If you are looking for a dog that weighs only a few pounds with a big spirit, the Yorkshire terrier or Yorkie may be just for you. The background of the Yorkie goes back to the 18th century. During the Industrial Revolution in England, Scotsmen left their country and headed south looking for work in England. They brought their families and dogs. Their dogs included Skye Terriers, Paisley Terriers and Clydesdale Terriers. The breeds ranged in size from 6 pounds to 20 pounds. They were all fairly heavily coated. Some had a silky texture to their coat. All carried blue-tan or gray coat colors. A common breed in Yorkshire, England at the time was the Waterside Terrier.
The present-day Yorkshire Terrier is a combination of these four breeds. The beautiful long-coated dog with a silky steel blue and tan coat is prized as one of the smallest dogs in the world and the most popular toy breed.
By the 1850's, Yorkies were being shown in England. The standard weight fell anywhere between 5 and 18 pounds. By 1886, the English Kennel Club recognized the breed as the Yorkshire terrier and placed it in the newly formed Toy Group. Currently the Yorkie reigns in the top ten breeds in popularity in Britain.
The first recorded Yorkie whelped in the United States was in 1872. At first, the American Kennel Club divided the breed classes by weight: Under 5 pounds and over 5 pounds. The larger weight class had few entries. Therefore it was decided to have one weight class for all Yorkies, specifying weight range between 3 and 7 pounds. Today, the American Kennel Club breed standard for a Yorkie is 7 pounds.
The Yorkshire terrier is a very popular breed in the United States. Two very excellent breeders who raised and showed Yorkies in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s were the sisters Joan Gordon and Janet Bennett of the Wildweir Kennels. Their English import Ch. Little sir Model was the first Yorkie to win an all-breed best in Show.
At the present time the breed places in the top ten breeds in popularity of the AKC breeds. It continues to hold a number-one ranking as a Toy dog in America. Throughout all time the Yorkshire terrier has remained a favorite of the public.
Every breed of dog registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC) has an official standard to help breeders and fanciers to understand the characteristics that define the particular breed. The standard tells us what makes the breed different from every other breed. A Yorkie's coat is blue and tan and floor length. There is a standard set for the Yorkie's ears, muzzle and tail to look a certain way. These characteristics are sought out by breeders, as well as the Yorkie's typical temperament and personality as described in the standard. The standard for the Yorkie as compared to other breeds is short. The largest section is on the coat, which is very important for the breed. If one is going to show a Yorkie, the correct coat and color are of most concern.
Whenever you bring someone new into your home, there is always a little bit of nervousness and this is especially true when that someone is a young pup who can ruin your carpets and all of your belongings in a heartbeat. Before you actually go to pick up your new Yorkshire Terrier, it is important for you and your family to truly sit down and think about what is important to you in regards to Yorkshire Terrier obedience training. By picking one lesson and sticking with it, you are making your chances for a fast and efficient training. It is important that while many different types and techniques for particular trainings may work, you should only use one type in order to not disturb the training that your puppy is learning. To make sure that your training runs smoothly, once you pick a certain training technique, you must stick with it in order for this to go as fast as possible. Once you have your game plan in place, is it important to make sure that the Yorkshire Terrier obedience training exercise you are starting is what you should be beginning with. Things like potty training are way more important then not jumping up onto the couch. You have to evaluate what your home and personal lifestyle is in order to see which types of Yorkshire Terrier training should come first. Once you have decided which training lesson is the most important to you, your family, your home, and your lifestyle, it is important to put the plan into action. And since your puppy is young, you will want to focus on one lesson until he or she gets that one right. Whenever you are approaching the different kinds of Yorkshire Terrier obedience training or when you are putting them into place, it is important to never show frustration as your little pup can pick up on those feelings and emotions and this can delay their progress. Make sure that you always remain happy and keep a positive tone about you. And make sure that each and every time your little puppy does something right praise him or her so that they understand what actions make you happy. Know that you are able to move ahead with your training, know that there will always be bumps in the road and it is only natural. With the few quick pointers you found here and even with a little reading in some different dog training books, you will see that training a dog on just about anything does not have to be scary or frustrating, but yet be an experience that you will remember for a long time and be proud of.
Both Connie Limon & Susan Bailey are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Connie Limon has sinced written about articles on various topics from Careers and Job Hunting, Dogs and Colon Cleanse. Connie Limon raises Shih Tzu Puppies. She owns Little Guys Dog Clothes Shop. Purchase designer dog clothes for your Yorkie and other toy breeds at: