Is my dog a Yorkipoo? Yorkshire Terrier × Poodle
A Yorkipoo is a Yorkshire Terrier crossed with a Toy Poodle, sometimes a Miniature. It is a toy-sized companion whose coat can look like either parent, and a photo shows which way your dog leans.
Also known as: Yorkie-poo, Yorkiepoo, Yoodle, Yorkie Poodle mixCross of: Yorkshire Terrier × Poodle
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About the Yorkipoo
The Yorkipoo appeared in the United States towards the end of the twentieth century, part of the wave of small Poodle crosses bred as companions. The FCI, AKC and KC do not recognise it, and most dogs are first crosses, so there is no fixed look. Temperament mixes the Yorkie’s confidence and alertness with the Poodle’s eagerness to learn: a lively, sometimes vocal little dog that bonds closely with its people and enjoys short bursts of play and training. Its size suits flats and small homes, and it needs gentle handling around young children and larger dogs.
At a glance
- Type
- Mixed breed
- Size
- Toy
- Adult weight
- 1.5–5 kg
- Life expectancy
- 13–16 years
- Exercise
- Moderate
How to recognise a Yorkipoo
- Coat ranges from long, straight and silky like a Yorkie’s to soft curls like a Poodle’s; most fall in between with a gentle wave.
- Black and tan or blue and tan is the classic pattern; silver, cream, apricot, red, chocolate and parti-colours also occur.
- Ears may stand erect in a V like a Yorkie’s or fold and hang like a Poodle’s, and can change as the puppy grows.
- Small, fine-boned toy build with a small head, a fine muzzle and dark, bright eyes.
- Puppies are often born darker, and black-and-tan coats can lighten to silver or gold with age, as in Yorkshire Terriers.
Photo tip. Photograph your Yorkipoo on the floor at its own level, side-on, with the ears in their natural carriage. Ear set and coat texture decide whether the result leans Yorkie or Poodle.
Yorkipoo or look-alike?
Yorkshire Terrier
A pedigree Yorkie has a perfectly straight, fine, glossy coat in a sharp steel-blue and tan pattern, and its ears always stand. Any wave, curl or solid colour points to Poodle ancestry.
Morkie
A Morkie has a Maltese parent instead of a Poodle, so its coat stays straight and silky, never curly, and often shows white or pale gold. A wavy or curly coat suggests a Yorkipoo.
Toy Poodle
A Toy Poodle has a dense, tight curl all over, a long, refined muzzle and ears that always hang. Erect ears or a silky, straight coat with tan points mark a Yorkipoo.
Australian Silky Terrier
A Silky Terrier is a little larger, with a flat, straight blue-and-tan coat parted down the back and erect ears. It never shows the wave or curl a Yorkipoo often carries.
What a Yorkipoo inherits
Yorkipoo litters vary a great deal. Siblings can have straight silky hair, soft waves or tight curls, and ears that stand, tip over or hang. Colour is a little steadier, with tan points common when the Yorkie side dominates. Size depends on whether a Toy or Miniature Poodle was used. The identifier recognises the Yorkipoo as a type, so a wavy, tan-pointed toy dog often comes back as Yorkipoo; silkier dogs lean towards Yorkshire Terrier and curlier ones towards Poodle. A DNA test gives the real percentages.
Health and care
- Patellar luxation is common at toy size in both parent breeds. Ask whether the parents’ knees were checked, and notice any skipping on a hind leg.
- Very small puppies can run low on blood sugar. Feed small, frequent meals at regular times, especially in the first months.
- Teeth crowd in a tiny jaw, so dental disease is common. Brush daily if you can and add dental chews.
- Walk your Yorkipoo on a harness rather than a collar: collapsed trachea is known in Yorkshire Terriers and other toy breeds.
- Liver shunt and Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease are known on the Yorkie side. Ask the breeder whether either has appeared in the line.