Best dry dog food for a Yorkshire terrier
A Yorkshire terrier's dry food needs to match a very small body: tiny kibble that is easy to pick up and chew, a proportionally higher calorie density than a large breed needs, and ideally something that helps with dental health, since small breeds are especially prone to tooth and gum problems.
Feeding a Yorkshire Terrier
A toy breed
An adult Yorkshire Terrier typically weighs up to 3.2 kg, so a healthy Yorkshire Terrier eats a small amount — often under 100g of dry food a day compared with other breeds. Every feeding guide on a bag is written per kilo of body weight, not per breed — start there, then adjust to the dog in front of you.
Life stage
A toy breed is usually done growing at 10–12 months, which is roughly when a puppy food has finished its job. With a typical lifespan of 11–15 years, there is a long adult stretch in the middle; switch to a senior food when your vet thinks it is worth it rather than on a birthday.
Small mouths, crowded teeth
Smaller breeds get dental disease more often than big ones, largely because the same number of teeth are packed into a shorter jaw. Kibble size is worth checking, and a dental chew counts towards the daily 10% of calories from treats.
How much should a Yorkshire Terrier weigh?
Adult up to 3.2 kgfully grown at 10–12 months
| Age | Stage | Typical weight | Of adult size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 weeks | Just home | 0.6 kg | 18% |
| 3 months | Young puppy | 0.9 kg | 30% |
| 6 months | Growing fast | 1.9 kg | 59% |
| 10–12 months | Fully grown | 3.2 kg | 100% |
A guide, from the same rule of thumb our puppy growth predictor uses — each age is that share of the way to maturity for a toy breed. Puppies grow fastest early, so a real puppy usually sits a little above the middle rows. Weigh yours and ask your vet if the number worries you.
Complete dog foods that suit a Yorkshire Terrier
Complete foods from our range, matched to a Yorkshire Terrier's size band and what the breed typically needs. Stock levels and delivery dates are live on each product.
Pedigree Can in Jelly Puppy 6 Pack
Complete Pedigree puppy food in jelly with chicken, lamb and poultry recipes
£10.15
Forthglade Cold Pressed Natural Turkey
Cold-pressed turkey kibble for dogs from 2 months, soft enough to mix with water for young pups
£45.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Chicken
Cold-pressed grain-free chicken food with fruit and botanicals, in three bag sizes
From£16.99
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Chicken
A grain-free complete dry food for adult dogs, lightly baked and built on 50% chicken
From£12.49
Forthglade Cold Pressed Small Dog Turkey
Cold-pressed grain-free dry food for small dogs and puppies, built on turkey
£16.99
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Lamb
A lightly baked complete dry food, 50% lamb, for adult dogs of any breed
From£12.49
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Turkey
Grain-free cold-pressed turkey kibble for dogs, gentle on sensitive stomachs
£69.69
Forthglade British Classics Chicken Family Lunch
Complete Forthglade wet dog food with 75% chicken in a 395G tray
£2.45
Harringtons Puppy Turkey & Rice
Complete turkey puppy food with 30% protein and feeding bands by adult weight
£6.49
Harringtons Adult Dog Turkey Veg
Complete dry food for adult dogs with turkey, chicken and salmon oil, 21% protein
From£3.39
Harringtons Just 6 Dry Dog Food Lamb
Grain-free lamb dry dog food in 2KG and 12KG sizes, with size-specific formulas
From£13.99
Why size changes what to look for
A Yorkshire terrier typically weighs somewhere between two and three kilograms fully grown, which is a fraction of the body mass most dry dog food is designed around. Standard-sized kibble can be genuinely awkward for a mouth that small to pick up and chew properly, so a small-breed or toy-breed recipe with a smaller kibble shape is worth choosing over a generic adult formula.
Small dogs also burn energy faster relative to their size than large breeds do, which means a Yorkshire terrier often needs more calories per kilogram of body weight than a bigger dog eating the same style of food. A food formulated for small breeds usually accounts for this, so the same bowlful goes further nutritionally without needing to be a mountain of kibble.
Dental health matters more in a small mouth
Small and toy breeds are more prone to dental disease than larger dogs, partly because their teeth are crowded into a smaller jaw. A dry kibble with a texture designed to help scrape plaque as the dog chews can be a genuinely useful part of managing this, alongside regular brushing.
It is not a substitute for dental care, but choosing a food that at least works with your dog's teeth rather than against them is a sensible small step, and dedicated dental chews are worth considering as well.
Puppies, adults and feeding amounts
A Yorkshire terrier puppy has different needs again, with smaller, more frequent meals recommended while they are tiny, since toy breed puppies are more prone to a drop in blood sugar between meals than larger puppies are. A puppy-specific small-breed food is the safer starting point.
For any age, use the feeding guide on the pack as your starting point rather than a fixed rule, and adjust gradually based on your dog's body condition rather than switching food abruptly. If you are ever unsure how much to feed or whether your dog's weight is right, your vet can check this at a routine visit.
Common questions
- Do Yorkshire terriers need a specific small-breed food, or will any dry food do?
- A small-breed or toy-breed recipe is worth choosing over a generic adult food because the kibble size and calorie density are built around a much smaller body. It is not compulsory, but a Yorkshire terrier will usually find it easier to eat and get more appropriate nutrition from it than from kibble sized for a larger dog.
- How many times a day should a Yorkshire terrier be fed?
- Adult Yorkshire terriers commonly do well on two meals a day, while puppies usually need three or four smaller meals until they are a few months old, since toy breeds are more prone to low blood sugar between meals when very young. The guide on your food's packaging is a reasonable starting point to adjust from.
- Is grain-free food better for a Yorkshire terrier?
- Not automatically. Grain-free simply means the recipe uses a different carbohydrate source, and whether that suits your dog comes down to their individual digestion rather than the breed. A Yorkshire terrier with no known sensitivity does not need a grain-free diet specifically because of their breed.
- My Yorkshire terrier is a fussy eater — what can I do?
- Try introducing a new food gradually alongside the old one over several days rather than swapping overnight, and check the kibble size genuinely suits their small mouth. If fussiness comes with weight loss, tiredness or any other change, that is worth a vet check rather than assuming it is simply pickiness.
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Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.