Yorkshire Terriers feisty little dogs known for their beautiful glossy multi-colored coats. They are the tenth most popular dog breed, according to the AKC.
If you have just acquired a Yorkie, you might be wondering how big your dog will get. A Yorkie size chart can help you figure it out.
Being one of the smallest dog breeds, these plucky little dogs are classified as toy dogs. On average they become about 7 to 8 inches tall, and weigh anything from 4 to 7 pounds.
Yorkies think that they are big dogs and will go for anyone or anything. They also tend to be yappy, so keep that in mind if you live in an apartment building.
When Do Yorkies Stop Growing?
A Yorkie grows fairly fast. Some of them are fully grown as early as six months, but most keep growing until they are 8 months.
Most of these dogs reach maturity between 6 – 8 months of age. They are definitely finished growing by 12 months of age.
If you notice that your Yorkie is still putting on weight after it’s turned 1, your dog is probably overweight and needs to go on a diet.
As a general rule, though, if your Yorkie is still adding weight after they’ve turned 1, it’s time for a diet.
Yorkie Size Chart
Generally speaking, Yorkshire terriers start life weighing anything from 2.5 to 5.5 ounces. After only one week a pup’s weight will double.
At 8 weeks, a dog that weighed 2.5 ounces, will now weigh 12 ounces, and a dog only the larger scale will weigh 32 ounces.
At 18 weeks, the dogs will have doubled this weight, and by 26 weeks, a small Yorkie will weigh roughly 27 ounces (1.5 pounds) and a large Yorkie will weigh roughly 80 ounces (5 pounds).
Toy breeds like Yorkies tend to be almost their full adult height and weight when they reach 6 months. They will be fully grown by the time they are a year old.
Keep in mind that Yorkies can vary in weight and height at the same age, some weighing 5 pounds while others weigh as much as 7 pounds.
The same goes for height. According to our Yorkie size chart, a Yorkshire terrier should be 7-8 inches, but some giant Yorkies are more than 9 inches in height, while teacup Yorkies weigh less than 4 pounds.
There is no noticeable difference between the height and weight of male and female Yorkies.
Yorkie Weight Chart
Birth | 2.5 oz | 2.75 oz | 3 oz | 3.5 oz | 4 oz | 4.25 oz | 4.5 oz | 5 oz | 5.5 oz |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 week | 4,5 | 5 | 5,5 | 6 | 7 | 7,5 | 8 | 9 | 9,5 |
2 months | 12 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 24 | 27 | 29 | 32 |
2.5 months | 14 | 16 | 20 | 24 | 25 | 28 | 33 | 36 | 38 |
3 months | 16 | 18 | 22 | 28 | 32 | 35 | 40 | 43 | 45 |
3.5 months | 18 | 22 | 26 | 32 | 36 | 39 | 44 | 47 | 51 |
4 months | 20 | 25 | 30 | 36 | 40 | 44 | 49 | 54 | 59 |
4.5 months | 22 | 28 | 33 | 39 | 44 | 48 | 54 | 60 | 65 |
5 months | 24 | 30 | 35 | 41 | 46 | 52 | 58 | 64 | 70 |
5.5 months | 25 | 32 | 37 | 43 | 48 | 56 | 62 | 68 | 74 |
6 months | 26 | 33 | 39 | 45 | 51 | 58 | 65 | 71 | 78 |
6.5 months | 27 | 34 | 40 | 47 | 53 | 60 | 67 | 73 | 80 |
Adult Weight | 2 lb | 2.5 lb | 3 lb | 3.5 lb | 4 lb | 4.5 lb | 5 lb | 5.5 lb | 6 -7 lb |
Yorkie Puppy Development Stages
Birth – 2 Weeks
At birth, your Yorkie will only weigh three to five ounces. It is extremely small and fragile and can’t move around. At this stage, it is completely dependent on its mother for survival.
At this stage, Yorkies are helpless and can barely manage to get to their mother for milk.
Their eyes and ears remain closed during this time.
3 Weeks – 12 Weeks
Between 2-8 weeks, the puppies’ eyes open and they start exploring their surroundings, including their siblings, tugging at them and rolling about.
When you see your dog lapping up liquids, you can start weaning it and introduce solid food. Some dogs are weaned by 8 weeks, and others are weaned by 12 weeks, depending on the breeder.
At 8 weeks, your Yorkie will probably go home with you if you got it from a breeder. By 12 weeks, your Yorkie should receive three measured meals a day.
4 Months – 9 Months
At around 4 months, a puppy begins to lose its puppy look. It’s a good time to teach your puppy new things. By 5 months, your puppy can go on short walks. Keep teaching your dog and allowing it to socialize with other puppies and people.
At around 6 months, toy dogs usually complete their growth. Female dogs may experience their first heat around this time. By the 7th month, your puppy should have all its adult teeth and be on a regime of two meals a day.
10 Months – 18 Months
From 6 months to 1 year, a Yorkie is an ‘adolescent, full of energy and curiosity. This is the ideal time to establish toilet habits and teach your dog commands.
This is important because Yorkies at this age will try to exert their dominance if you are not firm with them.
Socializing and training are important at this stage to avoid Yorkie separation anxiety. Consistent training, including ample mental stimulation is crucial at this stage.
At around 9 months, your Yorkie’s growth will slow down and completely stop around 1 year of age.
Adult
A Yorkshire Terrier becomes an adult when it is 1 year old. By this time, your dog has settled into a routine and you will know your dog’s personality and preferences.
For instance, Yorkies don’t like to get their feet wet, so you’ll know to provide a cover for its outside toilet.
Yorkies bond firmly with their humans and don’t like to be left alone. In fact, when you’re at home your Yorkie will follow you around from room to room.
Your dog will behave like a guard dog, alerting you to anything untoward while you’re at home.
How Big Do Yorkies Get?
To get an idea of how big your Yorkie will be when it’s fully grown, you can consider some formula that some breeders and owners have worked out over the year.
For instance, to figure out how big your dog will become, you can take its weight at three months, multiply it by two and add a half-pound.
This formula gives one a rough idea, but isn’t foolproof. The formula is not an exact calculation, but it’s never far off the mark either.
Another formula that some people use is to triple a puppy’s weight at 8 weeks, and double its weight at 12 weeks to get a rough estimate of big a Yorkie will get.
Many people believe in paw size as an indicator of the eventual size of a dog, with big paws indicating a large dog.
So, if your dog’s paws appear large for its size and age you can expect it to be large for a Yorkie. But again, this is not a hard and fast rule.
Male Vs Female Yorkie Growth Chart
Being a toy breed, there is no difference in size between male and female Yorkies as you can see in the Yorkie growth chart.
Both males and females weigh 21.5 oz. at 8 weeks and are 2–4 inches tall. The two genders also grow at the same rate. 6 months, both weigh 51 oz. and are 5 – 9 inches tall. When they are two years old, both males and females weigh 64 oz. and are 7 – 9 inches tall.
It’s easy to weigh a Yorkie. Simply put your dog on your bathroom scale. The only difficulty will be to get the dog not to jump off the scale. To get your dog used to being weighed, start weighing it as soon as it arrives home from the breeder.
Will Neutering/Spaying My Yorkie Affect His Growth?
In large dogs, early neutering or spaying is not advisable because it can delay the closure of bone growth plates. However, in small dogs like Yorkshire Terriers, this is not the case.
These dogs grow so fast that their growth is just about done by the time neutering or spaying becomes a consideration.
Spaying or neutering Yorkies will have little effect on their growth. In addition, research has found that neutering or spaying in the first year of life does not appear to increase the risk of joint disease or cancers in small dogs like Yorkshire Terriers.
However, it is not advisable to let a female Yorkie become pregnant before it’s fully mature because it can stunt the dog’s growth somewhat, since the nutrients the mother needs are going to the puppies she’s expecting.
Consider talking to your veterinarian first, before you decide to have your dog sterilized.
Morkie Vs Yorkie Size
Morkies and Yorkies are both classified as toy dogs. The Yorkie is a purebred and the Morkie is a crossbreed between the Maltese and a Yorkie.
Morkies are the larger of the two, but by a small margin. On average, Morkies are taller and heavier than Yorkies.
The Morkie can grow to between 8 and 10 inches tall, while the adult Yorkie doesn’t usually grow taller than 7 to 8 inches.
Also, there is quite a difference in their weight. On average, Morkies weigh 7 to 13 pounds, while Yorkies seldom weigh more than 7 pounds. In fact, many weigh as little as 4 pounds.
Factors That Affect Yorkie Growth
Genetics & Gender
The growth of a Yorkshire terrier depends on its genetic inheritance from parents and grandparents. Bigger dogs will usually have big offspring, but in the case of toy dogs, the sizes will always be small.
Nutrition
Proper nutrition is critical for optimal health. A Yorkie needs a balanced diet that meets all the nutritional needs of a growing body. A dog that doesn’t follow a healthy diet won’t flourish.
To ensure that your Yorkie develops properly, ensure that you feed it life-stage-appropriate dog food specially formulated for Yorkies.
Physical Activity & Health
Yorkies are active little dogs, which means they are not prone to weight problems, unless you give your dog unnecessary treats. These dogs need around 30 or 40 minutes exercise per day. This can be in the form of running, fetching and vigorous play.
This dog needs regular exercise to maintain good health. If you take your dog walking, be sure to walk at a moderate pace. These dogs are tiny, and if you walk fast, your dog won’t be able to keep up with you and might get out of breath.
How Much To Feed A Growing Yorkie Puppy?
By the time a Yorkie is 3 months old, it should not be allowed to free-feed. These puppies should get three meals a day, carefully measured to add up to between ¼ and ½ cups a day.
This amount does not increase much as the dog grows older. An adult Yorkie should get between ½ a cup and between ½ a cup and ¾ cup of high-quality dry kibble a day. This amount should be divided between two meals.
Of course, these amounts won’t suit every Yorkie. Like humans, they don’t all have the same appetite. Your dog’s need for food will be determined by its metabolism and activity level. The more active it is, the more calories it will require.
The quality of the food you give your dog will also determine how much it eats – your dog will need less food if it is of high quality because it will be more nourishing.
What to Do If My Yorkie Is Not the Right Weight?
If your dog weighs more than 8 pounds, it may be overweight. Dogs are individuals, so this weight is not necessarily a problem for all Yorkies.
A more dependable indication of whether your dog is the right weight is the so-called Body Condition Score.
You determine the BCS by using your hands to feel your dog’s ribs and spine. If they are very prominent and you can easily feel them, your dog is underweight and not in good health.
If you can’t feel the ribs or the spine at all, your dog is overweight.
Also, look at your dog from above. If you can clearly see your dog’s waist, it is in a good condition. A waist that bulges outward is a sign of an overweight dog.
If your dog is overweight, you need to feed it a low-carbohydrate diet, with portions measured properly. And no treats! An underweight dog should be taken to the vet to find out if there isn’t an underlying cause for the weight loss.
How to Properly Weigh My Yorkie?
A Yorkie is easy to lift. Simply pick your dog up and put it on your bathroom scale. To get this done without a fuss, start training your dog to be weighed as soon as it starts living with you.
Alternatively, you can try to weigh your dog on a baby scale. For small dogs, a baby scale is more accurate as it can display small weight differences, like a few ounces, which is what you need with a small dog that barely weighs a few pounds.
If you suspect that your dog is losing weight, you’ll get an accurate reading with a baby scale that you won’t get with a bathroom scale.
Yorkie Genetics and Common Health Problems
Yorkies have health issues that are commonly associated with purebreds.
Portosystemic Shunts
With this condition, unpurified blood is circulated to major organs. The condition prevents dogs from flourishing and needs surgical intervention.
Tracheal Collapse
Watch out for coughing and difficulty with breathing, as this is a very common condition in toy breeds. Your vet may suggest surgery or a special lead that won’t obstruct the trachea.
Luxating Patellas
You will know that your dog may be suffering from Luxating patellas when it refuses to go for a walk and stop running around.
It is a condition that is caused by a shallow patellar groove, so the knee cap can’t stay where it should be. It can be very painful and even cause lameness.
Dental Issues
Yorkies have small mouths that often can’t house all the teeth a dog gets. It may be necessary to extract some of the teeth with can help with bad breath. Also, brush your dog’s teeth regularly to combat bad breath.
Final Words
Yorkshire Terriers are wonderful little dogs with beautiful coats that don’t shed much. They are among the smallest dog breeds, but they make up for the lack of size in bags of personality and pizzazz.
They are bold, confident, intelligent, and a lovely uplifting presence to have around. These little dogs make wonderful companions if they are trained properly from an early age.