Yorkshire Terrier Information and Common Questions

The Yorkshire terrier, well known for long flowing tresses, is a tiny but tough breed. Originally used to hunt rats, the Yorkie is a popular active pet.

The Yorkshire terrier was one of the top 10 breeds for the year 2006. Click here for the complete story on Top Dog Breeds of 2006.

What is the Yorkshire Terrier breed origin?
As the name implies, the Yorkshire Terrier originated in Yorkshire County (and the adjoining Manchester County), a rugged region in northern England.In the mid-nineteenth century, at the peak of England’s industrial revolution, craftsmen from Scotland came to Yorkshire in search of work and brought with them several different varieties of small long-coated terriers, generally known as Scottish terriers. The specific breeds that make up the Yorkshire Terrier’s ancestry are not known, since the breeders at that time did not keep records of the bloodlines. Certain breeds, however, are commonly thought to be the main forebears. The likely source of the Yorkie’s small stature, long-haired coat and blue color are the Clydesdale, Paisley, Skye and Waterside terriers, all Scottish terriers transported to England at various times. The English Black and Tan Terrier bloodline probably gave the Yorkie its signature color pattern. These breeds were all working dogs, used to keep vermin under control in the textile mills and coal mines. Many have suggested that the Maltese, an ancient breed (likely originating in Asia), may be in the Yorkshire Terrier’s background as well.

The breed first appeared at an 1861 bench show in England as the Broken-Haired Scotch Terrier, named for the dog’s Scottish terrier ancestors. Early Yorkies were also known simply as Toy Terriers, in both rough and broken haired varieties. Yorkshire Terriers were given their breed name by 1874.

The Yorkie was bred as a ratter, used to kill mice and rats in small places. As a hunting group, terriers specialize in pursuing animals (usually vermin) that live in dens or burrows. Animals that are cornered and defending their young will fight ferociously. Therefore, any dog that would willingly pursue them must have an extraordinary degree of courage; terriers are bred for that quality. The Yorkshire Terrier, with its feisty temperament, is no exception

How is the Yorkshire Terrier appearance and size?
That of a long-haired toy terrier whose blue and tan coat is parted on the face and from the base of the skull to the end of the tail and hangs evenly and quite straight down each side of body. The body is neat, compact and well proportioned. The dog's high head carriage and confident manner should give the appearance of vigor and self-importance.

Head Small and rather flat on top, the skull not too prominent or round, the muzzle not too long, with the bite neither undershot nor overshot and teeth sound. Either scissors bite or level bite is acceptable. The nose is black. Eyes are medium in size and not too prominent; dark in color and sparkling with a sharp, intelligent expression. Eye rims are dark. Ears are small, V-shaped, carried erect and set not too far apart.

Body Well proportioned and very compact. The back is rather short, the back line level, with height at shoulder the same as at the rump.

Legs and Feet Forelegs should be straight, elbows neither in nor out. Hind legs straight when viewed from behind, but stifles are moderately bent when viewed from the sides. Feet are round with black toenails. Dewclaws, if any, are generally removed from the hind legs. Dewclaws on the forelegs may be removed.

Tail Docked to a medium length and carried slightly higher than the level of the back.
Coat Quality, texture and quantity of coat are of prime importance. Hair is glossy, fine and silky in texture. Coat on the body is moderately long and perfectly straight (not wavy). It may be trimmed to floor length to give ease of movement and a neater appearance, if desired. The fall on the head is long, tied with one bow in center of head or parted in the middle and tied with two bows. Hair on muzzle is very long. Hair should be trimmed short on tips of ears and may be trimmed on feet to give them a neat appearance.

Colors Puppies are born black and tan and are normally darker in body color, showing an intermingling of black hair in the tan until they are matured. Color of hair on body and richness of tan on head and legs are of prime importance in adult dogs, to which the following color requirements apply:
Blue: Is a dark steel-blue, not a silver-blue and not mingled with fawn, bronzy or black hairs.
Tan: All tan hair is darker at the roots than in the middle, shading to still lighter tan at the tips. There should be no sooty or black hair intermingled with any of the tan.

Is the Yorkshire Terrier children compatible?
The Yorkie is generally not very tolerant of children but can do well if raised with them. They are affectionate and loyal to the family but can be aggressive towards strangers if not properly socialized.

Special Concerns
Even though the Yorkshire terrier is generally thought of as a pet, they are still terriers at heart and readily chase and kill rodents. Yorkies should not be allowed unsupervised time with small pets such as hamsters, rabbits and guinea pigs.

Common Diseases and Disorders
Health issues often seen in the Yorkshire Terrier include bronchitis, lymphangiectasia, hepatic lipidosis, cataracts and keratitis sicca. Additionally, injection reactions (inflammation or hair loss at the site of an injection) are common. Yorkies often have a delicate digestive system, with vomiting or diarrhea 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 anesthesia. Additionally, a toy dog such as the Yorkie is more likely to be injured by falls, other dogs and owner clumsiness. Due to their small size, Yorkies may be endangered if kept in the house with an undiscerning or abusive person, especially a child. They also are at risk of being injured inadvertently by children. Small children should be carefully watched around Yorkies. Many breeders and rescue organizations will not allow their Yorkies to go to families with young children, because of the risk it poses to the dog.

The life span of a healthy Yorkie is 12-15 years. Under-sized Yorkies (3 pounds or less) generally have a shorter life span, as they are especially prone to health problems such as chronic diarrhea and vomiting; are even more sensitive to anesthesia; and are more easily injured.

As with many purebred dogs, the Yorkshire Terrier is prone to certain genetic disorders, including distichiasis, hydrocephalus, hypoplasia of dens, Legg-Perthes disease, patellar luxation, portosystemic shunt, retinal dysplasia, tracheal collapse and bladder stones. The following are among the most common congenital defects that affect Yorkies.

Famous Yorkies
Dogs in film
Mr. Famous, Audrey Hepburn's beloved Yorkshire Terrier, appeared with her in a scene in Funny Face. During the shoot of The Children's Hour, Mr. Famous was run over on Wilshire Boulevard and killed. After the death of Mr. Famous, Mel Ferrer gave Hepburn another Yorkie named Assam of Assam.
In the movie Meet the Fockers, the Fockers' (Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand) family dog, Moses, is played by a female Yorkie mix named Terem.
Horror film Urban Legend features a Yorkie in the role of Hootie, a fraternity house dog who drinks beer through a beer bong. Hootie is murdered by a serial killer in an imitation of the infamous urban legend of "the dog in the microwave."
In the film Daltry Calhoun, Aunt Dee (Beth Grant) has a Yorkie named Pickles.
The character of Mrs. Coady (Patricia Hayes) in A Fish Called Wanda owns three Yorkshire Terriers. Throughout the movie, an animal lover named Ken Pile (Michael Palin) repeatedly tries to assassinate Mrs. Coady, but instead accidentally kills the Yorkies one by one. Following the death of her last little dog, the woman dies of a heart attack.

Dogs in literature
Toto in the original book version of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is believed to be a Yorkie. Although the book does not specifically state Toto's breed, it describes Toto as "a little black dog with long silky hair." Most recognize Toto as a Cairn Terrier from the 1939 film version. However, from the illustrations in the first book many have concluded that Toto is a Yorkshire Terrier, as this breed was very popular at the time of publication. Toto was a Boston Terrier in later books of the Oz series.
Fred Basset, the comic strip created by Alex Graham, features a Yorkshire Terrier named Yorky.

Dogs on TV
On the television series Green Acres, Eva Gabor's character (Lisa Douglas) owned a Yorkshire Terrier named Mignon (as in "filet mignon").
Whitney Houston's Yorkshire Terrier, Doogie, was featured with her on the television series Being Bobby Brown.
On MTV's 'Til Death Do Us Part: Carmen and Dave, a reality show revolving around the marriage of Carmen Electra and Dave Navarro, the couple has a pet Yorkie named Daisy.
A Yorkshire Terrier named Barney was seen on the newspaper drama television series Lou Grant, where he shared the spotlight with Margaret Pynchon (played by Nancy Marchand). The character of Barney was killed by a Pit Bull Terrier on an episode of Lou Grant that affected legislation on dog fighting in several states.
The George Carlin Show featured a Yorkie named Miles (after jazz legend Miles Davis); George Carlin's George O'Grady won the dog from a plastic surgeon in the first episode of the television series.

Show dogs
Huddersfield Ben, a champion show dog, was the father of the modern Yorkshire Terrier.
Champion Cede Higgins, winner of the coveted Best in Show award at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club dog show in 1978, was the first and only Yorkshire Terrier ever to win the title.
In 1997, Champion Ozmilion Mystification became the first Yorkie to win Best in Show at Crufts, the world's largest annual dog show.

Small dogs
Sylvia, a matchbox-size Yorkshire Terrier owned by Arthur Marples of Blackburn, England, was the smallest dog in recorded history. The dog died in 1945 when she was almost two years old, at which point she stood 2.5 inches tall at the shoulder, measured 3.5 inches from nose tip to tail, and weighed 4 ounces.
For 1995 through 2002 Guinness World Records listed a Yorkshire Terrier named Big Boss, as the smallest dog in the world. Big Boss was listed at 11.94cm (4.7in) tall when his owner, Dr. Chai Khanchanakom of Thailand, registered the toy dog with Guinness.
A Yorkie named Thumbelina, 5.5 inches tall and 8 inches long, held the Guinness World Record for smallest living dog prior to 1995.
Tiny Pinocchio, an abnormally small Yorkshire Terrier, has appeared on several television programs including Oprah and the Today Show.

War dog
Smoky, a war dog and hero of World War II, was owned by William Wynne of Cleveland, Ohio. Wynne adopted Smoky while he was serving with the 5th Air Force in the Pacific.

White House dog
Pasha, Tricia Nixon's pet Yorkie, lived in the White House during the Richard Nixon presidency.

Celebrity Owners
A Yorkshire Terrier named Spike was the former canine sidekick of television celebrity Joan Rivers. The corporate logo of Rivers' PGHM (Please God Help Me) Productions featured an image of her beloved Spike in a prayerful pose with a halo over his head. Joan Rivers also owned a Yorkie named Veronica.
Missy Elliott owns a Yorkshire Terrier named Poncho. The dog appeared in the music video for Elliott's song "Lose Control."
Kelly Rowland's Yorkshire Terrier, Mocha, was featured on an episode of Cribs on MTV.
Justin Timberlake owns two Yorkshire Terriers named Bella and Bearlie. The dogs appeared with Justin in a 1997 US Weekly feature on the members of *N Sync and their dogs.
Model Gisele Bundchen has often been photographed with her Yorkshire Terrier, Vida.
Bruce Willis owns a Yorkshire Terrier named Wolf Fishbein (Wolfie), after a character in the Woody Allen movie Crimes and Misdemeanors.
Raven-Symone owns a Yorkshire Terrier named Shawty Pimp. The dog appeared with Raven in a photo shoot for Ebony magazine.
Professional football player Brett Favre owns a Yorkshire Terrier named Jazzmin.
Actor Kyle MacLachlan and his wife have a Yorkie/Chihuahua mix named Sam who, along with their other dog Mookie, has a website and a "TV show".
Actress Tara Reid owns a Yorkshire Terrier named Stoli.
Public relations professional Lizzie Grubman from MTV's PoweR Girls owns two Yorkshire Terriers named Peanut and Crunch.
Actress Taryn Manning owns a Yorkshire Terrier named Speakers.