How Much to Feed a Yorkie: Feeding Chart by Age and Weight

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.

Most owners ask how much to feed a Yorkie because the bag's guide looks tiny. A half cup a day can seem too little for a dog that eats with such enthusiasm. It is often close to right, because the breed is very small.

The American Kennel Club lists the Yorkshire Terrier in the Toy Group at about 7 pounds. The Yorkshire Terrier Club of America says the breed standard is a dog that must not exceed seven pounds. At that size, a few extra kibbles a day add up fast.

This guide shows you how to find a starting amount from the label of the food you actually use. It then shows how to check that amount against your dog's body and adjust slowly. The Yorkie feeding chart below is built from label data, not from our own feeding trials or taste tests. Label guides are starting points. A veterinarian sets the amount for an individual dog.

What You Need

The food's feeding guide. Use the bag, or the brand's product page. Look for the calories per cup and the daily feeding table.
A kitchen scale that reads in grams. Cups vary with how you scoop. Grams do not. Several of the labels below list both.
A measuring cup for days you do not use the scale.
Your dog's current weight. A bathroom scale works if you weigh yourself, then weigh yourself holding the dog, and subtract.
A small notebook or phone note for weights, portions and treats.
Your veterinarian's number for the calorie target and any health questions.

Step 1: Know Your Yorkie's Size and Stage

Start with two facts: how old your dog is and how much your dog weighs now. The American Kennel Club gives the adult Yorkie weight as 7 pounds and the height as 7 to 8 inches. Some dogs land above or below that, so your own dog's weight matters more than the breed average.

Next, find the life stage. There is no single official age for switching from puppy to adult food. Brands label it themselves. Royal Canin's Yorkshire Terrier formulas are labelled as puppy from 8 weeks to 10 months and adult from 10 months. Hill's labels its Small & Mini puppy food for puppies up to 1 year old. Ask your veterinarian when to switch your dog.

Step 2: Pick the Number of Meals by Age

The Yorkshire Terrier Club of America advises feeding a young Yorkie puppy three to four times a day. As the dog matures, two feedings a day should be sufficient, according to the club.

Stage	Meals per day (Yorkshire Terrier Club of America)	Food type on the label
Young puppy	3 to 4	Puppy or growth formula
Maturing dog	Moving toward 2	Puppy until the label's age, then adult
Adult	2	Adult maintenance formula
Senior	Ask your veterinarian	Adult maintenance or a senior label

The club brochure also names low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) as a concern in puppies, especially at 6 to 12 weeks old. Small, frequent meals fit that picture. If a very young puppy refuses meals or seems weak or unusual, call your veterinarian the same day. Do not wait to see if it passes.

Step 3: Read the Calories on the Label

Cups are a poor way to compare foods. A cup of one food can hold far more calories than a cup of another. Look for the calories per cup (kcal ME per cup) and use that figure to compare.

The AAFCO statement matters too. Check that the food says it is complete and balanced for your dog's life stage. AAFCO's large-size growth wording does not apply to a 7 pound toy breed. The Merck Veterinary Manual explains that this wording relates to dogs expected to reach 70 pounds or more.

Step 4: Use This Yorkie Feeding Chart as a Starting Point

The table below shows what each brand prints in its own feeding guide for dogs near Yorkie size. The daily calories column is simple arithmetic: the amount shown times the calories per cup or can on the same page. The rows use different dog weights, so do not read them as a ranking of foods. They show how much the same "half cup" can differ.

Food (label source)	Dog size in the label row	Label amount per day	Label calories	Approx. calories per day
Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Yorkshire Terrier Puppy, dry (Royal Canin US product page)	2 months old, 4.4 lb target adult weight	1/2 cup (49 g)	379 kcal ME per cup	About 190
Hill's Science Diet Puppy Small & Mini Chicken & Brown Rice, dry (Hill's page)	2 lb, growth under 4 months	1/2 cup (55 g)	418 kcal per cup	About 209
Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Yorkshire Terrier Adult, dry (Royal Canin US product page)	4.4 lb, low activity	1/2 cup (41 g)	336 kcal ME per cup	About 168
Hill's Science Diet Adult Small & Mini Chicken & Brown Rice, dry (Hill's page)	5 lb adult	5/8 cup (60 g)	357 kcal per cup	About 223
Hill's Science Diet Adult 7+ Senior Vitality Small & Mini Chicken & Rice, dry (Hill's page)	5 lb adult	1/2 cup (45 g)	341 kcal per cup	About 171
Hill's Science Diet Adult 11+ Small & Mini Chicken, Brown Rice & Barley, dry (Hill's page)	5 lb adult	1/2 cup (50 g)	378 kcal per cup	About 189
Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Yorkshire Terrier Adult Loaf in Sauce, canned (Royal Canin US product page)	4.4 lb, low activity	1 3/4 cans (156 g)	81 kcal ME per can	About 142
Hill's Science Diet Adult 7+ Senior Vitality Small & Mini Chicken & Vegetable Stew, canned (Hill's page)	5 lb adult	1 1/2 cans (5.5 oz each)	126 kcal per 5.5 oz can	About 189

Two notes on reading the table. First, the Royal Canin can size is not stated on its page, so check the can before you rely on the wet food row. Second, the Hill's fresh roll lists 4 oz a day for a 5 lb dog but does not state calories on its page. Nom Nom's turkey recipe lists 244 kcal per cup, but the brand calculates portions per dog from the information the owner provides. For those two, check with the brand for the daily amount.

These pages show only the rows we quote. The full tables cover other weights and ages, so open your food's own table and find the row closest to your dog. If your Yorkie sits between two rows, treat the lower one as a cautious place to start, then use Steps 5 and 6.

If you are still choosing a food, the label-by-label comparison of dog foods for Yorkies lays out ingredients, calories and AAFCO statements side by side.

Step 5: Check Body Condition, Not Just the Scale

Body condition scoring is a hands-on check that tells you whether a dog is thin, ideal or overweight. Many veterinary clinics use a numbered chart. Ask yours to show you the scale they use and where your Yorkie falls on it. Between visits, you can check three things at home:

Ribs. Run your hands along the sides of the chest. You should feel the ribs under a thin covering without pressing hard. If you have to dig for them, the dog may be carrying extra weight. If they stand out sharply, the dog may be too thin.
Waist. Look down at your standing dog from above. There should be a visible narrowing behind the ribs. A straight or bulging outline can mean extra weight. A Yorkie's coat can hide this, so rely on your hands as well as your eyes.
Tummy tuck. From the side, the belly line should rise from the chest toward the hind legs. A belly that hangs level with the chest is worth mentioning to your veterinarian.

This check matters for the breed. The American Kennel Club notes that some Yorkies are prone to becoming overweight, and advises watching calories and treats. Because the dog is so small, an extra handful of food is a large share of its day.

Step 6: Adjust for Activity and Watch Weekly

Label tables often split by activity. The Royal Canin row above is for a low-activity dog. A Yorkie who plays hard or walks daily may need more than a couch companion of the same weight. An older or less active dog may need less. The label cannot know which one yours is.

Use this routine:

Feed the starting amount for two to three weeks.
Weigh your dog weekly, on the same scale, at a similar time of day.
Check the ribs and waist each time.
If your dog is gaining and the ribs are getting hard to feel, reduce the portion by a small amount. If your dog is thinning, increase by a small amount.
Make one change at a time and give it a couple of weeks before changing again.

Do not set a calorie target on your own and do not make large cuts. Your veterinarian can give a daily calorie goal for your dog, and can tell you whether an age, health issue or medication changes it.

Step 7: Count Treats and Extras

Treats count. For a dog this small, one chew or a few biscuits can be a meaningful part of the day's food. Take treats out of the meal portion, or keep them to a small, planned share, and ask your veterinarian what share is reasonable.

Table scraps and fatty extras are a poor idea. 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. Keep the diet steady and the extras plain and small. If your dog gets into the trash or eats something rich, call your veterinarian.

Tips and Common Mistakes

Scooping by eye. A heaped scoop can hold much more than a level one. Weigh the food when you can.
Switching foods without rechecking. Calories per cup differ between foods, as the table shows. A new food needs a new portion. Change foods gradually over several days.
Using the puppy amount for too long. Puppy foods are more calorie-dense. Watch for the life-stage switch your veterinarian recommends.
Feeding to the adult weight of a different breed. Generic charts often start at 5 or 10 pounds. Use rows near your dog's actual weight, as in the table above.
Free feeding a puppy all day. The parent club suggests scheduled meals, three to four a day for a young puppy. Scheduled meals also let you see appetite changes.
Ignoring the vet's advice for a health condition. Liver, pancreas and blood sugar questions are veterinary matters. The Yorkshire Terrier Club of America names portosystemic shunt and protein-losing enteropathy as known to occur in the breed. Any prescription diet is only something a veterinarian prescribes. No over-the-counter food replaces that advice.
Trusting a brand claim as a promise. Treat label wording as the brand's description. The numbers and the AAFCO statement are what you compare.

What to Expect

If the portion suits your dog, you may notice steady weight over several weeks, ribs you can feel without pressing, and a visible waist. Your dog may also finish meals without seeming hungry again right away. Results vary by dog, and a stable weight for a few weeks is a better sign than any single day.

If weight creeps up or down despite following the label, that is useful information, not a failure. Bring your weight notes to your veterinarian. They can set the amount for your individual dog.

Quick Recap

Find your dog's weight and life stage.
Set meals by age: three to four for a young puppy, then two as the dog matures.
Compare calories per cup on the label, not just cups.
Start from the label row closest to your dog's weight.
Check ribs, waist and tuck every week.
Adjust in small steps for activity.
Count treats, and confirm the amount with your veterinarian.