Information About the Yorkie-Poo Breed

Yorkie-poos, or Yorkipoos, are a "designer" dog breed that crosses a Yorkshire Terrier (Yorkie) with a toy poodle, one of the many popular poodle crosses being bred today. (Some people may breed Yorkies to miniature poodles, but this is not as popular.)This breed is not recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC).

Standards

Most Yorkie-poos are between three to 15 lbs. and seven to 12 inches tall at the shoulder. They live for about 12 to 15 years. They are usually built like a toy breed, but cannot be considered a toy breed because they are not recognized by the AKC, since the toy group is a division of dog breeds as decided by the AKC. Yorkie-poos can, however, by registered with the American Canine Hybrid Club, and is one of the association's top breeds in popularity.

Temperament

Yorkie-poos are friendly, energetic and people-oriented dogs. They are very trainable, but can be stubborn, though this is usually overcome by patience and consistency in training. They make good family dogs, but may not tolerate very small children. They are just as willing to run around and play as they are to snuggle up on the couch. They also make good watchdogs despite being so small.

Coat

Since they are a mixed breed, a Yorkie-poo's coat may have characteristics of either a poodle or a Yorkie. The coat may even be a combination of the two, such as curly hair on the head and wavy or straight hair on the body. Colors can be any of the colors that are bred into poodles and Yorkies. A Yorkie-poo needs to be brushed often to prevent mats in the coat. Trimming at the groomer's depends on the type of the coat the Yorkie-poo has. Tear stains by the eyes can become a problem.

Best Environment

Though Yorkie-poos are active dogs, they do as well in an apartment as they do in a house with a yard. They are good at exercising themselves indoors and fit very well into a small space. Because of the Yorkie-poo's energetic nature, however, the breed still requires walks, and Yorkie-poos enjoy time at a dog park or other places where they are allowed to run off-leash.

Health Problems

Some people may think that Yorkie-poos should be healthier than either poodles or Yorkies because of the wider genetic pool, but being a mixed breed does not mean better health. Yorkie-poos can inherit problems from either their Yorkie or poodle heritage, especially problems common to all toy breeds. Examples of possible diseases are luxated patellas (where the patella slides off the knee), hypothroidism (thyroid does not produce enough hormones), hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), mitral valve disease (where the valve between the atrium and left ventricle heart chambers does not close properly) and urolithiasis (stones in the urinary tract). Do not let your Yorkie-poo gain too much weight, as this may cause or exacerbate problems.