The Yorkshire Terrier was developed in the mid-1800's by crossing existing terrier breeds to create a dog that could hunt mice and rats. What they got was a ratter that was small enough to be carried about in their owner's pocket. Because of their long luxurious coats, small size and endearing personalities they quickly became fashionable pets and today remain the most popular toy breed. By 1870, they were brought to the United States and were immediately hits with the population and was one of the first 25 breeds accepted into the American Kennel Club.
Yorkshire Terriers, affectionately known as "Yorkies", are spirited active little dogs. The Yorkie is considered one of the smartest and quickest learning dog breeds, capiable of learning commands as puppies and remembering them throughout their adulthood. By no means does this imply the Yorkshire Terrier is an obedient breed. On the contrary, they are strong willed and stubborn dogs that will only do what they want to. Luckily, they usually want to please their owners.
As young dogs, the Yorkie puppies can be trained easily with treats and other forms of positive reinforcement. They do not try to take over the lead dog role in a family and are great companions to both humans and other animals in the house.
They are by no means delicate and enjoy playing and romping as much as any of the larger breeds. However, they are unaware usually of their small stature and will freely challenge larger dogs and people who they feel threaten their families. One of the first commands a Yorkshire Terrier puppy should be taught is to stop and return to an owner for precisely this reason. Yorkie puppies need to be watched for hypoglycemia and need to eat on a particular schedule. Once they are past 24 weeks, the risk of glycemic shock drops dramatically and the dog gains its sturdy reputation.
Unless clipped short Yorkies require a great deal of care to keep their silky coat in good condition. They are well suited for apartment living as long as they get plenty of exercise and attention. Yorkies can be willful and stubborn, so obedience training should start at an early age. They are suitable playmates for gentle children, although they should be protected from overly rough handling. They make good watchdogs and will alert by barking.
Recently, as of 2003, clubs have formed to bring a variation of the breed to light. Dubbed the Chocolate Yorkie, this breed is a Yorkshire Terrier with a chocolate-colored coat that is genetically bred to remove the GG and Gg genes and bring out the Yorkie's bb gene. These Yorkies are very rare, and have a chocolate to red colored hair as opposed to Blue, Gold and Black Yorkshire Terriers.
