What is the largest size Yorkie

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated September 16, 2024

Contributions sourced from

Yorkie Size: How Big Do Yorkies Get?

Jersey Courtesy of Nadine Wallen

The AKC (American Kennel Club) had previously listed the minimum weight of a Yorkshire Terrier as 4 pounds (1.81 kg). However, breed standards have since changed, and now there is only a maximum weight of 7 pounds (3.17kg) for a Yorkshire Terrier full grown.

Regardless of this change, most Yorkshire Terriers find themselves fitting within the 4 pound to 7 pound range. Any Yorkshire Terrier full grown that is smaller than this would be considered too small, and find themselves with an increased risk of size-related health issues. These very tiny Yorkies are known as teacup Yorkies.

It is not uncommon, however, to find Yorkshire Terriers growing to weigh around 8 to 10 pounds (3.62 to 4.53 kg). This comes down to bone structure and whether the pup is overweight. A large Yorkie can also be the result of an incorrect pairing of dam and sire that were not quite able to produce standard-sized Yorkshire Terriers.

In some rarer instances, a Yorkshire Terrier can grow upward of 10 or even 15 pounds. In many cases, a very big Yorkie is simply a matter of another, larger breed of dog being introduced somewhere along the Yorkies bloodline. If your Yorkie is very large, you may not have a purebred Yorkie.

Despite all the standards introduced with regards to Yorkie weight, there has been no standardized height. You could expect an adult to reach somewhere between 6 and 9 inches, from the floor to their withers (the tops of their shoulders).

The Average Size of Yorkie Puppies

There is so much growth in the first year of a Yorkie puppys life. While for some growth will be spread out evenly over the course of the first year, others will see growth spurts with incredibly fast and noticeable growth for some months, and seemingly nothing for periods of time.

Regardless of how your puppy seems, whether it looks overweight or not, under no circumstances should a Yorkie puppy be placed on any sort of diet, nor should they be over exercised. It is absolutely and completely the norm for puppies to have puppy fat, making their appearance seem somewhat round and chubby. This is totally to be expected and nothing to worry about.

In fact, to help your Yorkie puppy reach their healthy growth potential, its important to let them eat whenever they like up until a certain age and even consider supplements like Tomlyn nutritional supplements for puppies.

Somewhere around the age of 9 months, Yorkie weight gain will start to slow. At this time, the Yorkie will continue to grow in length as well as height, resulting in a much leaner appearance. Yorkshire Terriers, as with all dogs, will start to take on a much sleeker form as the muscles are just about fully developed.

How Does a Yorkie Compare to Other Toy Breeds?

When compared to other toy dog breeds, the Yorkie isnt quite the smallest, although its a close race. The smallest four toy breeds are:

Chihuahua: 2 6 lbs, 6 9 inches
Pomeranian: 3 7 lbs, 8 11 inches
Yorkshire Terrier: 4 7 lbs, 6 9 inches
Pug: 13 20 lbs, 12 14 inches

While the Yorkie isnt the smallest, coming in third behind the Chihuahua and the Pomeranian, its very close.

The smallest dog on record in terms of height is a chihuahua Milly who is 3.8 inches tall. Dancer, a long-haired chihuahua, is the smallest dog by weight at just 18 ounces and 5 tall.

According to some reports, the smallest dog ever recorded was a Yorkshire Terrier named Sylvia who lived in England and died in 1945. Sylvia was reportedly 2.5 tall and weighed about 4 ounces.

Yorkie Size Guide (Micro, Teacup, Toy, Mini & Standard)

The Yorkie (AKA Yorkshire Terrier) is a purebred dog originating from the county of Yorkshire in England. There are five sizes of Yorkie that breeders refer to including Micro, Teacup, Toy, Mini & Standard. While it may seem like there are so many sizes in reality there are only two distinct sizes. Micro, Teacup, Toy and Miniature Yorkies are all the same size and Standard is the largest size.

If you are interested in Micro, Teacup, Toy or Standard Yorkies keep reading this article to find out the all the answers to your questions about these sizes!

Article History

Micro Yorkie

What Is A Micro Yorkie?

Micro Yorkies are the smallest size of Yorkshire Terrier. They are the same size as Teacup, Toy or Mini Yorkies. Some breeders prefer to call their small Yorkies Micro to make it sound like they are selling an even smaller dog. It is usually used as a marketing tactic.

What Size Is A Micro Yorkie?

Micro Yorkies get to 5 to 6 inches (12.7cm to 15.2cm) tall at the shoulder and weigh between 4 and 7 pounds (1.8kg to 3.2kg) when fully grown. They are the same size as a Teacup, Toy and Mini Yorkie which are the smallest sizes of Yorkshire Terrier.

Micro Yorkies usually get to their full height at 6 months of age. From this time until 9 months they will continue gaining weight and muscle mass. They stop growing at the end of 9 months.

Micro Yorkie Lifespan

Micro Yorkies have a lifespan of 7 to 9 years. Micro Yorkies have a very short lifespan because they suffer from many health issues due to their tiny size. They are also highly likely to suffer from a fatal injury as they have very fragile bones and not much muscle mass to support their skeletal system.

Micro Yorkie Price

Micro Yorkies cost between $3000USD and $6000USD. Despite their high risk of suffering from serious health issues due to their small size, they still sell for exorbitant prices as they are a designer dog breed. Another reason why they are so expensive is because there are so few of them in each litter.

Read Also: Are Yorkies Hypoallergenic? (Allergy Sufferers Guide)

Teacup Yorkie

What Is A Teacup Yorkie?

Teacup Yorkies are the smallest size of Yorkshire Terrier. Most breeders call the size that is smaller than the Standard Yorkie teacup however others call them micro, toy or mini. There is a lot of debate about how ethical teacup breeds as they are often suffer from debilitating health issues due to their small, fragile size.

What Size Is A Teacup Yorkie?

Teacup Yorkies get to 5 to 6 inches (12.7cm to 15.2cm) tall at the shoulder and weigh between 4 and 7 pounds (1.8kg to 3.2kg) when fully grown. They are the same size as a Micro, Toy and Mini Yorkie which are the smallest sizes of Yorkshire Terrier.

Teacup Yorkies usually get to their full height at 6 months of age. From this time until 9 months they will continue gaining weight and muscle mass. They stop growing at the end of 9 months.

Teacup Yorkie Temperament

Teacup Yorkies are extremely dedicated and loyal to their family. While they are very affectionate with the family they arent so friendly towards strangers and other dogs as they are often suspicious of them. This is mainly due to the small size which makes them quite fearful. In these situations Teacup Yorkies are likely to bark and be aggressive so it is important to train them out of this behavior

Teacup Yorkie Lifespan

Teacup Yorkies have a lifespan of 7 to 9 years. Teacup Yorkies have a very short lifespan because they suffer from many health issues due to their tiny size. They are also highly likely to suffer from a fatal injury as they have very fragile bones and not much muscle mass to support their skeletal system.

Teacup Yorkie Price

Teacup Yorkies cost between $3000USD and $6000USD. Despite their high risk of suffering from serious health issues due to their small size, they still sell for exorbitant prices as they are a designer dog breed. Another reason why they are so expensive is because there are so few of them in each litter.

Teacup Yorkie Breeders

If you are looking for a Yorkie breeder, considerPuppySpotwhere you can use ourdiscount code PUPPY300 for $300 dollars offany dog! Check out the adorable Yorkie puppies that are currently available here!

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Read Also: Toy Yorkie Guide: Lifespan, Price, Size, Temperament & More

Toy Yorkie

What Is A Toy Yorkie?

A Toy Yorkie is another name for the Teacup Yorkie, Micro Yorkie or Mini Yorkie. They are the smallest size of Yorkshire Terrier. Toy Yorkies are made by breeding the smallest dogs of two different standard size Yorkie litters until they consistently create the Toy Yorkie size.

What Size Is A Toy Yorkie?

Toy Yorkies get to 5 to 6 inches (12.7cm to 15.2cm) tall at the shoulder and weigh between 4 and 7 pounds (1.8kg to 3.2kg) when fully grown. They are the same size as a Teacup Yorkie, the smallest size of Yorkshire Terrier.

Toy Yorkies usually get to their full height at 6 months of age. From this time until 9 months they will continue gaining weight and muscle mass. They stop growing at the end of 9 months.

Toy Yorkie Temperament

Toy Yorkies are extremely dedicated and loyal to their family. While they are very affectionate with the family they arent so friendly towards strangers and other dogs as they are often suspicious of them. This is mainly due to the small size which makes them quite fearful. In these situations Toy Yorkies are likely to bark and be aggressive so it is important to train them out of this behavior.

Toy Yorkie Lifespan

The life expectancy of a Toy Yorkie is 7 to 9 years. Toy Yorkies have a very short lifespan because they suffer from many health issues due to their tiny size. They are also highly likely to suffer from a fatal injury as they have very fragile bones and not much muscle mass to support their skeletal system.

Toy Yorkie Price

Typically a Toy Yorkie costs between $3000USD and $6000USD. Despite their high risk of suffering from serious health issues due to their small size, they still sell for exorbitant prices as they are a designer dog breed. Another reason why they are so expensive is because there are so few of them in each litter.

Toy Yorkie Breeders

Read Also: Morkie Size Guide (Micro, Teacup & Standard)

Mini Yorkie

What Is A Mini Yorkie?

Mini Yorkie is another name for the same size dog as a Micro Yorkie, Teacup Yorkie or Toy Yorkie.. They are the smallest Yorkshire Terrier size. They are made by breeding the runts of two different standard size Yorkie litters until they consistently get the Mini Yorkie size.

What Size Is A Mini Yorkie?

Mini Yorkies get to 5 to 6 inches (12.7cm to 15.2cm) tall at the shoulder and weigh between 4 and 7 pounds (1.8kg to 3.2kg) when fully grown. They are the same size as a Teacup, Micro and Toy Yorkie which are smallest sizes of Yorkshire Terrier.

Mini Yorkie Lifespan

The life expectancy of a Mini Yorkie is 7 to 9 years. Mini Yorkies have a very short lifespan because they suffer from many health issues due to their tiny size. They are also highly likely to suffer from a fatal injury as they have very fragile bones and not much muscle mass to support their skeletal system.

Mini Yorkie Price

Mini Yorkies costs between $3000USD and $6000USD. Despite their high risk of suffering from serious health issues due to their small size, they still sell for exorbitant prices as they are a designer dog breed. Another reason why they are so expensive is because there are so few of them in each litter.

Mini Yorkie Breeders

Read Also: Yorkie Poo Colors Guide (Black, White, Brown, Merle, Red etc.)

Standard Yorkie

What Is A Standard Yorkie?

Standard Yorkies are the largest and most common Yorkshire Terrier size. While they are the largest size, they are still a very compact dog breed.

What Size Is A Standard Yorkie?

Standard Yorkies get to 8 to 9 inches (20.3cm to 22.9cm) tall at the shoulder and weigh around 7 pounds (3.2kg) when fully grown. They are the largest size of Yorkshire Terrier.

Standard Yorkies usually get to their full height at 8 months of age. From this time until 12 months they will continue gaining weight and muscle mass. They stop growing at the end of 12 months.

Standard Yorkie Temperament

Standard Yorkies have a feisty yet affectionate temperament. They are very energetic despite their small size and are also very inquisitive. Standard Yorkies are above average for intelligence so they are pretty easy to train however they can be stubborn at times. Standard Yorkies are usually friendly with strangers however they can be suspicious of them due to their small size.

Standard Yorkie Lifespan

Standard Yorkies have a lifespan of 13 to 16 years. They have the longest lifespan of all Yorkie sizes as they suffer from less health issues. You can give a Standard Yorkie the best chance of living a long life by giving them plenty of daily exercise, feeding them a healthy diet and keeping on top of vet appointments.

Standard Yorkie Price

Standard Yorkies cost between $2500USD and $5500USD. They are slightly cheaper than Teacup Yorkies however they are still very expensive as they are an extremely popular breed. Another reason why Standard Yorkies are so expensive is because they are a part of very small litters and Yorkies can only have one or two litters each year.