7 Best Dog Foods to Feed an Adult and Puppy Yorkipoo with Feeding Guide

Possibly one of the cutest of all dogs, the Yorkipoo is a cross between the Yorkshire Terrier and a Poodle (Toy Poodle or Miniature Poodle). Yorkipoos are usually a good cross of Yorkie bravery and Poodle brains. They can be confident, smart, friendly, loving, and playful little dogs. They are usually not hard to train. Expect a Yorkipoo to be 6 to 15 inches tall; and weigh between 4 and 14 pounds. Their coat is smooth, silky, and wavy. Some Yorkipoos are non-shedding and make a good pet for people who are allergic to dogs. Yorkipoos usually make good apartment dogs – although they do tend to bark when a stranger knocks.

What to Look for in a Good Yorkipoo Food

Most Yorkipoos should be able to eat any good quality dog food. Neither the Yorkshire Terrier nor the Poodle are known for being particularly susceptible to food allergies so this probably won’t be a problem for your Yorkipoo, at least not from a genetic standpoint. (Each dog is an individual, so it’s always possible that a dog can have a bad reaction to something he eats or an ingredient in his food.) Yorkshire Terriers can have sensitive digestion so this might be something to watch for with your Yorkipoo.

Since Yorkipoos are so small, many dog foods will be more affordable to you than they would be if your dog weighed 150 pounds. You can feed a kibble, wet/canned food, or fresh and freeze-dried foods.

There are many good foods made especially for small or tiny dogs. Very small dogs use up more calories per pound, even when they are resting, than larger dogs. Dog foods that are made for small dogs usually provide more calories per ounce so small dogs can get plenty of calories and nutrients even when they are eating small servings of food.

Here are some things to look for in a good dog food for your Yorkipoo:

Protein

Whether your dog weighs 10 pounds or 100 pounds, protein is still crucial to his diet. Your little Yorkipoo needs animal protein just as much as a Saint Bernard or the hardest-working hunting dog. It builds and repairs tissues, makes enzymes, hormones, and other chemicals the body needs. It’s also an important part of your dog’s bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. Good protein in dog food comes from animal sources such as meat, fish, and eggs. Check the label and read the ingredients to find out what kind of protein is in the food. Avoid animal “digest.” Most good dog foods will have two or three animal proteins in the first few ingredients.

Fat

Your dog also needs fat in his diet as a source of energy. Fat is also a way for the body to use fat-soluble vitamins and important fatty acids like Omega-3 and Omega-6. Look for foods that have named fat sources such as “chicken fat” and “salmon oil.” Avoid generic fats such as “animal fat.”

Carbohydrates

Contrary to what some people think, carbohydrates are not bad for your dog. Dogs are able to to digest starches fairly well, unlike cats. What you need to avoid is the presence of too many carbs in your dog’s food. Some kibbles have 40 percent or more – we have seen foods with 50-plus percent – carbohydrates. In these cases, much of the carbs are filler ingredients and empty calories. Those are the foods you shouldn’t feed. With a little effort, you can find dog foods with low to moderate carbohydrates. Some carbohydrates are beneficial for your Yorkipoo. For example, carbohydrates help your dog feel full so he’s not hungry again right after a meal. Dietary fiber is a carbohydrate. Dietary fiber includes chicory, oats, barley, beet pulp, and other ingredients that are good for your dog’s digestion. If you want to feed your Yorkipoo a very low carb dog food, we suggest that you look at wet/canned foods. Many of these foods have low carb percentages or even no carbohydrates at all.

Grains or grain-free?

Unless your dog has a food allergy or food sensitivity, feeding him a grain free diet is largely a matter of preference. Many canine nutritionists say that grain free diets are not necessary and, in some cases, may even be harmful. Still, many people like to feed grain free dog foods because they are often high quality foods with good ingredients. We suggest that you don’t have to follow the crowd. If you like grain free foods, be careful to avoid foods that are stuffed with peas, lentils, and other legumes. In large amounts, these ingredients can have the same effect on your dog as soybeans (also a legume). Look for grain free foods that have low to moderate amounts of grain alternatives. Consider uncommon grains/cereals such as quinoa. Even dogs that are allergic to some common grains such as corn are unlikely to be allergic to some of the ancestral grains. And, if your dog doesn’t have a grain allergy, there is no reason to avoid foods that use grains in small amounts.

Artificial flavors, preservatives, colors, sweeteners

In general, you need to avoid all of these ingredients. Many of them have been linked to cancer in human studies. BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin are preservatives to be avoided. As for artificial colors, your dog isn’t interested in the color of his food anyway. Colors are only added to appeal to you.

Best Foods for a Yorkipoo

American Journey Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain Free

Healthy Ingredients : Deboned Salmon, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Peas, Sweet Potatoes
Key Features :

• Grain free
• No artificial flavors, preservatives, colors
• Salmon oil as source of omega-3
• Good for all life stages

American Journey is Chewy.com’s private label dog food and American Journey Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain Free Dog Food is their bestselling food. This formula is made for all life stages and it’s suitable for dogs of all sizes. It’s high in protein and it has no corn, wheat, or soy. The first three ingredients are salmon, chicken meal, and turkey meal. Salmon and salmon oil are great sources of Omega-3 to keep your Yorkipoo’s skin and coat healthy. This formula has no glutens, artificial colors, or preservatives. It has 430 kcal/cup. The 24-pound size is priced at $39.99; $35.99 with autoship. Chewy offers 30 percent off your first bag. American Journey has several other recipes your dog might like such as beef, chicken, lamb, large breed, and limited ingredient diets (LID). Over 1200 reviews on Chewy.com.

Ollie Healthy Turkey Feast Fresh Dog Food

Healthy Ingredients : Turkey breast, turkey liver, kale, carrots, lentils
Key Features :

• Human-Grade
• Subscription-based
• Slow cooked for nutritional integrity
• Auto-ships direct to your door

Ollie is a great fresh food option if you are in the market for a super premium dog food. Just like fresh food diets are gaining popularity with humans, they are becoming popular with pets. Ollie’s ingredients are all human-grade and are cooked slowly to preserve their nutritional integrity. No artificial flavors or fillers are used in any of their recipes, so you can be sure your dog is getting whole, fresh ingredients and nothing more. When you sign up for Ollie, you fill out a profile about your dog to help them create a customized recipe and delivery schedule just for you. The food is delivered to your doorstep and stored in your fridge or freezer. Although Ollie is more expensive than other dog foods, there are a lot of added benefits that make a fresh food diet something to consider!

Wellness CORE Grain-Free Puppy Chicken & Turkey Recipe Dry

Healthy Ingredients : Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Potatoes
Key Features :

• High in protein
• No grain, gluten, corn, wheat, or soy
• No artificial colors or flavors
• Auto-ship available

This Wellness CORE Grain Free Puppy formula is one of the most popular puppy foods around today. It features deboned chicken, chicken meal, and turkey meal as the first three ingredients and it’s high in protein. This recipe is grain free and gluten-free with no corn, wheat, or soy. DHA from salmon oil supports healthy brain development; while Omega-3 from the same salmon oil keeps your puppy’s skin and coat healthy. Wellness guarantees the calcium and phosphorus levels in the food. The kibble is coated with probiotics to support your puppy’s digestive health. It has no meat by-products, artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. This food has 417 kcal/cup. Chewy has it for $59.99 for a 26-pound bag; or $56.99 with autoship.

CANIDAE Grain-Free PURE Petite Salmon Formula Small Breed Puppy Limited Ingredient Diet

Healthy Ingredients : Salmon, Salmon Meal, Lentils, Peas, Tapioca
Key Features :

• Limited ingredient
• Freeze dried, raw-coated
• High in protein
• Made especially for small breed puppies

Canidae makes several grain free PURE Petite formulas. This Salmon recipe has salmon and salmon meal as the first two ingredients. This limited ingredient diet kibble is freeze-dried and raw-coated with salmon so dogs love the taste. It only has eight main ingredients so it’s easy for puppies to digest. Grain free, high protein, no corn, no wheat, no soy. Made especially for small breed puppies. This formula has 525 kcal/cup. Chewy has the 10-pound bag for $31.34; or $29.77 with autoship.

Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain-Free Real Chicken & Sweet Potato Puppy Dry

Healthy Ingredients : Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Potatoes, Peas, Sweet Potatoes
Key Features :

• Pre and probiotics for healthy digestion
• No corn, wheat, or soy
• Grain and gluten free
• Autoship available

Made in Texas at Merrick’s own facilities, Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain Free Real Chicken & Sweet Potato Puppy Dry Dog Food is made especially for small breed puppies. The first two ingredients are deboned chicken and chicken meal. It’s grain free and gluten-free with no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, no corn, no wheat, no soy. It has added probiotics and prebiotic fiber to help with your Yorkipoo’s digestion. Plus Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids make for healthy skin and coat. DHA helps your puppy’s brain and cognitive development. This food has 397 kcal/cup. Chewy has the 12-pound bag for $37.77; or $35.88 with autoship.

Wellness Grain-Free Complete Health Small Breed Adult Recipe Dry

Healthy Ingredients : Deboned Turkey, Chicken Meal, Peas, Lentils, Chickpeas
Key Features :

• No wheat, corn, or soy
• High in protein
• Salmon oil for skin and coat health
• Autoship available

Wellness Grain Free Complete Health Small Breed Adult Deboned Turkey, Chicken Meal & Salmon Meal Recipe Dry Dog Food is formulated especially for adult small dogs. It’s high in protein and the first ingredients are deboned turkey and chicken meal. Omega-3 fatty acid from salmon oil keeps your dog’s skin and coat looking great. Grain free with no corn, no wheat, and no soy. This formula has 494 kcal/cup so it can help keep weight on thin dogs and very active Yorkipoos. Chewy has this formula for $34.19 for an 11-pound bag; or $32.48 with autoship.

Solid Gold Mighty Mini Chicken, Chickpeas & Pumpkin Grain-Free Toy & Small Breed Dry

Healthy Ingredients : Chicken, Chicken Meal, Chickpeas, Peas, Pea Protein
Key Features :

• Gluten-free
• Includes superfoods
• Omega fatty acids for skin and coat health
• Auto-ship available

Made specifically for small dogs, Solid Gold Mighty Mini Chicken, Chickpeas & Pumpkin Grain Free Toy & Small Breed Dry Dog Food is grain free and gluten-free with no corn, wheat, or soy. Solid Gold was one of the first companies to make holistic dog foods starting in the 1970s. The first ingredients in this food are chicken and chicken meal. It also has superfoods and omega fatty acids to keep your Yorkipoo skin and coat healthy, as well as his immune system. This formula has 420 kcal/cup. Chewy has this recipe in the 11-pound bag for $33.29; or $31.63 with autoship.

Taste of the Wild Appalachian Valley Small Breed Grain-Free Dry

Healthy Ingredients : Venison, Lamb Meal, Garbanzo Beans, Peas, Lentils
Key Features :

• Supports healthy digestion
• Novel proteins
• No grain, corn, wheat, or fillers
• Omega 3s for skin and coat health

Taste of the Wild Appalachian Small Breed Grain Free Dry Dog Food is made especially for small dogs like Yorkipoos. This formula uses novel meat proteins such as venison and duck, along with lamb, egg, and ocean fish meal, to provide lots of protein for your Yorkipoo. Probiotics and prebiotic fiber help your dog’s digestion. Omega-3 supports your dog’s skin and coat. This formula has no grain, corn, wheat, filler, artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. It has 370 kcal/cup. Chewy has the 28-pound bag for $49.99; or $47.49 with autoship. Taste of the Wild foods are always very popular with both dogs and their owners. We think that most Yorkipoos will like like this food.

Yorkipoo Feeding Guide

If you have an adult Yorkipoo that weighs 14 pounds, he will need about 500 calories per day, give or take a few calories. The exact amount will depend on various factors such as his age, his metabolism, and his activity level. Even if you have two Yorkipoos from the same litter and they get the same amount of exercise each day, they might need slightly different amounts of food and calories just because they would have different metabolisms. In addition, dogs that are spayed or neutered generally need fewer calories. The loss of the dog’s sexual hormones leads to changes in its metabolism, slowing down the way the body functions.

If your dog is mature – a polite way of saying your dog is getting old (over 7 years for health purposes) – you may need to change his calorie intake level. Dogs usually start to reduce their activity level and gain some weight as they get older so this is something you should watch for. Aging dogs – that means really old – may need to start getting more food, protein, and calories. When dogs get to be very old they can start to have a hard time maintaining their weight.

Expect your Yorkipoo puppy to grow fast in the first few months. If he weighs 7 pounds (4-12 months) he will need nearly 350 calories per day. Puppy foods are formulated to provide more calories while your puppy is growing. Foods for small breed puppies can have even more calories than other small breed dog foods. Many of them have tiny pieces of kibble so they are easy for tiny puppies to eat.

With a little puppy like the Yorkipoo you should plan on feeding four to five small meals per day when you first bring your puppy home. If your puppy is very small you should keep an eye open for possible hypoglycemia. Very tiny puppies (like Yorkshire Terriers) are sometimes not able to regulate their body’s sugar supply in the first few weeks. They can crash if their glucose gets too low. It’s possible that the same thing could happen to a very tiny Yorkipoo. Just keep a little syrup on hand in case your puppy needs it. He should quickly outgrow this problem. Feeding multiple small meals per day for the first few weeks will help keep your puppy’s glucose level steady. After the first few months you can move to three meals per day; and then two meals per day when your Yorkipoo is an adult.

You can use the feeding guidelines on dog food labels as suggestions for how much to feed your Yorkipoo. However, these guidelines are only suggestions. Every dog is different. Watch your Yorkipoo to see if he is gaining or losing weight. Measure his portions so you know how much he is eating. Be careful not to let him become overweight or obese since this could lead to serious health problems later in life.

Yorkipoo Food Comparison Table
Rank	Product	Price	Rating
Best Overall	American Journey Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain Free  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Save 50% Here	$1.79/lb	A+
Human Grade	Ollie Healthy Turkey Feast Fresh Dog Food  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Save 50% Here	Varies	A+
#1	Wellness CORE Grain-Free Puppy Chicken & Turkey Recipe Dry  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Brand Review	$2.30/lb	A+
#2	CANIDAE Grain-Free PURE Petite Salmon Formula Small Breed Puppy Limited Ingredient Diet Freeze-Dried Raw Coated Dry  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Brand Review	$3.13/lb	A
#3	Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain-Free Real Chicken & Sweet Potato Puppy Dry  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Brand Review	$3.14/lb	A
#4	Wellness Grain-Free Complete Health Small Breed Adult Deboned Turkey, Chicken Meal & Salmon Meal Recipe Dry  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Brand Review	$3.10/lb	A+
#5	Solid Gold Mighty Mini Chicken, Chickpeas & Pumpkin Grain-Free Toy & Small Breed Dry  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Brand Review	$2.87/lb	A
#6	Taste of the Wild Appalachian Valley Small Breed Grain-Free Dry  Buy Online  Customer Reviews  Brand Review	$1.69/lb	A

Conclusion

Yorkipoos are friendly, smart, and they couldn’t be any cuter. If you’re looking for the best food for your Yorkipoo, try some of the foods suggested here. Whether you have a puppy or an adult dog, these are all good foods and provide good nutrition. Most of these foods come in other formula and recipes, with other meat proteins so if your Yorkipoo doesn’t like these flavors, you can try another one. Let us know how your Yorkipoo likes the foods!