The Yorkshire Terrier

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The Yorkshire terrier, also called a yorkie, is a popular dog breed. Their size makes them easier to keep in small homes or apartments, and they can be loving and sweet.

Of course, DogHealth.com advocates for pet adoption, so if you think a yorkie is right for your family, we urge you to consider getting a mixed breed dog or looking for a purebred yorkie in a local shelter or rescue group.

Personality Characteristics of the Yorkie

Yorkies are often referred to as "big dogs in little bodies." What that means is that they are curious, bold, and alert. They love to learn, so training can go very smoothly. However, as is the case with many toy breed dogs, yorkies can easily be spoiled. That's because, as tiny dogs, owners often let them get away with things they wouldn't let bigger dogs do, such as jumping on people and yapping. Also, people tend to carry yorkies around a lot, which can lead to them becoming demanding about being held all the time.

The one type of training that yorkies seem to be slow about is housetraining. They can be stubborn about it. Before you get a yorkie, make sure you have a rock-solid plan for teaching her to go outside that everyone in the house is committed to sticking to.

Yorkies tend to have a hard time tolerating kids, so that is something to consider if you have young ones in your home. They're usually pretty good with cats but often not great with other dogs, especially bigger ones.

Physical Characteristics and Common Medical Conditions of Yorkies

Yorkies are highly curious, and as tiny dogs, that can sometimes put them at risk. Also, their small size makes them easy to accidentally injure—getting stepped on, crushed under rocking chairs, and experiencing fall injuries are all common in yorkies.

Yorkies are usually under seven pounds fully grown. They have silky black and brown coats.

As a toy breed, yorkies have a lot of potential health issues that are more common in their breed than others. These include:

• Collapsing trachea
• Portosystemic shunt
• Hypoglycemia of toy breed dogs
• Luxating patella
• Dental problems
• Legg-Calve-Perthes disease

In terms of general upkeep, a yorkie requires regular brushing, sometimes daily. Consistent tooth-brushing is also essential, and regular nail trimmings are a must. Yorkies also need to visit a groomer every six to eight weeks for hair trimming.

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