Pros/Cons of getting a very small yorkie

[yorkiejoys]

I am thinking of adopting a 7 month old yorkie who only weighs 2.4 lbs.
She has been living at the breeders kennel and has been seen by the vet and is now determined to be healthy. Does anyone know of the health, care and training issues associated with the care of such a small dog? I have read that the very small yorkies can have lots of health problems.

Is it better to find a puppy who will weigh around 5 lbs. or more?

Would love to hear from people who have very small yorkies, I need your help! Thanks!

[morgan111]

hi we have 2 very small fur babys one is 2.10lbs and is 3yrs old he is very healthy im very careful on feeding and healty treats i give them a lot of freshn vegs and fruit .i also brush teeth every second day and so far the little guy as great teeth .our little gracie she is 4yrs old and we were told when she was born that she was to small to make it as she was born with her right back leg that is turned backwards and is like a flipper she can put weight on it but thats all it does .she has no health problems except the leg and we give her water therpy and massages as she gets pretty stifft if she is still for long periods .but all in all i have got pretty healthy dogs . i also have sadie who is 8 and has only been to vet for annual checkups and her shots .good luck with your new addition

[cheryl19]

Do you have children? If you do how old? I don't think a small dog and young kids are a good idea. And is this your 1st yorkie? If it is I would read more about them on this site. You have to be more careful about things that us with larger yorkies don't think about (jumping off chairs, even stepping on them) Good luck!

[wantayorkie23]

Don't very small ones have health problems

[TLC]

I see you are from Long Island. I am wondering where you are geting her from, bc as far as I know there aren't really any reputable breeders here, so i am concerned that you may be buy from a breeder that is really more like a puppymill establishment, also bc you said the girl has been living at the breeders kennel

[txrosegirl]

Originally Posted by wantayorkie23

Don't very small ones have health problems

IMO small yorkies have the same health problems as bigger yorkies. they are just more "prone" to accidental injuries because of their size. it is very easy for them to hurt themselves by jumping off the couch and things like that

but i do not think there are any specific health issues that are more prevalent in smaller yorkies than in yorkies in general

my bree is over 10 months old and just hit 2.5lbs. she is as healthy and hearty as her bigger siblings

ETA: i thought about it and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) IS one thing that i think can happen more frequently in the tinies

[Izzy Princess]

My Izzy is barely 3# and has pancreatitis/SIBO/IBD which was diagnosed 11/08. She is only 2-1/2 years old. Now I say any dog/any size can have health problems. The only issue with a small dog is that when they get sick they can't afford to lose any more weight hence that's why when Izzy does not eat for 12 hours the next day we are off to the vet whereas a heavier dog can go the 24 hours to withhold food/water and you don't have a problem as much. See with pancreatitis you should withhold all food/water for 24 hours so that the pancreas can rest..but with Izzy we can't do that so we have been to our vet 4 times since November for her pancreatitis and just this past May found out she has SIBO/IBD.

Also it's always a risk factor to do any surgery when they are this little. So it's up to you to decide if you want to go that route but I'm picking up my new doggie on Sunday and he should get to 8#..as much as I love my Izzy I will not go that small again just for health reasons.

[Ladymom]

Originally Posted by txrosegirl

IMO small yorkies have the same health problems as bigger yorkies. they are just more "prone" to accidental injuries because of their size. it is very easy for them to hurt themselves by jumping off the couch and things like that

I agree. A friend recently lost her 2# Maltese when her husband accidentally stepped on her and broke her neck.

My vet and I were just discussing the high rate of injury for super tinies. They had just had one of their tiny Yorkie patients die from accidentally being slammed in a door.

I personally think a 5-6 pound dog is a much better choice.

[julietimothy]

Ok more likly this dog will get up to or over 3 lbs, so should be fine. I am a breeder so I have one that is to small to ever breed and would never sell her because I would not trust anyone with her. When they are around 2 lbs and under as keylee is under 2lbs at a year old we have to make sure she had food out all the time. Or she eats many small meals a day so her sugar want go to low. Other than that she is great, She is only 5" tall so she is more likely the smallest yorkie on YT. The smallest in the world is 4" tall. I also have my stud Ace, he was my 1st tiny yorkie to ever had and scayied me to death the 1st time his sugar bottomed out. This was when he was around 7 months and just a little over 2 lbs. Now he goes from 2 lbs 11 oz to 3 lbs if he just ate. He has not had low sugar in a 6 months now. After he got pass 2 1/2 lbs he was fine. Both is health, and I would love to get another one Ace size one day, but would never tell anyone it is a good idea to get one like keylee, she is too small!!!! She will never get big enought for me not to have to feed nur-call when she don't eat good.


What I am try to say is you will love a 3lbs yorkie and that is about what you will get with the one you are looking at. Just know she is too small to ever breed and maybe to small to have spayed. I would not let just any vet put her under to spay her.

If you have small kids, you know your kids better that anyone. Alot of kids does not need to be around small yorkies, but I have 2 Very tiny yorkie and 2 kids one is 13 now and the other is 7. But they have been around puppies all their live and know how to act with them.

Good luck

[mk97]

I think they can have the same problems as a bigger one, but with them-not eating/diarrhea/vomiting is much more serious bc they can dehydrate easier. I have 2 that are 3.2 and 3.8lbs. The 3.2lb had megaesoughagus as 3-4 week old and it was rec to put her to sleep. The breeder didn't and happily she out grew the problem and is doing very, very well. Personally, I like my little ones.

[SnugsColeman]

Yorkies are wonderful and just like us and all other animals health problems are around. If it's a t-cup or even a tiny t-cup make sure if you get it, get it fixed. They do have the same problems has the toy yorkie but if they become pregnant it could be more dangerous cause they are so small. Yorkies are small anyway and can break easily. Smaller the Yorkie smaller the bones. Also if you have small kids this little one is not for you. Also is it underweight or is it really a t-cup? Make sure!!! Hope this helps!

[yorkie mad]

When I got Tia I saw her mum and she looked around the 7lb mark and I didn't think to ask how big she would get, just thought it would be around the same. Shes a year old now and weighs 5lb 5 and has done for the last 4 mths and to me that is quite small, so I can't imagine what a 2-3 lb baby would be like . Sometimes I wish she was bigger as she seems delicate because she is tiny boned but it stops her doing nothing , no health problems and one of her playmates is a 70lb german shepherd lol

[Darlene68]

If I had a choice I would not get a yorkie under 4lbs. Bailey is 13 weeks and not quite a pound and a half, I'm always worried of stepping on him or afraid he will hurt himself, You really have to watch them..so hopefully he will have a growth spurt!

[LilMissy]

My Missy is 3.5 lbs and I have 3 young children (ages 6, 5, and 4). My kids are extremely overprotective of Missy. The poor dog can't even pick up a piece of fluff off the floor without the kids taking it away from her LOL! We had to implement alot of new rules in our home when we got her. For example, no running in the house! I have found my kids to be far more of a help than a hinderance as far as keeping Missy safe. I do agree that the tinies are much more fragile. Missy broke her leg from jumping down to the floor off of my hand and she was only about 4" off of the ground. I don't let her go up or down stairs, or jump onto or off of furniture ever since that injury. Besides her being more fragile, I don't find her to be any different from other dogs that I know (healthwise). My 20lb pug dog has many health issues. Missy is just as healthy (if not healthier) than any dog I know. The only other issues that she's had due to her small size was hypoglycemia from 7 - 11 weeks of age, and she didn't handle anaesthesia well for her spay. They almost lost her. But that's about it! I love owning a tiny

The pro's of owning a tiny. The portability (you can take her anywhere), she's very inexpensive to feed (and I homecook), grooming products cost very little because she needs such a small amount. And of course her TOTAL CUTENESS

[2Parises]

Originally Posted by Ladymom

I agree. A friend recently lost her 2# Maltese when her husband accidentally stepped on her and broke her neck.

My vet and I were just discussing the high rate of injury for super tinies. They had just had one of their tiny Yorkie patients die from accidentally being slammed in a door.

I personally think a 5-6 pound dog is a much better choice.

2 Thumbs Up!!

I have a 3 lb, (2) 6 lb, and a 7 lb Yorkies...the 3 lb Aja is going to give me a heart attack. She tries to do everything the other do, jumping off couches, off the deck, wresting with whoever will play...the list goes on. I feel like, even more than the others, I must watch EVERY STEP she takes to ensure her safety.

6-7 lb Yorkies are a breeze compared to Aja!!