Looking 4 the right size yorkie
 

I'm in the middle of looking to get a yorkie, but I'm having trouble finding the right size. The breeders list them as "about 4 lbs" or "around 6-7 lbs". I'm looking for one to be about 5 lbs. Is there a big difference between a 4 lb yorkie and a 5 lb one? I am afraid of getting one too small because I hear of how fragile they can be. Thanks...

IMO, 4 lbs are perfect size for yorkies. not too fragile compared to the 3lbs and below. :)

Is it for companion or breeding ?

no breeding, just my little buddy

It's very difficult to guess a pups weight....to try and find a breeder who will point to a pup and say, that one will be 5 lbs. is asking for disappointments....

Looking at the parents is a pretty good guide line but any size that was in the grand parents or beyond may also show up.... and there always unforeseen surprises....good luck :)

If you can see the parents you'll get a good idea how big it will be. There's not a lot of difference between a 4 or 5 lb. Yorkie. Just a little more to love.

There is really not a whole lot of difference in a 4 and 5 lb Yorkie. Honestly...sometimes the weight doesn't even mean a whole lot. All Yorkies have different body types/builds - their bones structure is different and some may grow to be longer bodied and taller in height - others may grow to be shorter bodied and shorter in height. You can have two 5 lb Yorkies side by side and one might look much bigger or smaller than the other because of it's body type. So if you want my advice, find the baby that you love, and GET him/her :) The weight of our babies really doesn't matter (although I DO understand you being concerned about getting one that is TOO small) - but honestly, if your breeder tells you that he/she will be in the 4-5 lb range, or 6-7 lb range or whatever, then I'm sure your baby will be pretty close. But I gotta tell ya, once you have your baby and grow so attached to him/her - I promise you - you won't give a lick WHAT it weights :) As long as it's healthy, that's ALL that matters :thumbup:

I have 2 yorkie mixes and one purebred yorkie. The two mixes are 10, 7.5, and the purebred is 3. Honestly, I think they are ALL so small. If you are going for a purebred yorkie I think that you'd of course want the under 7 lb standard.

I hope that Mckenzie ends up at 4-5 lbs for me that is her perfect size. When we got her as a baby she weighed 1.5 lbs and I was terrified constantly because she was so small. At 3 lbs, I finally can feel some weight on her, but she's still so petite.

Good point. Not a guarantee but seeing parents can help in "guesstimating" the size of the pups.

thanks for the help!!

I know that sometimes you can get a very good idea by the parents past puppy sizes that are now adults. Ask the breeder for references of the past puppies from the same parents, then call or email them and see if they can tell you size, temperment and healthiness of their dog. I have 2 boys that are 4 weeks old that need to be placed in their forever homes. Actually one of their past puppies live in Chicago and they came to visit me about 3-4 weeks ago. We have a digital scale and she weighed just a couple oz under 5lbs. Mom is 7 1/2lbs and Dad is 6lbs, but thier pups end up right between 5-6lbs as adults. Let me know if you are interested. Here are a couple of their past puppies as adults.
Thanks
Jill

My Guinness is about 10 pounds unless I weigh him after eating then he is 11pounds. I have a German Shepherd too so the bigger size is good...they play together.

It's so nice to hear though that you don't want one too small! I think that the practice of trying to breed tiny "teacup" dogs actually harms the breed. Of course that's just my humble opinion.

It's so hard to guess what their size will be. I have a friend who's Yorkie is 11lbs, and it's parents were 5 and 6 lbs. Even a vet can only guess the weight a puppy will be all grown up. Initially my vet estimated my Eury was going to be 6 to 7 lbs, and since then the estimate has changed a few times. Her current estimate is 3 to 4 lbs (based on the fact that she is almost 5 months and about 2 lbs).

Good luck in your search and I hope you find the perfect "little buddy"! :)

if you want a certain size get an adult

This is difficult, since not only is weight hard to predict, but....so many breeders lie about it! :O

Your best chance (and this is what *anyone* needs to do, anyway!) is to do your homework, and be patient, and find a breeder that you can personally get to know....preferrably local, so that you can visit in their home, see how their dogs are raised, see the parents (and know for SURE that they are the parents....not just random pictures! Anyone can send a picture!)

A trustworthy breeder will usually be able to give you a good estimate of adult weight, based on the size of parents and grandparents, adult sizes of past litters, and present size of pup. Even then it will only be a guess....but at least if you are dealing with someone who you know and trust, and your pup turns out to be bigger or smaller than you hoped, you won't feel like you were deliberately lied to!

It's true that no matter WHAT size your dog ends up to be, you will love them, and find them perfect! However, I do understand the frustration and bitterness people feel when they feel breeders lied to them. So I think that's the main bad experience you want to avoid!

Good luck!!