Toy Yorkie Guide: Lifespan, Price, Size, Temperament & More

Toy Yorkies (AKA Teacup Yorkies or Micro Yorkies) are the smallest size of Yorkshire Terrier. They are a controversial Yorkie size as their teacup size, a size synonymous with having many health issues, has been disguised by renaming them as the “Toy Yorkie” rather than “Teacup Yorkie”. While they are more demanding in terms of care and often have a shorter lifespan, they are still a loving breed that is devoted to their owners.

If you are interested in Toy Yorkies keep reading this article to find out the all the answers to your questions about this dog breed!

Table of Contents

Are There Toy Yorkies?

Yes, technically there are Toy Yorkies however they are not a unique Yorkshire Terrier size. Toy Yorkies are just another name for Micro or Teacup Yorkies. Some breeders refer to Teacup Yorkies as Toy Yorkies for marketing purposes.

toy yorkie (aka teacup yorkie) — Toy Yorkie (AKA Teacup Yorkie)

What Is A Toy Yorkie?

A Toy Yorkie is another name for the Teacup Yorkie or Micro Yorkie. They are the smallest size of Yorkshire Terrier. Toy Yorkies are made by breeding the smallest dogs of two different standard size Yorkie litters until they consistently create the Toy Yorkie size.

Summary

Toy Yorkie Characteristics
Size	5 to 6 inches (12.7cm to 15.2cm) tall at the shoulder.
Weight	4 to 7 pounds (1.8kg to 3.2kg)
Temperament	Bold, loving, loyal
Activity Levels	Low to moderate
Exercise Requirements	20 to 30 minutes
Lifespan	7 to 9 years
Coat	Tan & black/blue single coat
Shedding	Light
Apartment Adaptability	High
Good with Children	Older Children

Appearance

What Does A Toy Yorkie Look Like?

Toy Yorkies are a tiny dog breed that have silky, wavy coats that come in many colors with variations of black, blue and tan markings. Their chests, legs and head are usually tan in color that contrasts with the black or blue markings on the back of their neck down towards their tails. Toy Yorkies have prominent pointed ears on a small head with a flat top. They also usually have large dark eyes and a brown nose.

Toy Yorkie Size

What Size Is A Toy Yorkie?

Toy Yorkies get to 5 to 6 inches (12.7cm to 15.2cm) tall at the shoulder and weigh between 4 and 7 pounds (1.8kg to 3.2kg) when fully grown. They are the same size as a Teacup Yorkie, the smallest size of Yorkshire Terrier.

When Do Toy Yorkies Stop Growing?

Toy Yorkies usually get to their full height at 6 months of age. From this time until 9 months they will continue gaining weight and muscle mass. They stop growing at the end of 9 months.

What Is The Average Size Of A Toy Yorkie?

The average size of a Toy Yorkie is 5.5 inches (14cm) tall at the shoulder and 5.5 pounds (2.5kg) when fully grown.

How Much Does A Toy Yorkie Weigh?

An adult Toy Yorkie should weigh somewhere between 4 and 7 pounds (1.8kg to 3.2kg). They weigh the same as a Teacup Yorkie and are therefore the lightest Yorkshire Terrier size.

Toy Yorkie Breeders

If you are looking for a Yorkie breeder, consider PuppySpot where you can use our discount code PUPPY300 for $300 dollars off any dog! Check out the adorable Yorkie puppies that are currently available here!

PuppySpot is a dog adoption website that connects breeders with prospective pet owners. They have a zero tolerance policy for puppy mills which is why they screen every breeder annually! They have placed over 200,000 puppies in homes and offer various trusted, USDA-certified transportation options to deliver your puppy to your home safely! You won’t regret having a look at their Yorkie puppies here as they are so cute!

Teacup vs Toy Yorkie

Is A Teacup Yorkie The Same As A Toy Yorkie?

Yes, a Teacup Yorkie is the same as a Toy Yorkie. Teacup and Toy are interchangeable names given to the same size of Yorkshire Terrier. Some breeders refer to Teacup Yorkies as Toy Yorkies as the teacup size has a bad wrap in the dog breeding industry as they often have lots of health issues.

What Is Smaller A Toy Or Teacup Yorkie?

A Teacup Yorkie is not smaller than a Toy Yorkie. In fact they are the exact same size. That being said, some breeders do make a distinction between a Toy and Teacup Yorkie, labelling the smaller Yorkie as a Teacup and a larger one as a Toy size but there would be hardly any difference in size.

Temperament

Toy Yorkies have a dedicated temperament meaning that they are super loyal to their owners. While they are very affectionate with the family they aren’t so friendly towards strangers and other dogs as they are often suspicious of them. This is mainly due to the small size which makes them quite fearful. In these situations Toy Yorkies are likely to bark and be aggressive so it is important to train them out of this behavior.

Additionally, Toy Yorkies have a low sociability rating due to their tiny size which makes them very fragile and unable to safely socialise with larger dogs. They aren’t suited to being handled by young children as they are highly susceptible to bone breaks and fractures. Toy Yorkies may also snap at young children if they are teasing them.

Traits	Rating
Ease of Care	🐕🐕
Exercise Requirements	🐕
Friendliness	🐕🐕🐕
Sociability	🐕
Trainability	🐕🐕🐕

Do Toy Yorkies Bark A Lot?

Yes, Toy Yorkies bark a lot. They have a very bold personality which means they bark at everything from wanting to be fed to warning their owners of an intruder coming onto the property. Toy Yorkies should go under training to prevent bad barking habits from a very young age.

Do Toy Yorkies Sleep A Lot?

Yes Toy Yorkies sleep a lot compared to other dog breeds. They sleep for 13 to 18 hours every single day. This is significantly more than the average adult dog that sleeps between 10 and 13 hours each day.

Toy Yorkie Intelligence

Toy Yorkies rank 34th out of 138 dog breeds for obedience and working intelligence, making them a very smart dog breed. They make a great companion dog because of their ability to comprehend human emotions and know how act to support and comfort their owners.

Lifespan

What Is The Life Expectancy Of A Toy Yorkie?

The life expectancy of a Toy Yorkie is from 7 to 9 years. Toy Yorkies have a very short lifespan because they suffer from many health issues due to their tiny size. They are also highly likely to suffer from a fatal injury as they have very fragile bones and not much muscle mass to support their skeletal system.

Price

How Much Is A Toy Yorkie?

Typically a Toy Yorkie costs between $3000USD and $6000USD. Despite their high risk of suffering with serious health issues due to their small size, they still sell for exorbitant prices as they are a designer dog breed. Another reason why they are so expensive is because there are so few of them in each litter.

Grooming & Shedding

Do Toy Yorkies Shed?

Toy Yorkies are light shedders. They have a single coat so they do not undergo heavy seasonal shedding like double coated dog breeds. Toy Yorkies only shed a few hairs here and there throughout the year, a similar amount to how much hair humans lose yearly.

Are Toy Yorkies Hypoallergenic?

Yes, Toy Yorkies are classified as a hypoallergenic dog breed as they don’t release much dander (dead skin cells) along with their hair into the environment. People usually have a allergic reason when they come into contact with dander so when a dog doesn’t produce much of it, they are hypoallergenic.

How To Groom A Toy Yorkie

Brushing

Toy Yorkies with a show coat (long hair all the way to the ground) need to be brushed daily to ensure it stays silky smooth and tangle free. They should be brushed with a pin brush, slicker brush and metal tooth comb.

Yorkies that have shorter, trimmed coats do not need to be brushed daily. Many owners opt for this look as it doesn’t require as much maintenance. That being said they should be brushed 2 or more times weekly.

Cavapoo Size Guide (Micro, Teacup, Toy, Miniature & Standard)

While brushing your Toy Yorkie make sure you check their skin for ticks, parasites and other health issues.

Washing

Toy Yorkies are usually wahsed every three or four weeks, especially ones that have long hair. Toy Yorkies that have shorter hair don’t need to be bathed so frequently. It is important to not over wash your Yorkie as it can lead to flaky, dry skin.

Toy Yorkie Haircuts

Toy Yorkies need haircuts as their hair keeps growing much like human hair. That is why you sometimes seen Yorkshire Terriers that have super long hair that reaches the ground. There are many different haircuts to chose from for a Toy Yorkie. These are some of the most popular Toy Yorkie Haircuts:

Schnauzer Trim
Puppy Cut
Teddy Bear Cut
Kennel Cut
Show Cut

All of these haircuts can be done at professional dog grooming salons upon request or you can watch some YouTube videos to learn how to do it yourself at home. To save yourself the expense of visiting the dog groomer, you could invest in an at home dog grooming kit.

Toy Yorkie Clothes and Accessories

As Toy Yorkies are so small many people dress them up in cute clothes and accessories. You often see Toy Yorkies with little bows in their hair, especially ones with longer hair. Other people put their Yorkies in cute little dog sweaters.

toy yorkies with hair accessories — Toy Yorkies With Hair Accessories

Training

Training a Toy Yorkie is not always the easiest thing to do because they can be stubborn. They have the capacity to learn a wide range of tricks as they are quite smart however you have to be very patient.

How To Potty Train A Toy Yorkie

The best way to potty train a Toy Yorkie is to take them outside for 5 to 10 minutes after each meal to the designated toilet spot. Wait outside with your Yorkie until they do their business and once they are finished, reward them with a treat. Repeat the process until they go outside independently.

Toy Yorkie Exercise Requirements

Due to their small size, Toy Yorkies do not have demanding exercise requirements. They only need 20 to 30 minutes of exercise each day. Toy Yorkies like to go on short walks but nothing to long or strenuous as they have very short legs and tire quickly. They also like playing games around the house such as fetch or hide and seek. It is a good idea to carry a dog water bottle with you when walking your Yorkie so they always have access to hydration.

Breeding

Can Toy Yorkies Have Puppies?

Yes, Toy Yorkies can have puppies however health complications can arise during pregnancy due to their small size. Toy Yorkies usually have litters of 2 to 3 puppies.

How Long Are Toy Yorkies Pregnant?

Toy Yorkies are pregnant for roughly 2 months. The exact range for pregnancy length is 58 to 68 days. As they are so small, their pregnancies are usually on the shorter side.

Name Ideas

Toy Yorkie Girl Names

Coco
Bella
Luna
Nala
Sadie
Remi
Millie
Chloe
Hazel
Maya

Toy Yorkie Boy Names

Milo
Bear
Jax
Ollie
Blue
Leo
Duke
Buddy
Zeus
Ted

Is It Ethical To Own A Toy Yorkie?

While many people are drawn towards things that are small and cute, people need to be aware of how Toy Yorkies are often unethically bred with a disregard for the health and wellbeing of the puppies due to the rage for the designer dog. Toy Yorkies are the same as a Teacup Yorkie however renamed as an attempt to discard the bad reputation teacup sized breeds have. Toy Yorkies along with all Teacup breeds are subject to many debilitating health problems.

If you are considering to buy a Toy Yorkie, it is essential to do thorough research into their typical health issues e.g. poor bone density, heart defects, heart murmurs, seizures, dental & gum issues, kidney problems etc.

Questions To Ask Yourself Before Getting A Toy Yorkie

Can you take care of a Toy Yorkie?
Is everyone in the family on board and ready to welcome a tiny dog breed into the house?
Can you afford the medical bills if your Toy Yorkie becomes sick?
Do you have the flexibility to work from home and spend time observing your dog for health problems?
Are your children responsible and old enough to live with a teacup size breed?