The Yorkshire Terrier Information Center

The Yorkshire Terrier: A Wonderful Canine Family Member

Welcome! If you love Yorkies, you're in good company here.

These little dogs have quite a story. They started out catching rats in England's mills and mines, then charmed their way onto the laps of fashionable Victorian ladies, and the American Kennel Club recognized the breed back in 1885.

Today, the Yorkie is one of America's most popular breeds, and it's easy to see why. They're lively, loving and endlessly curious, with a big, brave personality packed into a tiny body.

Here you'll find friendly, practical care tips for every stage of your Yorkie's life, from those first wobbly puppy days to the cozy golden years. So pull up a chair, look around, and make yourself at home.

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New Right Now:

Why Yorkies Burrow, Snuggle, and Hide

Couch pillows, laundry piles, even the sweatshirt you're still wearing, Yorkies will tunnel into just about anything. Find out what's really behind it (part of the answer is inside your dog's brain), plus easy ways to keep your little one warm, cozy, and safe.

Big Solutions for Tiny Yorkies - Yorkies may be small, but their needs are anything but. From sensitive paws to quirky personalities and size-related health concerns, these smart picks can help optimize your sweetie's happiness, comfort, and safety.

Yorkie Care Products That Work in 5 Minutes or Less - Short on time but still want your Yorkie looking fresh and fabulous? These quick-care essentials tackle big needs in just minutes; no full spa day required.

See how these speedy solutions help your little one stay clean, comfy, and camera-ready anytime.

The Best Treats for Yorkies with Sensitive Stomachs - If your Yorkshire Terrier has a tummy that’s quick to rumble, finding the right treat can feel like a guessing game. Thankfully, there are some gentle goodies that deliver fantastic, lip-smacking flavor.

Recently Updated:

Yorkshire Terrier Allergy Information - This article has been recently updated for you. If your Yorkie has itchy skin, watery eyes, or any signs that you think may be allergies, help is here.

How to House Train a Yorkie - Newly updated - Our complete guide to housebreaking your Yorkshire Terrier now includes clearer step-by-step instructions and expert tips. If you want faster progress and fewer messes, you'll find this super-helpful.

Yorkshire Terrier Outdoor Care Guide - Essential guidance on safely introducing your Yorkie to the great outdoors, safeguarding a Yorkie in your yard and against predators, and managing harsh weather. A must-read for both new and experienced Yorkie pet parents.

Yorkshire Terrier Do's and Don'ts - A helpful list of the most important dos and most vital don'ts. It's always a good idea to reassess things; how many are you following?

Yorkshire Terrier Hair Loss Causes and Treatments - A full guide to underlying triggers and all treatment options, including home remedies.

Yorkie Licking or Chewing at the Paws- This common behavior is usually due to itching. Read the top underlying triggers and how to resolve this in just 2 steps.

Yorkshire Terrier Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease- This is a crippling bone disease that affects the Yorkie more than any other breed. Read age of onset, symptoms, and treatment options.

Spaying or Neutering a Yorkshire Terrier- Updated - If your little guy or gal has not yet had this procedure, be sure to read these new tips regarding risks and how to minimize them.

Homemade Food for Yorkshire Terriers- Reasons to make the switch from commercial food, benefits of home cooking, and a 40-recipe cookbook with super-nutritious meals and snacks bursting with flavor.

The Yorkshire Terrier vs the Silky Terrier- Did you know that these two breeds are close cousins? See the similarities and differences, as well as side-by-side stats and cute photos.

Yorkshire Terrier Weight- A fun and interesting look at breed standard weights, photos of adult Yorkies of different weights (both on the small and large side), and the actual weights of pet Yorkies (as opposed to show dogs).

How to Help a Yorkie Lose Weight- This may seem like a silly topic if you have a standard-sized Yorkie; however, a good number of Yorkies are over 7 lbs. and some of them are carrying excess weight. Helpful tips for steady stress-free weight loss.

Yorkshire Terrier Care Tips- Updated - We've reworked this article to offer more concise guidelines. Whether you have a young pup or an older adult, this will help you organize everything you need to do to provide optimal health, comfort, safety, and happiness.

Yorkie Haircuts- Updated - This article has been completely re-written with new, cute photos showing adorable options and helpful advice.

Yorkshire Terrier Scooting- Does your Yorkie ever rub their bum along the ground? If so, you'll want to see the top reasons why dogs do this and the exact steps that you should take as soon as possible.

How to Keep a Yorkie Clean- For being a small dog, Yorkshire Terriers can get surprisingly unkempt. Since you should only give baths once every 3 weeks, these 8 steps will keep your Yorkie looking clean and smelling nice at all times. Includes ears, face, paws, and full body tips for tidiness.

Yorkshire Terrier Separation Anxiety- Updated - If your Yorkie has trouble staying home alone, this newly updated article covers everything you need to know. Includes the exact steps to setting up a comfortable and secure area for your little one and some super-helpful 'stay busy' and calming aids.

Stopping a Yorkie From Eating Grass- Does your Yorkie munch away on grass as if it's their favorite snack? Learn why dogs do this and the exact steps to stop this unhealthy and potentially dangerous behavior.

Top 10 Yorkshire Terrier Safety Tips- These are the 10 most important things you can do to ensure your Yorkie is safe. See how many you are following to be sure your little guy or gal is not in danger from accidents, injury, and an array of health issues.

When a Yorkie Excessively Licks Their Human- Licks are like kisses and it's always nice to have your dog show some affection in this way. However, in some cases it can get really out of control. Learn why this happens and exact training steps to have this resolved within 2 weeks.

Treating a Yorkie for Vomiting- It's never easy when our canine family members have upset stomach and symptoms like vomiting. The top reasons for all types of vomiting issues, and exact steps to remedy this as soon as possible.

Introducing a Yorkshire Terrier to Another Dog in the Household- Whether it's a new Yorkie puppy coming into the home of an established dog, or your current Yorkie will need to greet a new pup, these tips will help everything go smoothly.

Yorkshire Terrier Car Sickness- Driving with a dog as your passenger that's experiencing motion sickness can be very challenging. Read why this happens and the 5 steps to prevent this from ever happening again.

The Best Shampoo, Conditioner and Leave-Ins for a Yorkie- If your Yorkie's coat is dull and lost its shine or if your puppy or dog has dry skin, itching, or other troublesome problems, this is your guide to fast resolution. We include both shampoos for regular use and specialty formulas to cure certain issues such as dry skin and rashes.

When a Yorkie Puppy Barks or Cries All Night - This is an obstacle that many new pet parents face and it can be quite stressful, but luckily there are some very helpful methods to stop this rather quickly.

The Top 4 Benefits to Using a Playpen for Your Yorkie - This is a great item to have for Yorkies of all ages, and it can be very helpful when housebreaking, when leaving your little guy or gal home alone, and at other times. Read about all the benefits of having a designated area for your Yorkshire Terrier.

The Top Toys for a Yorkie- Dog toys can help in many ways, that make your life easier and your Yorkie happier and more content. For both puppies and adults, see the 6 types of toys every Yorkie needs.

Yorkie Color

The Yorkshire Terrier has gorgeous though limited colors, found in two-color combinations. Per AKC color codes, there are 4 options:

Black & Gold (S 234)
Black & Tan (S 018)
Blue & Gold (S 041)
Blue & Tan (S 044)

Puppies are born black and tan with black as the primary color. This changes during the transition from puppy to adult coat, at which time the black turns to blue and tan becomes more prominent. Blue is often a dark steel-blue, though can range from a light to a dark silver. Skin pigmentation (eye rims, nose, lips, and paw pads) is black.

Learn all the details of color changes and puppy and adult color information .

Stats of the Yorkshire Terrier

Pronounced: YORK-shur TAIR-ee-uhr

Common Name: Yorkie

Pronounced: YOR-kee

Commonly Misspelled: Yorky

Purpose: Companion

Breed Group: Terrier, Toy

Area of Origin : Northern England

Date of Origin: Officially became its own distinct breed in 1870

Height: 6-9 inches (15.24 – 22.86 cm). This is a general range; the AKC has no specific height guideline.

Weight: Must not exceed 7 lbs. (3.17 kg)

Coat: Hair

NOTE: For a brief time, there was a minimum weight set by the AKC, of 4 lbs ( 1.81 kg).

Life Expectancy: 12-15 years | See: Life Span

Average Litter Size: 1-5

Recognized by: ACR, AKC, ANKC, APRI, CKC, FCI, KC, KCGB, NKC, NZKC, UKC

Points of Interest

The Yorkie was originally a working class family's dog. Then, during the Victorian Era, this breed became popular among royalty. This change made the Yorkie a very sought after dog breed and those who owned one were admired.

In 1984, two purebred Yorkshire Terriers, both carrying a recessive gene, produced a white-spotted puppy. This led to a new breed known as the Biewer.

Although it is said that the Yorkie used to originally be used as "rat catchers" long ago, there is evidence that this breed was also used for hunting, especially for small animals that would hide in tiny dens. Because animals in dens that are cornered often fought back brutally, this gave the Yorkshire Terrier the characteristic of having great courage and valor.

This breed is considered to be above average in regard to intelligence.

Grooming Your Yorkie

Though this is a tiny breed, this does not negate the need for routine grooming; there are tasks that should be done on a regular basis to keep a Yorkie clean and tidy. This includes baths every 3 weeks using a shampoo that keeps hairs healthy and moisturized, nail trimming every 6 weeks, brushing the coat 2 to 4 times per week (depending on the length), and touch-ups as needed such as wiping down the coat or the facial area.

Read more about Grooming a Yorkshire Terrier, or read these detailed grooming-related articles:

Yorkshire Terrier Hair and Coat: A great overview of what to expect as the puppy coat transitions to an adult coat, plus great tips for Yorkies of all ages and coat lengths for keeping the hair healthy and looking great.

Shampoos and Coat Products for a Yorkie: This breed can be sensitive to products applied to the skin and coat. So, using plant-based shampoo with proper pH and no additives is best. If a Yorkshire Terrier has dry skin, hot spots, itching or other issues, a specialized rinse may be needed.

When a Yorkie Has Dry Skin: This commonly starts developing in the wintertime, though may be noticed at any time of the year. In most cases, this will be accompanied with moderate itching.

Yorkshire Terrier Haircuts: A cute collection of different hair styles with photo contributions from site Members.

Allergies

Did you know that 20+% of all dogs suffer from some type of allergy, and allergies may develop at any age. A reaction to pollen, weeds, or grasses is the most common type; however, there are many elements that can trigger this including food ingredients (most often additives such as artificial flavoring or preservatives), shampoos, and even certain fabrics.

Exercise

Though this breed is tiny, this is not a self-exercising breed. With a high energy level and curiosity to match it, Yorkies should be exercised on a regular basis.

Read more about Yorkie Exercise Requirements

Dental Care

Taking care of your Yorkie's teeth is very important, as this breed is prone to tooth decay. It will take a combination of both at-home care and professional checkups to keep your Yorkie's dental hygiene on track. At home, brushing with an appropriately sized brush while using an effective paste, along with quality dental treats, will go a long way in combating dental disease.

Read more about Yorkshire Terrier Dental Care

Tail Docking

The element of docking a Yorkshire Terrier’s tail is quite controversial. In the United States, a tail docked to a medium length is very common and is part of the AKC breed standard. Yet, many countries have banned this practice, such as Australia, Finland, Greece, Sweden and Norway, among others.

Efforts to ban tail docking grew strong in the 1990’s. If you are thinking about docking the tail or have any questions about this procedure, read more details regarding this in our Tail Docking section.

The Popularity Factor

This is one adorable canine friend that seems unaware of his small size. This breed is usually very enthusiastic for adventure whether this be exploring a new walking path or accompanying you to run an errand. He has wonderful quirks and traits .

The Yorkshire Terrier is also very energetic, brave (due to its ancestry, which called for courage), loyal and quite clever.

Known to be very affectionate with its human family members, they love to give and receive attention. This loyalty also shows when strangers come around, as they will want to protect their family and can be a great watch dog inside of a little body.

This protection instinct can become a behavioral issue if the dog is not shown very clearly who is the master and who is the canine family member.

Easy to housebreak if proper training procedures are followed, great with children if youngsters are shown how to properly play with this very tiny dog and filled with personality, the Yorkshire Terrier has found its way into millions of homes.

This breed is among the 10 most popular dogs in the entire world. In the United States and Canada, this breed usually stays in the top 14 most popular dogs, and the number of registered dogs varies anywhere between 40,000 and 50,000 in the US each year.

Yorkie Health

All dog breeds are prone to their own set of genetic health issues, and unfortunately the Yorkshire Terrier is not an exception. Being aware of general health, as well as signs of red flag issues is vital to a good prognosis.

Some of the top concerns for the Yorkie include Legg-Perthes disease, retinal dysplasia, luxating patella (kneecap dislocation), collapsed trachea, and portosystemic shunt.

Details of all health issues the Yorkshire Terrier is prone to; symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, and prevention. Read More: Yorkie Health Issues

Barking

Some Yorkies can be rather mellow and others may have plenty to say. Excessive barking can be attributed to attention-seeking behavior, disturbance, reaction to a trigger, or even boredom.

If this is not corrected, it can become quite an issue.

Though every dog will be vocal to some extent, there are some things you can do to minimize barking.

Feeding

The food that you offer to your Yorkshire Terrier for both meals and snacks plays a huge role in his health, both now and long term. A huge problem with many of the commercial brands that are so popular and fill the pet supply stores, is that they are severely lacking in nutrition, but filled with all sorts of chemical preservatives, flavoring and coloring.

Toy breeds, perhaps more than any other, have an intolerance to this and can react various ways, from skin irritations to upset stomach.

Appearance

When having the 'Show Dog' look, the ultra long, silky coat parts along the spine and then gracefully falls straight down on either side. Though the coat can easily grow to floor length in just a few years, most pet parents opt for the 'puppy cut', short to moderate, as this is much easier to groom, maintain and keep clean.

In the US, the AKC breed standard for the show ring calls for a docked tail, and many breeders still dock puppies' tails out of habit. If you'd like your puppy to keep a natural tail, ask the breeder early, since docking is usually done when puppies are just a few days old. In many other countries, docking is banned and Yorkies keep their full tails.

The head is flat with a medium-sized length muzzle and black nose. The eyes are very lively and the ears are v-shaped, erect or semi-erect.

Limbs should be straight with round paws and black nails. If left untrimmed, the hair on the head grows so long that it is usually gathered in a band to keep from going into the dog's food bowl and to give the Yorkie maximum visibility. This is known as putting the hair into a topknot .

Resources

This Month's Quote:

"The amount of time that it takes for a dog to 'do his business' is directly proportional to the outside temperature and the suitability of the owner's outerwear."