But they do grow. And rapidly.
They get most of that growth out of the way early.
It does not take long until they reach their full adult size, or at least very close to it.
Their growth comes in several distinct Yorkie growth stages. It is important to know these as a Yorkie owner.
Keep reading to learn all of the Yorkshire terrier growth stages, along with the age at which a Yorkie becomes fully grown.
Contents
At What Age Is A Yorkie Full Grown?
Yorkie puppies stop growing by the time they reach 1 year of age. Their growth slows down sooner: around months 9 to 10.
But there’s more to the story.
Yorkies go through a number of distinct growth stages. As an owner of a Yorkshire terrier, you need to know the different growth stages and what to expect from each.
That is the only way to ensure you provide the best possible care. So let’s take a brief look at each of the Yorkie growth stages.
Yorkie Growth Stages
A full-grown Yorkie weighs an average of 4 to 7 pounds and stands around 6 to 9 inches in height. But it is not uncommon at all for Yorkshire terriers to grow larger than this.
Given how small they start out, that means a lot of growth in a short amount of time. And that growth comes in several different stages. Let’s take a quick look at each one.
Newborn
This is a period of rapid growth that starts from the day of birth and lasts through the seventh week. At birth, they weigh only a few ounces, but that changes quickly during this stage.
It is possible that a Yorkie could double is size in a matter of days during the newborn stage.
For the first three weeks of their lives, newborn Yorkshire terriers can’t see or hear. They generally open their eyes and ears after two weeks, but they are only able to recognize bright, moving objects until the end of week 3 or so.
During this time, they are dependent on their mother for nourishment. They also learn to take their first steps and develop the instincts to procure food and defend themselves.
After the third week, the little puppies start to get bolder and more curious. They will begin to explore their surroundings and play with their siblings, since most Yorkie mothers have multiple puppies.
This is the time most breeders ween the puppies from their mother’s milk, so that they are ready to be sold or adopted once they reach 8 weeks of age.
Puppy
This period lasts from the beginning of week 8 until the 6 month mark. During this stage, young Yorkies are full of energy and they are eating solid dog food.
Their curiosity really comes out and they start to form habits. The puppy stage is the perfect time to begin housebreaking your pet and training it to on how to act and to follow basic commands.
This is also the age at which male Yorkies are old enough to breed, though waiting a bit longer is advisable. They grow to about 2.5 pounds (1.13 kg) during this stage, but it is best to wait until they are fully grown before breeding them.
By the end of the puppy stage, your Yorkie should be potty trained and should have learned to sleep through the night. Its adult teeth will have begun to make their appearance and the ears should be standing erect.
How many teeth does a Yorkie have? As a puppy, a Yorkie should have 28 teeth. An adult dog should have 42 of them.
Adolescent
The adolescent stage ranges from the 6 month mark to the age of 1 year. These are essentially your pup’s teenage years, although the period only actually lasts half a year.
By the time your Yorkie reaches this stage, it should weigh around 75% of its full adult weight. At the end of this stage, it will have attained its full weight.
Your puppy’s growth rate will slow down considerably and stop altogether by the time it reaches 1 year of age. This means it should not continue to gain nearly as much weight, so you will want to cut back a bit on the amount of food you give it.
This is the best time to spay or neuter your Yorkie, if you choose to do so. You should also continue training your pup. By the end of this stage, it should definitely be housebroken.
Adult
Once a Yorkie turns one year old, it is officially an adult. This stage is often broken up into ‘young adult’, which lasts until the 4th year and ‘adult’, which lasts from 4 to 8 years.
Senior
There is no specific age when Yorkies are officially considered seniors. But generally, it happens around the time they reach eight years old.
At this point in their lives, most Yorkies are still energetic. They usually begin to slow down once they reach their 10th year. You’ll notice them mellowing out a bit and taking more naps.
Full-Grown Yorkies Changing In Size
Yorkies do most of their growing before they reach 1 year old. They often grow slightly after that, up until the 4th year. Then they are done.
But that does not mean they won’t change size anymore. It is not uncommon for Yorkies to gain or lose weight throughout their lives, just like we do as humans.
But with such a small creature, even a small weight change can have a large impact on the dog’s physical appearance.
It may look like your Yorkie is still growing, but it isn’t. If you keep track of its height, you will notice that there is no change.
Any changes in weight in an adult Yorkie come down to lifestyle changes. A change in the type or amount of food or the amount of exercise your dog gets can all lead to weight gain or loss.
It is up to you to ensure your dog maintains a healthy weight. Make sure you feed it the right amount of healthy food and that it gets plenty of exercise. That’s how you help you dog live a long, healthy and happy life.
Calculating Growth
It is not possible to know precisely how much an individual Yorkie will weigh when it reached its adult stage. But you can estimate it.
There is a simple calculation that will provide you an estimate for how large your Yorkie puppy will become when it reached its final adult stage.
Simply take your puppy’s weight at eight weeks and multiply it by 3. This gives you a good estimate. If your dog weighs much more or much less than this, you may need to adjust its diet or the amount of exercise it gets.
When Yorkies Are Fully Grown: Conclusion
Yorkies stop almost all growth when they reach 1 year of age, but they may continue growing slightly until the are full adults at the age of 4.
If your dog is still getting larger after that point, it is a matter of it eating too much food, unhealthy food or not getting enough exercise. Or all three.
Yorkies go through several growth stages throughout their lives. We outlined all of the stages above so that you know what to expect and what is expected of you.
The bottom line is that you should always ensure you provide a safe home, healthy meals, and plenty of opportunities for exercise and for bonding time with you. If your Yorkie has those things, it will live a long and happy life!
Leave a Reply