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Teacup Pitbulls – All About Pocket & Miniature Pitbulls

A pet lover passionate about educating readers about animal health and care. Love reading studies and recent research.
Published on
Wednesday 15 July 2020
Last updated on
Tuesday 9 May 2023
teacup pitbulls
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Could you sketch the image of a Teacup Pitbull in your mind or have you never heard about them before? Well, owning a mini Pit bull, as many call these tiny pups, has become extremely popular these days. If you’re one of many who still don’t know what makes them special or you just want to know more about them, then this article is for you.

We are going to give you a very detailed explanation of the origin of Miniature Pitbulls (moving away from the true purpose of original pitbulls). From their most outstanding features, what sort of behavior they show, as well as health problems they can deal with.

Teacup Pitbull Appearance

These pups are known as Teacup, Pocket, or Miniature Pitbulls. However, if you think this means that they are tiny enough to carry them on your palm, you’re wrong. Since they can measure from 12 to 16 inches (30-40 cm). Micro Pitbulls inherit their smaller frame and size from their Patterdale parent.

Size

When we talk about male Teacup Pitbulls, their height varies between 43-51 cm on all fours. While the height of female toy Pitbulls varies between 33-40 cm. And when we talk about their weight, the numbers can range from 11 to 22 pounds (5-10 kgs). In fact, these are small to medium-sized dogs.

Looks

When it comes to looks, Mini Pocket Pitbulls have most of the features of the American Pitbull Terrier. Even though they are crossbred and may take physical features from either of the parents They are smaller than their parent, but they share the same sturdy build and stubby characteristics that make them muscular and strong.

Another outstanding feature of them is that they are slightly longer than tall. Also, the characteristic powerful broad head and jaws of the American Pitbull are present in the Pocket Pitbull, as well as their thick neck. Despite the appearance of a mini pitbull, which can be very intimidating, their sweet and slightly mournful expression, makes them look playful and cute.

Head

Even so, they have a skull that is slightly more wedge-shaped with a narrower muzzle. Their ears generally sit high up on the head and can be short to medium in length. When uncropped they fold forward or to the sides. As for the eyes, they can be brown or amber; while the color of their nose can be blue, black, or brown.

Coat

Another powerful physical quality of them is, without a doubt, their coats. They are always shiny, thick, smooth, and are very short in length. They do require frequent grooming maintenance just a few times a year. What’s better is that this process is exceptionally simple. The Teacup Pitbull’s coat can come in white, tan, cream, black, brown, gray, brindle, and even pied. As for the eyes, they can be brown or amber; while the color of their nose can be blue, black or brown

Teacup Pitbull Genetics

The Mini Pitbull Terrier is a designer dog, also called a hybrid dog. This means that it is a crossbreed between a full-bred American Pitbull Terrier and a full-bred Patterdale Terrier.

Just to have an overview of the characteristics of their parents, we must know that an American Pit Bull Terrier is a large breed. It weighs between 35-60 pounds and measures between 18-21 inches in height. Whereas a Patterdale Terrier is a small dog that weighs between 11-13 pounds and measures between 9-15 inches in height. So, it’s important to state that Mini Pitbulls inherit their short stature from their Patterdale parent. If they are any taller than 12-16 inches, they are just considered a Pitbull mix. Therefore they would not come into the category of a Pocket Pitbull.

Additionally, Teacup Pitbulls are known to have inherited the Pit Bull’s “nanny dog” side and the Patterdale Terrier’s playfulness. So, they sure have the best of both parents.

Common Health Problems in Teacup Pitbulls

All dog breeds are prone to different health issues. It is also true that some of them are more prone to some diseases than others. This can be due to the problems that the parent breeds inherited to them. Below, you will be able to see a list of the most common health problems a Pocket Pitbull is prone to suffer:

teacup pitbull
Teacup Pitbulls are also called Miniature or Pocket Pitbulls.

Eye Problems

Pocket Pitbulls can suffer from painful eye diseases. Some of them are cherry eye, corneal wounds, dry eye, conjunctivitis, glaucoma, and cataracts. This can lead to blindness if they do not receive treatment in time. That is why it is recommended to get your Teacup Pitbull’s eyes checked at least once a year.

Fortunately, there are some fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants that can help your dog’s eyesight to stay good. These are blueberries, broccoli, sweet potatoes, kale, carrots, eggs, and cold-water fishes.

Hip Dysplasia

This medical condition is one of the most common in Pocket Pitbulls. It involves the massive growth of the hip joint. This produces the hip joint’s ball and socket to rub against each other. You can notice this in an unwillingness of your Pocket Pitbull to get up or down. Alongside lameness, or in other signs that they are in pain.

It is often a genetic condition that usually occurs in their senior years. So, you must prevent your dog from gaining too much weight by feeding it appropriately. For this purpose, there are also dog foods that promote joint health. Which include many nutrients, as well as high levels of omega-3 oils. Actually, this kind of problem is managed rather than cured, even so, surgery can be performed in serious circumstances.

Skin Allergies

You can also find out that your Pocket Pitbull suffers from skin allergies if you notice it is sneezing, having runny eyes, scratching itself, or having ear infections. There are a lot of things that can trigger these allergies. These range from pollen, food, fleas, and cigar smoke to perfume.

So, it is not a surprise that the best form of treatment for this is finding the cause of the allergy and eliminate it. Do so by providing it limited Ingredient foods, which can help narrow down what the Miniature Pitbull is allergic to. It is also recommended to feed them with high-quality kibble, to avoid them getting a skin problem.

Another option could be putting the pet on the BARF (Bones and Raw Food or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) diet. Which involves raw muscle meat, bones, organic meats, vegetables, and fruits. This results in a shinier coat and healthier skin that you Miniature Pitbull will appreciate.

Hypothyroidism

This is a thyroid problem that occurs in dogs when the thyroid glands fail to produce thyroxine. This is a hormone that controls metabolism. As a result, this produces lower hormone levels in the dog and can deplete your dog of basic nutrients.

This disease can lead to a bunch of other conditions such as weight gain, a dull coat, hair loss, muscle loss, intolerance to cold, lethargy, or even infertility. So, it’s important to give your Teacup Pitbull a balanced diet, that includes a wide range of fruits and vegetables. Seaweed and fish should be a must in this diet since they have Iodine, which is beneficial for thyroid health.

Heart Diseases

Heart-related diseases are often in Pocket Pitbulls as in humans. They can suffer from heartworm, valvular heart problems, or myocardial diseases, where the muscles in their heart are affected.

You can see some symptoms when your Miniature Pitbull exhibits difficulties in breathing, exercising, shows signs of weight loss, loss of appetite, or when it is having sleeping problems. Obviously, the chances of developing heart diseases are much higher if your Teacup Pitbull is overweight or obese. So, bear in mind that you must keep your dog in a healthy weight.

Nothing guarantees that your dog will always stay healthy, but you must put some effort into doing some research and find a high-quality breeder who can assure that he/she has clearly taken good physical care of the Micro Pitbull and can provide some evidence of health breeding. In this way, and many others, such as giving your teacup Pitbull good quality food and keeping them in good shape, will help them to prevent developing health conditions and have a better chance of having a long and healthy lifespan of 11 to 13 years.

Temperament of Teacup Pitbulls

Miniature Pitbulls come from parents that are perceived as aggressive and not necessarily friendly, but this is a misconception. Since they can be very protective and gentle dogs if they are not mistreated and are well-handled. We must not think of Pocket Pitbulls as dangerous pets. Right below, you will find a list with some of their most outstanding virtues, so you can imagine the kind of temperament a Pocket Pitbull has:

  • If you make sure to train and socialize them, they are perfect companions for children as they are playful and gentle
  • They are excellent guard dogs because they have a very strong protective instinct and a sense of loyalty. All they want to do is take care of their territory and family
  • They own an emphatic nature that makes them recognize the mood and demonstrate empathy to anyone
  • They are also, highly intelligent dogs, which makes them easy to train

Remember that they are very in tune with their humans and can pick up both positive and negative vibes. But they can make great family members with good training and gentle handling because they, indeed, have the best qualities of both parents.

Teacup Pitbulls & Exercise

Don’t underestimate the size of this dog, since Micro Pitbulls are very far from being laid-back or lazy pets. Pocket Pitbulls are full of energy, agile, and active. So be ready to stay outside because Teacup Pets require a lot of time and attention. They really enjoy being outdoors and need at least 1 hour of vigorous exercise a day, usually split into two or three shorter exercise sessions.

Along with walks or jogs in the park or neighborhood, these athletic animals enjoy activities like agility training and playing games such as competitive frisbee, and while some Pocket Pitbulls find swimming to be difficult, many enjoy this exercise as well. Remember that Teacup Pitbulls are more prone to develop skin problems, so make sure to utilize sunblock designed to canines to protect them from damaging ultraviolet rays.

It’s essential to know that a Mini Pitbull can become destructive if they don’t use the large amount of energy they have and can translate it later into unwanted behaviors. On the other hand, if you dedicate some of your time to play and train it, your Mini Pitbull will be stimulated and happy, but what’s more, will be healthy.

Cost of a Teacup Pitbull

In order to own a Teacup Pitbull, you must be prepared to pay between $1,500-$2,500. This is not exactly a cheap cost.

In fact, it is not that common that the price of a not pure breed dog exceeds the price of its parents. However, taking into consideration that Miniature Pitbulls are becoming so popular nowadays, it will be very difficult to find one for a cheaper price due to their high demand. Another reason for that is that it is not easy to find a breeder who focuses on breeding Pocket Pitbulls. So Teacup Pitbulls aren’t exactly found in abundant amounts on the market.

This is a relatively new dog breed that as you can see, is expensive, but don’t worry too much, at least, since they don’t need frequent grooming to maintain their coat nice and clean, this will be one thing you can save on in the future.

Teacup Pitbulls – FAQs

cost of teacup pitbulls
Teacup Pitbulls cost around $1500-$2500.

How Big do Teacup Pitbulls get?

As we stated before, Miniature Pitbulls acquire their height from their Patterdale parent. Usually, Teacup Pitbulls only grow to be 12 to 16 inches (30-40 cm) tall on all fours, and if they become any taller, then that means that they are not considered as Miniature Pitbulls but rather a regular mix.

If we talk specifically about male Teacup Pitbulls, their height varies between 43-51 cm on all fours, while the height of female Teacup Pitbulls varies between 33-40 cm. As for weight in Pocket Pitbulls, these numbers range from 11 to 22 pounds.

As seen, they are small to medium-sized dogs, so If you are looking for a Pitbull, but can’t own a large dog, then a Miniature Pitbull is a good option based on their small size compared to others of the same breed.

How Much Does a Teacup Pitbull Cost?

The cost of a Pocket Pitbull varies between $1,500- $2,500. Surely, you will have to pay an expensive price in order to get one of these popular pets. It sounds a little bit shocking, but there are reasons for that.

The price of a Teacup Pitbull is really high compared to the cost of their parents, the American Pitbull Terrier, and the Patterdale Terrier, which are about $500 to $700 each.

Lately, there has been an increasing demand for these pets and many families want them in their homes, but unfortunately, there are not many breeders who focused on them, and in consequence, there are not many of them on the market. These are some of the problems of putting your eyes on a relatively new dog breed.

What is the Smallest Breed of Pitbulls?

The smallest breed of Pitbulls is, indeed, the Teacup Pitbulls. Even though it is correct to say that their name- Pocket Pitbulls- does not really stick to reality, since they are not small enough to fit inside their owner’s pocket or are light as a feather, Teacup Pitbulls represent the smallest of all the varieties of Pitbulls.

Ironically, despite looking as common Pitbulls, this characteristic that makes them unique, was inherited by their other parent breed, the Patterdale Terrier. Their measurements are smaller than those of an American Bully Standard, and their height varies between 12 and 16 inches (30-40 cm).

What Breed of Dog is a Pocket Bully?

Miniature Pitbulls are designer dogs, it means that they are the result of a crossbreed between a Patterdale Terrier and an American Pitbull Terrier. These dogs usually resemble the American Pitbull Terrier parent more than the Patterdale parent. In fact, they can look exactly like the American Pitbull Terrier, just a little shorter.

So, to sum it up, we can say that the Patterdale contributed their short stature as well as a few of their personality traits, while the American Pitbull Terrier added his appearance and several of his personality traits as well, that is why is likely that Pocket Pitbulls are affectionate, courageous, and intelligent.

Also, Teacup Pitbulls are easy to groom, and are also known to be athletic animals that need at least 1 hour of daily exercise and training due to the big amount of energy they have.

what breed of dog is a pocket bully
Teacup Pitbulls are a crossbreed between a Patterdale Terrier and an American Pitbull Terrier.

These wonderful little dogs can be a wonderful add on for any family. If you are interested in purchasing a Teacup Pitbull, make sure that you have enough time for their energy, and enough love to give to these deserving dogs.

14 comments on “Teacup Pitbulls – All About Pocket & Miniature Pitbulls”

  1. Angleroseschumann

    I think this is so good that someone has got the chance to put all this together whit all this someone can do it the right way, or ways, then, no spend, time around too as in getting everything all together for what they need it’s all here to mack well.

    1. Stephan

      I would like to know how to purchase a dog

  2. Rick

    I am interested in purchasing a miniature pit where I live right now you can only have small dogs I’m bawling because of her pets all my life and mine just passed away six months ago thank you

  3. Ron

    I would like to buy one any time after Aug 20th I will be gone till then but my wife and I want one I have had the full size pitts before and loved them to death. I need one small enough to travel with us in the plane or truck

  4. Patricia

    My boyfriend and I would love to purchase a little baby mini pit. Who or where could we contact in order to achieve our goal . Thank you for all the information you have gathered and published above. We enjoyed learning new facts about our future fur babies lol.

  5. Margie Lopez

    Where can I purchase a pocket pitbull in Florida? I didn’t even know these were available.

    Please refer me to a reputable breeder that I can trust.

    Thank you

  6. Susan Gould

    I am interested in a mini Pitt bill. We have had 3 pit bulls in the past but need a smaller dog because of where we live. We will give all the love and care this little guy needs!

  7. Charles

    I would love to surprise my wife with a teacup pitbull. Please and Thank You

  8. Yolanda Wegrzynek

    Hello, My wife and I are interested in a mini or teacup size Pitbull puppy. Our thirteen year old Pitbull passed in October. We need something smaller and would certainly be interested in one.
    Eddie & Yolanda

  9. Beckii

    Is there a breeder for these mini Pitt bills near minnesota? I would love to look into these beautiful puppies?

  10. Cathy Dutch

    I would LOVE to know who has Mini Pits, where I can purchase or adopt one and how to verify the breeding is good and has been done to help eliminate and breed out certain health issues.
    I am in a power chair as well as legally blind and will be going through the whole training process with the breed I choose, I prefer pits and Staffies. The Mini / Tea Cup pit would be ideal.
    We will be doing training all the way to service companion..

  11. Douglas Mccorkle

    Who sells teacup pitbulls in the midwest. Purple ribbon

  12. Caroline

    Can I get a teacup pitbull in USA shelters?

  13. Heather Coleman

    My boyfriend and I both want a teacup pitty,mine is going to be a service/emotional/therapy/travel buddy,as well as a family & a nanny for our lil’ones, & my boyfriend also wants tea cup buddy to travel with and be his buddy as well

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