Picking your Dog’s
breed is the most important factor in deciding which
puppy to purchase. As each breed is unique in size, temperament
and habits, certain breeds also may have special needs.
Displayed below is special information about the breed
you are interested in. Feel free to ask our breed specialists
any questions you may have regarding the breed you are
looking for.
The Yorkshire Terrier is a breed of small dog in the toy category. Yorkies can be very small, usually weighing between 5 and 7 pounds....
Height: 6-7 inches (15-17½cm.)
Weight: 7 pounds (3.2kg.)
About 12-15 years
Terrier, AKC Toy
Temperament:
Though a toy breed, the Yorkie still retains much of its terrier ancestry in terms of personality. Individual dogs sometimes differ, but they are generally intelligent, independent and gutsy. Yorkshire Terriers are quick to determine where they fit in a household's "pack."Their behavior towards outsiders will vary - they often will be inclined to bark at strangers, but some Yorkies are outgoing and friendly towards new people while others are withdrawn and aloof. The differences in behavior in this regard are largely based on how the owner trains or conditions (and socializes) the Yorkie. A few individual Yorkshire Terriers may be timid or nervous, rather than bold, but the vast majority do seem to meet the breed standard for a confident, vigorous and self-important personality. The following distinctive qualities are likely to be present in a Yorkshire Terrier.
Grooming:
Regular grooming is needed. A clipped coat needs daily to weekly combing and brushing. Topknot is usually tied back with ribbon. Full show coats need hours of grooming. They should have their teeth cleaned regularly. This breed sheds little to no hair.
Origin:
The breed is only 100 years old or so, but its origins are not entirely certain - probably because the working men of north England, who developed the Yorkshire Terrier for catching the terrible rats that infested the mine shafts and as a hunting dog that could penetrate into badger and fox burrows, avoided divulging the secret of their success to those who might have cashed in on a lucrative side line. However, it seems likely that Scotsmen seeking work in the woolen mills of Yorkshire brought with them various types of terrier, including the Skye and the now extinct Clydesdale. These were then crossed with local types, such as the long- haired Leeds Terrier. The Maltese, Black & Tan Manchester, and Dandie Dinmont Terriers may also have contributed blood lines. At first, the Yorkie was a much bigger animal than the one we see today, but by selectively breeding the smallest individuals, the dog was gradually miniaturized over the years. They were made into a fashion dog. Women carried these little dogs in their bags and under their arms. The first Yorkshire, with the characteristics demanded by its standard today, appeared in a dog show in 1870.
In 1984 a piebald Yorkie was born as a result of a genetic recessive gene occurrence from 2 Yorkshire Terriers. Today the piebald dogs are considered a different breed; which is named the Biewer or Biewer Yorkie.
