This 8-cm darling could be world's smallest dog

Aptly named Tom Thumb, the dog is a Chihuahua-Jack Russell cross

Aptly named Tom Thumb, the dog is a Chihuahua-Jack Russell cross

Tiny pup Tom Thumb could take the record for the world's smallest dog, his owners believe.

Susan and Archie Thomson's Chihuahua Spice gave birth to the tiny black and tan coloured dog, which weighs

adorable: Tom Thumb was smaller than a teaspoon when he was born on March 18

around one-and-a-half ounces and measures just eight centimetres from head to rump, on March 18.

Despite its size, the baby Chihuahua and Jack Russell cross dog is holding its own and even pushing its brothers and sisters aside at feeding time.

Feeding himself

His siblings are three times the size of the tiny dog, who can fit inside a teacup and cannot reach his mum to feed when she is standing up.

Susan said, "I looked on the Internet to see if I had to do anything with the wee one because he is so small, but he's feeding himself. He's the first in there at feeding time and doesn't let the bigger ones bully him.
"In fact when Spice stands up, Tom Thumb goes with her because his suck is so strong.

"There's another black and tan one like Tom Thumb and the others are black and white.

"One of the black and white pups is massive. We've never had pups that size before. It's a funny litter.

"We've got five of our own dogs, plus the four puppies, but we've not really had to do anything other than check the pups because Spice is a great wee mummy.

"They can go to their new families at six weeks. But if Tom Thumb doesn't get any bigger, then I'm keeping him because he might be the smallest dog in the world."

The perfect pooches, which can't walk yet, should open their eyes in the next couple of days and Archie and Susan will soon start to look for new families for the dogs.

Present record
Ducky, a Chihuahua from Boston in the USA, was named as the smallest living dog in the world at only 4.9 in tall by Guinness World Records two years ago.