The care guide
A practical reference for building healthy routines and helping your puppy settle happily into family life.
A healthy start
Toy-breed puppies do best with dependable nutrition during their first months. Keep an appropriate puppy kibble available as directed by East Coast Yorkies, and make sure your puppy is eating consistently. Their tiny size can make missed meals and low blood sugar especially concerning.
For roughly the first 6–10 months, focus on a healthy, nutritionally complete puppy kibble before adding a wide variety of treats or other foods. Keep fresh water available at all times.
Follow the feeding schedule and portion guidance provided for your puppy. Let that routine become familiar before offering new foods or treats, and pay attention to appetite and energy from day to day.
Once your puppy has a steady eating routine, introduce only one new item at a time. Begin with a very small amount and watch for changes in appetite, digestion, energy, or comfort before offering more.
Never replace your puppy’s food all at once. Gradually mix the new kibble into the current food over several days, moving forward only when your puppy is tolerating each step well.
Your veterinarian can help you choose a slower transition if your puppy has a sensitive stomach or individual dietary needs.
Important food safety
Yorkies and other toy breeds are very small, so even a little of the wrong food can matter. High-fat, high-salt, sugary foods and table scraps should not be part of your puppy’s normal diet.
Some human foods are toxic or dangerous to dogs, including:
Avoid unfamiliar human foods unless you have first confirmed they are safe for dogs. If your puppy may have eaten something unsafe, contact your veterinarian or an animal poison-control service promptly.
Contact your veterinarian if your puppy refuses food, has repeated vomiting or diarrhea, seems unusually weak or sleepy, or shows another sudden change in behavior or comfort. Seek prompt professional advice whenever you are worried—especially with a very young toy-breed puppy.
Standard AKC Yorkshire Terriers typically mature between 4 and 7 pounds. Our pups are hand-raised on the smaller side and we share honest weight estimates for every puppy.
Yorkies have hair (not fur) and shed very little, which makes them a popular choice for allergy-sensitive homes. No dog is truly 100% hypoallergenic, but Yorkies come close.
Yorkies are affectionate and adaptable, and do wonderfully with respectful older children. Because of their tiny size, supervision around toddlers is essential.
With proper care, Yorkshire Terriers commonly live 13–16 years — one of the longest lifespans of any breed.
No — Yorkies are very low-shedding. Their long silky coat needs regular brushing and grooming to stay tangle-free.
We're a family-owned AKC breeder in Waycross, Georgia. Virtual meet & greets are available for out-of-state families.
