Tom Thumb, born in 2009 in Renton, Scotland, was thought to be the smallest puppy born in the United Kingdom, at four inches, beating out then-worlds-smallest Brandy, a Florida chihuahua.

Susan and Archie Thompson really jumped the gun hoping their little dog might prove to be a record-breaking little guy, but the glitter of stardom in their misguided smiles did at least mean some nice pictures of Tom got taken. These photos of Tom are by Andrew Milligan, William Thornton, and Jeff J. Mitchell.

Everyone rather hoped Tom wouldn't grow so he'd be the new smallest adult dog. But he eventually reached eight inches, still darned small and only two-inches above the record.

Tom's is a Chirussell. His mother was the chihuahua Spice, his father the Jack Russell terrier Oosie. In two of these photos, Susan Thompson is holding Tom in the cup of her hand, when he was three weeks old, at which time his littermates were already three times his size.

Pups can't try for the Guinness record until they're a full year old, and Tom Thumb didn't even hold the record for "smallest puppy" of the year for long, as around the same time a three-inch "chorkie" puppy, Tiny Tilly, was found to be smaller.