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I had a 15 pound yorkie, Jessie Jamie, who lived to almost 15 years. She passed away in February. I looked around a lot because I loved the larger size yorkies. My new little girl, Jamie Yogini, is now 16 weeks and 4 pounds 13 ounces. So I expect she will be between 8 or 9 pounds. Love those bigger yorkies!

I thought the bigger yorkie was the norm many years ago when they were used to catch and kill rats in England then were bred down smaller.I would love to see one as i think they would be amazing.:)

My beefcake Tuffy is 15lbs and he's not fat he's just big boned LOL really he's very musculer and big boned.When he was a puppy the vet said that he was going to be in the 6 lb range boy did he show them he really did'nt stop growing till he was about 2 or 3 years old.When I called the breeder and told him how large he had gotteshe told me he was a clydesdale yorkie I think she meant that yorkies are thought to come from a clydesdale terrier.When people ask me if he's a mix I just tell them he's a rare clydesdale yorkie.I'm kidding of course but most of the time people ask me where they can get a yorkie that size plus he has the sweetest personality.

Lexi is 10 lbs.. just more to love...less to worry about

What breed is she?

I have enjoyed reading all the posts on large Yorkies. Our new addition to our family is 9 month old, Ginger Bear. She is 12 lb., stocky and sturdy! I take her with me as much as I can and I always get the same response..."What is she? She is so beautiful!" When I answer, "a Yorkie", the response again is the same, "Gosh, she is sooo big!" Thanks to the owner who posted that she tells people her large Yorkie is a special Clydesdale Yorkie; that is an awesome come back! I am going to use it from now on! What a great way to acknowledge how special Ginger Bear really is. We also have an 11yr. old lab mix, 40lb. and an 11yr. old Yorkie, 8 lbs. All three play, sleep, and eat together! Ginger Bear is the only one of the 3 that has Obedience Training. She loves her classes and shines above her classmates. I love the fact that she will always be the perfect puppy size, even when she, too approaches 11.

I had the same question. I have a 9 month old female, she weighs 9 lbs, my 8 month old male weighs 11 lbs. His Mom and Dad both weighed 8-9 lbs. I also have people tell me he is to big to be a yorkie, he also has floppy ears. My vet told me he has seen a 20lb. yorkie. Size doesn't matter, it is just more to love.

Dear Susan,

My big boy, Gus, is 13 pounds and I love every inch of him. He also has floppy ears. I have had ignorant people say, "that isn't a Yorkie." Yes, Gus is a purebred Yorkie. He is a throwback to the original sized Yorkies, and he certainly has the Yorkie personality: loyal, stubborn at times, very loving and he thinks he is a big dog! I have a little parrotlet in my home and Gus is very gentle with him. Skye eats out of his dog dish and yells at Gus, "Leave it, don't touch it!" Gus wouldn't dare touch Skye. They are best of buds. Of course, the parrot is the boss, but I don't tell Gus that.

lol Syl, Gus and Skye
ps: we love the big Yorkies - more to cuddle.:aimeeyork

Redhead on the left is Nala 13 lbs.
Middle guy is Spike 11lbs.
Big Girl on right is Cosmo 19 lbs.(not a yorkie but I could not leave her out!)

They are all beautiful and sweet no matter what size.

My boy is also a big one. He's almost 4 months and already 6,5 lbs. His parents are very small (around 4 - 4,5 lbs). For me it doesn't matter if he's small or big, i love him more and more every day. What i don't like is the people's attitude. They look, admire but seems very surprised when they hear that he's just a puppy and then starts to tell me that for sure it's not a pure breed and stuff like this. Even the vet told me the same things. But, this is the menthality here, what to do? They don't have too much experience but they act like they are the smartest and the best.
So, dear friends, what i think is the most important for us is our yorkies to be healthy and happy, even if they are small or big. :)

I agree, my boy was 6.3 lbs at 13 weeks old. Now he is 11-12 lbs. I asked my vet to be sure he was a yorkie and he said of course he is. He is just standard and perfect.

I think a lot of the larger Yorkies come about because breeding the big bitches is safer and creates larger litters for sale. There may be a premium paid for the smaller, show quality dogs, but the breeders of larger dogs make it up in volume and safety for the birthing females.

Unless you are planning to show...what does it matter? They're all great and have the fabulous Yorkie temperament and look. I don't even care about breed purity...I now have a Chorkie and she's one of the most wonderful pooches I've ever known. :)

My aunt's yorkie is a whopping 21lbs. and is full breed AKC paper, When she bought him the breeder said he should be about 8lbs but he just kept growing and growing... He is very cute! just a larger size yorkie:)

First, let me say that I love animals - especially dogs and cats. It doesn't matter to me what breed or size.... I just love animals.

I'd like to try to address some of the comments I read here.

There are "breed standards" for each breed set by the AKC (American Kennel Club) and each breed's specific club, such as the YTCA (Yorkshire Terrier Club of America). There are reasons they have "standards". "Showing" is at the beginning of setting breed standards. People show to establish that their lines are "breed standard" and worthy of being bred.

Imagine being a senior citizen living in an apt and the rental agreement says that you are only allowed to have a dog weighing "no more than 10 pds". So, you do your research and find that a Chihuahua would suit you perfectly because they are only suppose to weigh "no more than 6 pds" and they would be light enough for you to pick up and take care of for the next 15 years. You buy a Chi with an AKC registration thinking that it will fit within the standards - right? What do you do when the dog reaches 20 pds? :confused:
http://www.akc.org/breeds/chihuahua/index.cfm

It might not seem like an issue for some but most people want to know what they're buying. Some people hunt and want a dog that has natural instincts to do that. Some people have small children and want a small yet sturdy dog with a really good temperament. Some people want their houses guarded and they feel the size of their dog is important.

People have a right to know what they're buying. When you get a AKC registered dog you should be getting a dog, that for the most part, fits into the standard set forth by AKC/Breed Club. If I want to buy a French Bull dog I certainly don't want to end up with a Bull Mastiff. :D

If it doesn't matter... then that's wonderful. :thumbup: There are tons of beautiful, lovable dogs in shelter and rescues that are just waiting to be loved.

Don't get me wrong - there will always be puppies that turn out larger or smaller than standard - even from the best breeders. Nothing to be ashamed of or insulted by - that's just nature's way. Neither one of my babies are "standard" and no one could love them more.

I think the reason people comment on our Yorkies is because they don't know what a Yorkie is really suppose to look like. With it's popularity in the last 10 years most people think they should be 2 pds and fit in your pocket. :rolleyes:

Quote:

Originally Posted by susan lynn (Post 2895079)

I agree, my boy was 6.3 lbs at 13 weeks old. Now he is 11-12 lbs. I asked my vet to be sure he was a yorkie and he said of course he is. He is just standard and perfect.

http://www.ytca.org/standard2.html
http://www.akc.org/breeds/yorkshire_terrier/index.cfm
I'm sure it's hard for vets to know the standard for every breed and it certainly doesn't take away the love you have for him or that he's a Yorkie but he's not within the standard at 11/12 pds.

Quote:

Originally Posted by toke (Post 2895103)

I think a lot of the larger Yorkies come about because breeding the big bitches is safer and creates larger litters for sale. There may be a premium paid for the smaller, show quality dogs, but the breeders of larger dogs make it up in volume and safety for the birthing females.
Could you please explain what you're saying here? I don't understand what you're getting at.

Unless you are planning to show...what does it matter? They're all great and have the fabulous Yorkie temperament and look. I don't even care about breed purity...I now have a Chorkie and she's one of the most wonderful pooches I've ever known. :)

Quote:

There may be a premium paid for the smaller, show quality dogs, but the breeders of larger dogs make it up in volume and safety for the birthing females.
Could you please explain what you're saying here? I don't understand what you're getting at.

I'm saying that there is more risk to the mother in breeding tiny females, and that they have fewer pups. Larger bitches have larger litters, in general, and are more likely to deliver safely...they also bear bigger pups. Puppy mills are certainly doing this bigtime.

So, breeders that are not specifically trying for show quality or to improve the breed make out okay financially because they have more puppies to sell. Many breed tiny males to large females, attempting to keep the size down, while still getting a large, healthy litter.

The extreme popularity of Yorkies has caused the proliferation of backyard breeders, who seem most inclined to do this. I'm fine with pet quality dogs (the larger guys have got to be sturdier around kids, for example) as long as their breeders don't charge the same amount as if they were bred to standard. AKC standard is "must not exceed 7 pounds."

My biggest worry in all this is genetic defects. If a breeder is paying no attention to bloodlines, then LP and a gazillion other inherited defects continue to be exacerbated in the breed. Unfortunately, that seems to be a growing problem in Yorkies. Now, I'm not saying that ALL amateur breeders don't know or care about these matters, but clearly a lot of them don't.

My Chorkie, Zoey, is certainly a little mystery package. I just cross my fingers and enjoy her. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by toke (Post 2895454)

I agree - but it goes both ways. A lot of the byb/puppymillers do breed tinies so that they can get the BIG $$$ - they just breed more often and more dogs. The bottom line is that they are not breeding to the standard. Too big - too little. They're just breeding to breed.