All Dogs Welcome

It's hard to say what you would notice first about a Yorkshire Terrier. It might be the diminutive size accented by the long silky coat, or the small, black, button sized nose.  Or it could be the high carriage of its little head.  Then again the perfectly erect V shaped ears certainly make an impression on the small, flat skull.
Overall the Yorkshire Terrier is a small well balanced dog with somewhat square proportions. The tail is naturally docked to a medium length and is carried erect slightly higher than the back.

The little Yorkie is a true terrier in its personality.  Like many small breed dogs it does not seem to be aware of its size.  The Yorkie personality could be summarized as loyal, fearless and willing to please.
The Yorkshire Terrier is intelligent, inquisitive, investigative, energetic, adventurous and somewhat stubborn.  This is a breed that will seek adventure to the point of occasionally getting itself in trouble.
The Yorkshire Terrier possesses an endearing personality but can be aggressive with other dogs and small animals due to its vermin hunting origins.  It can also be a bit jealous of young, active children and interaction between the two should be supervised.  This bold little terrier, at times, may think itself a watch dog.  While it functions well as an early warning system there is not much it can actually do to protect its family.

The Yorkshire Terrier is a breed that has moderate exercise requirements. Daily walks and in home games that include interaction with people are sufficient exercise for Yorkies. But like any terrier, do not allow this dog to become bored or it may become demanding or seek out activity to satisfy itself.

The Yorkie does have some grooming requirements to maintain its beauty! Even if the coat is kept short the Yorkshire Terrier requires almost daily brushing and special attention to dental cleanings to avoid problems.  Yorkies will usually require occasional professional grooming for bathing and clipping unless you have the ability to do it yourself.

Overall Yorkies enjoy excellent health.  Few serious problems are seen with this breed. Some of the most noted problems include:

• skin allergies
• Injection reactions (swelling or hair loss at the site of an injection)
• Dental issues
• Bronchitis
• Cataracts
• Luxating patellas
  
• Lymphangiectasia
• Portosystemic shunt
• Keratitis sicca

The Yorkshire Terrier is well suited for apartment, condo and city living.  However this dog will also do fine in a suburban setting.  It is not, however, a dog that is meant to be outside for long periods in either hot or cold weather.

The exact formula of stock breeds that contributed to the origin of the Yorkshire Terrier is not clearly defined.  However it is believed that several small breeds and terriers were called upon to produce the desired result.  It is likely that the following breeds contributed to the origins of the Yorkie: Waterside Terrier, Clydesdale Terrier, Paisley Terrier, Rough-coated English Black and Tan Terrier, Skye Terrier, and Dandy Dinmont Terrier.

The Broken-haired Scottish Terrier or Broken-haired Scotch Terrier was originally bred in the Yorkshire area of England.  This little breed was intended to be ratters in fabric mills with the responsibility to hunt small vermin in the factories.this humble, working class beginning caused the Yorkshire Terrier to be  popular among the working class and snubbed by the upper class.  However the Yorkie eventually became more popular as a companion animal to the upper class due to its beauty and size.

AKC, Toy Group
CKC, Terrier Group
UKC, Companion Group