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Originally Posted by bjean614  My yorkie, Willy, is 10.9 lbs. I don't get it about the weight thing. Should one starve their yorkie to meet standards? If the vet says that he is weight proportionate to height and he's healthy and normal, I would not worry about it. |
No, you should not starve your dog to conform to the Yorkie standard. If your vet says he is a good weight, then that is the weight he is supposed to be.
Reputable breeders strive to only produce puppies that fall within the 4-7 pound Yorkie standard. Unfortunately, there are a lot of other breeders who are not carefully breeding to achieve Yorkies within the standard which is why you see so many much larger they are supposed to be.
A good breeder can predict pretty accurately what size her puppy will be as an adult because she knows her lines, genetics, and is careful to breed to their strengths and weaknesses. Breeders who breed haphazardly can't predict how big their Yorkies will end up.
If you have a large Yorkie who is a healthy weight according to your vet, just enjoy him (and don't breed him!). Please, though, if your Yorkie is overweight, get the excess weight off. A pound or two extra on their little frame is very hard on the knees and also puts them at risk for diabetes. My Lady was overweight and developed diabetes and believe me, you do not want to give insulin injections twice a day, not to mention the big vet bills!