Yorkie Poo Temperament Guide (What to Expect?)

A Yorkie Poo is by all accounts a fun-loving “designer dog” and consequently mixed breed dog—it’s a cross between the Yorkshire Terrier and a Miniature Poodle (Toy).

This mixed breed of dog is affectionate, gentle, and intelligent; all attributes that combine to make a lovely companion. Additionally, they are great for apartment living as long as you don’t mind barking.

Yorkie Poo temperament
Yorkie Poo Temperament Guide (What to expect?)

The Yorkie Poo is a breed with loads of energy, and they love to run around playing when they’re not resting comfortably on your lap observing the world.

Their speed and athleticism can be jarring if you’re not ready to parent a miniature super pet. Even first-time dog owners will find these super pups irresistible.

Continue reading for an exhaustive list of Yorkie Poo traits and facts.

The Designer Hybrid

Yorkie Poos, as with most Poodle hybrids, were designed to be close companion dogs who could reside with people who suffer from allergies.

Yorkiepoo wears a cool winter jacket
A Yorkiepoo wears a cool Christmas jacket!

The goal was to breed a small dog without the diseases that the Poodle or the Yorkshire Terrier are susceptible to—which resulted from poor breeding and overbreeding.

Since both breeds are intelligent, the Yorkie Poo is as well. Additionally, both breeds love performance competition like obedience and agility—the Yorkie Poo does too.

Yorkies are more independent than Poodles, so your Yorkipoo’s independence will largely depend on the temperaments of the parents, in particular the Poodle parent.

At any rate, Yorkies don’t have to be in your lap like Toy and Miniature Poodles do. However, for your Yorkie Poo, it will depend on their parents.

Yorkie Poos shed very little of their coat and don’t have much pet dander either. They are versatile and able to live in many types of homes; they make great companions for the elderly, and they’ve proven that they can be successful therapy dogs.

Size and Lifespan 

Yorkie Poos can weigh anywhere from 3 to 14 pounds and 7 to 15 inches in height. Although the size can differ from pup to pup, a mature adult dog will usually have the size of the Poodle used for crossbreeding. Yorkie Poos’ life expectancy is anywhere between 10-15 years.

Yorkiepoo puppy feels tired
Yorkiepoos can have different color patterns.

Personality and Temperament 

These fun-loving dogs are affectionate, active, and sociable, which is evident from their eagerness for the company of people. They are loyal and loving and enjoy participating in family activities. They are the perfect mix of confident and easygoing, making parenting them a breeze.

Yorkiepoo puppy tongue out
Yorkiepoo puppy panting after playing on the grass outdoors.

Yorkie Poos are intelligent enough to handle positive training consistently. They are very observant and perfectly content with looking at the world from the comfort of their owner’s lap.

Yorkie Poos’ temperaments are affected by many variables, such as training, socialization, and heredity.

Puppies with friendly temperaments are playful, curious, and more willing to approach people and be held by them. It would be best if you chose a balanced pup, not one that’s hiding on the corner or the one that roughs up their littermates.

Try to meet at least one of the parents—typically, the mother is available. This will give you confidence that your pup will have a temperament that you’re comfortable with if you see how the mother behaves. If you can meet other siblings or relatives, this can help you determine what your pup will be like when they become an adult.

Socialization

As with every dog, the Yorkie Poo needs to be socialized early on through exposure to sights, sounds, experiences, and people when they are young. A socialized Yorkie Poo puppy will grow up to be a well-rounded dog.

Yorkipoo standing in a park
Yorkipoo standing in a park against the sunlight.

If you can enroll them into a puppy kindergarten class, this is an excellent thing for their development. Inviting people over, going for walks in busy parks, and taking strolls around the neighborhood are all things that will help to improve their social skills.

In case you already have pets in your home, you’ll want to make sure the Yorkie Poo and the pet in the home get along well.

Care Requirements

You can bring a Yorkie Poo into your house or apartment, as they’re perfect for both settings. Never allow your Yorkie Poo to become an “outside” dog; they are too small and should live indoors to protect their emotional and physical well-being.

Yorkiepoo on the grass
Yorkiepoo sits on the grass waiting for his owner.

When caring for your new Yorkie Poo, you must remember they have a ton of energy. They’ll need daily exercise so that they can stay active and healthy.

Taking a quick walk each day should suffice, as they don’t need to overdo it, but a walk or two around the block will do their bodies a lot of good. You can also take your dog to a dog park (or in the backyard if you have one) for a few rounds of fetch.

Children and Yorkie Poos

How do Yorkie Poos behave around children? Yorkie Poos are relatively gentle companions that fare well around children. It’s better to raise your Yorkie Poo in a home that has children that are older than can be taught how to handle the pup with care.

owner petting a Yorkie Poo
An owner petting her behaved Yorkie Poo.

Yorkie Poos are small and get injured easily or mishandled, which can occur when small children aren’t aware of how to touch or approach pets.

Parents or guardians should always supervise the interactions between the kids and the Yorkie Poo. You want to prevent any biting of a body part, scratching, tail pulling, and so on.

Lastly, instruct children that they shouldn’t try to take the Yorkie Poos food away while they’re eating or frighten them while they’re sleeping. Never leave a young child with a dog without supervision, despite how friendly the dog may be.

Training a Yorkie Poo

Yorkie Poos are an intelligent dog breed and relatively easy to train. You want to start potty training them sooner rather than later.

The house training aspect can seem challenging if you’re inconsistent, as the Yorkie Poo is sometimes stubborn. A lack of repetition and short training activities may cause some rebellion, meaning your pup can get lackadaisical.

Specific methods show quicker success than others, and if you live in an apartment especially, it’ll be helpful to employ them so that you can get this part of the training process over quickly.

Crate Training

Some owners aren’t sure about crate training, but studies show that it’s a suitable way to help your Yorkie Poo get the hang of going to the bathroom in the designated area. It also helps puppies that are a bit mischievous.

dog crate for dogs
A crate is a useful tool for dogs for their potty training and a place to take a nap or sleep!

Additionally, the crate is a place for the Yorkie Poo to take a nap or simply rest if he gets tired. When you start crate training from a young age and in moderation, it also helps your puppy deal with confinement and adapts better if they ever need to get boarded.

Please don’t use the crate as a jail cell, so to speak; that is, you shouldn’t train your dog with it outside of potty training or sleeping at night.

Conclusion

The Yorkie Poo temperament is very similar to a two or three-year-old child in many regards. They’re energetic, a little patient, sweet, fun-loving, sassy, and affectionate. They’re learning about the world around them and want to be social butterflies as they experience life.

Sometimes your Yorkie Poo can be more Poodle than Yorkie, or vice versa. Their genetics can also play a drastic role in their personality. Either way, they’re bound to crave human interaction.

Ensure that you make them feel welcomed and loved, and you should be good to go.