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This is one adorable canine friend that seems unaware of its small size. Yorkie dogs are usually very enthusiastic for adventure whether this be exploring a new walking path or accompanying you to run an errand. They are have wonderful and quirky traits. This breed is also is very energetic, brave (due to its ancestry which called for courage), loyalty and his behavior can be quite clever. Therefore, when one is looking for a loving, happy friend, this is the breed!
Known to be very affectionate with its human family members, they love to give and receive attention. This loyalty also shows when strangers come around, as they will want to protect their family and can be a great watch dog inside of a little body. This protection instinct can become a behavioral issue if the dog is not shown very clearly who is the master and whom is the canine family member.
Easy to train if proper training procedures are followed, great with children if youngsters are shown how to properly play with this very tiny dog and filled with personality, the Yorkshire Terrier has found its way into millions of homes. This breed is among the 10 most popular dogs in the entire world. In the United States and Canada, this breed usually stays in the top 14 most popular dogs, the number of registered dogs varies anywhere between 40,000 and 50,000 in the US each year.
Points of Interest
- The Yorkie was originally a working class family’s dog. Then, during the Victorian Era this breed became popular among royalty. This change made the Yorkie a very sought after dog breed and those who owned one were admired.
- 2 purebred Yorkshire Terriers, both with a genetic recessive genes, mated to produce a spotted Yorkie. This, in 1984, created a new breed known as the Biewer.
- Although it is said that the Yorkie used to originally be used as “rat catchers” long ago… there is evidence that this breed were also used for hunting, especially for small animals that would hide in tiny dens. Because the animals in these dens who are cornered often fought back brutally, this gave the Yorkshire Terrier the characteristic of having great courage and valor.
- This breed is considered to be above average in regard to intelligence.
Appearance
When having the ‘Show Dog’ look, the ultra long, silky coat parts along the spine and then gracefully falls straight down on either side. If the dogs are not for showing, the owners usually go for the “Puppy Cut” look. There are other types of haircuts as well.
In the US and some other states, the tail is usually docked to half its length.
The head is flat with a medium-sized length muzzle and black nose. The eyes are very lively and the ears are v-shaped, erect or semi-erect. Limbs should be straight with round paws and black nails. The hair on the head is so fluffy that it is usually gathered in a band to keep from going into the dog’s food bowl and to give the animal maximum visibility. (This is known as putting the hair into a ‘Topknot’).
Stats
Pronounced: YORK-shur TAIR-ee-uhr
Common Name: Yorkie
Pronounced: YOR-kee
Commonly Mis-spelled: Yorky
Family: Companion
Breed Group: Terrier, Toy
Area of Origin: Northern England
Date of Origin: Officially became its own distinct breed in 1870
Height: 6-9 inches (15.24 – 22.86 cm) This is in general, There is not an AKC specific height guideline
Weight: Not over 7lbs. (3.17 kg)
NOTE: For a brief time, there was a minimum weight set by the AKC, of 4 lbs ( 1.81 kg).
Life Expectancy:12-15 years | See: Life Span
Recognized by: CKC, FCI, AKC, KC, UKC, KCGB, CKC, ANKC, NKC, NZKC, APRI, ACR
Yorkie Color
Yorkie puppies are born black and tan and then the color of the Yorkshire Terrier will change as the dog grows older. The Yorkie will transition to blue and gold as the dog matures. It is 2 bb genes & 2 BB genes which combine to make gorgeous coloring. A quick overview of colors:
Tan: All tan will be darker at the roots and then a slow lightening to the tips
Blue: A diluted black and is not mixed with another color. This is usually a dark steel blue.
Black: Puppies will usually have black intermingled with tan
Gold: A term used to describe tan tones in the darker shades.
Learn all the details about color changes and puppy & adult color information.