Yorkshire Terrier
Facts
Care & Exercise
A dog this size (about 18cm at the shoulder) really needs no more exercise than it gets running around the house. The Yorkie coat, however, is another matter. Expect to spend anything up to half an hour every day combing and brushing, with a bath required every week or two. Toenails will also need regular attention.
Suitability
The Yorkshire Terrier is an ideal breed for anyone who enjoys pampering their little pet and the act of brushing and grooming for some time each day. That coat must never be neglected or it can quickly mat and tangle. Its diminutive size and delicate, fine bones make it an unsuitable pet for young children, but an excellent lapdog for aged or invalid people wanting a devoted companion.
This pint-sized barrel of fun is sure to make a great addition to any caring environment. Just waiting to be pampered, the Yorkie just simply loves human attention.
One of the tiniest of breeds, one of the most glamorous, one of the gamest and one of the newest – that’s the Yorkshire Terrier. With a history not much more than 100 years, the Yorkie is a relatively recent breed, having been developed during the latter 1800s from a mixture of terrier breeds, then subsequently selectively bred for diminutive size and long, silky coat. No prize for guessing that this all took place in and around Yorkshire, where the workers in the many woollen mills sought a dog to take care of the rodents which abounded in their homes and which was small enough to be cheap to feed. The Yorkie of today is purely a companion dog, although it can be a good little watchdog, with its terrier instincts still in evidence.
The distinctive, very long silky coat of the mature Yorkshire Terrier is like a brides train, trailing on the ground, and should be dark or steel blue over the body, and rich tan on the head. The tiny Yorkie should weigh no more than about 3kg; in fact many reach only 2 kilos.
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