Larger Yorkies, will they be extinct?
 

Can anyone please help me understand why it seems everyone only wants the smaller Yorkies? I have the larger Yorkies. Scooter is 15 lbs, 8 ozs, and Sissy is 12 lbs. I would never want anything smaller than 12 lbs. Am I the only one out here who's heart is breaking that the larger Yorkies are now so rare and fear they will soon be extinct? I am a very small hobby breeder that dedicates everything I have into each and every litter. They are incredible puppies and the litter broke, to the best of my knowledge and research, 3 Yorkie world records; 8 puppies = biggest litter, biggest 1st litter, and biggest surviving litter. Our vet said he is amazed Sissy did not get a calcium deficit that is so common when small dogs have big litters. I truly think this is a testament to the great health and durability of the larger Yorkie breed. Can anyone please tell me why so few people seem to want the larger Yorkies? I just don't understand ...

I fell in love with my Yorkies at first sight not knowing what they weight (one is 3 pounds and the other one is 4.5 pounds) if they were 14 pounds or more I'd still love them! I don't know y people want smaller ones...by the way glad to hear sassy had a great litter! And all were healthy :)

Sissy I mean :? Sorry! Auto correct

The breed standard calls for them to be 7lbs or under as you probably already know....why....for me my back is not as strong as it once was, so closer to the breed standard is best for me. I should add that my Orion is now 15lbs and he was charting to be no more than 5lbs. Love him to pieces just the same, I just can't carry him as I can my two smaller girls who are 5 and 6lbs. As for the tinies....I wouldn't want a pup that small, I would constantly be worrying about them, add to the health problems the tinies can have, its just not for me. JMO

Folks who like to show their Yorkies have to stick with the breed standard. Doesn't mean a lager Yorkie is not a great pet, just can't show them.

I dont understand either. We are an active family that runs and bikes and does outdoor activities and the larger yorkies fit our lifestyle better. Chachi is 14 lbs and can do so much more than our Jewels who is 8 lbs. I wouldnt want one smaller than Jewels. I hope bigger yorkies dont become extinct but it could happen as breeders try not to breed them because they have trouble selling them

I don't see larger yorkies going extinct.
Though the breed standard calls for under 7 lbs, and for the history of the breed, it's been bred to be smaller, the fact that there are still many larger yorkies being born promises that they will continue to be born.
Every yorkie bred to the standard, every show champion, has somewhere up close in it's pedigree, a dog that went over max weight. For example, if a female is an excellent dog in all respects, except for size, (say she's 8-9 lbs) I can see someone breeding her, because they know the size can be corrected, especially if she comes from a line of dogs that run standard size. This keeps the larger genes into mix.
Not only that, a dog can carry genes for larger size, even though they are standard size themselves. There are a few teapots on this site that come from standard sized parents. If a dog is 5 lbs, and comes from a litter that produced a 15 lber, there is a high chance that 5 lb dog, if bred, could produce a larger yorkie.

And I will also add that again, there is a demand for larger yorkies. Especially if you're talking about a family with children that want a hypoallergenic dog. Most people who breed to the standard will not sell to a family with a child under 10. I can understand that, because a 6 lb dog IS more fragile than a 15 lb dog.
But let's be honest and real, when you're talking brand loyalty, you hook them when they are young. Breed loyalty is the same thing, so people that have positive memories with a certain breed when a child are more likely to gravitate to that breed as an adult. Do we not want people who are looking for a hypoallergenic breed to look at the yorkie, which we know carries less dander in their coats, due to the silky nature of the coat.. or do we want them getting labradoodles that 1) may not be hypoallergenic, 2) more than likely is nothing more than two random dogs thrown together, one a poodle and one a lab (maybe), 3) more than likely has parents with zero health testing done on them, and 4) could well have behavioral issues from being poorly breed, and even more poorly socialized? Larger yorkies are practically tailor made for families with children.

The issue then becomes the ramifications of people breeding for the pet market, because if you're breeding larger yorkies, that is indeed what you're doing. And we KNOW there is a demand for these dogs.
I do not have a problem with someone making the choice to breed for the pet market. But should someone decide to breed over standard size yorkies, like those who wish to breed non standard colors, yet remain reputable in the eyes of the greater yorkie community, they should adhere to a strict standard of health.
Basically, if color breeders have become more or less accepted/tolerated, at least those doing everything right except for breeding outside of standard color, then there should be no reason that size breeders could not also become accepted/tolerated, if they're also doing everything right, except breeding outside of standard size.

The issue becomes the "doing everything right" part, since we know that most people breeding for the pet market short cut on the important things like health testing of the parents.

I think when most people spend a a fair amount of money to purchase any type of purebred dog hope they hope as an adult the dog will look like the breed standard. A yorkie is standard is smaller than a silkie, westie or a s**tzu. If I wanted a 12-15 lb dog I personally would not be looking at yorkies I would be looking at a dog that is supposed to be that size or a mix. It's my personal opinion which many people share, if you are breeding purebred dogs and purposely trying to breed larger or smaller than standard, you open yourself up to problems since you are messing with genetics.

Along that vein I think one of the things an owner of a purebred dog hates most is to be questioned on the fact that your dog is indeed the breed your are claiming it to be. I did that to someone close to 30 years ago and still feel bad about it. Right after I got my first yorkie puppy I was feeling like I had the cutest yorkie in the world. I was approached by a lady with a much larger dog that was almost one color, a solid yellowish pale grey. I asked her what she had, never did I expect to hear yorkie, but that is what she claimed it was. I was dumbfounded I almost jumped back saying NO, NO, it can't be a yorkie and she said oh yes it is, she looked just like your's when she was puppy. I was so horrified at the thought and could not hide it, because this dog looked like a stringy badly bread s**tzu. I realized later after the shock wore off how rude I was and made sure when faced with a yorkie that looks nothing like standard that I would keep my mouth shut. I also realized that if and when I bought any more purebred dogs that they darn well would like the standard. LOL now I have Lola she is a mix so when people ask what she is I don't worry cause there are no standards for her.

meant to say the yorke standard is smaller than a s**tzu, 5 min edit rule got me

By the same token, one could say if you want a white patched long coat dog, get a shih tzu. Or if you want a long coat golden or chocolate dog, get a lhasa apso. Why mess with the standard and have these mismarked dogs, worse yet, breed them, since they're not a part of the standard?
If one type of breeder of OFF STANDARD dogs is going to be accepted/tolerated, because aside from NOT breeding to ONE part of the standard (the color) they are doing just about everything right, then anyone saying that someone that breeds larger sized yorkies who also does everything right is somehow a bad breeder is being a hypocrite.

And let me remind you, allowing larger sized yorkies to breed is NOT messing with genetics, nor is it hurting the dogs. In fact, breeding for abnormally small animals is more problematic for the breed as a whole and for the dogs as individuals, as SMALLER dogs have a greater propensity for things like liver shunt, and luxating patellas.
The greater incidence of these issues in toy dogs is because of us breeding for abnormally small dogs. I'm not sure if anyone realizes this, but toy dogs are in part pituitary dwarves, that we have created. We have bred these dogs to NOT grow any more than a certain size range.
Study Reveals Why Some Dogs Are So Small | LiveScience
"This breed of dogs has a remarkable three-fold range in size, from 25 to 75 pounds. By analyzing the dogs’ DNA, the researchers found the piece of their genetic material that strongly correlated with their size.
The DNA snippet isn’t actually a gene—it’s called a regulatory sequence. This sequence is next to a gene that regulates a growth-inducing protein hormone that helps humans and other mammals grow from birth to adolescence.
In small dogs, one or more mutations in the regulatory sequence suppress the gene’s activity, so it won’t produce as much of the hormone, Lark said, effectively preventing any Labrador-sized Chihuahuas.
In all of the small breeds, the same regulatory sequence was found.
“All dogs under 20 pounds have this—all of them,” Lark said. “That’s extraordinary.”

So sorry, I'm not going to buy that allowing larger yorkies to breed is somehow dangerous and messing with genetics when the genes are already there and are actually more beneficial to the dog than the genes breeders are deliberately breeding for.
Besides, THAT is what breeders do. They "mess with genetics." THAT is how the yorkie was created in the first place.

Honey is my first yorkie and I must say that I had never seen bigger yorkies until I went to the breeder house and some of them where out. They were so pretty and had long pretty coats but that wasnt what I was going for. Im a college student who stays in a apartment. Even all the other yorkies I let Honey play with are no bigger then 7 pounds. I love my Honey and she is 3.7 pounds. I was hoping to at least get her to 5 pounds but the vet said he doesnt think she will get that big. I dont think I would go for a bigger yorkie unless I adopt (which I really want to do) or have little kids around but that want be anytime soon.

I don't care what they either! Large or small they are all wonderful. Sophie's parents were 5 & 5 1/2 lbs but we are hoping Sophie will be a bit larger. So, not everyone is wanting teeny tiny. Hang in there!!

Size does not determine health. Good breeding standards do (which rules out micro mini Yorkies).

My boys are slightly larger than standard and suit me, but I would not have minded if they had stayed 6 pounds or a little under. They were easier to carry. :D

Maximo is right, size does not determine health and I can say this because The smallest pups I have had are healthy . Don't believe me Ask Kim and Alana they both have pups from me that are under 3 and a half pounds. Kim's friend also has a bigger pup from the same litter Allie came from. It's all in the genes. Size, health, temperament etc. So the bigger Yorkies are not rare they are just not typically bred because the standard states 7 lb or under and that is what responsible breeders strive to do Breed to the standard. There will always be bigger or smaller than the standard .

YT is wonderful ... I so wish they had a Like button tho as I do like some posts better than others lol. Thanks for all the feedback and I welcome all I can get. Personally, my lifestyle and the fact my labs were here long before my Yorkies, the bigger Yorkie is the only option I would consider.

To compete in the toy breed, a dog has to be a under a certain weight, for Yorkies that's less than 7 pounds. Larger dogs can compete, but points will be taken off. This isn't something new, it's been going on for over 100 years and in fact in the early 1900 a very small 3 pound yorkie won best in breed. Truth be told, most good breeders are breeding up not down, and breeding a 3 or even 5 pounder is frowned upon. However, I don't agree with breeding dogs that much over standard, and I hope you will always be able to find good homes for your babies. It's not true that big yorkies have better health than small yorkies, some Yorkies are small due to health problems.

Large or small??? Love them the same
 

When I purchased Tucker I was told he would never be larger than 6 lbs. He weighs in a little over 18. He is georgeous with his long silky coat. I love him just the same & have never regretted my purchase. Paisley is just over a year old, she only weighs 7 lbs. She looked just like Tucker when born & her coat is silky as well but she has turned the strangest color. Her coat is almost completely white with a tip of black. Different breeder. It's kind of crazy how you can purchase them & they all look alike when puppies then some are small, some are large and then my crazy Paisley is a complete different color!

sometimes it's hard to tell with posters what their intent is or if someone is agreeing with a post or not, but LOL I somehow get the impression you don't like my reply, so I am sort of confused on if to anwer or not. Forgive me but the OP asked why people seemed to like the smaller size yorkie, and since she has an 8lb and 12 lb, to me smaller would be about 5 lbs which is in the middle of the standard for yorkie. Am I incorrect in asuming that most people buying a purebred yorkie, which can get pretty expensive, are looking for a dog that comes close to the standards. I don't think "teapots" or "teacups" will ever go away cause as they say differnt strokes for differnt folks, and sometimes of course if you buy a very young puppy you don't always get what you thought you were going to get.

On YT I am so used to seeing everyone go on and on about breeding to better the standard (looks wise) so it is surprising and perhaps a bit refreshing to get the feeling that the people on this thread think a little differntly.

that is a big differnce to be expecting 6 lbs and get 18. How many weeks old were you pups when you purchased them. BTW welcome to Yorkie Talk, please be sure to post pictures of your babies. I don't want you to think I have a problem with a big yorkie, it is just that if one is expecting a dog close to standard and they are willing to pay for that, I think they should get something a bit closer.

I do not think larger Yorkies will ever go away. The genes have all the information from generations way back. Most of the breeders I know want to be as close to the standard as possible. BUT tinies and teapots do pop up.

Also, it would be relatively easy to breed a larger dog if there was ever a need for them. Breeding smaller is what's difficult.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
AMEN!! GENETICS!!! PEDIGREES!!! This is why breeders study these pedigrees so diligently, trying to get it right, keep it right. I too, have 4 tiny little dogs that have come out of litters that matured 4-5.5 lbs...these babies are all 3 - 3.25 lbs, and one is just kising 2 lbs. These were NOT intentionally bred for, and they will all stay here with me as I do not sell tiny Yorkies. These little souls (outliers!) are all perfectly healthy....it is all in the genetics! Then I have a couple of small cows (also outliers!), who are also healthy...they are out of the Parquin line of dogs, but I got larger dogs in the line obviously!........and while I love them, and enjoy rough housing in the yard with them for a change, I wont be breeding these dogs anymore as they are not breed standard to size. But they are really fun to play with!

Oh as long as there are people out there breeding 18 and 12 lb dogs...I think you can lay your extinction fears to rest.

I searched for Sissy for over 2 years. Although I would like for her to have 1 more litter, I hope I can avoid it for at least a year. Regardless, there will only be one more for her. I strive to keep my labs at only 1 litter per year also, but there's been a couple of oops, too late. I dislike being considered a breeder, but I do have really great dogs, and I personally feel every female dog should be allowed to have one litter if possible, so yes, I am officially a breeder @ 2 litters per year lol. As for why I think females should be allowed to have a litter, there's probably research out there, but as for my feelings & observations, they just become better dogs. Imo, I think they are more sensitive, intuitive, protective and are more gentle with smaller things, especially children. As for my dream of show & win ... well, I guess I'll put my hopes back into my labs. Again, thanks for all the feedback; it's wonderful ... I need to find the donation button as this site is well worth it.

Hi Txyorkie! Welcome to Yorkie Talk! I travel a great deal, and having 2 tinies (from maggiesmom_2007) fits my lifestyle perfectly, as I certainly couldn't travel very easily with 3- 15lb dogs in the plane cabin. Most airlines don't allow it, and I refuse to put my pups in cargo. While some tinies do have health issues, not all do. Many are perfectly healthy. Thousands of dollars in testing, and many, many hours studying pedigrees help to stack the odds in my favor that my little ones will have the best health and temperament possible. Still, most people who want tinies have no idea what a huge amount of work and responsibility it is caring for these extra small babies. We all have misconceptions. In my experience working with rescues, mill breeders/greeders desire teapot size dogs in order to have the largest litters possible, which translates to more pups, and more dollars in their pockets. Seldom is genetic testing done, let alone looking at pedigrees. But I do understand and agree that larger pups are more sturdy, and therefore perfect for busy families. You will find many passionate opinions here on YT. For instance, not everyone believes or agrees that every female should be allowed to have a litter. Actually, most people here probably feel just the opposite. It is wonderful to have a forum with such a diverse group with so many different ideas and opinions. It helps us all to see and understand the other side of the issues we debate. Again, welcome, and we are glad you are here!

I personally want a yorkie to be within the standard. My first yorkie was 16 lbs, floppy ears and couldn't grow coat. I loved him just the same. But the reason I have yorkies is the size, the long coat, everything the standard says it should be. I think yorkies are one of the few breeds that you see such a vast difference in their look. It's unusual to see 2 yorkies that look the same. I don't know if it's because so many people do not breed for the standard. I understand due to their past history you can always throw a larger or smaller one but it shouldn't become the norm. Just my opinion.

It is wonderful and everyone is entitled to their opinions and there is so much knowledge and experience here. I've learned so much. I sincerely apologize to any whom I may have offended with my word fragile (can't find how to edit the comment section there); my perspective has definitely changed in that respect and I thank you all again.

Off the subject, I don't want to use paypal ... can't I mail you a check? can't find the address.

Troy is our fist yorkie and at the time of his purchase my daughter was 5 years old. I thought he would have grown to be about 6-7 pounds and Troy just stopped at 4.5lbs. I wanted him bigger at the time because my daughter was younger. He is healthy and happy. People think he's tiny but he's within breed standard.

Honestly, I think that if he was any bigger than 6-7 pounds it would be difficult for me to take him everywhere we go. I travel with Troy and he goes just about everywhere I can take him when we leave the house. So a 13 pound dog wouldn't get that opportunity in our family.

During summer months when we ride bikes, he goes in the basket. I like his totability per se.

I think the larger bred yorkie isn't going any where actually. Breeders pay close attention to pedigree and hope that their science works.

That's another thing I love about big yorkies ... I have back & neck problems, I do good carrying myself sometimes, and I need my hands free, my dogs wouldn't want me to carry them any more than I would consider it. Travels well, never needs help in or out, stairs, and runs circles around me when hiking at lake ... always right beside you but self reliant ... I love 'em.

I love big yorkies and have one. They used to be bigger but were breed down. Although when breeding I think it is very important to stick to the breed standard and only breed for the standard as well as health.