Why were Teacup Pomeranians bred to be so small?

First, allow me to snark a bit. There are no "teacup" breeds. Teacup is a term that first arose in ads on the backs of cheap magazines in the 20s and 30s. The smallest breeds, shown in the Toy group, are generally 5-8 lb. read more

The smallest breeds, shown in the Toy group, are generally 5-8 lb. if you can get five pounds of dog into a teacup without hurting either the dog or the cup, let me know. Now back to your question. Yes, Pomeranians are members of the Toy group. read more

The Teacup Pomeranian’s ancestors were the Wolfspitz or Spitz type dogs from the Arctic region that were used as working sled dogs. The word “Pomeranian” in the dog breeds’ name is derived from the area of Pomerania where the dog breed was being bred as a pet. read more

Now back to your question. Yes, Pomeranians are members of the Toy group. They were originally small herding dogs, and then they got popular in England as companion dogs to people like Queen Victoria, who had an especially small Pom. This led to a fashion for tiny Poms. Even at 5-8 lbs, the Toy breeds are prone to structural and other health problems. read more