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Yorkie Puppy Feeding Schedule: When Should I Feed My Yorkie?

Colorfully Dressed Yorkshire Terrier

If you are bringing home a new Yorkshire Terrier puppy there are so many exciting things to think about!

  1. What and when should I feed my Yorkie?
  2. What will you name your new puppy?
  3. How will you train your new puppy?
  4. When will you bring your new puppy to the vet for its first check-up?
  5. Will your new puppy sleep through the night?

In this article, we will answer question #1.

We will cover all of the basics about: how, what, and when to feed your new Yorkshire Terrier puppy.

This information will help you take the best possible care of your new family member.

Let’s get started!

Talk to Your Vet

We want to start off by saying that this article will provide you with a basic guideline of how to feed your Yorkshire Terrier puppy.

Photo of Yorkie At Vet Min

However, you should always consult with your vet about your puppy’s specific dietary needs.

All dogs have slightly different nutritional needs, so make sure to create a feeding plan with the guidance of your puppy’s veterinarian.

Always talk with your vet before starting a new feeding regimen or changing your dog’s food.

Make Changes Gradually

Talk with the breeder, shelter, or previous owner.

Ask what they were feeding your puppy when it was in their care.

Start with the same feeding plan and make changes gradually to help your new pet adjust.

If you change your puppy’s diet too suddenly it causes your puppy to have an upset stomach.

When to Feed Your Yorkshire Terrier Puppy

Once you have decided what to feed your Yorkshire Terrier puppy, you will need to create a feeding schedule.

Make sure that everyone in the household knows the schedule and sticks to it.

Dogs do best when they have a consistent schedule. A consistent feeding schedule will also help with potty training.

miling woman with Yorkshire Terrier

It is best to feed puppies three or four small meals per day rather than two large meals.

Make sure that you have enough time to take your puppy outside to use the bathroom after eating.

As your dog matures, you can reduce the feeding schedule to twice per day—once in the morning and once at night.

How Much to Feed Your Yorkshire Terrier Puppy

It is crucial to feed your Yorkshire Terrier puppy exactly the right amount of food.

If you feed your puppy too little, it could harm its growth and development.

However, if you feed your puppy too much, your puppy could become overweight. Just like with humans, obesity can lead to a lot of serious health risks in dogs.

As always, consult with your veterinarian about the right amount to feed your growing puppy.

Your vet will be able to calculate the proper caloric intake for your puppy based on its age and weight.

Most commercial dog foods will have a feeding chart on the back of the bag.

For example, it will probably say that a 5 lb. puppy should get about ½ cup of food per day (not per meal—per day).

The back of the bag will provide you with a starting point but still consult with your dog’s veterinarian for an individual feeding plan that is tailored to your dog.

Dog Bowl vs. Food Puzzle

Most people automatically go out and buy a basic dog bowl for mealtimes.

However, you might want to think twice about that.

You can easily spice up your dog’s life and add some enrichment to their daily routine by getting rid of the dog bowl.

Use mealtime as an enrichment opportunity instead.

Instead of a dog bowl, you can purchase a food puzzle, a busy ball, or a Kong wobbler instead. It will take your dog twice as long to eat from these devices, and it will make them use their brains!

You can also use mealtime as an opportunity for training.

Make your dog do tricks for every bite of food. This will reinforce his training routine, and it will cut down on the number of treats that you have to give him during training.

This might sound mean, making your pup work for his dinner, but dogs actually love this bonding activity. Dogs love to spend quality time with their owners.

What to Feed Your Yorkshire Terrier Puppy

There are so many options when it comes to dog food these days.

Let’s take a closer look at some of those options to figure out what will be the best one for your new Yorkshire Terrier puppy.

1. Basic Commercial Dog Food

If you visit the supermarket or a pet store, you will find yourself walking down a long aisle stocked with more dog food brands than you probably ever imagined existed.

So how do you pick the best one for your new pet?

Yorkie Puppy Feeding Schedule

If you have a puppy, you will want to narrow your search to foods that are labeled “puppy food” or food for “all life stages.”

Your dog can transition to an adult dog food when he or she reaches the age of one-year-old.

Always consult with your vet before changing your dog’s diet. Your veterinarian will give you a transition plan so that you can mix the food gradually to avoid giving your dog an upset tummy.

Read the Ingredient List Carefully

Before you decide on a particular brand, take some time to read the list of ingredients on the back of the bag.

Some kind of meat (such as beef, chicken, salmon or turkey) should be the first ingredient. It should be followed by healthful vegetables, fruits, and grains.

Dogs are omnivores, so they can digest both meat and plant material. However, most veterinarians agree that it is ideal if meat is the primary ingredient in your dog’s diet.

Try to avoid commercial dog foods with filler ingredients such as corn and animal by-products, especially if those ingredients are listed first on the list of ingredients.

Dry Food, Canned Food, Or Both?

There are pros and cons to both dry food and canned food. At the end of the day, this decision comes down to personal preference and the recommendation of your veterinarian.

Canned food is closer to a dog’s ancestral diet. There tends to be less filler material in canned food. Canned food is denser and packed with more proteins and nutrients.

Yorkie Puppy Feeding Schedule

However, canned food can be smelly and messy. Dogs love it, but some people really dislike dealing with it.

Canned food is also more expensive. If you feed your dog exclusively canned food, the price can really add up over time.

Some people decide to compromise and do a little bit of both.

Dry food is more economical. It is less messy, and it has less of an odor. It can also help with dental hygiene because crunching on hard kibble can help keep your dog’s teeth healthy.

On the downside, dry food has more “fillers” such as corn in the ingredients. Some dogs really do not like it and will refuse to eat it.

If you end up purchasing dry food for your Yorkshire Terrier puppy, make sure to get small bites. The large kibbles will be too big for your tiny puppy to chew.

2. Grain Free Dog Food

There has been a lot of controversy over grain free dog food in the past few years.

Some people think that it is the highest-quality food on the market. It is certainly the most expensive.

However, others say that grain-free food is not necessary for dogs since dogs are omnivores.

Recently, certain grain-free foods have even been linked to heart disease in some dogs.

Talk with your veterinarian about the pros and cons of feeding your Yorkshire Terrier puppy a grain-free diet.

3. The Raw Diet

Another trend in the dog food world is called the raw diet.

Photo of Yorkie Panting Min

The raw dog food diet consists of feeding your dog a diet composed of raw meat, bones, fruits and vegetables.

Some people assemble the meals themselves, and some people buy them prepackaged from the frozen section of the dog food aisle in the pet store. Some people even order meals online and get them shipped to their door!

The idea behind the raw diet is that it is the closest diet to what wolves and other canines would eat in the wild.

Many pet owners describe benefits such as healthier skin, coats, and teeth.

However, there are some drawbacks. There are risks of bacterial infections from consuming raw meat. Bones can be a choking hazard. It also takes a lot of skill to get the proportions right. Pet owners should not try to concoct the proportions on their own without the guidance of a veterinarian.

A Final Word on the Yorkie Puppy Feeding Schedule

Thank you for taking the time to learn a little bit about the Yorkshire Terrier puppy feeding schedule.

We hope that this has answered some of your initial questions.

As we stated earlier, be sure to follow up with your veterinarian to create a feeding plan that is perfect for your dog.