Today's Yorkshire Terrier is a far different dog than when the breed appeared in 1865. In over just one hundred years, the size has been greatly reduced from an average weight of thirty pounds to a mere seven pounds today. And the trend is to have the Yorkie (as the breed is affectionately called) get even smaller, with adults tipping the scales at a mere three pounds. But who knows? Perhaps in the future, there will be a demand for the Yorkshire Terrier to grow back into a thirty pound dog.

Like many breeds of dogs, the name does not reflect their point of origin. For example, German Shepherds were actually developed in France. And Australian Shepherds originated in America. The geographical difference isn't nearly so big, but it is still significant. The main stock for today's delicate, adorable and pampered Yorkshire Terrier came from the unforgiving landscape of Scotland.
The Yorkshire Terrier did not originate in the English country of Yorkshire, despite their name. The breed became famous when they were perfected in Yorkshire. Huddersfield Ben's ancestors came from various tough little Scottish breeds of terriers, which are thought to have included the Scottish Terrier, the Clydesdale (or Clyde) Terrier and the Paisley Terrier. All of these breeds (except the Scottie) are no longer with us, but do live on in the form of Yorkshire Terriers.

The Scottish breeds inevitably bred with the terrier breeds already in Yorkshire, which experienced a great wave of Scottish immigrants in the late 1800's. The Scottish breeds were purposefully put to breeds that were known for killing rats. Yorkshire Terrier information sources guess that these breeds included the Maltese, the Skye and the now extinct breeds of Black and Tan English, Waterside and quite possibly the Manchester Terrier (which still survives, but is considered an extremely rare breed). The result was a rat-killing machine that was extremely friendly with people.
Back then, dogs went everywhere with their masters. A Yorkshire Terrier would go to work in the mines and come home with his master to the family. The family found the Yorkies to be great companions and excellent watchdogs. The coats became even softer and silkier. Eventually, the men went to work without the dogs and the dogs became pampered family members. The breed needed very little exercise, looked spectacular and was very trainable.

It is thought that the sire Huddersfield Ben weighed about thirty pounds. As the need for working dogs decreased, the demand for small dogs increased. The Yorkshire Terrier became increasingly smaller and smaller. Just one hundred years after Huddersfield Ben's birth, the breed standard listed the weight of a Yorkie to be "no more than seven pounds". The current trend is to breed them even smaller. Who knows how small the Yorkshire Terrier will be by 2065?

The Yorkshire Terrier has a very sketchy history at best. There would be a lot fewer abandoned Yorkies if people studied more Yorkshire Terrier information before they bring a puppy home.

Yorkies are slowly but surely finding a way to squeeze into the hearts of millions of people around the world. This compact but very sturdy animal is a great addition to many homes because of their fun loving and outgoing nature. Yorkies are generally not shy at all and take well to other people in the house and even to other animals. Living the pampered life is what Yorkies like to do best and whoever can offer this to them will be a friend forever.

With a full grown Yorkie being able to still fit into a backpack or a doggy bag, this pup can go everywhere with their owner. And this is something that the pup would love as they love attention, in fact, they cannot seem to get enough of it. But don't forget, even though they love attention, they also have a mind of their own and show this through their independence.
Even though someone may not think it at first, the Yorkshire Terrier can make an excellent guard dog for your home and for your family. Even though with their size, they may not be able to scare off a stranger, they can certainly alert you to the presence of danger by barking like crazy. It is because of their dedication to their home and family that the Yorkies are so vocal.

Yorkies are also known for loving to run around the house or in circles at times, as they love their exercise. With all of this running around though, it is important that the Yorkies get the proper grooming that they need such as daily brushing of their long and silky coat. Without the daily brushing, their hair can get matted and end up a complete mess which will be hard to deal with. So by taking care of their coat on a regular basis, it will be so much easier.
Although Yorkies are generally extremely friendly and outgoing, it is important to watch small children around this breed, as they are not always suitable for homes that have small children in them. Yorkies are very small in size and they know it so the fast movements of the small children make them nervous. So therefore, they end up snapping at children, which can cause physical and emotional trauma, which a child could carry with them for a long time.

Yorkies are also sometimes hard to house train as that independent personality tends to come out. They seem to have a mind of their own at times and this can get in the way of a quick training, but that is not to say that they are not trainable at all. It just takes the Yorkies a little more time to get the hang of things. Yorkies also do not prefer to be in the rain or out in the cold so if heading outdoors, you may just want to grab their favorite sweater for comfort.

When you think of Yorkies, you are almost certain to think about the fun loving aspects of the Yorkshire Terrier. When looking at browsing some Yorkies, it is vital that you read up on lots of Yorkshire Terrier information to know exactly what type of personality you can expect.

Yorkshire Terriers are known as Yorkies. These dogs are marked with their friendliness, cheerfulness and elegance. Belonging to the small dog breeds, Yorkshire Terriers are one of the popular and attractive toy dogs. If you live in a small home and prefer a soft, little, cute and sweet-natured dog, quite naturally the Yorkshire Terrier is a perfect choice for you. Although these dogs have a true fascination for long walks, they do not usually miss out the chances to run around the garden or home if they are allowed so. They possess a jovial mind, so it is better to arrange various toys for them to play.

Probably there is no one on the face of earth who does not get hypnotized while looking at a Yorkie's charismatic appearance blended with intelligent attitude. They can weigh less than six pounds typically, however they will never back down if they perceive anything threatening in the environment. Sensitiveness, loyalty and showing affection to the family members are its integral characteristics. They are true descendants of Terrier, so are their temperaments.
Despite their small size, Yorkshire Terriers do not waste much time especially when they need to react defensively. They react with a strong defensive style in order to hold their territory. Having a strong audible range, these dogs bark enough to alert their owners about any anticipated infringement. This is why Yorkshire Terriers sometimes become really loud. Hence it may create problem in the neighborhood from time to time.

Yorkshire Terriers are categorized as one of the most popular show breeds. However, it is really difficult to raise them exclusively for that purpose. It takes an intense level of dedication and enthusiasm since it is really time-consuming hard work. If you would like to give an additional maintenance to your Yorkshire Terrier's coat, you must consult specialized breed club or professional breeders. This dog is not for you if you think you are unable to provide time for the thorough grooming of a Yorkshire Terrier.
Yorkshire Terriers are a very social type of dogs. They possess the ability to mix up with other household animals like cats and dogs quite comfortably, especially when they are brought up with them. However, enough measure needs to be taken if you are exposing the dog with a new household animal for the first time, since this dog carries a strong instinct for possessiveness for its owner, which it typically inherits from its ancestors.

Since the dog is very small in size, you should take good care with your Yorkshire Terrier especially if you have small children at home. It is because mistreatment may lead to injury to them. Typically, Yorkshire Terriers love to play with gentle little children. They love to take a nap on their owner's lap. House training is not a difficult task for Yorkshire Terriers and crate training is mandatory for them to ensure safety. Typically these dogs have good health without any apparent health complications and their life span is long.

The Yorkshire Terrier is social by nature and can mix with others household animals very well, however, it may sometimes cause problem due to its intense possessiveness for its owner. If you are seeking Yorkshire Terrier information this article will offer it for you.

The point of a breed standard is to have a goal for all breeders to aim for. When a dog is judged in the show ring, it is judged against the breed standard and not against the other dogs. Since the Yorkshire Terrier is the second most popular breed of dog in America, there are a lot of Yorkshire Terriers around that fall short of the breed standard goal.

A lot of Yorkshire Terriers are bought on impulse or as a gift that the receiver soon regrets. Although Yorkies are cute and need a bare minimum of exercise, they need money invested in their health and coat care. They also have very small bladders, making housetraining difficult. These dogs are also efficient bodyguards and will attack any one they think is threatening. So, most Yorkies are abandoned through no fault of their own. By knowing basic Yorkshire Terrier information, you can avoid this tragedy.
You can find the Yorkshire Terrier breed standard in a variety of places. All breed dog books are not very good if you are looking for a detailed description. They only give the most general descriptions of breed standards. You need to go the American Kennel Club or a Yorkshire Terrier rescue group website in order to find the most recent Yorkie breed standard (which can be updated occasionally). There are also books focusing on just the Yorkshire Terrier that may available in your local library.

In general, Yorkshire Terriers are lively, bright-eyed toy sized dogs that weigh an average of six to seven pounds. For the most part, their ears are pointed, but sometimes they are floppy in adults. Puppies almost always look to be black and tan, and lighten to the distinctive steel blue and tan as they mature. The spine is level, the muzzle pointed and the tail is usually, sadly, docked. Very rarely will you find a Yorkie with a long tail.
Yorkshire Terriers pointed ears are more V-shaped than a tight point. Their noses are supposed to be always black. Their eyes are bright and alert. The Yorkshire Terrier should seem as if he thinks he's better than everyone else and carry himself like he's the biggest dog in the world. Their backs are level and they should stand squarely. They shouldn't have an overbite or an undershot jaw like a bulldog.

Some common faults in a purebred Yorkshire Terrier include floppy ears as an adult, being just too big to be in the show ring, having an undocked tail (all show dogs have tails docked at two or three days of age) or dewclaws (which are removed from all show dogs). Another fault is if they are over seven pounds, which happens often, even in purebreds, since the Yorkshire Terrier ancestor was well over seven pounds. Another fault is if they don't have the right color.

A Yorkshire Terrier is best only for a specific type of person. There would less need for animal rescue groups if people would learn basic Yorkshire Terrier information before they buy a puppy.