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Yorkshire Terrier

 
 

This small, toy-sized but sturdy dog sports a blue and gold coloured (some might say black and brown) coat. Its size makes it a great dog for apartment living or homes without a yard. However, Yorkies are active pooches so it will need a daily walk. The Yorkie is known for its lustrous and long coat, which does require a fair bit of grooming—daily in fact. The hair on top of its head can grow quite long, so you'll often see Yorkies with the hair of their head gathered into a band to stop it from going onto their eyes, or food bowl for that matter!

Other Names
Yorkie
Country of Origin
England
Colour
Typically blue and gold. The blue is a steel blue, often lightening to grey with age. The gold should be a rich tan.
Size
Small
Height / Weight
Stands no taller than 20.5 cms, weighs in at 2-3 kg .
Health
Any retained deciduous (milk) teeth need to be removed by the vet if they do not fall out on their own by the time the dog is 7-8 months old. Obesity is common so keeping weight down will help your Yorkie stay healthy. Yorkies do have a tendency to have loose kneecaps. Another ailment Yorkies are prone to is tracheal collapse.
Life Span
12-15 years
Intelligence
Puppy play sessions will teach a Yorkie to respect the size and strength of larger dogs, socialise them and generally instill good manners. Be firm and consistent when training. People often complain that you can't housetrain Yorkies; This isn't true. As long as you stick to the same rules that you would apply to a large dog, a Yorkie will learn to eliminate according to a human’s preferences.
Exercise
Medium
Suitability (Children)
Low
Feeding

The Yorkie can live on very little food. It is very easy to overfeed a Yorkshire Terrier. Obesity is a serious state for the small dog and can lead to several nasty diseases, such as diabetes, joint problems, kidney failure, etcetera.

Feeding Cost
Up to $5 p/w
Other Cost
Excercise
To keep your Yorkie healthy and fit, daily exercise is a must. Yorkies love walking and will trot on for Kmss if allowed. A short walk will please a Yorkie so long as he gets a good sniff around and some mental stimulation. Do remember that Yorkies aren’t just lap dogs though and do like to run, fetch and play like any dog.
Ailments
Any retained deciduous (milk) teeth need to be removed by the vet if they do not fall out on their own by the time the dog is 7-8 months old. Obesity is common so keeping weight down will help your Yorkie stay healthy. Yorkies do have a tendency to have loose kneecaps. Another ailment Yorkies are prone to is tracheal collapse.
Hair Shed
Little
Grooming

Yorkies need to be brushed daily using a brush and comb to ensure all tangles and knots are removed. If you've given your beloved Yorkshire Terrier a trendy topknot (as many owners do) it will need to be taken down, brushed out and redone. Leaving an elastic band in for days will destroy the coat. Hair under and around the tail should be checked for faeces. Teeth should also be brushed daily, as the Yorkie's small mouth leads to overcrowding and a tendency to teeth decay. Once you've got the daily grooming regime down pat, it should only take about 15 minutes. A bath is only needed about once a month.

Grooming Frequency
Daily
Trimming
Occassional
The Yorkshire Terrier originates from 'ol Blighty (aka Britain) and is a man-made dog of fairly recent origin. It's thought that during the 1950s Scottish weavers migrated from Scotland to Yorkshire and Lancanshire—bringing with them small terriers. These ‘Scotch Terriers,’ also known as ‘Halifax Terriers’ interbred with local small terriers. It is believed that Yorkies have in their lineage the Manchester Terrier, the Maltese, the Skye, Dandie Dinmont and the Paisley Terriers. Originally known as the Scotch Terrier, the breed later became known as the Yorkshire Terrier (or the 'Yorkie', as it's fondly referred to) and was recognised as such by the Kennel Club in 1886. It is during the 1880s that the Yorkie was shipped to America and was established as a breed in the US too. The Yorkie is considered a breed of ‘the working classes’ and was known as a rat catcher! Popular belief claims that the Yorkie was bred to guard little kids from rat bites at night. We like to think of Yorkies as furry guardian angels!


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