| Yorkshire Terriers: the most honest dog breed review you'll ever find. Information about Yorkshire Terrier personality and behavior. |
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My book, Your Purebred Puppy: A Buyer's Guide (published by Henry Holt & Co.), includes a full-page profile of the Yorkshire Terrier, including these excerpts:
"There are two schools of thought on the Yorkshire Terrier: (1) he is a vigorous terrier; (2) he is a delicate toy dog made for pampering. The owner's view of him has much to do with how an individual dog turns out.
For certain, the Yorkshire Terrier is lively and inquisitive, physically and mentally quick, and spends much time trotting (or dashing) around checking things out.
Larger dogs may view him as a delicacy, so he must always be leashed or fenced for his own protection; in addition, he can be an excitable chaser of birds and butterflies.
A lover of comfort, the Yorkshire Terrier enjoys cuddling on laps and snuggling into soft pillows.
Keen of eye and sharp of tongue, he won't fail to announce strangers, often in a high-pitched voice. Early socialization is required so that he doesn't become too shrill.
Though he can be bossy and scrappy with other dogs, especially larger ones, Yorkies coexist well with other pets, but are overwhelmed by the roughhousing and mischief of small children.
Some Yorkshire Terriers are bright and quick to learn, while others are willful and opinionated. Yorkies often dislike walking on a leash and may dart to and fro until taught how to behave.
Housebreaking is notoriously difficult, especially in bad weather; consider an indoor litter box. Barking must be controlled from day one, and this spunky little fellow can be possessive of his food and toys."
History
Originally called the Scotch Terrier, he was brought to Yorkshire, England, by Scottish weavers.
Size
7-8 inches and 3-7 lbs, though larger individuals are common and make sturdier pets |
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Yorkshire Terriers
What's good about 'em
What's bad about 'em
- There are energetic Yorkies, and placid Yorkies.
- Hard-headed Yorkies, and sweet-natured Yorkies.
- Serious Yorkies, and good-natured goofballs.
- Introverted Yorkies, and Yorkies who love everyone.
| If you acquire a Yorkshire Terrier puppy, you can't know for sure what he or she will grow up to be like. Because a good number of purebred puppies do NOT grow up to conform to the "norm." |
Now let's look at some common characteristics for this breed...
- Is small, fine-boned, elegant, easy to carry, and doesn't take up much space
- Has a lovely flowing coat that doesn't shed (one of the best breeds for allergy sufferers)
- Is lively and inquisitive, and moves swiftly with light-footed grace
- Doesn't need a lot of exercise
- Makes a keen watchdog -- won't fail to announce strangers
- Is peaceful with other pets
A Yorkshire Terrier may be right for you.
| If you don't want to deal with... |
- The fragility of toy breeds (see below)
- "Separation anxiety" (destructiveness and barking) when left alone too much
- Suspiciousness, shrillness, and highstrung temperaments in some lines, or when babied and spoiled, or when not socialized enough
- Excitable chasing instincts
- Frequent brushing and combing
- Notorious housebreaking difficulties
- Barking
A Yorkshire Terrier may not be right for you.
| If I were considering a Yorkshire Terrier... |
My major concerns would be:
- Fragility. Too many people acquire a toy breed puppy without understanding how incredibly fragile a toy breed is. You can seriously injure or kill a Yorkshire Terrier by stepping on him or by sitting on him when he's curled under a blanket or pillow, where he frequently likes to sleep. And Yorkshire Terriers can seriously injure or kill THEMSELVES by leaping from your arms or off the back of your sofa. A larger dog can grab a Yorkshire Terrier and break his neck with one quick shake. Owning a toy breed means constant supervision and surveillance of what's going on around your tiny dog. Yorkshire Terriers must always be kept on-leash -- they are just too easy to injure when not under your complete control. And many Yorkies, with their terrier heritage, have strong chasing instincts. They will take off after anything that runs.
| Yorkshire Terriers are NOT suited to children, no matter how well-meaning the child. Children cannot help being clumsy, and that a child meant well is little solace to a Yorkshire Terrier who has been accidentally stepped on, sat on, rolled on, squeezed, or dropped onto the patio. Most Yorkshire Terriers feel overwhelmed by the loud voices and quick movements that children can't help making -- and stress and fearfulness (even defensive biting) may be the result. |
- Separation anxiety. More than most other breeds, Yorkshire Terriers need a great deal of companionship and do not like being left alone for more than a few hours. They tend to express their unhappiness through destructive chewing and barking. If you work all day, this is not the breed for you.
- Providing enough socialization. Standoffish by nature, Yorkshire Terriers need extensive exposure to people and to unusual sights and sounds. Otherwise their natural caution could become suspiciousness or shyness, which are difficult to live with and can even lead to snapping and biting.
- Grooming. Without frequent brushing and combing, Yorkshire Terriers become a matted mess. If you can't commit to the brushing, you have to commit to frequent trimming to keep the coat short, neat, and healthy.
- Housebreaking problems. As a behavioral consultant, I would put the Yorkshire Terriers on my Top Five List of "Hard to Housebreak." Consistent crate training is mandatory. Sometimes a doggy door is necessary. And some owners never do get their Yorkshire Terriers fully housebroken.
- Barking. Yorkshire Terriers are often too quick to sound the alarm at every new sight and sound. You have to be equally quick to stop them.
- Avoiding the hype. Have you heard these phrases? Teacup Yorkies? Tiny Toy Yorkies? Extreme Tinies? Some breeders use these cutesy phrases as "marketing terms" for the different weights that Yorkies come in. All of these phrases are made-up. Yes, certainly, Yorkies come in different weights, but they do NOT come in different weight "varieties". Whether they weigh 4 pounds or 6 pounds or 8 pounds, they are called, simply, Yorkshire Terriers. Some are simply smaller or larger than others. The larger individuals are sturdier, so don't dismiss them as good pets.
| In fact, I do NOT recommend a Yorkshire Terrier under 4 pounds. These individuals are great risks in the health department. Their bones are extremely fragile. There is not enough room in their mouth for healthy teeth. Their internal organs are often weak and can fail suddenly. They tend to have great difficulty regulating their blood sugar and can suddenly fall into hypoglycemic comas.
Responsible Yorkshire Terrier breeders never try to produce these tiny high-risk creatures. If a tiny one pops up in one of their litters, they do their best to find the best home that can keep it alive, yes, but they try hard NOT to produce them in the first place because it's not fair to the poor little creature.
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On the other hand, some breeders deliberately breed tiny high-risk Yorkies because they can sell them for high prices to unsuspecting owners, or to owners who selfishly demand that they "want" one because it's "adorable" or to satisfy their "mothering" instincts. Don't be one of these people. If you reward these irresponsible breeders by giving them your money, you are encouraging them to keep producing tiny, sickly, short-lived creatures. No, be a responsible buyer and stick with Yorkshire Terriers who will mature at 4 pounds and up, who have the best chance of living a normal healthy life. In this way, breeders will be motivated to produce these sizes. (These individuals, by the way, will weigh at least 2-3 pounds at 10-12 weeks old.)
| If you're considering an adult Yorkshire Terriers... |
There are plenty of adult Yorkies who have already proven themselves NOT to have negative characteristics. If you find such an adult, don't let "typical breed negatives" worry you.
When you acquire a puppy, you're acquiring potential -- what he one day will be. So "typical breed characteristics" are very important. But when you acquire an adult, you're acquiring what he already IS.
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Copyright © 2000-2006 by Michele Welton. All rights reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced without the permission of the author. |
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