Find a healthy, well-bred Yorkie, and learn why "teacup" is a trap and what this tiny, big-hearted dog really needs before you buy.
Yorkshire Terrier
Yorkshire Terrier mix
Yorkshire Terrier
Yorkshire Terrier
Yorkshire Terrier
Yorkshire Terrier
Yorkshire Terrier
Yorkshire Terrier
The Yorkshire Terrier is a tiny, bold terrier with a giant personality. Buying one well comes down to two things: dodging the "teacup" trap, and being ready for the grooming and gentle care this little dog needs.
This guide covers both, plus the health, colors, and a fair price. The Yorkies listed above update as sellers add new ones, so read on before you send anyone a deposit.
Short answer
The first thing to know about Yorkies is that a "teacup Yorkie" is not a real, better, or rarer kind of dog. The standard Yorkie is already a toy, capped at 7 pounds. Breeding even smaller, by pairing runts, concentrates serious health problems. A teacup sold at a premium is a red flag, not an upgrade.
The AKC standard says a Yorkie must not exceed 7 pounds, and there is no smaller recognized size. "Teacup," "micro," "toy," and "miniature" are marketing words. Dogs bred that small often have low blood sugar, fragile bones, and liver or heart problems, and they tend to live shorter lives.
A responsible breeder does not breed for sub-standard size, and the AKC warns directly that "teacup" is not an acknowledged size. If a seller is charging more for a tinier dog, that is exactly backwards from how health works in this breed.
Short answer
Yorkies are long-lived, about 11 to 15 years, but carry a few toy-breed risks worth knowing. The single most useful habit is to use a harness, never a neck collar, because the breed is prone to a collapsing windpipe. Watch also for a slipping kneecap, a liver shunt, and dental disease in that tiny jaw.
Use a harness, not a neck collar. Yorkies are prone to a collapsing trachea (a weak windpipe), and a collar pulls right on it. A harness spreads the pull across the chest, which is gentler on the neck for the dog's whole life.
The other toy-breed checks are a slipping kneecap (patellar luxation) and a liver shunt. Yorkies are unusually prone to the shunt, which a breeder can screen for with a simple blood test. The small, crowded jaw also makes dental disease very common and early, so brush the teeth and plan for cleanings.
For the parents, the breed club recommends a patella check and an eye exam, and a careful breeder also screens for the liver shunt. Verify each parent on OFA.org by name.
Short answer
The Yorkie's silky coat is hair, not fur, so it barely sheds but grows and tangles like human hair. Kept long, it needs daily brushing or it mats down to the skin, so most owners keep a short "puppy cut." Low-shedding is not the same as hypoallergenic, and no dog truly is.
Plan on a professional groom every 6 to 8 weeks, plus brushing at home. The puppy coat changes to the adult silk between about 6 and 18 months and mats more easily then. The Yorkie is low-shedding, which suits some allergy sufferers, but no dog is truly allergen-free.
Short answer
From a responsible, health-testing breeder, expect a rough 2026 estimate of $1,200 to $3,500, with some regional spread. A Yorkie priced at $400 to $800, or sold with a "teacup" premium, usually means a puppy mill or a scam, not a bargain.
These ranges are estimates, since the AKC and breed clubs do not publish prices. The responsible-breeder price covers the parents' health tests, vet care, and early socialization. For a wider view, read how to find a quality puppy within your budget.
Short answer
Most puppy scams start with a too-good price and a push to pay by Zelle, Cash App, wire transfer, gift card, or crypto. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center logged about 2,600 puppy-scam reports and $5.6 million in losses in just the first nine months of 2024. Insist on a live video call with the puppy and its mother, and never send money you cannot get back.
The FBI's scam figures and the FTC's pet-scam advice point the same way: pay only with a method you can dispute. For more ways to spot a fake seller, read our guide on how to avoid puppy scams.
Yorkies are born black and tan and mature to dark steel blue and tan, which is the only standard color. "Golden," "chocolate," and "parti" Yorkies are non-standard. The AKC may register a parti dog as purebred, but that is not the same as meeting the show standard, and no color is worth a premium. The Biewer Terrier is a separate breed, not a "rare Yorkie."
Short answer
A Yorkie is a tiny dog, so food is cheap, but grooming and dental care are the recurring costs that surprise owners. A regular groom and routine teeth cleanings add up over a long life, so pet insurance and a dental routine both pay off.
The two costs people forget are the groomer and the dentist. Budget for both from the start, and a Yorkie is an affordable, long-lived companion.
Petmeetly connects you directly with people listing Yorkies, with no broker in the middle. The Yorkshire Terriers available for sale are listed near the top of this page. Open to an adult dog instead of a puppy? Here is how to adopt a Yorkshire Terrier.
Sources
Get answers to common questions about buying Yorkshire Terriers responsibly
Not a real or recognized size. The standard Yorkie is already a toy, capped at 7 pounds. "Teacup" dogs are bred dangerously small and prone to low blood sugar, fragile bones, and organ problems, so treat the label as a red flag.
A harness. Yorkies are prone to a collapsing windpipe, and pressure from a neck collar makes it worse. Use a harness for every walk, and see a vet if your dog develops a honking cough.
A lot if you keep the coat long: daily brushing to prevent painful mats, plus a professional groom every six to eight weeks. Many owners keep a short "puppy cut" to make it easier.
The breed club recommends a patella (knee) check and an eye exam, and a careful breeder also screens for a liver shunt. Verify the parents on OFA.org by name, and never buy a "teacup" puppy.
No. The only standard Yorkie color is steel blue and tan. Golden, chocolate, and parti coats are non-standard, and no color is worth a premium. The Biewer Terrier is a separate breed, not a rare Yorkie.
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