Yorkies are a healthy breed. They should remain active and in good health most of their lives…but what is the average lifespan of a Yorkie?
Average Lifespan of a Yorkie Terrier
The average lifespan of a Yorkie is about 14 years.
They are able to stay healthy and active most of their lives because they, like other small breed dogs, don’t suffer from muscular and bone diseases that the larger breeds can sometimes be afflicted wtih.
During their lives, they go through many different stages. Understanding what life stage your Yorkie is in will enable you to better care for your littlest family member.
Yorkie Life Stages and Milestones
Let’s start from the very beginning to the very end to at look at a Yorkshire Terriers life stages across it’s life span.
You can also check out Yorkie Puppy Stages for a more in-depth look of the puppy years.
At the Breeder
Fetus
A baby Yorkie will grow as a fetus inside its mother.
It will grow from a single cell to a full term puppy in about 63 days.
The Dependent Young-un: Baby life Weeks 1-8
The Dependent Newborn
This period lasts from Birth to about Two Weeks.
For this time period think dependence. The Yorkie puppy is completely dependent on their mother for every part of their life.
The Transitioning Toddler
This puppy stages describes the time period when the puppy is between two and four weeks old.
The puppy is still dependent on mom, but is starting to work toward a little bit of independence. It is during this time, that puppy takes its first toddling steps and begins to explore. The puppy will take a lot of “toddling” firsts during this stage.
The Curious Social Kid
The puppy hits this stage when she reaches four weeks of age and it lasts until about week eight.
By now the puppies are even less dependent on mom for life. They are learning how to make it on their own and they are curious about their new world. They are learning how to interact with people and other dogs. Putting them in new situations is key to developing the puppy into a balanced canine citizen.
Life with the New Owner
The Independent but Possibly Fearful Puppy: Weeks 8-12
The Elementary Trainee
Your breeder should have already begun training your puppy and acclimatizing it to life in a human world. But now the torch of rearing this puppy has been passed onto you.
This initial phase of a puppy’s life begins when she is 8 weeks old and will continue until she is twelve weeks old. Capitalize on it!
As soon as your puppy comes home, she’s ready to begin learning – and whether or not you formally train her, she will learn what you expect of her based on how you treat her. So be proactive and consistent and train her as a puppy the way that you want her to behave as an adult. Keep the formal training light however. Remember, she’s just old enough to be in elementary school right now.
Socialization
It is important to socialize your puppy to new people and new experiences during this period. These experiences should always be positive. As your puppy will not be fully vaccinated yet, you must be careful to keep her away from unvaccinated animals and areas where unvaccinated animals may have been. With some creativity, you can provide proper socialization during this period.
Fear
It is common for dogs to react to new situations and people with fear. Be care to not overwhelm your dog and to always make sure the experience is positive.
The Socialite in Training Pre-Teen: 3-5 Months
The pre-teen stage in a Yorkshire Terrier’s life happens between weeks 12 to 24 (3-4 Months).
In typical, pre-teen fashion, she’s gaining confidence and starting to assert his independence. There will be no doubt as to what her personality is. It will come shining through her actions.
Socialization
It is important to continue to provide positive social experiences in a safe environment. Be careful of where you take your puppy if she is not vaccinated yet.
Teething
Teething is also a thing in this teeny-bopper life stage. New teeth are coming in…so there will be plenty of chewing going on.
Training
She’s becoming more adept at communicating with you and understanding your communication with her – so keep up the training and help develop her mind.
The Assertive Teenage Yorkie: 6-12 Months
Ahh…yes! The teenage years. You gotta love ’em.
Get ready for your little teenage baby to begin to assert their authority and test you as an authority figure. Be sure to know your boundaries and stick with it when they are tested. Oh, the similarities to the human world!
During this time, males will become sexually mature and females will have first their heat. Just because they are able to be bred, doesn’t mean that they should be bred. Responsible breeders won’t allow their dogs to bred while they are in their teenage years.
The Balanced Adult: 1 – 10 Years
The Young Adult (12-18 Months)
People often ask when is a Yorkie no longer a puppy?
The answer is simple: one year. Your little Yorkie will enter the world of young adulthood on her first birthday. Young adulthoold lasts from 1 to 1 1/2 years old.
While she still has things to learn, she’s gained some maturity over the last year and is ready to take on the world and build on her last year of past experiences. This is why the first year of a puppy’s life is so important and foundational.
When a Yorkie reaches this young adult milestone, she can be switched from adult food to puppy food.
Adult (1 1/2 to 10)
A Yorkshire Terrier is in the full swing of adult hood by 1 1/2 years.
Her personality has developed. She has developed habits for how she responds to people, places, dogs, and new experiences. Hopefully her early life has given her wisdom, balance, trust, and security. She has learned her place in your home and you have learned her needs and preferences. You should be able to enjoy many years together of mutual trust and care.
Of course, some Yorkshire Terriers were not given the blessing of a stable and nourishing early weeks and months and they have developed problem behaviors. Perhaps for one reason or another you find yourself with a problem adult Yorkshire Terrier. This type of dog will need extra love, care, and patience. Outside guidance may be necessary to create a relationship that is beneficial to both owner and dog.
The Senior: Golden Years: 10 and up
A Yorkshire Terrier hits her golden years around age 10.
Most dogs hit their senior years around 8 years and that may be true for some Yorkshire Terriers. However, because this breed is a generally healthy smaller breed, they usually don’t hit these years until they are about 10 years old.
The small size of Yorkies prevents them from being struck by bone and muscle diseases more common in larger breeds.
In the senior years, as with humans, your Yorkshire Terrier may experience dental problems requiring a change in diet.
You’ll also want to be aware of any hearing or vision loss that can tend to plague the older generation.
As a senior, your Yorkie won’t be able to get around very fast.
With all of these challenges and ailments, you’ll want to make sure that your dog has a safe, out of the way place she can rest without fear of being bothered or trampled.
Lifespan of a Yorkshire Terrier
I’m sure you’ve heard it before. 1 year in our human world is equal to about 7 dog years. This fact was always fun to play with as a child. We would tease each other and say how old we would be if we were a dog! We’d also try to figure out who we knew that was about the same age as our family dog! It was a fun to work out this guesstimate.
Being aware of what life stage your Yorkie is in can be a helpful tool to guide your understanding of what your pup is going through and what needs he might have.
Comparison with Other Dog Breeds
Every dog breed tends to age a little differently. Both larger and medium dogs tend not to live as long as Yorkies do, so they will hit their senior years and need senior care long before a Yorkshire Terrier does.
On the other hand, smaller dogs tend to reach maturity earlier than larger breeds do. This means that they will hit their teen and adult years sooner than many larger breeds.
Given that a Yorkshire Terrier reaches maturity earlier and becomes a senior later than other dogs, I guess you could say that she lives at her prime longer!
Because each dog breed ages differently, 7 dog years matching up to one human year is simply a helpful approximate…but not entirely accurate when it comes to the Yorkshire Terrier.
The life span of a Yorkie is colorful and rich. May you and your Yorkshire Terrier enjoy it to the fullest.
Go back to Yorkie Information