A feisty, loyal little cross between a Chihuahua and a Yorkshire Terrier, terrier attitude in a pocket sized, silky package.
Designer crosstoy breedChihuahua and Yorkshire TerrierParent profiles checked
About this profile: the Chorkie is a cross, also known as the Yorkiehuahua, not a recognized breed with a standard. Size, lifespan and care figures here are estimates drawn from our full profiles of the two parent breeds, the Chihuahua and the Yorkshire Terrier, and individual dogs vary more than purebreds do. That variation is normal for a cross and is stated plainly rather than hidden.
The Chorkie is not recognized by the AKC and has no breed standard, no registry and no guarantee of traits. The AKC recognizes the parent breeds, the Chihuahua and the Yorkshire Terrier, but not their cross. Coat, size, temperament and health vary more in crosses than in purebreds, and two puppies from one litter can grow into noticeably different dogs. Any breeder who promises an exact adult size, a non shedding coat or a fixed temperament for a Chorkie is promising something no one can deliver. Judge litters by the actual parents: their health testing, their temperaments and how they are raised.
The Chorkie crosses the two smallest personalities with the largest followings in the toy group. The Chihuahua brings fierce devotion and a watchdog streak, and the Yorkshire Terrier brings ratter boldness and a silky, low shedding coat. Most Chorkies are tiny, clever, affectionate dogs that attach to their person completely and hold strong views about strangers, noises and other dogs. They reward owners who socialize and train them like real dogs.
Chorkies have been bred in the United States since the early designer cross years. With two toy parents of different builds, litters vary: apple headed, longer muzzled, smooth coated and silky coated puppies can all appear, sometimes in one litter. There is no registry and no standard, so the parents themselves, their sizes and their temperaments, are the best guide to what a puppy will become.
Devotion with a terrier edge. Chorkies shadow their person, supervise visitors and announce every arrival. They are playful and quick to learn, and just as quick to guard laps, toys and their favorite human if early boundaries are missing. Wide socialization in puppyhood, a taught quiet cue and calm independence training turn the same traits into a confident, funny little companion.
Energy (3/5)
Trainability (3/5)
Grooming needs (3/5)
Shedding (2/5)
Barking (5/5)
Good with children: Better with older children
With other dogs: Prefers its own kind
With strangers: Wary of strangers
Apartment life: Well suited
Coat: Usually a medium to long, silky or wiry coat that sheds lightly. Some puppies keep a shorter Chihuahua style coat; coat type cannot be promised in advance.
Colors: Black and tan is common early and often lightens with age, as Yorkie coats do. Cream, gold, silver, white and mixed markings also appear.
Brush two or three times a week, or keep a short clip. Tiny stomachs need small measured meals, and teeth crowd badly in toy mouths, so daily dental care starts in puppyhood. Use a harness to protect the windpipe, and handle puppies gently, teaching children to sit on the floor with the dog rather than carrying it.
Twenty to forty minutes a day, much of it in short garden and indoor sessions plus a proper walk. Chorkies tire quickly but also chill quickly, so warm coats in winter are practical rather than cute extras.
Coat dependent: smooth coats need a weekly brush, silkier coats need combing several times a week and clips every six to eight weeks. Teeth brushing matters more than coat work; add ear checks and nail trims to the weekly routine.
Chorkies are clever and learn cues quickly, but house training tiny bladders takes a strict routine and patience. Priorities are socialization with people and dogs of all sizes, a reliable quiet for the barking, and being left alone calmly. Reward based methods only: this cross shuts down under pressure and blossoms under praise.
The classic apartment companion for adult households, older owners and anyone home a lot. Chorkies are fragile around toddlers and rough play, and their barking needs honest training in close quarters. In a calm home they are portable, devoted and very long lived.
About $5 per month for a typical 5 lb adult eating roughly 0.3 cups a day of a standard quality food ($1.60 per lb). Full breakdown in our food expense calculator.
Plan 20 to 40 minutes a day of walks, play and training. Under exercised dogs of most breeds invent their own projects, and they rarely pick good ones.
Estimated US range $38 to $68 per month for accident and illness cover, estimated from the parent breeds' published ranges on this site; see the insurance estimator and the insurance guide.
On the monthly figures above, a typical adult year runs to about $60 for food and $456 to $816 for insurance, before routine vet care, grooming and gear. Year one costs more: vaccinations, spay or neuter surgery, a crate, bedding and training all land at once.
How weight typically builds with age for this cross, estimated from the parent breeds sizes.
| Stage | Age | Typical weight |
|---|---|---|
| Puppy | 8 weeks | about 1 to 2 lb |
| Puppy | 4 months | about 1 to 3 lb |
| Puppy | 6 months | about 2 to 4 lb |
| Young | 9 months | about 2 to 5 lb |
| Young | 12 months | about 3 to 6 lb |
| Adult | Full grown | 3 to 7 lb (typical range) |
| Senior | From about 10 years | Healthy weight stays in the adult range; watch for slow gain or loss |
Growth figures are estimates interpolated from the adult weight ranges of the two parent breeds, following the size class growth pattern used across this site. Cross puppies vary more than purebred puppies; steady growth matters more than hitting any single number, and your vet's growth checks come first.
Puppies are exceptionally small and need frequent meals, warmth and protection from falls and big dogs. Adults are settled, devoted companions with modest exercise needs. Seniors benefit from dental care, heart checks and joint friendly living, and often remain bright well into their teens.
Ask for patella and heart screening from both sides, liver shunt history from the Yorkshire Terrier side, and trachea and soft spot history from the Chihuahua side.
Health notes summarize the conditions the two parent breeds profiles and breed guidance most often flag. They are general information for choosing and caring, not a diagnosis or a substitute for your vet. Parent profiles: Chihuahua and Yorkshire Terrier.
There is no standalone cost guide for the Chorkie: as a cross, its adult size, coat and health risks land between its two parents, so the honest figures live in the parent guides. See the Chihuahua cost guide and the Yorkshire Terrier cost guide, and run your own mix in the cost calculator.
A typical lifespan is 12 to 16 years. That range is an estimate drawn from the two parent breeds, and weight control, dental care and buying from health tested parents give a dog the best chance of reaching the top of it.
Food for a typical adult runs about $5 a month at a standard quality tier, and accident and illness insurance is estimated between $38 and $68 a month in the US, based on the parent breeds' ranges. Try the full cost calculator for a complete year one and yearly picture.
Better with older children. As with every breed and cross, supervise dogs and children together and teach children to respect the dog's space and rest.
Plan on 20 to 40 minutes a day, split between walks, play and training games. Puppies and seniors need gentler, shorter sessions.
Both are tiny Yorkie crosses. The Yorkipoo Poodle parent usually brings a curlier, even lower shedding coat and a slightly easier training ride. The Chorkie Chihuahua parent brings a smaller adult, a stronger one person bond and, often, more barking to train through.
The Chihuahua profile The Yorkshire Terrier profile All breeds Compare breeds
This page is general information drawn from the published guidance of the organizations listed under Sources below. It is not veterinary advice, and it does not replace your own veterinarian, who knows your dog. If your dog is unwell or has eaten something toxic, contact your veterinarian, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435, or the Pet Poison Helpline on (855) 764-7661 straight away. A consultation fee may apply on the helplines.
Last updated: November 2026. Cross figures on this page are estimates drawn from the two parent breed profiles and are labeled as estimates wherever they appear. How we work: our methodology.