Recommended daily amount: 1/2 to 3/4 cup of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals. Note: How much your If I was considering a Yorkshire Terrier, I would be most concerned about…

  1) Grooming. Without frequent brushing and combing, Yorkshire Terriers become a matted mess. If you can’t commit to the brushing, you have to commit to frequent trimming to keep the coat short, neat, and healthy. You can even share the coat very short with clippers and then you won’t need to brush it at all. Personally I love this sheared cut because it’s so easy to care for and makes a Yorkshire Terrier look like a cute puppy throughout his life!

  2)  Fragility. Too many people acquire a toy breed without understanding how incredibly fragile a toy breed is. You can seriously injure a Yorkshire Terrier by stepping on him or by sitting on him when he’s curled under a blanket or pillow, where he frequently likes to sleep. And Yorkies can seriously injure or kill themselves by leaping from your arms or off the back of your sofa. A larger dog can grab a Yorkshire Terrier and break his neck with one quick shake. Owning a toy breed means constant supervision and surveillance of what’s going on around your tiny dog. Yorkshire Terriers must always be kept on-leash — they are just too easy to injure when not under your complete control. 

 3) Providing enough socialization. Some Yorkies are friendly and outgoing, but many have the standoffish or suspicious nature of a true terrier. Thus, Yorkshire Terriers need extensive exposure to people and to unusual sights and sounds. Otherwise their suspicion can become shrillness, or even nastiness.

 4) Barking. With their keen senses, Yorkies make excellent watchdogs. However, this can make them too quick to sound the alarm at every new sight and sound. You have to be equally quick to stop them before this tendency becomes an established habit. If that training is to be successful, your Yorkshire Terrier needs to respect you so that he stops barking when you tell him to.
Serious health problems. Many Yorkshire Terriers live a good long life, but unfortunately this breed is very prone to a severe liver disease called liver shunt. Other health concerns include knee problems that can require expensive surgery, plus eye diseases


If you want a dog who…

    Is small, fine-boned, elegant, easy to carry, and doesn’t take up much space
    Sheds very lightly (one of the best breeds for allergy sufferers)
    Is lively and inquisitive, and moves swiftly with light-footed grace
    Doesn’t need a lot of exercise
    Makes a keen watchdog — won’t fail to announce strangers
    Is peaceful with other pets

A Yorkshire Terrier may be right for you.adult dog eats depends on his size, age, build, metabolism, and activity level. Dogs are individuals, just like people, and they don’t all need the same amount of food. It almost goes without saying that a highly active dog will need more than a couch potato dog. The quality of dog food you buy also makes a difference — the better the dog food, the further it will go toward nourishing your dog and the less of it you’ll need to shake into your dog’s bowl. Take care that your Yorkie doesn’t get fat. Roly-poly is not a good look for this elegant breed. Keep your Yorkie in good shape by measuring his food and feeding him twice a day rather than leaving food out all the time. If you’re unsure whether he’s overweight, give him the eye test and the hands-on test. First, look down at him. You should be able to see your waist. Then place your hands on his back, thumbs along the spine, with the fingers spread downward. You should be able to feel but not see his ribs without having to press hard. If you can’t, he needs less food and more exercise. For more on feeding your Yorkshire Terrier, see our guidelines for buying the right food, feeding your puppy, and feeding your adult dog.