Which Teacup Pup Is the Smallest of Them All?

by Kristen Seymour (Subscribe to Kristen Seymour's posts): Jul 16th 2009 @ 3:00PM Filed Under: Dogs

Boo Boo the long haired chihuahua dog picture

Photo: Rebecca Grunwell, The Gisborne Herald

Current world record holder for smallest dog, Boo Boo, is facing some big, er, little competition. The tiny long-haired chihuahua who lives in Kentucky measures 10 centimeters tall (that's smaller than an iPhone!). But compared to some other petite pups, she may soon be considered a giant.

This year, a six-month-old Maltese named Scooter has been the talk of the small dog block. According to The New Zealand Herald, the pooch measures just slightly over three inches tall from his feet to the top of his shoulder blade, and according to his owner, he hasn't grown since he was two months old. The diminutive dog is so tiny that he can't be put on leash or taken for a walk. And climbing stairs? Not a chance. He eats from an egg cup and weighs less than a block of butter. If Scooter no longer grows, he could take away little Boo Boo's title, but he's not the only teacup pup with his eye on the prize.

The Daily Mail reports that Tom Thumb, a chihuahua-Jack Russell mix, was a third the size of his siblings when born in April, and his owners think he's unlikely to grow much beyond his current size, which is less than four inches from nose to tail (that's two inches smaller than current smallest dog -- in length -- Heaven Sent Brandy).

As L.A. Unleashed points out, the diminutive dogs are cute as can be, but breeding for itty-bittiness can create health problems. Problems with overgrown teeth and tiny, breakable bones are a couple of the issues, although it should be noted that, on average, small dogs outlive larger breeds.

How amazing would a picture of any of one of these tiny pups with the world's tallest dog be? Oh, wait -- here it is!