Yorkshire Terrier Information
Breeding Yorkies

Traditional Yorkshire Terriers

Breed Description
The Yorkshire Terrier is a long-haired toy terrier whose blue and tan coat is parted on the face and from the base of the skull to the end of the tail and hangs evenly and quite straight down each side of the body. The Yorkie is one of the world's smallest dogs and should not exceed 7 lbs in weight. He may be tiny but he is a big-dog in a little-dog package. Newborn Yorkies are born black in color with tan on the eyebrow, jaws, chest and feet. They are fully mature in two years. They are compact in size, sweet in nature and cheerful in character. With long, silky hair that is continually growing, regular grooming is needed, however this breed sheds little to no hair.

The Yorkshire Terrier seems oblivious of its small size. It is ever eager for adventure and trouble. This little dog is highly energetic, brave, loyal and clever. Affectionate with its master, but sometimes suspicious of strangers. It can be aggressive to strange dogs and small animals. In other words, it has true Terrier heritage. They do best with older, considerate children. Yorkies are easy to train, although they can sometimes be stubborn. The breed is demanding and dependant and needs a lot of human attention. The Yorkie is an excellent watchdog, defending its territory in no uncertain manner. They can get snappish if surprised, frightened or over-teased, but are usually very sweet and loving. They can be difficult to housebreak. These little dogs should not be over-protected, for they may become neurotic. The Yorkie likes to bark, but it can easily be taught not to do so.

The Yorkshire Terrier is a lively little warrior that does not need a lot of exercise. Although it will benefit from regular opportunities to run and play. The Yorkie is a good dog for apartment life. They are very active indoors and will do okay without a yard. The Yorkie is sensitive to the cold and prefers warm climates.

The Yorkshire Terrier can easily be injured by small children; if you are considering a Yorkshire Terrier you must be able to supervise the dog around small children. The Yorkshire Terrier is an independent dog, but a devoted companion. Despite his small size he is more than willing to act as a guardian for his master.

The Origin of the Yorkie
The breed is only 100 years old or so, but its origins are not entirely certain - probably because the working men of north England, who developed the Yorkshire Terrier for catching the terrible rats that infested the mine shafts and as a hunting dog that could penetrate into badger and fox burrows, avoided divulging the secret of their success to those who might have cashed in on a lucrative side line. However, it seems likely that Scotsmen seeking work in the woolen mills of Yorkshire brought with them various types of terrier, including the Skye and the now extinct Clydesdale. These were then crossed with local types, such as the long- haired Leeds Terrier. The Maltese, Black & Tan Manchester, and Dandie Dinmont Terriers may also have contributed blood lines. At first, the Yorkie was a much bigger animal than the one we see today, but by selectively breeding the smallest individuals, the dog was gradually miniaturized over the years. They were made into a fashion dog. Women carried these little dogs in their bags and under their arms. The first Yorkshire, with the characteristics demanded by its standard today, appeared in a dog show in 1870.

Did you know?

• The Yorkshire Terrier made its first appearance at a bench show in England in 1861
  as a "broken-haired Scotch Terrier."
• The earliest record of a Yorkshire Terrier born in the United States dates to 1872.
• During the late Victorian era, the Yorkshire Terrier quickly became a popular pet.
• The Yorkshire Terrier became an AKC-recognized breed in 1885.
• The Teacup, Tiny and Baby Doll Yorkies are NOT AKC standard Yorkie breeds.
  We do not claim to sell AKC standard Yorkshire Terriers.
  If you have questions, please contact us using our form or by regular email.
  We will be happy to clarify the differences for you.

AKC Breed Standard

General Appearance - That of a long-haired toy terrier whose blue and tan coat is parted on the face and from the base of the skull to the end of the tail and hangs evenly and quite straight down each side of body. The body is neat, compact and well proportioned. The dog's high head carriage and confident manner should give the appearance of vigor and self-importance.

Head - Small and rather flat on top, the skull not too prominent or round, the muzzle not too long, with the bite neither undershot nor overshot and teeth sound. Either scissors bite or level bite is acceptable. The nose is black. Eyes are medium in size and not too prominent; dark in color and sparkling with a sharp, intelligent expression. Eye rims are dark. Ears are small, V-shaped, carried erect and set not too far apart.

Body - Well proportioned and very compact. The back is rather short, the back line level, with height at shoulder the same as at the rump.

Legs and Feet - Forelegs should be straight, elbows neither in nor out. Hind legs straight when viewed from behind, but stifles are moderately bent when viewed from the sides. Feet are round with black toenails. Dewclaws, if any, are generally removed from the hind legs. Dewclaws on the forelegs may be removed.

Tail - Docked to a medium length and carried slightly higher than the level of the back.

Coat - Quality, texture and quantity of coat are of prime importance. Hair is glossy, fine and silky in texture. Coat on the body is moderately long and perfectly straight (not wavy). It may be trimmed to floor length to give ease of movement and a neater appearance, if desired. The fall on the head is long, tied with one bow in center of head or parted in the middle and tied with two bows. Hair on muzzle is very long. Hair should be trimmed short on tips of ears and may be trimmed on feet to give them a neat appearance.

Colors - Puppies are born black and tan and are normally darker in body color, showing an intermingling of black hair in the tan until they are matured. Color of hair on body and richness of tan on head and legs are of prime importance in adult dogs, to which the following color requirements apply:

Blue: Is a dark steel-blue, not a silver-blue and not mingled with fawn, bronzy or black hairs.
Tan: All tan hair is darker at the roots than in the middle, shading to still lighter tan at the tips. There should be no sooty or black hair intermingled with any of the tan.

Color on Body - The blue extends over the body from back of neck to root of tail. Hair on tail is a darker blue, especially at end of tail.

Headfall - A rich golden tan, deeper in color at sides of head, at ear roots and on the muzzle, with ears a deep rich tan. Tan color should not extend down on back of neck.

Chest and Legs - A bright, rich tan, not extending above the elbow on the forelegs nor above the stifle on the hind legs.

Weight - Must not exceed seven pounds.

One of our Gold on Gold Male Yorkshire Terriers

Holly, a female Baby Doll Face Yorkshire Terrier

Baby Doll Face Yorkie mom and pup.

Rylin, a female Yorkie in the Stack Pose.

Some of our puppies, Baby Doll Face Yorkshire Terriers.

Francine...Hard day at work!