History and origin: originating in Britain in Yorkshire. Thought to be crosses with various terrier types brought to England by Scottish workers in the textile factories. Bred in mid 19th century to be successful ratters in the coal mines and textile mills. The various crosses produced dogs that were a great hodge podge of type and size. The style we know today was introduced, and size was set due to a notable dog named Huddersfield Ben . Recognized by AKC in 1885.
General Appearance: a very small breed with long coat, parted down the back from head to tail, compact and vigorous, body is square with level back, prick v shaped ears, eyes are dark sparkling and oval, head is small, nose is black, teeth are level or scissor bite, and tail is docked or undocked. Size: not more than 7 pounds and about 7-8 inches tall. The Yorkie is considered to be a toy terrier.
Coat and colour: coat is glossy silky and fine. On a mature coated specimen it hangs perfectly straight and to the floor. Head hair is long and muzzle hair is moderately long. Body coat is a bright steel blue, never light silver nor black. Head hair is tan to golden tan as are the legs. Pet/companion dogs may be kept trimmed for ease of care but will still require regular brushing. This breed has hair not fur, so is considered to be hypoallergenic.
Feeding: Puppies are fed 3x daily until six months then two meals daily. Generally good eaters. Dry kibble works well with a wet type added. Some owners and breeders may wish to free feed as Yorkies like to graze and pick at their food.
Training and Obedience: Although small, the breed can be quite successful in performance sports. Intelligent but also stubborn and difficult to train. They can excel in agility, rally, and obedience as well as barn hunt and earth dog tests
Activity: can be high energy or conversely be happy lying around quietly in their beds. They are alert and watchful and are barkers, often referred to as ‘yappy’. If they are watching out the window and it moves, it is worthy of being barked at. As a tiny breed they do not require excessive exercise but will enjoy a romp in a fenced back yard or an on leash walk with their owner.
Temperament: fun and sweet but also feisty and tenacious. A good pet with family and children. Generally long lived. A little dog that thinks they are big and tough. A true terrier mentality but considered a toy dog by the Kennel Clubs.
