Description

Yorkshire Terrier is a breed that is distinguished for its silky long coat and small, cute appearance. Nicknamed as Yorkie, indicating the place of origination for this breed - Yorkshire, this dog is determined by the Federation Cynologique International to be placed in the Toy Terrier section. This dog proves to be a very nice candidate for the dog shows and is a good companion as a pet. Apart from the long glossy coat, Yorkshire Terrier has some other distinctive features too. It has a small and rather flat head. The muzzle is not very long and has either level or scissor bite. Eyes are medium, round and dark. Yorkie’s ears are small, V-shaped and pointed, carried straight, covered with hair and are dark colored. Ears are not placed very far apart. A Yorkshire Terrier has a small body and well built limbs. Its legs are covered in hair, which is generally golden tanned. However, hair on legs is shorter in length as compared to the body part. In body and head area, the hair is very long, is completely straight without any wave, and is very glossy. Some owners prefer to trim the long hair near head if they do not intend to present the dog in the dog shows.

Coat

Yorkshire Terriers are very well known for their silky, glossy coat. Generally, the coat grows long and parts in the middle of the back. The coats are generally of two types. One is soft and the other is silky. You will need to take proper care and give adequate attention to keep the silky coat in perfect condition, especially if your Yorkshire Terrier is supposed to be taken in the dog shows. Since dog shows for the fully grown up Yorkies consider the coat’s quality based on its texture, color and quality, you will have to ensure that the coat of your pet is in perfect condition before presenting it at these shows. Generally this breed has dark grey or steel blue colored hair from the back of its neck till the base of its tail and darker blue color on the tail. The hair is generally rich tanned on the head, legs and on the high chest. A good quality Yorkshire Terrier should not have any stresses of dark hair mingled with the tanned hair. However, there are Yorkshire Terriers with other colors, and coast that are more wooly or fine in nature. Generally, a Yorkie puppy can have a white star on the chest or on one or more of its toes, which will generally fade and go away as your pet grows up. The white star, however, indicates that the puppy will have a good coat in terms of quantity but the same may be true in terms of quality.

History

As far the history of a Yorkshire Terrier goes, it was not bred in order to produce fashionable dogs. Rather, it came into existence as a companion to the working class. It originated in the middle of the 19th century in a rugged region in northern part of England. At that time, several workers from Scotland came to Yorkshire and brought several Terrier breeds with them. Yorkshire Terrier is a cross breed originating from several of these small Terriers. Many people believe that Yorkshire Terrier was bred from a male named Old Crab and a female named Kitty. Another female dog is associated whose name is not known. In general, it is believed that Yorkie is a breed that originated from Manchester Terrier, Paisley Terrier and Waterside Terrier. It made its appearance in dog shows slowly and was greeted with the name of Yorkshire Terrier. This breed was introduced in America in the late 19th century. The first Yorkie was registered with the American Kennel Club in the year 1878. It has remained a very coveted pet since that time. This dog gained tremendous popularity as a pet and show-dog during the Victorian era in England and later in America where Victorian traditions were followed with its several frills and fashions.

Temperament

Yorkshire Terrier has a very distinctive personality of its own. It is pretty brave, irrespective of its small size, and makes a very good watchdog. Yorkie has very strong hearing power and can sense someone approaching even before it is at the door. Being full of energy, this breed always loves to be active and engaged in something, making it a very nice game-companion for the children. Included in the toy category, a Yorkshire Terrier is really a sweet little dog but sometimes it may forget its small size and try to take on big things. This is a very good show-dog, which proves that it is intelligent and obedient. It is also very affectionate in nature and loves to be in the company of children. However, though these dogs are very agreeable with humans, they can show aggressiveness sometimes with small animals. So, it is advisable that you should introduce the small animals to Yorkshire Terrier very cautiously. In short, a Yorkie is bold, curious, amicable, active and intelligent.

Health

Yorkshire Terriers can suffer from certain health disorders. Some of these are even hereditary. Common illnesses that Yorkies can suffer include cataracts, bronchitis, lymphangiectasia, hydrocephalus and also keratitis sicca. Hereditary diseases that often affect Yorkshire Terriers include Hydrocephalus, luxating patella, retinal dysplasia, bladder stones, distichiasis and some more. This breed can also be allergic to injection, which may lead to hair loss in the injected area of the body. You should ask the breeder if the genetic disorder finding tests have been done before you buy the puppy. Precautions on your part as the owner of the pet should include regular immunization and teeth cleaning. Owner should also remember that because of the small size, a high fall or high jump can tell upon the joints of this dog, leading to medical complicacies.

Grooming

Grooming is a must for the Yorkshire Terriers. Although their hair won’t grow too long during their puppyhood, you should start the regular grooming sessions from the puppyhood itself to make them accustomed with the process. Regular combing of the hair is necessary in order to keep the coat clean, silky and straight. Grooming this breed is definitely time consuming due to their long fur. You cannot and should not be careless while combing as it may damage the coat. Therefore, if you don’t have that much of time to spend for grooming a Yorkie, you should pass on the responsibility to a professional as many such trimmers are available for grooming a Yorkshire Terrier.
The main purpose for grooming a Yorkie is perhaps to prevent its coat from getting matted. While taking it for a bath, only dog-soaps and shampoos should be used. Use of conditioner is also suggested to keep the coat silky and sleek. However, different types of Yorkies will need different kind of attention to keep themselves groomed. That is why taking advice from the grooming professionals can help a lot, especially when the dog will be exhibited in the dog shows. Yorkshire Terriers are not shedders, which makes the grooming a lot easier. Apart from its coat, regular attention should also be invested on the ears, eyes and nails. Clearing the ear wax and trimming the nails are necessary while checking their eyes on a regular basis will keep it away from eye diseases to a great extent.

Exercise

Yorkshire Terriers may be small in size but they pack a lot of energy in their small frame. These dogs do not need hard exercise sessions. Having plenty of playtime will keep them in a happy mood and will be good for their mind and body. Naturally, a long walk or playtime with the kids will be of great way to keep a Yorkie busy and active. You can also keep several toys around it to give it chance to play on its own. However, a Yorkshire Terrier may like the game better where they can interact with their owners more. But while taking it for walk or playing in the park, always keep a watch over the dog as they can be easy preys for the dog-nappers.

Training

Training a Yorkshire Terrier can be tricky. The session has to be planned in a way that keeps the dog happy, interested and entertained. Otherwise, they may get bored and show stubbornness. One very common and yet well received way to train a Yorkie is to offer it lots of praise after each training and give it a small treat. This goes really well with them. Training sessions and trainers should also be jovial or the Yorkshire Terriers may outsmart them. Another great way to train your Yorkshire Terrier is to send it to puppy kindergarten, where the professionals will know about the specific characteristics, thereby giving it proper grooming and training. Moreover, this is also a very good idea for helping the puppy socialize with other breeds which in turn can help to take its aggressiveness away. Yorkshire Terriers can show an aggressive trait in the company of other small animals. A puppy kindergarten will make them learn to socialize better. However, all this training needs one key thing - patience. This will make the training well received by the Yorkshire Terrier and help them grow up as better, well behaved pets.