About the Breed
Yorkies are one of the most popular and sought after of all the toy breeds. No wonder - they are beautiful to the eye, highly intelligent and overflowing with liveliness, charm, affection and loyalty. In spite of their small size, they seem oblivious to it. They are an energetic dog breed that is forever seeking adventure, love and attention. They also possess a level of courage that travels far beyond its small stature - meaning small dog, BIG attitude and they're always ready to prove it if need be. Although the Yorkshire Terrier has a bold and stubborn nature, he is by nature inquisitive, and if given the chance, can get into plenty of mischief.
Being a true terrier, Yorkies can be excitedly territorial and take great pleasure in protecting their homes and their property from harm. They love their family, and will bark if they sense danger. This makes them ideal watch dogs. However, understand that while their barking can be a great quality, it can also be annoying. Therefore, you need to be prepared for it; some Yorkies love to bark.
Yorkies make wonderful pets and will generally live in harmony with other dogs and sometimes even cats, but the introduction of a new pet into any Yorkie home must be handled correctly. If not, a Yorkie may fight to stake its territorial claim and sometimes they can and will fight to the death. But, if introductions are made proper and the right precautions are taken, they can meld and form loyal friendships with other animals.
Yorkies generally love people and love to please. However, extreme caution should be taken with them in the company of young children. Some Yorkies are not fond of young children and may even be afraid of them because they move too quickly. There is always a serious risk for a Yorkie to be accidentally mishandled or dropped from the hands of a child, causing a terrible injury. Older children who are versed in the proper way to handle a Yorkie will be met with licks and tail wags.
The Yorkshire Terrier has many wonderful traits, and is one of the most popular dog breeds today. He is small in size, only standing to about 9 – 11 inches at the shoulders, and weighs between 5 and 11 pounds. This is the breed standard, but many Yorkshire Terriers are larger than that, weighing up to 15 pounds. The Yorkshire Terrier has many of the Toy characteristics, such as his alert, active, clever and inquisitive nature. The Yorkshire Terrier is a sociable breed and is anything but shy. They are bold and not afraid of anything.
Yorkshire Terriers and other pets... If you have other pets, make sure you socialize the dogs well. Furthermore, keep in mind that Yorkies, regardless of how well they are socialized with dogs, are not usually compatible with cats and never with rodents of any kind. Remember, the Yorkshire Terrier was bred to hunt rodents, this is part of their natural instinct and cannot be trained out of them.
Basic Care
Yorkshire Terriers do not shed, but they do require daily grooming. They have very long, silky hair that needs to be brushed and combed to prevent mats. The hair on the top of the Yorkie's head is usually tied up with a rubber band or ribbon to keep it out of his eyes. If the long hair is too much effort, the dog will need his hair clipped every few months, and will still require daily grooming.
Exercise
You will need to give your Yorkie the exercise he requires. Although his small size may lead you to believe otherwise, the Yorkshire Terrier needs to run and be taken for at least a good 10-15 minute walk every day. However, if you are not always able to take your dog out for walks, you will discover that he is active indoors and will find ways to amuse himself. A Yorkshire Terrier does well in both the city and country, and can easily adapt to apartment living.
Exercise is an important part of your dog's physical growth and overall health. It will help to ensure that your Yorkie lives to his expectant life span of 14-16 years. You should also take your Yorkie to the Vet for regular checkups so he can be tested and watched for common illnesses and specific health problems that affect the breed such as knee, eye and liver problems.
History
Yorkies were once used in England to hunt down and kill rodents because of their natural curiosity, tenacity, intent and agility in doing so. Because of this, many Yorkies today still exhibit this strong, instinctive trait. They tend to show a particular interest and willingness to hunt mice, squirrels, chipmunks, birds, lizards, frogs - even bugs just about any small creature that moves will gain a highly focused interest of the Yorkie. Because of this instinctive nature, great care should be taken with pet hamsters and other small pets around your Yorkie. However, the good side to this is that a Yorkie home will almost always be free from unwanted pests and rodents - your Yorkie will be more than happy to see to that!