A steel-blue-and-tan Yorkshire Terrier with a short puppy cut sitting in a bright kitchen
Breed Encyclopedia

Yorkshire Terrier

The Yorkie is a tiny toy terrier with a big, feisty personality and a long, silky blue-and-tan coat. It started out catching rats in English mines and mills, still has plenty of energy, and does best with truly tiny treat portions and good dental care.

A steel-blue-and-tan Yorkshire Terrier with a short puppy cut sitting in a bright kitchen

  • SizeToy
  • AKC groupToy Group
  • Height7-8 in
  • Weight7 lb
  • Life expectancy11-15 years
Part A

About the Yorkshire Terrier

Origin and purpose

Yorkies come from the northern English countryside in the mid-1800s, where they worked as terriers catching rats in mines and mills before becoming fashionable Victorian lapdogs. (YTCA, AKC fun facts, AKC breed page)

Coat and energy

The coat is long, straight, silky and glossy with no undercoat, so it sheds little but tangles without daily brushing. Adults are steel blue and tan, and many pet owners keep a short, trimmed "puppy cut". (AKC breed standard, AKC fun facts, AKC)

AKC calls the Yorkie a high-energy breed that needs regular walks and plenty of mental stimulation. (AKC)

Nutrition and weight

The AKC standard caps adult Yorkies at 7 lb, so a single human-sized cookie can be a large share of the day's calories. Merck and Tufts veterinary nutrition guidance both say to keep all treats under 10% of daily calories. (AKC breed standard, Merck: feeding, Tufts)

Pet Yorkies often run heavier than the standard: in UK veterinary records the median adult weight was about 11 lb, and overweight or obesity was the fourth most common problem recorded (3.72% in one year). Ask your veterinarian what a healthy weight is for your own dog rather than going by the standard alone. (VetCompass, RVC infographic)

The Yorkshire Terrier Club of America warns that Yorkie puppies can be prone to low blood sugar, most of all between 6 and 12 weeks old. The club suggests feeding young puppies 3-4 times a day and moving to two meals as they mature, and Merck notes small-breed puppies may need more than three meals a day. Treats should never stand in for a puppy's regular meals, and if a puppy seems weak, wobbly or listless, contact your veterinarian right away. (YTCA, Merck: feeding)

Health watch

  • Dental disease (gum disease and retained baby teeth): Gum (periodontal) disease was by far the most common diagnosis in UK Yorkies, recorded in 21.1% in a single year, and earlier UK research found about twice the odds of crossbred dogs. Retained baby teeth were more than three times as common as in dogs overall (3.57% vs about 1%). The researchers point to tooth brushing and dental diets for better dental health, so count a homemade biscuit as a calorie extra, not as tooth care. (VetCompass, RVC infographic)
  • Patellar luxation (kneecap dislocation): The kneecap slips out of its groove, usually toward the inside of the leg. It was recorded in 3.42% of UK Yorkies, and earlier studies found about 5.5 times the odds of crossbred dogs in England and a 7.3-fold relative risk in Swedish insurance data. Merck counts weight management in the care of mild cases, so keeping a Yorkie lean, with treat calories counted, is sensible. (VetCompass, Merck table, Merck: kneecap, YTCA)
  • Legg-Calve-Perthes disease: The blood supply to the ball of the hip joint is interrupted, so the bone dies and collapses, causing hip pain and stiffness. OFA lists the Yorkshire Terrier as an at-risk breed, and it is most often seen in miniature and toy breeds between 4 months and 1 year of age. No specific treat link. (OFA, Merck table, YTCA)
  • Liver shunt (congenital portosystemic shunt): An abnormal blood vessel lets blood from the gut bypass the liver, which can cause nervous-system signs. Merck names Yorkies among the toy breeds in which shunts outside the liver are more common. Diet can be part of non-surgical management, so a Yorkie with a known shunt should only get treats that fit its veterinarian's plan. (Merck: liver)
  • Pancreatitis: Inflammation of the pancreas, which can cause vomiting and belly pain. The Merck Veterinary Manual names Yorkshire Terriers among breeds with a higher prevalence and lists eating trash or large amounts of table scraps as a common risk factor, so rich, buttery pastry and leftovers are a poor fit. Keep treats lean and small. (Merck: pancreatitis)

Fun fact

During World War II, a Yorkie named Smoky is credited with dragging a communications cable through a drainage culvert roughly 8 inches wide and 60 feet long. She is often called the world's first therapy dog for her visits to injured soldiers in hospitals. (AKC fun facts)

Part B

Baking, treats and ingredients

Breed-specific baking notes

  • Think crumbs, not cookies. For a dog the AKC standard caps at 7 lb, one treat should be a fingernail-sized bite or smaller, and only a few a day, so all treats stay under 10% of daily calories. (AKC breed standard, Merck: feeding)
  • Go easy on fat. Merck names Yorkies among breeds with a higher rate of pancreatitis and lists eating large amounts of table scraps as a common risk factor, so skip butter-rich pastry, frosting and scraps from your plate, and choose simple, lean recipes. (Merck: pancreatitis)
  • Treat time is not tooth-care time. Yorkies are especially prone to gum disease, and the VetCompass researchers point to tooth brushing and dental diets for better dental health, so don't count on a baked treat to clean teeth. (VetCompass, RVC infographic)
  • Ask first after a diagnosis. If your Yorkie has been diagnosed with a liver shunt or pancreatitis, ask your veterinarian before offering any homemade treat, because diet can be part of managing both. (Merck: liver, Merck: pancreatitis)

General baking safety (all dogs)

  • Never use xylitol. The FDA warns that this sweetener, found in some baked goods, sugar-free candy and gum, sugar-free desserts and some peanut and nut butters, can make a dog's blood sugar crash quickly, so read the label of every ingredient. (FDA)
  • Leave these out of every bake. The ASPCA lists chocolate, coffee and other caffeine sources (such as tea), grapes and raisins, macadamia and other nuts, onions and garlic, and raw yeast dough among foods to keep away from pets. If your dog eats any of these, or xylitol, contact your veterinarian or an animal poison control line, such as the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435, right away. (ASPCA)
  • Be honest about vanilla. Under the U.S. standard of identity, vanilla extract must contain at least 35% alcohol by volume, and other baking extracts are often alcohol-based too, so check the label. The ASPCA lists alcohol among foods to avoid for pets and notes it is absorbed quickly, so leave alcohol-based extracts out of dog treats. (21 CFR 169.175, ASPCA)

Daily calories and treat budget

A typical neutered adult at 7 lb (smaller Yorkies need less) needs roughly 266 kcal a day (RER x 1.6, Merck Veterinary Manual), so treats should stay under about 27 kcal a day (the 10% guideline). Intact, very active, young, senior or overweight dogs differ, so ask your veterinarian for your dog's number.

Check an ingredient before you bake, and see how to portion treats with the 10% rule.

Treat size: For a typical neutered adult Yorkie at 7 lb (smaller Yorkies need less), keep treats under about 27 kcal a day, roughly 10% of daily calories.

Ask your veterinarian about

  • Dental disease
  • Patellar luxation
  • Legg-Calve-Perthes disease
  • Liver shunt
  • Pancreatitis

Breed tendencies don't mean your dog has a condition. Your veterinarian knows your dog.

Tiny puppies need regular meals of their complete puppy food. Treats never replace a meal. If your puppy is weak, trembling or unsteady, call your vet straight away.

Ingredients to know

Sources

  1. Your Yorkshire Terrier (breed club brochure), Yorkshire Terrier Club of America (AKC parent club), brochure hosted by AKC. Checked October 22, 2026.
  2. Facts About the Yorkshire Terrier That You May Not Know, American Kennel Club. Checked October 22, 2026.
  3. Yorkshire Terrier (Yorkie) Dog Breed Information, American Kennel Club. Checked October 22, 2026.
  4. Official Standard of the Yorkshire Terrier, American Kennel Club. Checked October 22, 2026.
  5. Is the Yorkshire Terrier the Right Breed for Your Lifestyle?, American Kennel Club. Checked October 22, 2026.
  6. Feeding Practices in Small Animals, Merck Veterinary Manual. Checked October 22, 2026.
  7. Growth Guide: Keeping your Puppy on the Right Track, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine (Petfoodology). Checked October 22, 2026.
  8. Yorkshire Terriers under primary veterinary care in the UK - demography and disorders (doi:10.1186/s40575-025-00145-y), Companion Animal Health and Genetics (O'Neill DG, Witkowska SD, Brodbelt DC, Church DB, Engdahl KS, 2025; Royal Veterinary College VetCompass). Checked October 22, 2026.
  9. Yorkshire Terriers under primary veterinary care in the UK - demography and disorders (infographic), Royal Veterinary College (VetCompass). Checked October 22, 2026.
  10. Table: Heritable Conformational Conditions Resulting in Canine Osteoarthritis, Merck Veterinary Manual. Checked October 22, 2026.
  11. Patellar Luxation in Dogs and Cats, Merck Veterinary Manual. Checked October 22, 2026.
  12. Legg-Calve-Perthes, Orthopedic Foundation for Animals. Checked October 22, 2026.
  13. Congenital and Inherited Anomalies of the Liver in Animals, Merck Veterinary Manual. Checked October 22, 2026.
  14. Pancreatitis and Other Disorders of the Pancreas in Dogs, Merck Veterinary Manual. Checked October 22, 2026.
  15. Paws Off Xylitol; It's Dangerous for Dogs, U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Checked October 22, 2026.
  16. People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets, ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. Checked October 22, 2026.
  17. 21 CFR 169.175 -- Vanilla extract., U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulation, published in the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). Checked October 22, 2026.

Last checked against these sources: October 22, 2026.

Written by VanillaGoods from the cited sources. Not reviewed by a veterinarian. Not a substitute for veterinary advice.