Little Yorkshire terriers they are fondly called, but in truth, this breed is not everything little. They have supreme intelligence and an articulate investigative spirit that each training and task is done brightly and with excellence. They love to be around children and families and love to be surrounded with love and affection- these reasons alone make them big in heart, love and spirit.

Although only bestowed with a meager weight of 3.2 kg (7 lbs), this dog is still heavy with stately demeanor and self-assured carriage. Being a true-blooded terrier, it is very brave, active, protective to its master, and an excellent hunter. Inside the home, it is a lovable pet that gives nothing but joy and contentment to the household.

Yorkshire Terrier

This breed looks magnificent in a draping floor-length silky, fine, glossy, and straight hair. Its common and widely accepted coat colors are blue and tan and they are spread all over the body, with blue mostly painted on its back; this pattern matches the expression “tan with blue saddle on the back”. There are other combinations of colors and patterns that appears in some Yorkshire terriers but mostly they are not accepted by the kennel clubs.

This breed was originally started in Yorkshire, England and clearly it is where it got its name; the breed is also called Yorkie and is popular around the world for this. History has it that the Scottish found their way to Yorkshire, England in the mid-1800′s in search for a job. Alongside with them were several breeds of small terriers and these breeds were the supposed origins of the Yorkie.

The first Yorkie is said to have come from three different dogs; a male dog called Old Crab and two female dogs named Kitty and an unknown one. While the Scotts worked in cotton and wool factories, the Yorkies tagged alongside them as rats and vermin catchers. And although this breed was magnificent and beautiful then, they got no favorable recognition for the main fact that they were pets of poor workers; additionally, their silky straight hair was viewed with contempt and accused as being the product of the fine threads.

It wasn’t long, however, when the world couldn’t resist its charm anymore; upper class families started taking them in as pets and its fame spread all over Europe quickly. Since then, the admiration, pampering and privileges never ended; these favors for the Yorkie are prevalent and obvious up to now. The Yorkies first came to the United States in 1872 and by 1878, the first Yorkie was registered to the American Kennel Club.

The common Yorkie has a fine and absolute straight hair but there are those who have a wooly, cottony, and overly fine textured coats as well. Unlike the silky straight haired Yorkies, the differently textured ones are difficult to care for. In general, the Yorkies only need daily brushing and a bath every month in order to keep their beautiful manes at their absolute best.

Although the Yorkshire terrier is listed among the toy dog group, there are breeders who still want them to be placed in the terrier category. They belong to the hypoallergenic group as well for their fur is never prone to shedding and would only fall out a little during brushing or when broken.