QuestionWe were told that the Yorkie we got was a tea cup, but the more I see about Yorkies the more I wonder. She's 4.8 pounds... are they catagorized by weight? And if so, what catagory does her weight put her in? She's almost 2 years old, so I'm guessing she won't be getting any bigger. Thanks in advance!
AnswerAnita,
There is a lot of misunderstanding about this breed regarding the toy breed category. While the Yorkshire Terrier is listed as being in the toy category there are Yorkies out there that can weigh up to 25 pounds. The American Kennel Club recognizes the yorkie as a toy breed but states that the dog must not exceed 7 pounds.
That is the legal definition. In breeding circles though a yorkie toy is considered to be less than 5 pounds. There are the really tiny ones that are 2.5 to 3 pounds and then there are the ones that are 5 or 6 pounds. The tiny males are the preferred choice for breeders because they will produce small puppies which is what sells best. The females are usually not good to breed if they are 4 pounds or less so a 5 pound to 7 pound female is best to breed with the small male.
So basically according to the AKC you have a toy yorkie. According to breeding standards you do not. Your yorkie is by no means large though and I think for the sake of her health it is better that she is the weight that she is. The really small ones usually have health problems because of their fragile bodies. It sounds to me like you have the perfect size female so don't worry about the "toy" status just love your baby and be glad that she is healthy!
