Everything about your Yorkipoo
A Yorkipoo is a mix of a Yorkshire Terrier and a Toy Poodle or Miniature Poodle, or more rarely the offspring of two Yorkie/Poodle mixes. At his best, the Yorkipoo is friendly, playful, smart, and cute as all get out. His small stature makes him best suited to a home with adults or older children.
Overview
The Yorkipoo loves people and fun, not necessarily in that order. He will delight his family and is always willing to perform tricks or show off for any visitor. His confidence keeps him from being overly snappy or aggressive; he’s happy in his own skin. The Yorkipoo can be an excellent companion to anyone looking for a small, confident dog with ample energy and even greater love.
Like most of the Poodle hybrids, the Yorkipoo was originally designed to be a companion dog who could reside with allergy sufferers.
The Yorkipoo has low-dander, a low-shedding coat, and the small size of a toy breed. He’s happy in many different types of homes and can make an excellent companion for the elderly. With his gentle and loving disposition, the Yorkipoo has proven that he can be a successful therapy dog.
The Yorkipoo enjoys barking just a little too much and generally makes an excellent watchdog. He’ll alert bark when someone comes to the door or when he sees anything suspicious. Some Yorkipoos can be trained to only bark once or twice, but many cannot.
Highlights
- The Yorkipoo is a designer dog and is the result of Yorkshire Terrier to Toy or Miniature Poodle breedings. There’s been an increase in multigenerational breeding (Yorkipoo to Yorkipoo), and also in Yorkipoo to Poodle or Yorkipoo to Yorkshire Terrier breeding; but many litters are first generation, the result of breeding two purebred parents.
- A Yorkipoo is active and energetic, as are both Poodles and Yorkies. He requires daily exercise and does well with a good walk or romp in the yard.
- Barking is a favorite pastime. Occasionally a Yorkipoo can be trained to bark less, but expect to hear the noise whenever someone comes to the door. He has no clue that his bark doesn’t terrify anyone.
- He is a non- to low-shedder and can make an excellent companion for people with allergies.
- Daily brushing is needed to keep his fine, silky coat free of tangles and mats.
- Loving and gentle, the Yorkipoo can make an excellent companion to older, more considerate children. Like most toy breeds, he’s not recommended for homes with very young children.
- He’s easy to train if you use positive reinforcement. He’s got a stubborn streak, though, so expect some occasional resistance.
- The Yorkipoo can live very happily in an apartment.
- A companion dog, he may suffer from separation anxiety when left alone for long periods at a time.
Other Quick Facts
- Yorkipoos can be many different colors and patterns, from the blue and gold of the Yorkie to the many solid colors of the Poodle to a color plus white, known as particolor.
Breed standards
AKC group, UKC group: Not Applicable,Not recognized as a standardized breed by any major kennel club.
Average lifespan: 12-15 years
Weight: 8 to 15 pounds
Coat appearance: Medium, Silky, and Slightly Wavy
Coloration: Varies
Hypoallergenic: Yes
Best Suited For: Families with children, singles and seniors, apartments, houses with/without yards
History
Like many designer breeds, the Yorkipoo is quite a young hybrid — he’s been popular for about a decade. He was originally developed to create a toy-sized dog who had a hypoallergenic coat and was free of the genetic disorders that affected the parent breeds, the Yorkshire Terrier and the Toy or Miniature Poodle.
The success of crossing the Poodle with the Yorkshire Terrier has had mixed results, as with any hybrid; but the popularity of the Yorkipoo has grown. Today, most Yorkipoo litters are still the result of first-generation breeding, but some breeders have concentrated on multigenerational crosses in an effort to see the Yorkipoo produce offspring who confirm more consistently to the desired traits.
There are no breed groups or registries for the Yorkipoo, but efforts have begun to create a direction for all Yorkipoo breeders.
Temperament
If bred from parents of sound temperament and adequately socialized in puppyhood, the yorkipoo is likely to be a confident, loving, playful companion combining terrier boldness and poodle intelligence. Yorkipoos require mental stimulation and social interaction, and enjoy activities like dog agility and learning tricks.
For their size, yorkipoos are rather energetic. However, their energy is easily expended within the confines of an apartment. Therefore, they do not require the sort of exercise regime that larger dogs need. Yorkipoos are very social dogs. Unlike yorkies and other purebred toys, however, they do not long for constant physical contact. Yorkipoos have no objections to cuddling up on a lap but are also content to simply be nearby. Yorkipoos are generally not aggressive and tend to “greet strangers as if they were long lost friends.”
Yorkipoos are smart enough to be trained and take marked pride in learning new commands. They respond best to positive reinforcement, as opposed to negative reinforcement or punishment. When faced with negative reinforcement or punishment, yorkipoos respond with stubbornness. The greatest hurdle to training a yorkipoo is barking. Although they do not tend to sit and yip for no reason, they will almost unfailingly bark when someone knocks at the door. It is unknown if this is to warn that someone is approaching or out of sheer glee to encounter another person.
Heath
A newly developed crossbreed, the Yorkiepoo is predisposed to the health problems that effect both Yorkshire Terriers and Poodles. These can include cataracts, retinal detachment, dry eye, corneal dystrophy, keratitis, hypoglycemia, progressive retinal atrophy and endocardiosis.
Care
The Yorkipoo is equally at home in a house or an apartment. He’s far too small to live outside; he must live indoors for both his physical and emotional well-being. He requires daily exercise, since he has a surprising amount of energy . A daily walk or romp in the yard will provide enough exercise to keep him healthy and happy. The Yorkipoo can also burn off steam by playing a game of fetch down a hallway.
Crate training benefits every dog and is a kind way to ensure that your Yorkipoo doesn’t have accidents in the house or get into things he shouldn’t. A crate is also a place where he can retreat for a nap. Crate training at a young age will help your Yorkipoo accept confinement if he ever needs to be boarded or hospitalized.
Never stick your Yorkipoo in a crate all day long, however. It’s not a jail, and he shouldn’t spend more than a few hours at a time in it except when he’s sleeping at night. Yorkipoos are people dogs, and they aren’t meant to spend their lives locked up in a crate or kennel.
Training
An easily trainable dog, the Yorkiepoo is eager to please his owners. Positive training methods should always be used while working with this crossbreed. Excided praise and delectable tidbits will produce better results than harsh words or aggressive methods. Yorkie-Poos can quickly learn basic commands but can also learn typical parlor tricks such as crawl, play dead and dance. His enthusiasm and desire to entertain will keep your family and friends entertained and laughing!
This crossbreed has the potential to become great obedience prospects as well as agility and therapy dogs. There is no doubt that the Yorkie-Poo can be highly competitive in a variety of dog sports.
Exercise Requirements
Yorkie-Poos do not require an excessive amount of exercise. They are lively and are happy to play but a brisk walk around the block is really all he needs to keep him fit, trim and healthy. A fenced yard is also great and the Yorkie-Poo will happily chase a ball or other toy and run like a little maniac! His minimal need for exercise makes this crossbreed an excellent pet for many living situations.
Grooming
Yorkipoos usually have a slightly scruffy coat, although it can also, like the Poodle’s coat, be curly. A Yorkipoo’s grooming needs will vary depending on his coat, but all Yorkipoos need regular, even daily, brushing. Those with the curlier Poodle coat require grooming every four to six weeks. Some owners learn to use the clippers and do the job themselves, but most rely on professional groomers. Either way, it’s essential to take proper care of the coat, because without regular grooming it will quickly become a matted mess that can cause painful skin infections at the roots of the hair.
Your Yorkipoo’s ears need to be kept clean and dry to help minimize wax, so clean them regularly with an ear cleaning solution recommended by your veterinarian. The rest is basic care. Trim the nails as needed, usually every week or two. Brush the teeth frequently with a vet-approved pet toothpaste for good overall health and fresh breath.
Children And Other Pets
The Yorkipoo is a gentle and loving dog who can do well with children. He’s not recommended for homes with very young children, since he can be easily injured when improperly handled. A Yorkipoo can make an excellent companion for an older, more considerate child.
As with every breed, you should always teach children how to approach and touch dogs, and always supervise any interactions between dogs and young children to prevent any biting or ear or tail pulling on the part of either party. Teach your child never to approach any dog while he’s eating or sleeping or to try to take the dog’s food away. No dog, no matter how friendly, should ever be left unsupervised with a child.
In general, he does well with other dogs and pets. He may display prey drive due to his Yorkie parent, however. That may lead him to chase smaller pets and cats, but usually it’s in good fun.
Is the Yorkiepoo the Right Breed for you?
Moderate Maintenance: Regular grooming is required to keep its fur in good shape.
Minimal Shedding: Recommended for owners who do not want to deal with hair in their cars and homes.
Good for New Owners: This breed is well suited for those who have little experience with dog ownership.
Good with Kids: This is a suitable breed for kids and is known to be playful, energetic, and affectionate around them.
Did You Know?
Crossbred puppies like the Yorkipoo — even within the same litter — can look very different from each other and can look the same as or different from their parents. The Yorkipoo is usually extremely small, but his size, color, coat, temperament, activity level, and health risks can vary depending on the traits an individual puppy inherited from his parents.
