Today, we’re going to talk about the growth of Yorkies. It’s a common question among pet parents: when do Yorkies stop growing?
The answer is, it depends on the weight and breed of your Yorkie. While some species will have stopped reaching full size by age 1 or 2, others may not be fully grown until they are 3-5 years old.
To find out how long your pup needs to grow before you can call them an adult dog, keep reading!
How Yorkies Develop and Grow?
When a puppy is born, it’s just a little jellybean that obeys the laws of physics. That means when they are in their den with their siblings; they are entirely helpless. Their eyes are closed, their ears are folded over until they pop up after about ten days or so, and they can’t walk at all.
Suckling Stage
A few days after birth, your little pup will come out of the den and become a little active. A mother dog will feed her young for about four weeks before bedding down with them in a safe place like an ordinary dog living place. After that, the pups are old enough to move around on their own and look for food.
The suckling stage is suddenly over at this point, and the puppies are now in a transitional period, which lasts until they are about 2-3 months old.
When do Yorkie puppies open their eyes?
3-4 days after birth, and it takes a few weeks (about 10) for their eyes to open completely. So when Yorkie pups are born, they can’t see or even tell where light is coming from.
A week after the pups open their eyes, they can see shadows and blurs, but it takes another week or two for them to be able to form images barely.
Yorkies tend to walk around with their heads down as if they are looking for something on the ground.
Training Time
Between the ages of three and five weeks, your Yorkie pup will start to tumble around his brothers and sisters. Unfortunately, this is also when they begin teething, which means you might be getting an unpleasant surprise every time you reach down to pet your little guy or girl!
You’ll want to start training your pups around this age because they are very impressionable when they’re young. The way you speak to them and the words you use when training ends up being what your Yorkie thinks is typical for their entire life.
Yorkies will begin to lose their baby teeth once they hit about 1-2 months old, but they’ll have a new set of “adult teeth” by the time they’re around 3-4 months old.
Playtime!
At this point, your Yorkie pup will be able to walk around and sniff things with a little more freedom. Some of them might even start playing by themselves – but it’s important to remember not to leave your puppy unattended until they’re at least eight weeks old. Your pup also needs a lot of sleep during this time, which means you could be in for a surprise if you forget about your little dude or lady when you put them down for naptime.
Yorkies are very social animals at this point, and they learn an awful lot about how to interact with others during this time.
Adulthood?
Your Yorkie will be considered a full-fledged adult by the time they hit 1-year-old. But as we said before, it depends on their weight and breed as to when exactly they stop growing. Yorkshire terriers are small dogs, so they tend to grow a bit later than most other breeds with larger frames.
Medium and larger dog breeds will usually stop growing between the ages of 1-2 years old, while smaller dogs like Yorkies tend to grow a bit later, i.e., around age 3 or 4.
Check with your local veterinarian to see what they think is best for your pup based on their breed and weight.
Yorkie Full Grown Size (Height and Weight)
Most Yorkshire terriers stand around 7-8 inches tall and weigh between 4 and 6 pounds. However, some weigh as much as 12 pounds – but those usually aren’t very healthy!
Short legs and a long body usually mean the Yorkie will stop growing at about one year of age, whereas larger dogs like Rottweilers, Dobermans, and German Shepherds might not stop growing until around two years old.
Yorkies usually grow between 3/4 to 1 inch per month throughout their puppyhood stages until about 9 months old. After that point (and once they become adults), it will slow down a bit, but your little guy or girl will keep growing until they’re about 1-2 years old.
It’s always a good idea to keep checking with your vet throughout the year to ensure that your pup is developing at a safe rate.
You will also need to discuss their expected adult size and weight as well – it might be essential for you to know if you have a small area at home where your Yorkie can play with their siblings in a safe zone!
Factors that Affect Yorkies’ Development
The size and quality of your Yorkie’s food will affect how much they grow, even during the first couple weeks after birth.
Ensure that you’re following a healthy diet for your pup right from the start to ensure that they keep growing correctly!
You should also make sure that you’re providing enough exercise and love for them because both of those things will affect how your Yorkie’s bones develop.
You’ll want to make sure you keep your pup active throughout the entire first year of their life, significantly if they’re still growing! This can be tough, especially when they start resisting your commands and getting into mischief.
Here are three factors that count most:
1. Diet
Since your Yorkie’s diet accounts for about 80 percent of their growth, it’s essential to make sure they’re on a healthy meal plan. You’ll want to stick with small and frequent meals instead of allowing them to eat all at once – even if you leave dry kibble out for them!
2. Exercise
Exercise is needed to keep your pup strong and healthy, but you’ll need to take care not to overdo it. Make sure they have breaks in between playtime so they can rest up for more action later!
3. Health Conditions
There are a few health conditions in dogs that might slow down their growth. Hydrocephalus, for example, causes an abnormal buildup of fluid in the ventricles of the brain. It can also cause behavior problems and stunted growth in your pup.
Yorkie Fun Facts
Toy Dogs
Yorkies are usually very easy to train because they are so eager to please their owners.
Yorkies have a love of people that is almost unmatched by any other breed. They would much rather be around their humans than be left alone for long periods!
Most of the time, they are adopted as toys.
Silky Locks
The Yorkie’s signature “hair” actually has a unique name – it’s called “Silky Locks.” This is the canine’s longest and most beautiful coat, growing up to 10 inches long.
Yorkies sometimes suffer from hair loss if their skin becomes too dry, so make sure that you’re using shampoos and conditioners that can keep their skin healthy and strong.
Easy to Care For
Yorkies are very easy to take care of because they only need regular baths, brushing twice a week, and trimming once every 3 months. But, don’t forget that you’ll also need to check their skin for ticks or any signs of dryness or itchiness!
They’re also very portable dogs, so it’s not hard to bring them.
Ankle Biters
Yorkies are not known for their ability to bark or howl, but they are very good at making various sounds.
They’re typically called “Ankle Biters” because their most common sound is a high-pitched yip! That little bark is what makes them so easy to take care of – you can even train them to use a litter box or do tricks!
What If My Yorkie is much Larger or Smaller?
It’s a good idea to keep checking in with your vet throughout the year to ensure that your pup is developing at a safe rate.
You will also need to discuss their expected adult size and weight as well – it might be vital for you to know if you have a small area at home where your Yorkie can play with their siblings without feeling crowded.
You can also keep checking in with your Yorkie throughout their first year to make sure that they don’t feel like something is wrong but, as long as you’re aware of the factors which affect their growth (like diet, exercise, and health conditions) it’s easy to make sure your pup stays healthy.
Factors that Affects the Growth of a Yorkie
Multiple factors affect the growth of a Yorkie puppy, which are:
- Genetics
- Medical Conditions
- Diet
- Exercise
As the pup grows, their “genetic” growth rate becomes a factor in how fast they reach their maximum size. It is essential to pay attention to the breed of your Yorkie because some dogs grow quicker or slower than others. Look at your Yorkie’s parents and try to estimate how big they will get when they are fully grown.
While on the other side medical conditions, diet and exercise also contribute towards healthy growth.