Yorkies

Yorkshire Terriers

Small in size but big in personality, the Yorkshire Terrier makes a feisty but loving companion. The most popular toy dog breed in the world, the “Yorkie” has won many fans with their devotion to their owners, their elegant looks, and their suitability to apartment living.

Although Yorkies can make for great apartment pets, they also have a tendency to be yappy, which neighbors may not appreciate. They’ll need a bit of maintenance too, especially when it comes to dental care. While these pups are playful, they’re also small and can be injured by children. But if you can provide lots of love, attention, care, and playtime, you’ll have a loving, adorable companion who’ll stick to you like your shadow!

The Yorkshire Terrier, nicknamed the Yorkie, seems quite full of himself, and why not? With his long silky coat and perky topknot, the Yorkshire Terrier is one of the most glamorous representatives of the dog world, sure to attract attention wherever he goes. Because he’s so small he often travels in style — in special dog purses toted around by his adoring owner.

The long steel-blue and tan coat may be the Yorkie’s crowning glory, but it’s his personality that truly endears him to his family. Oblivious to his small size (weighing in at no more than seven pounds), the Yorkshire Terrier is a big dog in a small body, always on the lookout for adventure and maybe even a bit of trouble.

Yorkshire Terriers are affectionate towards their people as one would expect from a companion dog, but true to their terrier heritage, they’re sometimes suspicious of strangers, and will bark at strange sounds and intruders. In consideration of your neighbors, it’s important to tone down their happiness and teach them when and when not to bark.

They also can be aggressive toward strange dogs, and no squirrel is safe from them.

Despite their bravado, Yorkshire Terriers have a soft side too. They need lots of attention and time with their family. Long hours of being left alone is not for them. It’s not a good idea to over-protect your Yorkie, however; they’ll pick up on your feelings very quickly, and if your actions say the world’s a dangerous place for them, they can become neurotic.

Because of their size, Yorkshire Terriers do better with older children who’ve been taught to respect them than with toddlers and small children. They can become snappish if they’re startled or teased.

As long as they get some exercise every day — perhaps a good play session in the living room or a nice walk around the block — Yorkies make fine apartment dogs.

No matter what home they live in, they’ll get along with other resident dogs and cats — so long as they were raised with them. Yorkies may become possessive of their owners if a new pet is brought into the house. Being terriers, they may want to challenge the “intruder,” and if a fight breaks out, the terrier spirit is to fight to the death. Take a lot of care when you’re introducing a Yorkie to a new animal.

A glamorous coat, small size, spunky personality, and undying loyalty to his people. Is it any wonder that Yorkshire Terriers are the most popular dog breed in the World .

History of Yorkies

The Yorkshire Terrier (often shortened as Yorkie) is one of the smallest dog breeds of the terrier type, and indeed of any dog breed. The breed developed during the 19th century in Yorkshire, England. . A popular companion dog, the Yorkshire Terrier has also been part of the development of other breeds, such as the Silky Terrier. Most have a black and tan coat, but they are also known to have a silver-grey or a blonde coat. Yorkshire terriers are playful and energetic dogs. They often exhibit separation anxiety when left alone, which is a reason that some owners keep two dogs.

The Yorkshire Terrier originated in Yorkshire. In the mid-19th century, workers from Scotland came to Yorkshire in search of work and brought with them several varieties of terrier. Breeding of the Yorkshire terrier was “principally accomplished by the people—mostly operatives in cotton and woollen mills—in the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire.” In the 1800s, miners wanting to develop a ratting terrier, bred Black-and-Tan Terriers with the Paisley and Clydesdale Terriers. Details are scarce. Mrs A. Foster is quoted as saying in 1886, “If we consider that the mill operatives who originated the breed were nearly all ignorant men, unaccustomed to imparting information for public use, we may see some reason why reliable facts have not been easily attained.

The breed comes from two distinct dogs, a male named Old Crab, a female named Kitty, and another female whose name is not known. The Paisley Terrier, a smaller version of the Skye Terrier that was bred for a beautiful long silky coat, also figured into the early dogs. Some authorities believed that the Maltese was used as well. “They were all originally bred from Scotch Terriers (meaning dogs from Scotland, not today’s Scottish Terrier) and shown as such the name Yorkshire Terrier was given to them on account of their being improved so much in Yorkshire.”Yorkshire Terriers were shown in a dog show category (class) at the time called “Rough and Broken-coated, Broken-haired Scotch and Yorkshire Terriers”. Hugh Dalziel, writing in 1878, says that “the classification of these dogs at shows and in the Kennel Club Stud Book is confusing and absurd” in lumping together these different types.

In the early days of the breed, “almost anything in the shape of a Terrier having a long coat with blue on the body and fawn or silver coloured head and legs, with tail docked and ears trimmed, was received and admired as a Yorkshire Terrier”. But in the late 1860s, a popular Paisley-type Yorkshire Terrier show dog named Huddersfield Ben, owned by a woman living in Yorkshire, Mary Ann Foster, was seen at dog shows throughout Great Britain, and defined the breed type for the Yorkshire Terrier.

Huddersfield Ben was a Yorkshire Terrier whose portrait was painted by George Earl and in 1891 an authority on the breed wrote, “Huddersfield Ben was the best stud dog of his breed during his lifetime, and one of the most remarkable dogs of any pet breed that ever lived; and most of the show specimens of the present day have one or more crosses of his blood in their pedigree. A show winner, Huddersfield Ben, through his puppies, helped define the Yorkshire Terrier breed. He is still referred to as “father of the breed.”

Coat

For adult Yorkshire Terriers, The American Kennel Club and Canadian Kennel Club place importance on coat colour, quality, and texture. According to The Kennel Club (UK), the hair must be glossy, fine, straight, and silky. Traditionally the coat is grown out very long and is parted down the middle of the back, but “must never impede movement.”. The hair of the Yorkshire Terrier can be used to determine content of metals in the dog organism.

From the back of the neck to the base of the tail, the coat should be a dark grey to a black colour, and the hair on the tail should be a darker black. On the head, high chest and legs, the hair should be a bright, rich tan, darker at the roots than in the middle, that shades into a lighter tan at the tips, but not for all dogs. Also, in adult dogs there should be no black hairs intermingled with any of the tan-coloured fur. The fine, straight, silky coat is considered hypoallergenic.

Hypoallergenic coats

The typical fine, straight, and silky Yorkshire Terrier coat has also been listed by many popular dog information websites as being hypoallergenic. In comparison with many other breeds, Yorkies do not shed to the same degree, losing small amounts when bathed or brushed. The dog’s dander and saliva typically trigger allergic reactions. Allergists recognise that at times a particular allergy patient will be able to tolerate a particular dog, but they agree that “the luck of the few with their pets cannot be stretched to fit all allergic people and entire breeds of dogs.] The Yorkshire Terrier coat is said to fall out only when brushed or broken, or just said to not shed. Although neither of those statements agree with what biologists, veterinarians, and allergists know about dog fur, allergists “think there really are differences in protein production between dogs that may help one patient and not another”.

Puppy coats

The ideal Yorkshire Terrier character or “personality” has been described by the Kennel Club as having a “carriage very upright feisty”and “conveying an important air”. Though small, the Yorkshire Terrier is active, very protective, curious, and fond of attention. Yorkshire Terriers are easy going dogs that are great with children and older adults. If trained correctly, these dogs are very child friendly, easy going, and likes to be played with.

Temperament

Yorkshire Terriers are an easy dog breed to train. This results from their own nature to work without human assistance. They are naturally smart and quick to learn with many being food and/or praise motivated. Because they were developed as a working breed, many need a lot of both physical and mental stimulation—with both long walks/runs but also indoor games and training to keep their mind busy. They are known for being yappy, but many have reported that a contented Yorkie is a quiet one—that will happily curl up on your knee in the evening. But they are all individuals, with some being much more laid back than others, and the breeder should ideally be able to advise on the needs and temperaments of their particular line. Yorkies are easily adaptable to all surroundings, travel well, and make suitable pets for many homes. Due to their small size, they require limited exercise but need daily interaction with people. They thrive on attention and love. Many are more timid around other dogs and prefer to stay close to their humans for comfort.

Yorkshire Terriers do tend to bark a lot. This makes them excellent watchdogs, as they will sound the alarm when anyone gets close. A barking problem can often be resolved with proper training and exercise.

Yorkshire Terriers are ranked 34th in Stanley‘s The Intelligence of Dogs.

It may take three or more years for the coat to reach its final colour. The final colour is usually a black or greyish colour. P. H. Combs, writing in 1891, complained about show wins awarded to puppies, when the dog’s coat does not fully come in until three or four years old, “and the honour of winning such a prize (for a puppy) can therefore be of but little practical benefit to the owner” since the adult dog’s colour cannot be exactly predicted.

Health

Health issues often seen in the Yorkshire Terrier include bronchitis, lymphangiectasia, portosystemic shunt, cataracts, and keratitis sicca. Additionally, Yorkies often have a delicate digestive system, with vomiting or diarrhoea resulting from consumption of foods outside of a regular diet. The relatively small size of the Yorkshire Terrier means that it usually has a poor tolerance for anaesthesia. Additionally, a toy dog such as the Yorkie is more likely to be injured by falls, other dogs, and owner clumsiness. Injection reactions (inflammation or hair loss at the site of an injection) can occur. In addition, allergies can cause skin to be dry, itchy and/or red.

The lifespan of a Yorkie is 13–20 years.] Undersized Yorkies (under 3 lb or 1.4 kg) generally have a shorter life span, as they are especially prone to health problems such as chronic diarrhoea and vomiting; are more sensitive to anaesthesia; and are more easily injured.

Teeth

As with all other dogs, Yorkies have two sets of teeth in their life. The first set of teeth is the 28-piece deciduous teeth (often referred to as “milk teeth”, “baby teeth”, or “puppy teeth”). The second set is the 42-piece permanent or adult teeth. Sometimes the number of permanent or adult teeth may vary, which is fine as long as they do not cause bad bite. When puppies are born, they have no teeth because milk is the only food they need. The deciduous teeth will grow from the age of 3 to 8 weeks old, in the order of incisors, canines, and premolars. Yorkie puppies have no molar teeth. Yorkie puppies will start to lose their deciduous or baby teeth when the permanent or adult teeth come in. The permanent or adult grow when the Yorkie puppies are 4 to 8 months old. By around 8 months old, those teeth should fully develop. The permanent or adult teeth will grow in the order of incisors, canines, premolars, and molars. Molar teeth will develop at around 6 to 8 months old.

Yorkies and other small dog breeds may have problems if the deciduous or baby teeth do not fall out as the permanent or adult teeth grow. This is caused by the new teeth not growing right underneath the deciduous teeth. (Usually, a puppy’s body will absorb the roots of puppy teeth.) If the puppy tooth does not yield to the incoming tooth, it should be removed because it can cause a malocclusion or bad bite. Retained teeth can cause tooth decay because food can be easily caught in between the deciduous and permanent teeth. Sometimes the new teeth are forced to grow into an abnormal position and further cause a bad bite. The retained teeth may stay or fall weeks after the new teeth have developed. When necessary, the retained deciduous or baby teeth need to be removed surgically. Like other small breeds, Yorkies are also prone to severe dental disease. Because they have a small jaw, their teeth can become crowded and may not fall out naturally. This can cause food and plaque to build up, and bacteria can eventually develop on the surface of the teeth, leading to periodontal disease. In addition, the bacteria can spread to other parts of the body and cause heart and kidney problems. The best prevention is regular brushing of the teeth with a toothpaste formulated specifically for dogs. Human toothpaste is not recommended, because it foams more easily and may be swallowed. Professional teeth cleaning by a veterinarian may also be required to prevent the development of dental problems.

Genetic defects

Certain genetic disorders can be found in Yorkshire Terriers, including distichiasis, hydrocephalus, hypoplasia of dens, Legg– Calvé –Perthes syndrome, luxating patella, portosystemic shunt, retinal dysplasia, tracheal collapse, and bladder stones. The following are among the most common congenital defects that affect Yorkies:

Distichiae, eyelashes arising from an abnormal spot (usually the duct of the meibomian gland at the edge of the eyelid), are often found in Yorkies. Distichiae can irritate the eye and cause tearing, squinting, inflammation, corneal abrasions or corneal ulcers, and scarring. Treatment options may include manual removal, electrolysis, or surgery.
Hypoplasia of dens is a non-formation of the pivot point of the second cervical vertebra, which leads to spinal cord damage. Onset of the condition may occur at any age, producing signs ranging from neck pain to quadriplegia.
Legg– Calvé –Perthes syndrome, which causes the top of the femur (thigh bone) to degenerate, occurs in Yorkies in certain lines. The condition appears to result from insufficient circulation to the area around the hip joint. As the blood supply is reduced, the bone in the head of the femur collapses and dies and the cartilage coating around it becomes cracked and deformed. Usually the disease appears when the Yorkie is young (between five and eight months of age); signs are pain, limping or lameness. The standard treatment is surgery to remove the affected part of the bone. Following surgery, muscles hold the femur in place and fibrous tissue forms in the area of removal to prevent bone rubbing on bone. Although the affected leg will be slightly shorter than prior to surgery, the Yorkie may regain almost normal use.
Luxating patellas (slipping kneecaps) are another common defect considered to be genetic in Yorkies, although it may also be caused by an accidental fall. Weak ligaments and tendons in the knee or malformed (too shallow) patellar grooves, allow the patella to slip out of its groove sideways. This causes the leg to ‘lock up’ with the foot held off the ground. A dog with this problem may experience frequent pain and lameness, or may be bothered by it only on occasion. Over time, the patellar ridges can become worn down, making the groove even more shallow and causing the dog to become increasingly lame. Surgery is the main treatment option available for luxating patellas, although it is not necessary for every dog with the condition. The severity of luxating patellas are on a scale of 1 to 4, with 4 being the most severe. Many dogs will not develop past a stage 1 or 2.
Portosystemic shunt, a congenital malformation of the portal vein (which brings blood to the liver for cleansing), is also common in Yorkies. In this condition some of the dog’s blood bypasses the liver and the “dirty” blood goes on to poison the heart, brain, lungs and other organs with toxins. A Yorkie with this condition might exhibit a wide variety of symptoms, such as small stature, poor appetite, weak muscle development, decreased ability to learn, inferior coordination, occasional vomiting and diarrhoea, behavioral abnormalities, seizures (especially after a meal) and blindness, which could lead to a coma and death. Often, the shunt can be treated with surgery.
Tracheal collapse, caused by a progressive weakening of the walls of the trachea, occurs in many toy breeds, especially very tiny Yorkies. As a result of genetics, the walls of the trachea can be flaccid, a condition that becomes more severe with age. Cushing’s syndrome, a disorder that causes production of excess steroid hormone by the adrenal glands, can also weaken cartilage and lead to tracheal collapse. There is a possibility that physical strain on the neck might cause or contribute to trachea collapse. Since this is usually caused by an energetic Yorkie pulling against his collar, many veterinarians recommend use of a harness for leashed walks. An occasional “goose honking” cough, especially on exertion or excitement, is usually the first sign of this condition. Over time, the cough may become almost constant in the Yorkie’s later life. Breathing through the obstruction of a collapsed (or partially collapsed) trachea for many years can result in complications, including chronic lung disease. The coughing can be countered with cough suppressants and bronchodilators.[55] If the collapse is advanced and unresponsive to medication, sometimes surgery can repair the trachea.

Hypoglycaemi

Low blood sugar in puppies, or transient juvenile hypoglycaemia, is caused by fasting (too much time between meals). In rare cases, hypoglycaemia may continue to be a problem in mature, usually very small, Yorkies. It is often seen in Yorkie puppies at 5 to 16 weeks of age. Very tiny Yorkie puppies are especially predisposed to hypoglycaemia because a lack of muscle mass makes it difficult to store glucose and regulate blood sugar. Factors such as stress, fatigue, a cold environment, poor nutrition, and a change in diet or feeding schedule may bring on hypoglycaemia. Low blood sugar can also be the result of a bacterial infection, parasite or portosystemic liver shunt. Hypoglycaemia causes the puppy to become drowsy, listless (glassy-eyed), shaky, uncpoglycaemic attack, the puppy usually has very pale or grey gums. The puppy also may not eat unless force-fed.Hypoglycaemia and dehydration seem to go hand-in-hand, and force-feeding or injecting fluids may also be necessary. Additionally, a hypoglycaemic Yorkie may have a lower than normal body temperature and, in extreme cases, may have a seizure or go into a coma.A dog showing symptoms should be given sugar in the form of corn syrup or Nutri-Cal and be treated by a veterinarian immediately, as prolonged or recurring attacks of hypoglycaemia can permanently damage the dog’s brain. In severe cases, it can be fatal.

Size of Yorkshire Terriers

Yorkies are inconsistent in size. It’s not unusual for a single litter to contain one Yorkie weighing less than four pounds, one who weighs five or six pounds, and one who grows to be 12 to 15 pounds.

Beware of breeders who offer “tea cup” Yorkshire Terriers. Dogs who are smaller than the standard are prone to genetic disorders and are at a higher health risk in general.