How Can You Tell How Big a Will Yorkie Get?
Yorkies come in all sizes – ranging from just a couple pounds to over 10 pounds (4.5 kg). So how do you know if you have a Teacup Yorkie or more of a Teapot Yorkie? Although there is no fool proof method of predicting your Yorkshire Terrier’s final weight, there are several methods you can use to make a pretty good guess. You should consider genetics, make calculations based on weight (we’ll show you how), and use our Yorkie Growth Chart to make a pretty good guess.
These methods work well for all Yorkies: standard, parti, or teacup Yorkies.
A fairly accurate method that many Yorkshire Terrier breeders swear by is the Yorkie Growing Chart below.
Consider Genetics
Find out how large your Yorkie puppy’s mom and dad are. Chances are your Yorkie will be somewhere in that range.
Find out how large your Yorkie’s siblings are. If he is smaller than most of his siblings, chances are he will be in the lower part of that range. If he is larger than most of his siblings, he will most likely be in the higher end of that range.
Calculating Full Grown Weight
Weigh your Yorkie puppy on his 8 week birthday. Take that weight and triple it. Your answer will be a good guesstimate on how much he will weigh when he reaches maturity. For instance, if he weighs 33 oz (935 g) at 8 weeks, you should triple that number (33 x 3) and you get 99 oz (2805 g) full grown. To convert that to pounds simply divide the number of oz by 16 (so 99/16 in our case) and the puppy will be about 6 pounds (2.7 kilograms) full grown.
You can also weigh your Yorkie on his 12 week birthday. Take that weight and double it. The answer to that will be a good estimate of how much he will weigh when he’s full grown. For instance, if he weighs 30 oz (850 g) at 12 weeks, simply double that number (30 x 2) and you get 60 oz (1700 g) at maturity. To convert that to pounds, just divide the number of ounces by 16 (in our example 60/16) and you get almost 4 lbs (1.8 kg).
Yorkie Growth Chart Calculator
This Yorkie weight chart is an easy to use and fairly reliable tool you can use to predict the final weight of your Yorkshire Terrier. Although it cannot predict final weight down to the ounce it will make a pretty accurate prediction in most cases. Below you’ll find one yorkie growing chart that uses pounds and the other kg.
How to Use the Yorkshire Terrier Weight Growth Chart.
First, make sure the puppy is weighed exactly on his weekly birthday.
Second, don’t just weigh the puppy for one week and make a prediction. Use the chart over several weeks to see how heavy the puppy is trending. You will see a pattern over several weeks and have more confidence that your guesstimate will be more accurate.
Find the weekly age of your puppy. Then find the weight of your puppy (or closest weight) in that week’s row. Then go down that column to the bottom of the chart to find the weight of your dog at maturity.
Yorkie Growth Chart in Kg
Having moved back and forth from Canada to the United States a couple of times, I understand the difficulty of using a measurement system that I am not familiar with. The numbers are virtually useless! So in order to give everyone an easily understandable chart, here is a weight chart based on kilograms.
What is the Standard Yorkie Weight?
According to AKC, a standard Yorkie is considered to be anything 7 lbs (3.2 kg) and under. Generally 4-7 lbs (1.8-3.2 kg) is considered Standard. Yorkies that are under 4 lbs (1.8 kg) are sometimes referred to as teacup Yorkies. There is a lot of debate about the term teacup Yorkie. Without going into all the issues right here, a teacup Yorkie is not a separate breed it is a weight designation that people use to mean really small – so a Yorkie under 4 lbs (1.8kg).
How Accurate is the Yorkie Growing Chart?
The Yorkie Growth Chart is not 100% accurate – able to guess your Yorkie’s final weight down to to the ounce, but it is a reliable tool that will get you in the ballpark and give you a good indication of how large your Yorkie will be. Breeders have been using it for years with great success. I’ve found it very helpful with my Yorkies and their litters as well.
As a general rule, you can use it as a helpful predictor of final growth. Use it correctly and you will have good results.
Make sure the puppy is weighed exactly on the first day of his weekly birthday.
Second, use the chart over several weeks to find a pattern and see how heavy the puppy is trending.
This chart is designed for Yorkshire Terriers. If you have a Yorkie, don’t use a generic chart or a chart designed for other breeds. They won’t be as accurate. If you don’t have a Yorkie, don’t use this chart. Find a chart designed for that breed.
Proper nutrition (or lack of it) as well as prolonged sickness at a young age can both play a role in the accuracy of the chart.
Is My Yorkie Full Grown at 6 Months?
No, a Yorkshire Terrier is not full grown at 6 months. Although your Yorkie puppy won’t be growing as quickly and dramatically as he did when he was younger, your Yorkshire Terrier is still growing and will continue to slowly do so until they reach about 1 year of age.
A Yorkie that is about 4 lbs (1.8 kg) at 6 months will probably finish around 5 lbs (2.3 kg) as an adult.
At What Age Do Yorkies Reach Their Full Size?
Yorkies generally reach their full size around 1 year of age. That is not to say that their will be absolutely no growth after 12 months – but by that time most Yorkshire Terriers have stopped growing and he is pretty close to his final weight.
I had a Yorkie who grew some after her 1st year. Dogs, in general, finish their growth about 16 months of age, so you are not guaranteed that your dog has stopped growing until around that time.
Factors that Influence Weight
Health and nutrition play important roles in a dog’s weight.
Problems in health and nutrition in that formative 1st year can influence final growth. A dog who was sicly or was not given proper nutrition may not reach its full growth potential.
A dog who is given too much to eat or the wrong kinds of food may become overweight.
The methods used to determine final weight at maturity do not account for these variables.
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