Meet our cute and fluffy, happy-go-lucky breed featured this week, the Yorkshire Terrier! More commonly known as a ‘Yorkie’, this little dog has a lot of personality and love to show the world.
Originating in Northern England, in a little county known as Yorkshire. In the 19th century there became a need for a very small dog that could fit into tight places to hunt rodents. To create such a breed, it involved breeding the Scottish terrier with the Waterside Terrier. The Waterside Terrier back then was a dog weighing about 10-12lbs (not to be confused with the Airedale Terrier which is sometimes also referred to as Waterside Terrier). Over many years, several other dog breeds were added to the bloodline such as the Dandie Dinmont Terrier and the Clydesdale Terrier until we eventually ended up with the wonderful Yorkie that we know and love today.
As with most terriers, the Yorkie can at times be a bit stubborn when it comes to training. Once they realize you have something they want (like a delicious treat!) they are usually pretty easy to win over. The personality of a Yorkie can vary and has a lot to do with their upbringing and early socialization. Some Yorkies are very outgoing, these are usually the ones running around in the mud, barking at his doggy friends while playing, and zooming across the yard with his tiny little legs. On the opposite side, some Yorkies can be quite reserved and prefer the richer things in life like having all of his meals warmed up for him, lounging on the chaise, and being carried around in a purse or fashionable dog bag.
Each personality type will come with its own delightful quirks, but also challenges. The more outgoing dog should have a heavy training focus on polite manners when playing with other dogs as they can sometimes become too ‘bossy’. The more reserved Yorkie personality should have a heavy focus on socialization with strangers as these dogs often have a more sheltered lifestyle where they don’t meet many new people. When they aren’t practising meeting people nicely on a regular basis, they can sometimes forget their manners.
The Yorkshire Terrier does require a lot of grooming maintenance, but lucky for you there isn’t too much to groom on their little bodies! They will need regular grooming appointments for hair trims as well as to be brushed daily. If you have a long-haired Yorkie (also known as ‘silk coat’), you will need to comb the hair once or twice every day to prevent knots and tangles. If your Yorkie is very active and likes to play outside a lot, it may be wise to keep his hair short to reduce the amount of tangles and dirt he gets in his fur. With short-haired Yorkies (soft coat), they only need to be brushed once every week or so.
The always stylish Yorkshire Terrier suits many different owners. With their small size, they easily adapt to small space living. They generally get along well with other pets, but need a lot of socialization early in life if they are to be living in close quarters with small animals such as rats and hamsters. With their cute little faces and constantly upbeat attitude, they can make a fantastic addition to almost any family!
