How Long Do Yorkie Poos Live?

Yorkie Poos are small breed dogs who are social and fun-loving. But how long do Yorkie Poos live? This is a question that you may be asking yourself before adopting this dog.

Yorkie Poos are highly energetic toy breed dogs who love our presence. They can easily fit in with most families and live with other pets.

With their social and highly spirited temperament, these toy dogs can easily blend with many types of homes. Yorkie Poos can live in harmony with other pets, children, and elderly people.

You don’t need a yard to keep a Yorkie in your home. The space in your apartment is enough for them to run back and forth.

Knowing the lifespan of your Yorkie is important because it will help you to plan. You can also do a few things to try and increase the life span of your Yorkie Poo for them to live a happy and healthy life.

Know your Yorkie Poos

Yorkie Poos are hybrid toy dogs. They were bred from crossbreeding Yorkshire Terriers and Poodles. The Yorkie is friendly and highly spirited. They carried on characteristics from both the Yorkshire Terrier and the Poodle.

Height

A fully grown male Yorkie Poo has an average height of between 7 to 8 inches. The female is a bit shorter with an average height of between 6 to 7 inches.

You need to be careful about how you handle a toy breed dog such as Yorkie Poo.

Weight

A fully grown Yorkie Poo has an average weight of between 5 to 15 pounds. They are well under 25 pounds and hence classified as small dog breeds.

If your dog is fully grown and weighs less than 5 pounds, then he might be underweight. You need to check on their diet and take them to the vet for diagnosis.

On the other hand, if your Yorkie Poo weighs more than 15 pounds, then they might be overweight. This can lead to obesity which comes with the burden of other health problems.

Always keep track of your dog’s weight changes. This is an indicator of how the body is responding to certain issues including health.

Coat and Color

Yorkie Poos have various coat types from smooth to curly. Their fur is beautiful, soft, and glossy. These dogs only shed very little hair and some don’t shed at all.

Yorkie Poos have various colors & color pairings including brown, white, tan, chocolate, grey, silver, red, cream, black, apricot, and sable.

Yorkie Poos behavior

Yorkies are spirited and spunky pets. Pet parents of these dogs will confess how they are attached to their personalities.

Yorkie Poos crave human attention and can easily get bored when left alone for long periods. You should therefore be careful not to leave them alone for long because they can be distressed.

They are also prone to bark persistently, especially when they are bored or anxious. Yorkie Poos love running around the house, playing, and even scratching on furniture.

They are energetic and can easily get bored when staying idle. Luckily enough, these dogs can easily be trained for good behavior.

How Long Do Yorkie Poos Live?

On average, a Yorkie poo’s lifespan is between 10 to 15 years. This lifespan depends on several factors including fitness, gender, and underlying medical conditions.

Yorkies have a longer lifespan than some other large dog breeds. Your Yorkie Poo can live for more than 15 years as agreed by researchers. The longest-living Yorkie to be recorded so far died at the age of 22.

Knowing the life span of your Yorkie poo will enable you to plan early and know what to expect of them as they grow. Your dog needs care and compassion all the time and more so when they get older.

Can you increase your Yorkie’s lifespan? If you give your pup a healthy lifestyle with good maintenance, then you can expect them to live a long happy life.

Reasons For a Shorter Lifespan

Yorkie Poos have a lifespan of between 10 to 15 years. To us, this is short because we would love to be with our furry families forever.

Yorkies can live past 15 years, and similarly, some may not live to witness their 10th birthday because of reasons beyond our control.

The leading cause of death among Yorkie Poos is heart failure. Your pup can be susceptible to getting a heart condition because of overworking their cardiovascular system.

During their senior years, Yorkies may be susceptible to acquiring heart diseases because of weakening heart valves and deforming hearts.

Another major cause of death among Yorkies is Trauma. This is common among toy-breed dogs and can be managed by eliminating stress triggers.

Gender is a determining factor in how long your pup will live. Female Yorkies are likely to live 1.2 times longer than their male.

7 Things You Can Do to Extend Yorkie Poos Life Span

The average lifespan of a Yorkie is between 10 to 15 years. This does not necessarily mean that your dog can only live for a maximum of 15 years. Lucy was the longest-living Yorkie Poo, she died at 22 years old.

How did Lucy’s owners do it? You can extend your Yorkie’s life span by ensuring that they have a healthy lifestyle.

The following are some things you can do to ensure that your Yorkie Poo lives a healthy life.

1. Vaccinate your Yorkie Poo

Right from the dog shelter, you need to get all the vaccination history of your Yorkie. If they were not vaccinated, then your vet will recommend when they can receive the first shot based on their age.

Your Yorkie puppy should receive their first core vaccine at the age of between 6 to 8 weeks, the second at 10 to 12 weeks, and the third at 14 to 16 weeks.

Your adult Yorkie should receive their regular rabies vaccine at intervals of between 1 and 3 years. Other recommended booster vaccines should be administered to them promptly based on your vet’s recommendation.

Vaccinating your Yorkie will prevent them from contracting common communicable dog diseases. This will not only make them healthier but also cut off the cost you might incur in treating them.

2. Don’t leave your Yorkie Poo lonely

Yorkie Poos are social pets who love to be around their human family. Leaving these spirited dogs by themselves might increase their stress and anxiety. Always have some time with your dog and let them feel your affection in their lives.

A good way to bond with your Yorkie is by feeding and petting them in the right way. Have some treats by your side and reward them for staying calm.

Make your Yorkie feel at ease by getting a calming dog bed that will make them feel comfortable when relaxing alone and sleeping.

3. Proper diet

Always feed your Yorkie Poo with a well-balanced diet. Your dog’s food should contain all the nutrients and minerals recommended for their health benefits.

Have a feeding schedule for your dog throughout the day, preferably three times. An automatic dog feeder will help in keeping up with the schedule to ensure that your Yorkie never misses a meal.

You can give them some dog treats in between meals but be careful not to overfeed your pup. A proper diet is not complete without water.

Give your dog clean drinking water throughout the day. It is advised that the amount of water your dog takes should correspond to his weight.

An ounce (oz.) of water for every weight of your dog in pounds (lb.). If your Yorkie is 8 pounds, then you should ensure that they drink at least 8 ounces of water per day.

If you notice that your dog is not eating properly, then you need to find out the reason. Improper eating may deprive your dog of the necessary nutritional benefits and may lead to stunted growth.

4. Dental Hygiene

A dog with good dental hygiene will have an easy time eating properly. If your Yorkie’s teeth are paining, then they will certainly not be motivated to eat.

Set aside some time to brush your Yorkies’ teeth to maintain their oral hygiene. Failure to do this might lead to the build-up of tartar which can later cause teeth sensitivities, cavities, and even bacterial infections.

Antlers and chew bones are excellent dog treats that clean your dog’s teeth and promote dental hygiene. You should take regular visits to your vet to have your Yorkie’s teeth and gum examined.

Your vet will also recommend how often you need to bring your Yorkie for professional teeth cleaning and scaling.

5. Nutritional supplements

You can enhance your dog’s food intake by giving them healthy supplements made from natural sources. These supplements are necessary for keeping your dog healthy, preventing diseases like eye problems, and brightening up their coats.

Hip and joint supplements are very crucial in improving your pup’s bone health as they grow. Some pet parents usually give their dogs supplements only when they are showing signs of joint problems.

It would help if you however started giving your Yorkie these supplements as early as possible to keep their bones healthy at all times.

6. Visit your vet regularly

How often do you take your Yorkie to the vet? You should not take your dog to the vet only when they show signs of sickness. Make it a habit to take them regularly to the vet for checkups, diagnosis, and treatment.

When your Yorkie gets older, you should visit the vet more regularly. Elderly dogs are more susceptible to acquiring common diseases. It is easier to deal with a serious health problem when it is detected early.

7. Regular exercise

Exercising your Yorkie will help to shape his body and mind. Being small breed dogs, they only need moderate exercise to keep them energetic.

A simple evening walk with your Yorkie in your neighborhood is enough to stretch their muscles. You should ensure that your dog is properly geared up during the walks for their safety.

Get a good dog harness and strong leash to secure and guide your Yorkie as you walk with them. You can easily lose track of toy-breed dogs if you don’t secure them while outdoors.

Let your Yorkie chase the birds along the way while you keep their track. Allow them to interact with nature and know your neighborhood.

While indoors, your Yorkie Poo can play with interactive dog toys to exercise their body and mind. These toys not only provide physical stimulation but also exercise your dog mentally.

Exercising your dog helps them to maintain ideal body weight and keeps the cardiovascular system in good condition.

Research has further shown that exercises help dogs in reducing stress, helping to balance their moods and emotions.

How To Keep Your Yorkie Poo Healthy

The best way to ensure that your Yorkie Poo lives longer is to make sure they are healthy. Give your dog a well-balanced diet at least three times a day.

Such a diet should contain a mix of all the nutrients and essential minerals that are required by dogs. Similar to some small-breed dogs, Yorkies can also be finicky eaters. They can choose what to eat and when to eat it.

Yorkie Poos have a preference for dry food over wet food. You should carefully select the best premium kibbles for your dog to get the best nutritional benefits.

You can spice your dog’s food to make it appealing for your Yorkie to easily eat. Get some bone broth and mix it with your dog’s kibble to make it attractive for them.

You should also ensure that your Yorkie gets enough supply of clean drinking water in the house. You can place several water bowls in strategic places that your dog can easily access.

Training

Yorkie Poos are good companions who are very eager to please. This makes it very easy to train them for good behavior.

Your pup will easily learn how to obey your commands during training and can easily repeat what they have learned within a short time.

Use positive training methods and reward your pup every time they make progress. Praise and pet your dog to show your satisfaction with their progress.

If you’re interested in training your Yorkie Poo at home then I strongly suggest checking this dog training guide that was created by Adrienne who is a CPDT-KA certified dog trainer.

How Children Should Interact with Yorkie Poos

Yorkie Poos are very friendly pets and they can even let strangers pet them without resisting. You should however be careful about how your children interact with these dogs.

Most Yorkie Poos don’t like it when they’re picked up by force. Being small dog breeds, children will always try to carry Yorkies and in most cases, they do it roughly.

This might make your dog aggressive and rebellious toward your children. Yorkies are fragile and children might injure them unknowingly when they play together.

Teach your children how they should interact with dogs to ensure that they have a nice time with your Yorkie.

Common Yorkie Poo Health Problems

Yorkies are generally healthy dogs and are not so prone to many dog diseases. As a mixed breed, they carry on some health problems that have been associated with both the Yorkshire Terriers and the Poodles.

If you are looking forward to adopting a Yorkie Poo, then you need to be familiar with these health issues that are common to them.

With this knowledge, you can put the necessary measures in place to prevent your lovely pup from becoming sick. Some of the common health issues that may affect your Yorkie include the following:

1. Separation Anxiety

Yorkie Poos are very social pets. They love to play and hang out with their human families. If you leave your Yorkie alone for a long period, then they might be distressed and can develop separation anxiety.

Signs of separation anxiety include showing extremely anxious behavior and being distressed. Yorkie Poos might try to escape when in this condition and this might lead to fatal injuries.

2. Cataracts

A cataract is an eye disease that makes your dog’s eye lens to be cloudy. Cataracts are most common in small breed dogs and Yorkies are also affected.

Genetics is the most common cause of this health issue. Researchers have identified specific gene mutations that are responsible for cataracts in dogs.

Some symptoms of this condition are blurred and cloudy-looking eyes with noticeable color changes. Yorkies with this eye condition will also show difficulty in walking and might be fearful to run as they usually do.

If you suspect that your dog is suffering from this condition, then you need to visit a veterinary ophthalmologist for diagnosis. Your vet might also carry out genetic testing to determine whether your Yorkie Poo is vulnerable to cataracts.

3. Patella Luxation

Patella Luxation is common to toy breeds including Yorkie Poos, Pomeranians, Shi Tzus, and Chihuahua, among others.

The patella (kneecap) is located within the tendons of the thigh muscles. Patella luxation occurs when the kneecap can move back and forth within the tendons.

This health condition is commonly caused by genetic factors which are common in toy breeds. You can prevent your Yorkie from getting this condition by giving them a well-balanced diet and exercising them.

Foods rich in calcium will make your dog’s bones stronger. Regular exercises will align your Yorkie’s joints and make them stronger hence reducing the probability of suffering this condition.

Also, supplements like Jope Chews can help reduce pain and inflammation.

Take your dog to the vet to have their patella examined regularly. Patella luxation can be a fatal condition for Yorkie Poos if not attended to early enough.

4. Hypothyroidism

This is a health condition that occurs when the dog has low levels of thyroid hormones. Some common symptoms of this disease include lethargy, skin discoloration, weight gain, constipation, low energy, and depression.

Yorkies are naturally jovial and it is very easy to tell when they have low energy. If you notice any of these symptoms, you need to take your dog for testing at the vet. Hypothyroidism can be accurately diagnosed by blood tests.

You can prevent your dog from getting this health condition by giving them a proper diet with the following nutritional compositions: Iodine, Zinc, Fiber, and Vitamins A & C. These nutrients will help to balance the thyroxine flow in your dog’s body.

Final Thoughts

How long do Yorkie poos live? You can expect an average life span of between 10 to 15 years for your Yorkie. But the good news is that there are a few things you can do to try and increase this lifespan.

Yorkie Poos are good pets and they love being close to us. If you can equally create some time for them with affection and love, then you will make them live a long and happy life.

Give them a proper diet, supplement their nutrition intake, and ensure that they get some exercise.

Thank you for reading through this article. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and I will gladly get back to you.

Written By

Laura Nassoura

Laura is the founder of Furs'n'Paws. She is a also a pet writer and expert with more than 20 years of experience of working with dogs and cats. She developed a very strong love for animals at a young age. Her passion led her to establish a thriving pet sitting and dog walking business in Dubai. As an expert in pet training, behavior, and nutrition, Laura is committed to helping pet owners and pet lovers by offering high-quality information on a wide range of topics.