March 1, 2026

How Much to Feed a Yorkie Puppy

Yorkshire Terriers pack a huge personality into a tiny package. At 4-7 pounds fully grown, they're one of the smallest breeds, and their feeding needs reflect that. Every calorie counts when your dog's stomach is roughly the size of a walnut.

Feeding a Yorkie puppy correctly means frequent small meals, the right food consistency, and close attention to portion sizes. A few extra kibbles per meal can lead to obesity in a dog this small.

Yorkie puppy feeding chart by age

Based on small-breed puppy food averaging ~400 kcal/cup.

Hypoglycemia: the number one risk

Like Chihuahuas, Yorkie puppies are highly susceptible to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Their tiny bodies have minimal fat stores and burn through glucose quickly. Puppies under 4 months and those under 2 pounds are at the highest risk.

Warning signs of hypoglycemia:

• Shaking or trembling
• Weakness and lethargy
• Wobbly or uncoordinated movement
• Glazed eyes
• Seizures (severe cases)

Prevention is straightforward: feed frequent small meals and never let a young Yorkie puppy go more than 3-4 hours without food during waking hours. Keep Nutri-Cal or Karo syrup on hand. If your puppy shows signs of low blood sugar, rub a small amount of syrup on their gums and get to a vet.

Wet food, dry food, or both?

Many Yorkie owners use a combination of wet and dry food. Wet food is easier for tiny mouths to eat and adds moisture to the diet. Dry food helps with dental health (the mechanical action of chewing helps reduce tartar).

If you feed both, calculate the total calories from both sources. A common split is 50/50 wet and dry, adjusting amounts so the total daily calories stay within the target range.

Make sure kibble is small-breed or toy-breed sized. Standard kibble pieces are too large for Yorkie mouths, and some puppies will try to swallow them whole.

Dental health and food

Yorkies are notorious for dental problems. Their small jaws crowd teeth together, creating areas where bacteria and plaque accumulate. By age 3, most Yorkies have some degree of dental disease.

Starting good dental habits during puppyhood helps:

• Include some dry kibble in the diet for mechanical cleaning
• Start brushing teeth early so your puppy gets used to it
• Avoid soft-only diets that leave residue on teeth
• Use dental chews sized for toy breeds

Treats for Yorkies

With a daily calorie budget of 200-350 calories, treats need to be tiny. The 10% rule means no more than 20-35 calories in treats per day. That's basically one small training treat or a few pieces of cooked chicken the size of a pea.

Good treat options: freeze-dried liver bits broken into tiny pieces, single blueberries, tiny pieces of cooked sweet potato, and commercial training treats broken into quarters.

Growth milestones

Weigh your Yorkie weekly on a kitchen scale. Growth should be steady and gradual. Sudden weight gain or loss warrants a vet visit.

Common feeding mistakes

Feeding table scraps. A bite of your hamburger might be 50 calories. For a 3-pound Yorkie eating 200 calories per day, that's 25% of their daily intake from a single bite. Table scraps throw off nutrition balance and teach begging behavior.

Free-feeding. Leaving food out all day doesn't work well for Yorkies. You can't track how much they're eating, and it encourages picky eating. Set meals down for 15 minutes, then remove them.

Using full-size dog treats. A standard Milk-Bone is 40+ calories. For a Yorkie, that's a significant portion of their daily budget. Always use treats sized for toy breeds.

For a complete age-by-age breakdown, see our puppy feeding schedule guide. And when your Yorkie is ready for adult food, check when to make the switch.

More: Chihuahua Feeding Guide | Poodle Feeding Guide