The Yorkshire Terrier is the only breed that is exhibited on a decorative box in the show ring. This is a glamorous terrier with silky flowing hair reaching to the floor, and the ultimate lap dog. However, despite their delicate and pampered appearance, they have another side. Their real metier is as a ratter, having been developed to work in vermin control in the mines and cotton mills of Yorkshire in Victorian times. However, this small dog breed quickly became popular with the ladies as an adorable house pet. Lapdog, watchdog and supreme mouser, this is a super little companion with a big character, happy in urban or rural environments.
Their luxuriant coat is more like human than canine fur, and as such tends to produce less dander and be less triggering for allergies. The coat of this British dog breed does need a fair bit of grooming, however, to keep it looking glossy and beautiful. Their ancestry includes the now-extinct black and tan terrier – hence their distinctive colouring – as well as the Maltese and Skye Terriers.
No ordinary lapdog
(Image credit: Alamy Stock Photo)
Yorkshire Terrier: fact file
Kennel Club breed group: toy
Size: tiny! Max weight 3.2kg
Daily exercise: at least 30min per day
Coat: long, straight, silky and glossy; low-shedding
Colours: black and tan, black blue and tan, blue and tan, blue steel and tan, steel blue, steel blue and tan, steel blue black and tan, steel grey and tan. Dark eyes.
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Lifespan: more than 12 years
Bark: yes. Yorkies can be very vocal, and yappy. Like many small breeds, they have a tendency to bark at many things, but can be trained not to do so excessively.
Distinctive features: their long, silky and shiny coat, which hangs straight and evenly down each side of the dog’s body with a parting in the middle. Their blue and tan colouring is also a hallmark, although there are variations in this.
Temperament: alert, intelligent and spirited. Despite their dainty appearance, Yorkies are tenacious and feisty and tend to have big personalities.
Things to consider: this is a very small breed, so you’ll need all their kit in miniature, from the best small dog beds to special puppy food for small breeds. They’re likely to need a pint-sized dog coat for freezing wintery days.
Bear in mind that although they might think they’re a big dog, they’re in a small package so are likely to be squashed by boisterous dogs out for a play.
Their long, straight hair might be natural, but it does needs some attention to keep it mat-free. Daily grooming with an appropriate dog brush is essential.
Toy dogs can get away with behaviours that wouldn’t be acceptable in a larger dog due to their weight, so be consistent and firm in your training to make sure they are under control. However they are eminently trainable, being bred as a working terrier, and tend to thrive in sports like mini agility, as well as in the show ring.
Complete Guide To Yorkshire Terriers | Amazon Using interviews with several top Yorkshire Terrier breeders, this book offers an in-depth look at what it really takes to successfully live with, raise, and train a Yorkshire Terrier.
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Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.
