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The Yorkshire Terrier, also known as a Yorkie, is a breed of small dog, one of many toy dog breeds. Yorkies can be very small, usually weighing between 5 and 7 lb (2.5 to 3.5 kg).
Appearance: The Yorkie has a compact, small build. It
holds itself in an upright, sprightly manner which makes it
look confident and selfassured (a reflection of its
temperament). Its appearance should be one of spirit,
cleverness, curiousity, and vigour. Dogs that appear sullen or
life-less are to be penalized. It is solidly built and
balanced, and must not appear weak.
Coat and color: The Yorkie should have a long, steel
blue and tan coat that hangs straight and parts down the
middle. However, many Yorkies do not conform directly to the
standard. Some coats are black or silvery grey on the body.
Tan is on the face and legs. The hair is usually straight and
will grow long.
Yorkies can also have somewhat wavy hair, although it is
not acceptable for show dogs. In either case, Yorkie hair is
soft, silky, fine, and high-maintenance, and must either be
trimmed short or washed and brushed frequently. Show dogs
often have their hair 'wrapped' in rice paper, after a light
oiling. This prevents the hairs from being broken easily, and
keeps the coat in condition. The nose, paw-pads, lips, and
eye-rims must be darkly pigmented.
Temperament: The Yorkshire Terrier, though a toy
breed, still retains much of its Terrier ancestry in terms of
personality. Though personalities differ from dog to dog, they
are generally intelligent, independent and spunky. Yorkies,
especially males, are very territorial and are known for their
disregard for the limitations of their own size. They will
often attack much larger dogs despite their extreme size
disadvantage.
Yorkies typically get along well with cats and other dogs,
and love to play together in groups. However, they are
terriers, and even an old, sedentary lap dog may eagerly hunt
rodents. Because they are so small, they are easily injured;
They usually get along well with children, but may be
endangered if kept in the house with an undiscerning or
abusive person, especially a child. Also, despite their small
size, if attacked or continually provoked, like all dogs, they
pack a surprisingly powerful bite.
Yorkshire Terriers tend to be more difficult to train than
some of their canine cousins; however, this difficulty is
considered to be a result of the breed’s characteristic prey
drive rather than any major deficiency of intelligence as they
were bred to work without human intervention.
Health: Yorkies tend to develop cataracts in their
old age, but their small size limits the effects of conditions
such as arthritis. There is also the possibility of tracheal
collapse, the cause of which is thought by many to be
partially genetic, and partially caused by environment-
specifically, the strain an energetic Yorkie puts on its neck
when straining against its collar. Most veterinarians
recommend use of a harness instead of a collar to help prevent
the chronic coughing caused by partial trachea collapse.
As with many purebred dogs, the Yorkshire Terrier is prone
to certain genetic disorders. Most common is the liver shunt
(portosystemic shunt). In this condition some of the dog's
blood bypasses the liver and as such does not get cleaned of
those toxins that the liver is responsible for removing. A
Yorkie with this condition might exhibit some or all of the
following symptoms: small stature, poor muscle development,
behavioral abnormalities, unresponsiveness, seizures, and so
on; however, if treated by a veterinarian, the condition is
most often reversible in time.
History: Most believe that the Yorkshire Terrier is
the product of comingling Scottish and English terriers when
many Scots were displaced by the Industrial Revolution and
settled in England. Though pedigrees are not available for the
first Yorkshire Terrier ancestors, several breeds have been
suggested, including the Old English Black and Tan, which is
also considered the ancestor for the Welsh Terrier and the
Manchester Terrier, the Waterside Terrier, the Clydesdale
Terrier, and the Paisley Terrier.
The Scottish influence, brought in by the weavers during
the industrial revolution, are the same ancestors as the
Scottish Terrier, West Highland White Terrier, and Cairn
Terrier (all once one breed), as well as the Skye Terrier.
Many have suggested that at some time the Maltese, an old
breed from Malta, may be in the backgound of some as well.
The original Yorkshire Terrier, known as the
"Broken-Haired Scotch Terrier" was a 12-to-14 pound
dog with wire hair whose intended purpose was the catching of
rats and other vermin that lived in small spaces.
In 1870, the breed was renamed the Yorkshire Terrier, after
the county of Yorkshire, England where the breed is believed
to have originated. The father of the breed is considered to
be Huddersfield Ben, who was born in 1865 and died in 1871
from a carriage accident, the inbred offspring of a mother and
son. Huddersfield Ben was bred by Mr. W. Eastwood
Huddersfield. A multiple champion, Huddersfield Ben set the
foundation for what would develop into the modern Yorkie.
Based on registrations, Yorkshire Terriers became the #3
most popular dog breed in the United States in 2005 according
to the American Kennel Club, trailing only the Labrador
Retriever and the Golden Retriever.
Miscellaneous: A newly proposed breed, the Biewer,
is a developing new breed based on the Yorkshire Terrier,
built on an F1 cross to a Yorkshire Terrier. As the Biewer
develops, it should not be crossed back to the Yorkie.
Famous Yorkies:
Chow Mein from Gypsy
Smoky World War II hero
Smoky was a Yorkshire Terrier who belonged to
William Wynne of Ohio. Mr. Wynne adopted Smoky while
serving with the 5th Air Force in the Pacific Theatre.
Mr. Wynne trained Smoky to perform various tricks to
entertain himself and his comrades. Smoky was later
entered in Yank Magazine’s Best Mascot Contest. She
won first prize and had her picture on the cover.
Smoky became a war dog when she used her small size
to her advantage and helped to “run” communication
wire through a culvert that was under a runway.
Without Smoky’s assistance, the runway would need to
be excavated while the cable was laid. The runway
would have been inoperable for several days. Smoky was
deemed the most famous dog of World War Two. She
returned home to Ohio with Mr. Wynne where she
continued her “entertainment” career.
Toto from the original book version of L. Frank Baum's
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Most recognize Toto as a Cairn Terrier from the 1939
film version, and Baum's book did not specifically
state Toto's breed. 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. It should be noted that Toto was a Boston
Terrier in later books of the Oz series.
Mignon, Lisa Douglas' Yorkshire Terrier on the
television series Green Acres
Spike, former caninesidekick of television celebrity
Joan Rivers.
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