Toy Poodle vs Yorkie [with Photos]

You’ve done enough research to know you want your next pet to be a small dog. Nevertheless, there are many physical and personality trait differences between small dog breeds.

I’ll help you understand the differences between the Toy Poodle vs. Yorkie so you can determine which breed is the right fit for you.

Toy Poodle vs. Yorkie: Choosing the Best Breed

Toy Poodles and Yorkies are small dogs that bond well with their owners and require little space and exercise compared to larger breeds. Nevertheless, there are some important considerations when choosing your next pet.

Some questions you should ask yourself include:

• How much time do you want to dedicate to grooming?

• What’s the size of your other pets, if you have any?

• Do you have young children in your household?

• Does anyone in your home have allergies?

I’m not about to tell you that the Toy Poodle is better than the Yorkie or vice versa. I’m an animal lover, after all. I love all dogs.

However, some features undoubtedly make Toy Poodles and Yorkies better suited for certain people.

Overview of Toy Poodles and Yorkies

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of comparing Yorkies and Toy Poodles, below is an overview of both these breeds.

Toy Poodle Stats

• Size: Less than 10 inches

• Weight: 4 – 6 pounds

• Lifespan: 10 – 18 years

Toy Poodles belong to the Poodle breed, meaning they have coarse, curly hair with hypoallergenic properties. They’re the smallest type of Poodle, making them excellent lap dog companions.

High intelligence is one of the many features that Toy Poodles are famous for. In addition, they’re quick learners, which is good since you’ll need to train them not to bark if they pull out their protective qualities.

Yorkie Stats

• Size: 7 – 8 inches

• Weight: 7 pounds

• Lifespan: 11 – 15 years

Back in the Victorian era, Yorkshire Terriers served their humans by seeking out rats in mills and posing on the laps of upper-class women. They also have long, silky hair that also has hypoallergenic properties.

Since they have Terrier in them, Yorkies can get territorial. So, they require training at an early age and patience as they learn to overcome their sometimes feisty tendencies.

Physical Characteristics

Despite both of these breeds having a small size, it’s impossible to mistake a Toy Poodle for a Yorkie judging by their appearance.

Toy Poodles have a refined look, with a long, slender nose and short tail. They also have longer, floppy ears. Their bodies have a lengthier appearance, especially if a groomer keeps their fur clipped tighter to their skin.

In contrast, a Yorkie’s head is smaller, in great part because they have a shorter (but not squashed) snout. Their face has a balanced appearance topped with triangular-shaped ears that flop down but remain more erect than a Poodle’s.

Both Poodles and Yorkies have dark noses and eyes.

Exercise Needs

Toy Poodles have a higher amount of energy than Yorkies, requiring more exercise. They can also run over twice as fast as Yorkies. So, giving them enough space to run around is crucial.

Because of how small Toy Poodles are, “enough space” is relative. So, these dogs make excellent pets for people living in small apartments.

Yorkies also need exercise, although they might be happy with a simple walk around the block compared to Toy Poodles, who might want more interactive games to release their energy and test their intelligence.

In both cases, you should aim to give your Toy Poodle or Yorkie 45 – 30 minutes of exercise per day.

Grooming Requirements

Both Yorkies and Toy Poodles require lots of grooming maintenance, so these dogs aren’t a good fit for people who don’t have the time to run a brush over them regularly.

Of the two, Yorkies have more grooming demands than Toy Poodles, as you’ll need to take them to the groomer for a trim every 4 – 6 weeks. In contrast, you can get away with taking your Toy Poodle to the groomer every six weeks.

Ideally, you should brush your Toy Poodle or Yorkie daily between these grooming sessions.

If you own a Yorkie, it’s clear when they need a haircut because their hair will start dragging on the ground. It’s harder to tell with Toy Poodles since their hair will become denser rather than longer.

Color Choices

Many more options exist for choosing a Toy Poodle color compared to Yorkies. Some of the most popular Toy Poodle colors include:

• Black

• White

• Silver

• Blue

• Sable

• Apricot

On the other hand, almost all Yorkie puppies have black and tan fur, featuring adorable tan highlights around their muzzle, eyes, ears, and chest. As the puppies mature, it’s common for them to lighten a bit in color.

Nevertheless, they almost always maintain a contrast of darker and lighter tan fur.

Coat Type

Toy Poodles and Yorkies have different hair types, but both are hypoallergenic. Although a hypoallergenic dog isn’t a guarantee that someone in your home won’t have an allergic reaction to them, it reduces the chances of this happening.

When you pet a Toy Poodle, a dense single-coat layer will meet your hands. These dogs have a wiry coat that catches hair before falling to your floor.

On the other hand, Yorkies have long hair that feels akin to a human’s. It has a silkier feel, and like Poodle’s hair, it continually grows.

For this reason, it’s crucial to regularly bring your Yorkie or Toy Poodle to the groomer to prevent matting and dirt build-up.

Size Considerations

It’s undeniable that Toy Poodles and Yorkies are small dogs, although Toy Poodles have the potential to grow a couple of inches taller than Yorkies.

In either case, both breeds often suffer from injuries because of their small size. It’s easy to accidentally step on them or for young children to hurt them when playing. Your Yorkie or Toy Poodle will also likely experience trouble if you bring them into a large dog park.

To prevent size-related injuries, make sure to carry your Toy Poodle or Yorkie in areas with many people or animals. Furthermore, you should only let them play with dogs of a similar size.

So, What’ll It Be? The Toy Poodle or Yorkie?

Despite the many differences between Toy Poodles and Yorkies, there’s one similarity I’ve been saving for this—they’re both adorable, cuddly breeds.

So, now that you have a better understanding of the Toy Poodle vs. Yorkie, you can start making calls to find an available dog near you. Visiting your local animal shelter is also an excellent avenue for rescuing one of these purebred dogs.