Best Training Treats for Yorkies (and How Many to Give)

General nutrition information compiled from product labels and published sources, not veterinary advice. Your veterinarian is the right person to choose a diet for your dog, especially one with a health condition.

A Yorkshire Terrier is a small dog with a big appetite for praise, and treats make that praise easy to deliver. They also add up fast. The American Kennel Club notes that some Yorkies are prone to becoming overweight, and advises watching calories and treats.

This guide shows how to choose yorkie treats for training, how small to cut them, and how to work out a daily treat budget. It is built on label data and published guidance. We did not feed or taste-test any treats ourselves.

What you need

Two or three treat types from different categories (soft, freeze-dried single protein, vegetable), so you can rotate them.
A small cutting board and a knife or kitchen scissors, for cutting treats down.
A small pouch or treat bag you can wear, so rewards arrive within a second or two of the behavior.
The calorie number for your dog's main food, from the bag or the brand's website.
The calorie number on each treat package, or a note to ask the brand if it is not printed.
A kitchen scale or measuring cup, so the daily food portion is not a guess.

The three treat categories that suit most Yorkies

We are not ranking brands here. No treat products are reviewed on this page, so check the label of anything you buy. What follows are categories, with the trade-offs of each.

Soft training treats

Soft treats are easy to break into crumbs, and a dog can swallow them quickly, which keeps a training session moving. Many are calorie dense for their size. Look for the calories per treat on the package, and check the ingredient list for anything your dog has reacted to before.

Freeze-dried single protein

These are made from one animal protein, such as chicken or turkey, so the ingredient list is short. That makes it easier to spot a food your dog does not tolerate. They are light and crumbly, which suits a toy dog. Break them up, because a piece sold for a larger dog may be far too big for a Yorkie.

Vegetables

Small pieces of dog-safe vegetables, such as plain cooked carrot, can be a lower-calorie option for dogs that enjoy them. Serve them plain, with no salt, butter or seasoning. Not every dog likes them, and some foods people eat are unsafe for dogs, including grapes, raisins, onions and chocolate. If you are unsure about a food, ask your veterinarian first.

Step-by-step: choosing and using treats

Step 1. Find your dog's daily food calories

Start with the main food. The brand's feeding guide gives a starting point, and your veterinarian can adjust it for your individual dog. Here are three label examples, with simple arithmetic on the brand's own figures.

Food (brand page)	Label calories	Feeding guide example	Rough daily calories	About 10 percent
Royal Canin Yorkshire Terrier Adult dry	336 kcal per cup	1/2 cup for a 4.4 lb dog, low activity	about 168	about 17
Hill's Science Diet Adult Small & Mini Chicken & Brown Rice dry	357 kcal per cup	5/8 cup for a 5 lb dog	about 223	about 22
Royal Canin Yorkshire Terrier Puppy dry	379 kcal per cup	1/2 cup at 2 months, 4.4 lb target adult weight	about 190	about 19

These are starting points from each brand's feeding table, and your dog may need more or less. The takeaway is how small the numbers are. A Yorkie that eats roughly 170 to 220 calories a day does not have much room for treats.

If you are still choosing a main food, our label-by-label comparison of dog foods for Yorkies lays out the calories and ingredients side by side. It compares label data only. We did not run feeding trials or taste tests.

Step 2. Set a treat budget with the 10 percent rule

A widely used rule of thumb, commonly attributed to calorie guidance from the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA), is to keep treats to about 10 percent of daily calories. The rest should come from a complete and balanced diet. Ask your veterinarian to confirm the right share for your dog, and for a dog that is overweight, a lower share may be advised.

Using the first row of the table, about 17 calories is the whole day's treat allowance. If a treat package says 3 calories per piece, that is roughly five or six pieces for the entire day. If the package gives no calorie number, check with the brand before you rely on it.

Training rewards count. So do chews, dental sticks, the bit of cheese used to hide a pill and anything dropped from the table.

Step 3. Cut treats much smaller than you think

For a toy dog, a practical size is smaller than a pea. Your Yorkie does not need a bite to feel rewarded. It needs a taste, delivered at the right moment. The Yorkshire Terrier Club of America describes the breed standard as a dog that must not exceed seven pounds, so a treat sized for a medium dog can be a large share of a day's allowance.

Cut soft treats into several tiny pieces. Crumble freeze-dried pieces between your fingers. Slice vegetables into small bits. Smaller pieces also mean your dog can swallow and look back at you quickly, so you get more repetitions per session.

Step 4. Match the treat to the job

Use a lower-value treat, such as a vegetable piece, for easy behaviors your dog already knows. Save a more exciting soft treat or freeze-dried piece for new skills or distracting places. Rotating a few options keeps interest up without raising the calorie total.

Step 5. Reward right away, with calm, reward-based training

Deliver the treat within a second or two of the behavior you want. Use a marker word or a click if you like, then reward. This approach is in line with the position of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB), which favors reward-based training. Avoid harsh corrections. They are unnecessary, and they make training less enjoyable for both of you.

Step 6. Take treats out of the meal budget on training days

Once you know what you will use in a session, subtract a little from the meal portion, or use some of the dog's own kibble as the reward. Kibble works well for easy cues. Keep an eye on your dog's body condition over a few weeks, and ask your veterinarian to check weight at visits.

Step 7. Keep sessions short and end on a win

Five minutes of a few repetitions is plenty for most small dogs. Stop while your Yorkie is still interested. Fewer, better-timed treats beat a long session where each reward is bigger.

Special cases for Yorkies

Puppies

The Yorkshire Terrier Club of America names hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) as a concern in puppies, especially at 6 to 12 weeks old, and recommends feeding a young puppy three to four times a day. Treats should never replace meals for a young puppy. If your puppy seems weak, wobbly or unusually sleepy, contact a veterinarian promptly rather than reaching for another treat.

Puppy food labels, such as those from Royal Canin and Hill's, mark the switch to adult food at around 10 months to a year. Those ages come from the brands, so ask your veterinarian when to change foods.

Dogs with a pancreas, liver or gut concern

The Merck Veterinary Manual reports an increased prevalence of pancreatitis in Yorkshire Terriers, and says dietary indiscretion is believed to be a common risk factor in dogs. The Yorkshire Terrier Club of America also names portosystemic shunt and protein-losing enteropathy as known to occur in the breed. This does not mean a treat causes any of these conditions. It does mean that rich, fatty extras are a poor idea, and that if your dog has a diagnosis, your veterinarian should approve any treat first.

Teeth

Small dogs are much more likely than larger dogs to get periodontal disease, according to Dr. Erinn Hilberry of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, quoted in WCVM Today. That source does not name the Yorkie specifically. Treats are not a substitute for dental care, so ask your veterinarian about brushing and checkups.

Common mistakes to avoid

Using full-size treats. One treat sized for a larger dog can use up the day's allowance.
Not counting treats. Small extras throughout the day add up quickly in a 7 lb dog.
Trusting the front of the bag. Words like natural or healthy are marketing. Read the ingredient list and calorie statement.
Rewarding late. A treat that arrives several seconds after the behavior teaches less clearly.
Offering table scraps. Fatty or seasoned human food is a poor swap for a training reward.
Changing several things at once. Introduce one new treat at a time, so you can tell what a stomach upset came from.
Expecting treats to fix health problems. No treat is a substitute for veterinary care of a disease. Your veterinarian decides what suits an individual dog.

What results to expect

With well-timed, tiny rewards and short sessions, many Yorkies may learn simple cues such as sit or come over a few weeks of regular practice. Progress varies with age, temperament and distractions, and there are no guarantees.

Keeping treats within a set calorie budget may also make it easier to keep your dog at a steady weight. Check body condition regularly, and ask your veterinarian if you are unsure whether your dog is at a healthy weight.

Quick checklist

Find the daily calories in your dog's main food.
Set a treat budget of about 10 percent, and confirm it with your veterinarian.
Choose two or three treat types from different categories.
Cut everything to a tiny size.
Reward quickly, using reward-based methods.
Count every treat, then adjust meals if needed.