Yorkshire Terrier

The Yorkshire Terrier is known for its distinctive silky coat, which is usually a combination of blue and tan, and for its small size. This breed was created around the 1800s in Yorkshire, England. These dogs are also called Yorkie. They are usually classified as Toy Terriers. Many kennels clubs also group these dogs under Toy or Companion dogs despite this breed being acknowledged as a terrier. These dogs are very popular in shows and win many awards. They are also immensely popular as pets and companions. Yorkshire terriers have contributed to the creation of other breeds like Australian Silky terriers.

The early years of the Yorkshire terrier’s development was largely controlled by workers who migrated into Yorkshire from Scotland, to work in cotton mills and woolen mills. What is certainly known is that a breed known as the Paisley terrier contributed to the creation of Yorkies. Some experts believe that the Maltese breed was also used. All of these breeds were originally created from Scotch terriers, original dogs from Scotland, that are different from the Scottish terriers found today. In early days, many dogs that were small in size and had long, silky coats were mistaken to be Yorkies.

These dogs usually don’t weigh more than 7 pounds but could weigh less. They have glossy coats made of straight, long hair. The hair is usually parted along the middle portion of the head, the back and also the tail. The color of the coat is usually darker on the back and tan on the head, legs and chest. These dogs have small ears that are covered in hair, usually shorter than the rest of the coat and tan in color. Traditionally, the tail of these dogs was docked but this practice has been discontinued today and many Yorkies have long tails. The tail is at a higher level than the back.

Even though these dogs have abundant coats, caring for them is quite easy due to the silky nature of the hair. They require a brushing once a day and should be bathed once a month. The coat can be trimmed to some extent to make grooming easier. Show dogs will typically have the hair on their bodies trimmed to just touch the ground, so that it is easier for the dog to walk. If the coat is kept longer, more careful grooming is required.

Yorkshire terriers are known to be vulnerable to quite a few diseases. These include cataracts, bronchitis, lymphangiectasia (dilation of lymph glands) and keratitis sicca (dry eyes syndrome). These dogs are also prone to several genetic disorders such as retinal dysplasia, bladder stones, distichia (eyelashes growing from an abnormal spot in the eyes) and luxating patellas (which causes the kneecaps to slip suddenly). The expected life span of these dogs is about 10-15 years. A few Yorkies are born severly under-sized and have a much shorter life expectancy. These dogs are typically vulnerable to chronic diarrhea, injuries and vomiting.