Yorkshire Terrier
Low-shedding and compact, but the long coat needs daily brushing or it mats.
About the Yorkshire Terrier
The Yorkshire Terrier, also known as a Yorkie, is a British breed of toy dog of terrier type. It is among the smallest of the terriers and indeed of all dog breeds, with a weight of no more than 3.2 kg (7 lb). It originated in the nineteenth century in the English county of Yorkshire, after which it is named. The coat is tan on the head and dark steel-grey on the body; no other colour is accepted by either The Kennel Club or the Fédération Cynologique Internationale.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Key facts
- Origin
- United Kingdom
- Weight
- 1.5–3.2 kg
- Height
- 17–23 cm
- Lifespan
- 13–16 years
- Est. monthly cost
- $101 (≈ $1212 per year)
- Purchase price
- $1,400–$2,450 from a breeder
Where the monthly cost comes from
Routine care for a Yorkshire Terrier averages about $101 a month, or roughly $1,212 a year. That figure is summed from the measured US line items below — food is scaled to this breed's body weight and grooming to its coat — not quoted from any single clinic or breeder.
| Category | Per month |
|---|---|
| Food (scaled to 2 kg) | $54.75 |
| Treats | $60.00 |
| Routine veterinary care (adjusted for this breed's known issues) | $347.55 |
| Medications (flea, tick, heartworm) | $101.85 |
| Grooming (5/5 coat requirement) | $600.00 |
| Toys | $37.00 |
| Licence | $15.00 |
| Total | $101 |
Pet insurance is not in that total. The average US accident-and-illness premium is $676 a year for a dog, but most pets are not insured, so adding it to every breed would overstate what a typical owner pays.
If you insure, board and budget for emergencies
Owners who carry insurance, leave the pet boarded when travelling and set money aside for emergencies land near $204 a month — about $2,442 a year. This is a modelled budget, not a survey result:
| Item | Per year |
|---|---|
| Routine care, as itemised above | $1,212 |
| Pet insurance (NAPHIA average premium) | $676 |
| Boarding (10 days at $25/day) | $250 |
| Emergency fund (one ~$900 event every 3 years) | $300 |
| Fully-loaded total | $2,442 |
Boarding rate from MarketWatch ($25/day). Emergency allowance modelled on Rover's finding that a typical emergency visit starts near $300 and reaches $4,000 with diagnostics and an overnight stay. The number of boarded days and the once-in-three-years emergency frequency are our own planning assumptions, stated here so you can substitute your own.
Includes routine vet visits, food, grooming and supplies. Excludes emergencies, training, boarding and the purchase price above. Method and sources: data sources.
Temperament and care profile
Health issues to watch
How it compares
Pick a second breed to see a side-by-side breakdown of cost, size, shedding and lifestyle fit.
- Yorkshire Terrier vs Maltese
- Yorkshire Terrier vs Labrador Retriever
- Yorkshire Terrier vs Rottweiler
- Yorkshire Terrier vs Border Collie
- Yorkshire Terrier vs Bichon Frise
- Yorkshire Terrier vs Miniature Schnauzer
- Yorkshire Terrier vs Siberian Husky
- Yorkshire Terrier vs Shetland Sheepdog
- Yorkshire Terrier vs Pomeranian
- Yorkshire Terrier vs Great Dane
- Yorkshire Terrier vs Pembroke Welsh Corgi
- Yorkshire Terrier vs Golden Retriever
Breeds closest to this one
Ranked by measured similarity across shedding, grooming, energy, trainability, apartment fit, child friendliness, vocalisation and adult weight.
- Maltese — about $1/month more
- Pomeranian — about $12/month less
- Bichon Frise — about $4/month more
- Dachshund — about $30/month less
- Miniature Schnauzer — about $6/month less
- Chihuahua — about $37/month less
- Poodle — about $15/month more
- French Bulldog — about $28/month less