfortunately, due to their genetic predispositions, they’re prone to heart problems. 75% of pugs succumb to chronic vascular ailments.
Usually, it begins with a heart murmur and later progresses to heart failure with a weak valve.
Here are some signs that your teacup pug may be developing a heart problem:
- Coughing
- Excessive panting
- Rapid breathing
- Fainting
- Lethargy
- Loss of appetite
If your pug has any of the above signs, visit your vet immediately.
3. Liver Shunts
This is a birth condition where the liver’s vessels direct the blood around the liver instead of through it.
Some of the signs that your teacup has liver shunts include:
- Malnutrition
- Stunted growth
- Weakness
- Neurological abnormalities
A liver shunt can be treated through surgery. For teacup pugs that can’t undergo surgery, they require special care to survive.
The special care includes administering antibiotics, low protein diet, and medication to eliminate toxins in the blood.
4. Incontinence
Teacup pugs have small bladders meaning that they need frequent bathroom breaks. Stress and anxiety can also lead to incontinence.
Some of the signs that your dog is losing bladder control are:
- Excess licking
- Skin redness
- Bad smell
To solve this:
- Set use of a timer to honor your dog’s pee breaks
- If you’re out a lot, then use dog diapers
- Take advantage of their small size and house train them
Whatever you do, don’t limit your pug’s fluid intake without consulting your vet.
5. Hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain)
This involves the buildup of cerebrospinal in your teacup pug’s skull.
The fluid can be present at birth or it could develop later on in its life due to other factors like inflammation and trauma.
Clinical symptoms of the ailment include:
- Behavioral changes
- Altered gait
- Enlarged skull
- Seizure
- Blindness
- Slow to learn commands
The treatment is expensive as it requires inserting a shunt to suck the excessive fluid.
As a result, many teacup pug parents choose to use control medication to control brain inflammation and seizures.
Diuretics can also help pull the liquid from the pug’s brain. If all these options don’t work, then euthanasia may be the best option.
6. Bone Fractures
Teacup pugs have small bones and are prone to breaking their bones compared to large dogs.
They can easily break a bone from a small fall. It’s important to discourage your pug from jumping on elevated surfaces such as the bed or the couch.
Signs of bone fractures include:
- Whining
- Trembling
- Limping
7. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
This condition can lead to coma or seizures if not treated. The condition is very common among teacups and toy breeds.
To prevent your pug from developing hypoglycemia, feed them regularly as they have a problem eating their food on one sitting.
Symptoms of the ailment include:
- Trembling, twitching or trembling
- Seizures
- Sleeping more than usual
- Tilting head to one side
- Unconsciousness
- Disorientation
8. Patella Luxation (sliding kneecap)
This is one of the common orthopedic conditions that affect teacup dogs. The illness makes the dog’s knee slide when they’re walking.
This can affect your teacup pug’s ability to walk. A pug with the disease is also likely to suffer from arthritis.
When a pug is suffering from patella luxation, they’ll hold up their legs for a few minutes before the next step.
9. Pug Myelopathy (Weak Spine)
This is a neurological issue that affects a pug’s spine. It can cause their rear legs to become weak, causing them to stagger, have trouble jumping, and cause incontinence as well.
There isn’t much known about the disease, so the only possible treatment is surgery. If it’s not handled in a good time, it may lead to paralysis.
Under good nursing conditions, a teacup pug with the condition can live a happy long as the disease is pain-free.
10. Dental Issues
Teacup pugs have small mouths, which can easily lead to gum and dental problems.
For instance, their teeth might not fall off by themselves, so you might have to involve the vet to avoid overcrowding.
As a teacup pug parent, you’ll need to clean their teeth frequently and avoid giving them sweets.
Regular dental checkups can help eliminate issues before they grow to something serious.
Teacup Pugs Exercise & Training
Exercising and training are among the greatest challenges of owning a pet. Luckily, that won’t be an issue as a teacup pug.
Let’s expound on that.
1. Exercising
As much as your teacup pug may be small, they still require exercising to stay healthy.
Yet, for a teacup pug, if you don’t have time to walk them, a few rounds on your staircase are enough.
You can also play fetch with your pug in the house as they get tired very quickly.
That said, it’s essential to take them out outside once in a while to kill boredom.
Here are some tips to observe when exercising your teacup:
- If you decide to take them out for a walk, choose hours when the sun rays are bearable, mostly before 10 and after 5pm. You can walk them 30 minutes a day, as they only need a maximum of 6 miles a week to keep fit.
- Always keep an eye on your teacup for any signs of exhaustion, if you realize they’re struggling, carry them or allow them to rest.
- Keep them dehydrated throughout their walks
- Buy them a comfortable harness or collar to avoid straining them as they already have very
2. Training
Once you get your teacup pug, you’ll need to potty-train them as well as how to interact with other dogs and strangers.
Teacup pugs don’t require harsh training methods, but on the bright side, they’re sensitive to their owner’s voice.
You only need to come up with rules, be assertive, and enforce them consistently.
They also get bored very easily, so you’ll need to come up with different training techniques.
Luckily, the process won’t take long as a teacup is very brilliant and intelligent.
Teacup Pugs Grooming
One con of being a teacup pug parent is the amount of fur you’ll need to deal with.
However, this can be reduced by feeding them healthy foods and grooming them regularly.
Make a habit of brushing your teacup pug’s coat at least once a day. Be sure to buy a good brush to avoid hurting them.
If you decide to wash your teacup pug, be careful with their wrinkles and skin folds because if you don’t dry them properly, it could lead to infections.
You may also need to consult your vet on the best cleaning products to use for your teacup to avoid any allergies.
FAQs
1. How much does a teacup cost?
Teacup pugs are among the priciest dog breeds. This is why they’re mostly owned by the high-class families and celebrities.
A teacup pug price can be anywhere between $300-$2000 depending on where you buy one.
2. What’s a teacup pug’s lifespan?
Although a teacup pug is prone to multiple health problems, with proper care, they can live for 6-8 years.
3. Are teacup pugs great first family pets?
As adorable as they might be, we wouldn’t recommend them as a family pet for the following reasons:
- With their fragile nature, they require attention than larger dogs
- Teacup pugs are fragile and children may not know how to handle them, which could lead to bone breakage.
- They need a lot of money for health checkups, and they’re prone to illnesses that are very costly to treat
Instead, get a normal pug as they don’t have many health issues or complications when it comes to handling compared to teacup pugs.
Final Thoughts on Teacup Pugs
Despite their many health problems, teacup pugs are among the most adorable furry friends.
We hope that with time, scientists can find a way to breed teacup pugs without so many health risks.
We hope you loved our article on teacup pugs, visit our blog to learn more about pugs in depth.