The one thing that should always be considered before bringing a pet is whether you will be able to maintain it or not. I, for one, considered it seriously before getting a dog because I had busy days and was looking for something that was low maintenance.
But I also really wanted to get a Yorkie. They are just so tiny and cute. So I first did proper research to get an answer to my question – Are Yorkies High Maintenance?
After asking many Yorkie owners and reading tonnes of reference books, I found an answer. Now, if you are confused about the same thing, let me make it easier for you.
Let’s discuss in detail why or why not Yorkies are High Maintenance.
Are Yorkies High Maintenance?
In comparison to other dog breeds, Yorkies are relatively low maintenance. They are said to be budget dogs and maintaining them is pretty affordable.
But it takes a lot of effort when it comes to grooming. Grooming a Yorkie can be daunting for an owner.
Let’s take a look at why or why not Yorkies are high maintenance.
5 Reasons Why Yorkies Are High Maintenance
1. Their Hairy Coat Requires Care
Yorkies have a beautiful hair coat of steel, grey-blue, and smooth brown color. It can grow from their heads and reach their tails.
They don’t shed much hair like other breeds who keep shedding their furs because Yorkie hairs have the capacity to grow long. So shedding is minimum but you need to properly groom your Yorkie.
These hair coats require as much care as human hair does. So you will have to comb your pet friend’s hair 3-4 times a week if you wish to maintain a nice smooth and pretty coat.
Use a stiff bristle brush to comb your Yorkie’s coat. You can check out this pretty cheap but amazing brush on amazon.
You can take a look at the best brushes that we have reviewed here.
Also, this shampoo is amazing for your Yorkie’s hair coat.
If you want a variety of options for shampoo, take a look at the best shampoo available in the market for your pet friend here.
2. Difficult to Housetrain
It is often noticed that small breed dogs are tough to train. They tend to be more notorious and stubborn when they are being potty trained or house trained.
This might be the case because they have smaller bladders and require to be trained up till their second years.
Also, they are more prone to having separation anxiety. Separation anxiety occurs in dogs when the person they are attached to is not in close proximity or is not at home. This anxiety leads to destructive habits in Yorkshire terriers.
You can read up more about separation anxiety here and how it can be treated.
Because he is going to be a bit hard to train, you need to start right from the beginning without any delays, and staying consistent with the training is very important!
3. Difficult to Crate Train
The case of crate training a Yorkie is similar to that of potty training and house training. It is tough.
Your Yorkshire terrier puppy can be yappy and hyperactive and thus, crate training is very important. But like I mentioned before, they are stubborn so you will need to bear the difficulties of training for a while.
Also, they get scared very easily. So as much as a safe space a crate seems, it might be scary for your puppy in the beginning.
You will need loads of patience in crate training your lapdog.
4. Susceptible to Diseases
Yorkshire Terriers are a little susceptible to diseases. A few common diseases that can affect your Yorkie are tracheal collapse, canine entropion, portosystemic shunt, retinal dysplasia, and patellar luxation.
You can take a look at the best luxating patella dig supplements here. These supplements are helpful for your Yorkie’s joint health.
Some of the less frequent diseases are waterfalls, alopecia, urolithiasis, and progressive retinal atrophy.
These diseases might become serious in your Yorkie and you will need to take him to the vet and you might also have to get surgery done.
5. Require Constant Attention and Affection
If you are a Yorkie owner, I am sure you must know the amount of attention and affection they require. Yorkies can easily get anxious, scared, or jealous if you don’t attend to them properly.
As a dog lover, it should not be much of an issue for you but it might still get annoying sometimes. If you work full time and you have to come back home to an angry puppy, you may not like it.
Also, everybody requires their own space and you also do. But you might have to compromise a bit with that because your teacup Yorkie will want to stay with you all the time.
5 Reasons Why Yorkies Are Not High Maintenance
We looked at reasons as to why Are Yorkies High Maintenance. It’s time to discuss what makes them a breed that is not high maintenance.
1. Hypoallergenic
The word Hypoallergenic in simple terms means something or someone that is “relatively unlikely to cause an allergic reaction.” Your Yorkie is exactly that!
It is often seen that many dog lovers can’t really become pet parents due to their allergies to fur or diseases like asthma.
Well, with Yorkies, you can easily own them because the type of hairy coat they have leads to almost no shedding so people with allergies won’t have a problem around them.
Of course, no dog is 100% allergy free, but a Yorkie is considered safer than the rest of the breeds.
2. Fewer Food Requirements
Yorkies are very small in size and weigh only around 4-8 pounds. They have smaller stomachs and they are also picky eaters.
Now you might be thinking that ‘picky eater’ should be a con but trust me it’s not. Since they are picky they don’t want to try out many food items and are mostly satisfied with their basic food only. So your one bag of food is going to last for a long time.
Additional costs on pet food and all can be really stressful. But you don’t need to worry about it much if you have a Yorkie. They don’t have many demands and are okay with cheap food as well.
Take a look at this healthy Yorkie food that we totally rely on.
If you are looking out for some more Yorkie food options, take a look at our extensive review for the best foods here.
Is your Yorkie suffering from allergies? This guide has the best foods for allergic Yorkies.
3. They Can Be Entertained Just By Your Company
Yorkies are very devotional, loving, and affectionate pets. Your puppy will be more than happy even if you just spend time with them and not bring them toys or other entertaining things.
They are talkative dogs and require cuddles but that’s all. Also, no moment with a Yorkie will be dull. If they get proper attention and affection, they will be cheerful all the time and brighten up your day as well.
No extra expenses on keeping them entertained are required.
If you are looking for a companion, Yorkshire terrier is just the right breed for you. The only motto that fits here is Give love and receive love.
4. Require Smaller Space
Another perk of a Yorkie’s small size is that they require smaller spaces. You won’t have to worry much about where to keep your Yorkie and making larger spaces for them.
He will be happy with a small space on the floor. He will be very adaptable and his small size will enable you to carry him anywhere.
This is also the reason why they are very suitable pets for senior citizens and anyone with a physical disability.
You can also get a small crate and keep him there. It will take him some time to adapt to it but once that’s done, he is going to feel very comfortable and safe there.
You can take a look at this amazing crate that we totally love.
5. Walking Is The Best Form of Exercise
If you are a working pet parent, you might be stressing about how to manage time for your work as well as your puppy’s exercises. Well, in the case of Yorkies, you don’t need to worry about that.
Yorkies are very small dogs and walking is the best exercise for them. That too, you won’t need to take him out for very long walks. A 15 minute walk for a Yorkie puppy and a 20-25 minute walk for an adult is more than enough. This is okay to keep them healthy and active.
These walks can also be a relaxing time for you after a hard day at work. What more is needed than a little breeze and a tiny doggo to walk with?
Are Yorkies Expensive To Take Care Of?
There are many kinds of expenses that you need to count on before deciding to get a puppy. The cost of the puppy, supplies cost, grooming cost, training cost, and so on.
Below are some average estimated expenses that you will need to incur if you own a Yorkie.
| Category | Avg. Cost |
| Total supplies cost for the first year | $345 |
| Supplies cost in subsequent years | $140 |
| Training cost | $1000 |
| First year vet cost | $590 |
| Adult year vet cost | $465 |
| Yearly food cost (puppy) | $70 |
| Yearly food cost (adult) | $55 |
| Yearly treats | $150 |
You can take a look at the detailed vaccination schedule and their cost here.
FAQs on Are Yorkies High Maintenance?
1. Are Yorkies OK To Be Left Alone?
Yorkies do need attention and care quite often and are more prone to separation anxiety. But it can be the personal characteristic of a Yorkie dog.
If your Yorkie constantly wants to stay around you, then maybe leaving him alone for long hours might not be the best idea.
Ideally, a young puppy terrier can be left alone for 2-3 hours at once. The time period can increase as they grow up.
But always remember that it depends more on your dog’s personal traits rather than the traits of the species as a whole.
2. What Are The Common Problems With Yorkie?
The common problems that you will face with a Yorkie can be a tough time in training or grooming. They are also not very good with children at first so if you have small kids at home, you need to be careful. They are yappy and can bark a lot.
Sometimes they also don’t gel well with dogs of other breeds.
But all these problems can be solved with proper training and socialization. You will need to give some of your time to it if you decide to make a Yorkie your pet.
3. Is It Better To Have One Or Two Yorkie?
Most Yorkies don’t like being alone so having two Yorkies can be good for them. But you need to be careful with this because they might fight over territory and dominance.
Also, two Yorkies mean more vet trips, more care, more attention, more food. Only have two pets if you are sure you can mentally, physically, and economically afford all of this.
Conclusion
I think you can now decide for yourself after reading our Are Yorkies High Maintenance guide if you want your four-legged friend to be a Yorkshire terrier or some other dog breed.
Yorkshire terriers require a bit of maintenance but are great when it comes to company and affection. They are also very good therapy dogs and can brighten up your mood instantly.
A little bit of grooming and training can solve all the problems and you will be in for a wonderful ride with your pet friend.
