When do Yorkies stop growing? The answer is usually 12 months or one year. This means that your Yorkshire Terrier is fully grown by the time it completes one year of age.
In this guide, we will cover the following important topics for a Yorkie owner about their pet’s growth:
- When do Yorkies stop growing?
- How big will my Yorkie dog get – Factors affecting Yorkie’s growth
- Yorkie growth chart based on its age
- Different stages of a Yorkie’s growth and development
- At what age is a Yorkshire terrier fully grown?
- Different types of Yorkies and their height and weight
- FAQs
Also Read: What is the Average Lifespan of a Yorkie
When Do Yorkies Stop Growing?
Yorkshire terriers or Yorkies stop growing by the time they compete 12 months of age.
Since Yorkies are a small dog breed, it can get difficult for us to know exactly how big they will actually get.
Although there is no fixed rule of thumb here, most Yorkie puppies can be considered ‘fully developed’ by the time they are one year old.
Since Yorkies are purebred dogs, we can more or less go by the breed’s growth norms.
Most purebred Yorkies with good bloodlines and lineages stop growing by the time they are 1 year old. Resultantly, we can extend the same rule to all Yorkie puppies.
This helps us answer the question: when do Yorkies stop growing? We can state that Yorkies stop growing by the time they reach 12 months or 1 year of age.
Also Read: Yorkie Vaccine Schedule
How Big will My Yorkie Puppy Get – Factors Affecting Your Yorkie’s Growth
To answer the question, how big will a Yorkie get, we need to consider factors that influence a Yorkie pup’s growth.
Gender
A male Yorkie is slightly bigger than a female in both height and weight. On an average, a fully grown male Yorkie measures about 10 inches at withers whereas a female measures about 8.5 inches. So if you want to become a dog owner of a small breed, this is a good thing to consider.
Age at which your Yorkie is spayed/neutered
Another factor that can impact your Yorkie’s growth is the age at which you de-sex it.
If you have your Yorkie de-sexed earlier (that is by the time it is 6 months old), then the hormones that stimulate the chemicals to stop growing get ‘cancelled out ‘from its body.
Resultantly, early spaying or neutering results in Yorkies with longer bones or slightly taller dogs.
Diet and lifestyle
Your puppy’s diet, exercise or activity levels will also influence how big your puppy will get.
Since Yorkies have the tendency to gain weight, you must feed and exercise them accordingly. The right dog food can keep your Yorkie weight controlled.
At the same time, being small breed dogs, they have very high metabolisms as a result of which, they tend to burn calories rapidly.
Resultantly, they need high calorie, high protein meals for optimal growth. Keep a yorkie weight chart handy as your best reference.
Please read our guide on Best Dog Food for Yorkies to get an insight about what to feed your pet.
Genes
In general, big parents will produce big puppies.
So, if you have seen your Yorkie’s parents, then you can safely assume that your Yorkie pup will also grow approximately as big as they are.
Also Read: When Do Yorkies Stop Teething
Yorkie Growth Chart According to Age – How Big Will My Yorkie Get?
Yorkies are classified by the AKC or American Kennel Club as toy breed dogs.
They are one of the smallest dog breeds in the world. They are also one of the most loved by pet parent aside from shih tzu or chihuahua puppy.
In the case of show Yorkies, clubs do not allow dogs weighing more than 7 lbs. However, most domesticated, non-show Yorkies tend to weigh slightly over 7 lbs.
Here is a Yorkie growth chart with the average weight range (minimum and maximum) for a standard toy breed Yorkie from birth to adulthood.
The above Yorkie growth chart is for standard toy breed Yorkies. Teacup yorkies are smaller.
How to Guesstimate How Big a Yorkie Will Get?
There are several factors that can help you get an idea of how much your Yorkie will weigh once it stops growing:
Using current weight
Here is one formula to estimate your Yorkie’s age at 12 months:
(2 X Yorkie’s weight at 12 weeks/3 months) + 0.5 = Estimated Yorkie weight at 12 months.
For example, if your Yorkie weighs 3.5 lb. at 12 weeks, then its adult weight will be 7.5 lb. Remember that this is not an exact or accurate prediction, and the final weight can wary by plus/minus 1 lb.
Another formula for estimating adult dog weight based on current puppy weight:
{(Your Yorkie Puppy’s weight at a certain age) ÷ (Its age in weeks)} × 52 = Approximate adult weight.
Using your pup’s height at 6 months
By the time your Yorkie is 6 months of age, it has reached 75% of its adult height. Its bones will now stop growing as the bone plates seal off.
However, your pup will still continue to gain weight as it is not fully an adult until it is 1 year old. Here is a formula to guesstimate your Yorkie’s size based on its height at 6 months:
(Your Yorkie’s height at 6 months × 100) ÷ 75 = Your Yorkie’s approximate height at adulthood
Using your pup’s paw size
You might wonder what your Yorkie’s paw sizes have to do with their weight at adulthood.
The weight or size of your puppy are proportionate to its paw size. So, if your pet has tiny paws, then chances are that its weight will be on the lower end of the scale.
In case it has slightly larger paws, then its size at adulthood will lie on the larger side of the Yorkie weight ranges given in the growth chart above.
Based on how much loose skin your puppy has
This is another factor which experts use for predicting or estimating an adult size dog’s weight. The more loose skin your puppy has, the more potential it has to grow into it.
Using your Yorkie’s parents size
If you have seen your Yorkie’s parents (or at least the dam), you can also estimate your pup’s final size based on their size.
Female Yorkie puppies will typically grow up to be the same size as their mother while male Yorkies will grow up to be approximately the same size as the father.
Typical Growth Stages of a Yorkie
Most Yorkies start small but like all dogs, they will grow with proper nourishment and care. Here are the different stages of development that all Yorkies undergo:
At birth
A newborn Yorkie puppy weighs just over a few ounces. It is tiny and its eyes are closed. At this point, it needs its mother for all the nourishment it needs.
By 3 weeks
At 3 weeks, Yorkie pups weigh about 10 ounces. It might have opened its eyes but it still depends on its dam’s milk. Your pet will also make some mewling sounds.
Between 4 and 8 weeks
Your Yorkie puppy will be bolder and will start exploring the world around. It will also play with its littermates and siblings.
Many breeders aim to start weaning off little puppies at this point. By the age of 8 weeks, your puppy is ready to go to its forever home.
Also Read: Why Are Yorkies So Hard to Potty Train
Between 8 weeks and 6 months
At this point, your puppy is eating solid food and is training.
Therefore, it will eat, sleep, go potty, play, and repeat this cycle. Expect your pup to sleep several hours in a day. It will start responding to many commands.
By the end of 6 months, your Yorkie puppy should be completely potty trained and sleeping through the night. No more yorkie poo everywhere!
Its ears will stand up and its baby or puppy teeth will fall out while adult teeth start developing.
Feed your Yorkie a healthy diet at this stage. Check out our guide on The Best Dog Food for Yorkie Puppy where we have several nutritious food choices for Yorkies.
As stated above, your Yorkie should weigh 75% of its adult yorkie weight at the end of 6 months.
Between 6 months to 1 year
This is the typical teenage phase of your Yorkie.
Continue training it and set the house rules. By the end of this phase, your little dog should not gain too much weight. You will also want to feed it fewer meals as advised by your vet.
For example, if you have been feeding your Yorkie puppy 4-6 small meals, you can reduce this to 3 or 2 meals by the time it is one year old.
Weigh your puppy periodically. If it is gaining too much weight, cut back on the food. Alternatively, if it is underweight, then feed it slightly more calorific food. Your vet is the best to guide you.
This is a good time to spay/neuter your pet.
Some dogs tend to gain weight after their de-sexing surgery, so speak to the vet whether you should change the food or increase your pet’s activity levels.
Here is a summary of approximate weight from birth to adulthood for Yorkies:
- At birth, your Yorkie is the size of an avocado, weighing just about 5 ounces!
- At 4 weeks, with a weight of 14.5 ounces, your Yorkie will be the size of a papaya!
- By 8 weeks, your puppy should weigh about 21.5 ounces or the size of a grapefruit.
- By 12 weeks, your Yorkie should weigh 32 oz. or the size of a large cabbage.
- At 16 weeks, your pup should be the size of a large eggplant weighing about 40 ounces.
- By 20 weeks, your pet should weigh slightly less than 50 ounces or about the size of a pineapple.
- By the time they are 1 year old, male Yorkies should measure between 8 and 9 inches at withers and fully grown female Yorkies should have a height of 7 to 8 inches at withers. The weight range for male and female Yorkies at adulthood is about 4 to 7 lb. with an overall length between 12 and 15.5 inches. This is the size of a butternut squash!
At What Age is a Yorkie Full Grown?
Your Yorkie puppy’s growth will start to taper around 8 to 9 months and stop fully by the time it is 1 year old.
At this point, its bone plates seal off, so its height will not increase.
Your pet is still at a risk of gaining too much weight particularly if it leads a sedentary lifestyle and has had its de-sexing operation.
So do ensure that your pet gets the exercise it needs.
Different Types of Yorkies and their Height and Weight at Adulthood
There are three common Yorkshire Terrier breeds available at breeders:
- Large or Giant Yorkies – These measure more than 9 inches in height and over 7 lb. in weight
- Standard Yorkies – These measure about 7 lb. in weight and up to 7 inches in height
- Teacup Yorkies – These are the smallest Yorkie size weighing under 4 lb and about 5-7 inches in height.
FAQs on When Do Yorkies Stop Growing?
1. Why is my Yorkie so big?
Your larger-than-average Yorkie could be a result of improper pairing of the parent dogs. Alternatively, it could be the large or giant Yorkie breed.
If all other parameters like diet and exercise are in check, you might want to work with your vet and rule out any underlying health issues.
2. Can a Yorkie weigh 20 lb?
Yes, there are some Yorkies weighing 15lb, 18lb, and even 20 lb. However, this is definitely not normal and you must ensure that your Yorkie stays within its optimal weight limit.
3. Can a 4 lb. Yorkie have puppies?
Yes, for the purpose of breeding, the Yorkie mating pair can be between 4 and 7 lb. A female of 4 lb. adult weight could have babies but her small birthing canal could require a C-section.
4. What is overweight for Yorkies?
A weight of about 10 lb. and over is considered overweight in this breed. Make sure you follow food portion control and ensure that your pet gets adequate exercise.
Conclusion – When Do Yorkies Stop Growing?
Your Yorkshire terrier will stop growing by the time it is 12 months old.
Your pet’s adult height and weight depend on many factors like its diet, lineage, gender, and also it’s timing of neutering/spaying. All these factors play a role in your Yorkie’s growth and adult weight and height.
We hope this guide helps you guestimate your Yorkie’s adult size accordingly.
