Yorkshire Terrier

Overview

The Yorkshire Terrier - universally known as the "Yorkie" - is a tiny dog with an outsized personality. Beneath the long, silky show coat that made the breed a Victorian fashion icon is a working ratter, bred in the mills and mines of 19th-century northern England to keep vermin under control. The Yorkie remains bold, energetic, and a touch arrogant, hiding the heart of a terrier inside a body that often weighs less than a kitten.

History & Origins

The Yorkie was developed in the 1860s in the textile-mill towns of West Yorkshire and Lancashire, England. Scottish weavers who had migrated south for work brought several types of small terriers with them - the Clydesdale, Paisley, Skye, and Waterside terriers. Crossed with local ratters, these dogs produced a small, hardy, long-coated terrier ideal for catching rats in mills, factories, and coal mines.

The early Yorkie was a working dog of 5-7 kg. The most famous foundation dog was Huddersfield Ben, born in 1865, who won countless rat-pit contests. Victorian ladies took notice; within a generation the breed had moved from mines to laps. Selective breeding for smaller size and longer coat produced today's miniature show dog. The Kennel Club recognised the breed in 1886; the AKC registered its first Yorkie in 1885.

Appearance

Tiny, with a glossy floor-length coat in show condition. Adults typically weigh under 3.2 kg (7 lb) and stand 18-20 cm (7-8 in) on AKC figures (AKC). "Teacup" Yorkies under 2 kg are often runt offspring with serious health problems, despite the marketing, and not a separate breed.

Key features:

• Coat: long, silky, fine, straight, parted down the spine in show condition. The texture should feel like human hair, not fur.
• Colour: puppies are born black-and-tan; the adult coat is steel blue on the body and rich golden tan on the head, chest, and legs. Colour transitions over 1-2 years.
• Head: small, slightly flat skull with V-shaped erect ears and small dark eyes.
• Tail: historically docked; natural tails increasingly common.

Most pet Yorkies are kept in a short "puppy clip" rather than the long show coat.

Temperament & Character

Bold, confident, and lively. Yorkies do not know they are small: they will challenge dogs ten times their size, claim the best spot on the sofa, and supervise the household from a vantage point. They are deeply attached to their main person, sometimes to the point of jealousy.

Yorkies are intelligent and trainable but stubborn. They bark readily and persistently - a major complaint of new owners. Carried-everywhere "purse dogs" frequently develop reactivity and fear; treated like real dogs (walking on the ground, meeting other dogs, training), they are excellent companions.

Care

Coat & Grooming

The coat determines the workload.

Long show coat: daily brushing with a pin brush, light oil to prevent breakage, hair "wrapped" between brushings, weekly baths, ear hair trimmed. Hours per week.

Pet "puppy clip": weekly brush, professional grooming every 6-8 weeks (clip, bath, sanitary trim, ear clean, nails). Practical for most homes.

The hair grows continuously like human hair - it does not shed in the normal way. Loose hair instead breaks off and tangles in the coat. Brushing is essential to prevent painful matting.

Hair in the ear canal should be plucked or trimmed periodically. Brush teeth daily - dental disease is the breed's most common health issue.

Exercise & Activity Needs

Modest but real. Adults need up to 30 minutes of daily exercise - walks, indoor play, light training (Royal Kennel Club). Yorkies are deceptively athletic; many enjoy agility, scent work, or barn-hunt sports.

Walk Yorkies on a harness, never a collar - the trachea is fragile. Carry them down stairs and off furniture if possible; small joints are vulnerable.

Health & Lifespan

Average lifespan is 11-15 years on AKC figures; a 2024 UK study found 13.3 years.

Common concerns:

• Dental disease - universal in small breeds; daily brushing essential.
• Tracheal collapse - chronic cough from a weakened windpipe. Use a harness, not a collar.
• Patellar luxation.
• Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (hip joint).
• Portosystemic shunt (liver) - relatively common in toy breeds.
• Hypoglycaemia in puppies and very small adults; small frequent meals prevent crashes.
• Hydrocephalus.
• Eye conditions - dry eye, cataracts, retinal dysplasia.
• Heart disease in older dogs.

Feeding & Nutrition

How much an adult Yorkshire Terrier needs depends on the food's calories and on the dog's age and activity. The AKC suggests treating the feeding guide on the package only as a first estimate, since it can give larger portions than necessary, and checking the dog itself: a visible waist and ribs you can feel mean the amount is about right (AKC). Puppies need 3-4 meals daily to prevent hypoglycaemia.

Yorkies are picky eaters - many refuse to eat the same food twice in a row, or develop preferences that border on tyranny. Establish a calm, predictable feeding routine from the start and resist the temptation to hand-feed. Treats should be tiny and kept to 10% of calories.

Training & Socialisation

Intelligent and quick to learn but easily indulged. Reward-based methods work beautifully. Harshness backfires; the breed shuts down or grows snappy.

Priorities: house training (slow in this breed - establish a calm crate routine and consistent timing; some adult Yorkies still have accidents in cold or rainy weather), polite leash walking, "quiet" cue (barking control), and socialisation with people, dogs, and surfaces.

Treat the dog as a real dog. The biggest behaviour problems in Yorkies come from being carried everywhere, fed from the table, and excused from training because they are small. The result is "small dog syndrome": reactive, snappy, possessive adults. Raise a Yorkie the same way you would a German Shepherd, scaled down.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Tiny - fits any home, easy to travel with.
• Long-lived, often 14-16 years.
• Big personality; entertaining companion.
• Low-shedding coat - less hair around the home (not hypoallergenic).
• Adaptable to apartments and small spaces.

Cons

• High-maintenance coat (especially long).
• Vocal - barks readily.
• Fragile body; not for households with toddlers or large dogs that play rough.
• Dental, tracheal, and joint issues.
• Often spoiled into behaviour problems.

Best Suited For

• Singles, couples, retirees wanting a small lively companion.
• Apartment dwellers.
• Households that want a low-shedding coat.
• Owners committed to grooming or willing to budget for professional grooming.
• Families with older, gentle children.

Not suited for households with toddlers, owners who want a quiet dog, or anyone who can't commit to daily dental care and regular grooming.