Breed Information for the Yorkshire Terrier "Yorkie"
AKA: Baby Doll Yorkies, Teddy Bear Yorkies
We Specialize in Size Guaranteed Baby Doll Face Yorkies.
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Our Yorkies come in 6 different sizes: Small Toys, Tiny Toys, Teacups, Tiny Teacups, Micro Tiny Teacups, & Mini Micro Tiny Teacups. "Tiny sizes are more delicate and not recommended for families with small children under 12 years of age"
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If you are looking for a pure breed dog, you may be surprised to find that they have a complex history and are one of the most mixed breeds given a purebred title. Yorkshire Terriers are recognized in the U.S. by associations like AKC, CKC, and CPR as their own registerable breed.
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Yorkies are also one of the healthiest tiny breeds due to the large variety of breeds that came together to create them.
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This varied history and combination of breeds also means that Yorkies come with different colors, patterns, hair texture, facial features, and styles.
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Read more about how to get the look or style you want in Yorkie Origin and Characteristics below.​
Personality
The Yorkie may be small in size, but they are BIG in personality! They are bold, confident, and smart little puppies that run the house! Yorkshire Terriers were originally bred as a hunting dog and are known for their intelligence. They are easy to train and easy to spoil!
Size
We carry Yorkie puppies that will range from 2-12 pounds as fully grown adults. The smaller the puppy the more delicate and fragile they will be even through adulthood. When shopping for your forever companion consider a size that works well with your family for the next 15 years. See our Size Chart & Price List for more information.
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Other breeders will offer low price regular and large toy sized Yorkies that will grow to be between 15-25 pounds. Many are pure breed Yorkies registered through the American Kennel Club (AKC). This is due to organizations and associations not being responsible for regulating teacup breeds.
We do not offer these larger sizes. However, if a small size is important to you don't settle for a low priced puppy that doesn't come with a written size size guarantee. 98% of teacup puppies sold are counterfeit teacups. This means they can grow to be 2-5 times the size you wanted and thought you were getting. See the Counterfeit Teacups page for more information.
Coat & Color Options
The Yorkie is defined by their beautifully colored coats. When born most standard Yorkies are black or deep brown with tan and white markings. As the puppy grows their coats develop silver, blue, and gold colors. Biewer Yorkies are a rare subsect of the Yorkie breed and they are born with a white undercoat not typical of traditional Yorkies. However, all Yorkie puppies are hypoallergenic and non-shedding. They won't leave fur on your clothes or furniture! If you are allergic to dogs, it is unlikely you will be allergic to a Yorkshire Terrier.
Grooming
The Yorkie requires regular grooming. Sticking to a regular grooming schedule for your pet will help make their needs more manageable. Brushing your pet's hair every 1-3 days will help fight tangles and mats. As their hair continues to grow a full body groom is needed every 4 to 6 weeks. The shorter their hair is cut the longer it will last in-between grooms. Ask for a “Puppy Cut” to keep their hair short and manageable, but not shaved too short.
Yorkies can have fine, soft, and silky hair, or it can be rich, thick, and fluffy. Either texture your Yorkie has they will be prone to dandruff on their skin. A pet shampoo that offers deep cleansing and moisture is a must! TropiClean Shampoo is a gentle shampoo that uses coconut oil and water to cleanse their coat and skin. Yorkies are known to be active and curious. Bathe your Yorkie every week to keep them fresh and clean! The TropiClean Deep Cleaning Shampoo uses raspberry and mango to provide a deep luxurious clean while oatmeal and coconut replenish natural moisture for a coat that’s soft and huggable!
Health
The Yorkie is known to be a fairly healthy breed. However, most small & teacups breeds do face health concerns related to their size.
One health condition to be aware of is Collapsing Trachea, or closing “windpipe”. Yorkie puppies have tiny tracheas that are very delicate. Always walk your Yorkie with a harness not a collar. Yorkies are actively curious and if they get distracted or try to run from you, the leash connected to a harness will help pull from their body instead of a collar pulling from their throat.
Hypoglycemia is also common in small breed dogs. Hypoglycemia is caused by low-blood sugar and is usually the result of a lacking diet. Hypoglycemia is easily preventable by monitoring their feeding schedule. Small puppies should eat every 4 hours to prevent low-blood sugar. A high calorie supplement such as Nutri-Cal is also recommended for tiny puppies. Mix Nutrical in your puppy's water bowl to maintain strong blood sugar levels throughout the day.
Origin - History - Characteristics
Yorkies didn’t always look like the cute little, tiny dogs we love today. Their characteristics come from a variety of terrier breeds originally found in England. Experts can't completely agree on the exact breeds that created our modern Yorkshire Terrier due to a variety in breeding methods used by Scottish immigrants.
The agreed upon primary breeds that are in a Yorkshire Terrier's bloodline are: Waterside Terrier, Skye Terrier, Paisley Terrier, Dandie Dinmont, Manchester Terrier, Maltese.
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This mixture of breeds is why DNA testing for a Yorkshire Terrier will always come back inconclusive. When you look closely at Yorkies you will notice the large variety of characteristics such as long ears, noses, and bodies as well as different coat textures and colors.
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It is us Americans and professional dog breeders that have used selective breeding to accomplish the look that many Yorkie lovers seek in a new puppy. Such as the Teddy Bear Face, Baby Doll Face and Tiny Petite Bodies with short ears and noses and silky soft coats and beautiful colors. It is up to you to decide on the size, looks and characteristics of the dog that will be with you for many years to come.
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After 30 years of breeding, we have found that 98 percent of the people that come to us looking for a puppy do not care about champion bloodlines or registration. All they want is a small or tiny healthy baby doll face Yorkie with short ears and noses that keep the forever puppy look that they fell in love with when they purchased it. A longtime companion to travel with and comfort them through the ups and downs in life. They make great family pets and are usually not afraid of larger dogs or cats. Many Yorkies are used as therapy or emotional support dogs.
Training
Yorkies can be difficult to train because they are so intelligent. They will observe your traits and behaviors and learn what to do to get their desired reaction from you. To train a Yorkie to listen, you will need **consistent rules**, dependable leadership & guidance. A Yorkie relies on you to create a dependable routine in your household and out in the world. They may not be the ideal pet for you if you do not have the will to be firm at times.
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Structure is a powerful way to help your dog be the perfect pet you always wanted. When your little dog can rely on a safe routine, and they know that you will take care of them, they begin to learn to calm down and stop overreacting or getting too excited. Yorkies as a breed, and especially those with behavior problems such as separation anxiety, fear, signs of aggression, and many more issues are greatly helped by giving them a consistent routine and commands so they always know what to expect.
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Having clear and consistent rules is extremely important for dogs. Small dogs thrive on clarity. Consistent patterns and expectations create a sense of security and increase a sense of calm and build trust in dogs. Many unacceptable behaviors are reduced or eliminated by simply setting up consistent household rules that your dog can rely on, such as door manners, crate training and command training will build impulse control and help your Yorkie's energy levels.
Don’t give them treats because they look cute or because you came home feeling guilty that you were gone all day. Give them treats for good behavior as a reward. They are people pleasers and will quickly learn what earns them a reward and will enjoy pleasing you and seeing you happy.
Diet & Nutrition
Monitor your Yorkie’s eating habits, especially during puppy stages. Offer your puppy food every 3 to 4 hours to help prevent low blood sugar. They should be eating roughly ¼ cup to ½ cup of dog food per day based on activity level and how much they weigh. A larger puppy will need more food on a daily basis than a smaller puppy.
A high-quality, small-bite size dry dog food is recommended to maintain their shiny coat, to protect their bones, keep their teeth clean, gentle on their digestive system, and keep them healthy overall. We recommend the brand Royal Canin in their Yorkie formula X-Small bites dry dog food. There is a Yorkie puppy formula for puppies 8 weeks to 10 months old. Then, there is an adult Yorkie formula for 10 months and beyond. A nutritional supplement, such as Nutrical, may also be needed in teacup and smaller sized puppies to prevent Hypoglycemia.