Yorkshire Terriers: everything you need to know

Opening your arms to a toy-sized terrier? Striking the balance between lovable lap dogs and self-assured bundles of fun, Yorkshire Terriers are one of the most popular four-legged companions in the domestic world. 

Whether it’s their button-shaped eyes (and nose), their small yet mighty stature or those enviable glossy coats, these cuties make the perfect furry family member. If you’re thinking about pet sitting a Yorkie or you simply want to find out more about your favourite English breed, dive into their history, health needs, personality and more here.

Yorkshire Terrier dog breed characteristics 

• Origin: England
• Size: These cuties can grow to between seven and nine inches and weigh between two and seven pounds.
• Character: Confident, self-assured, energetic.
• Health needs and grooming: Groom their silky coat once per day to avoid knots and matting.
• Training: Yorkies are intelligent so can pick up your house rules and even new tricks with an assertive leader who won’t give in to their cuteness.
• Energy levels: They’re energetic, playful fluffies who need around 30 minutes of exercise per day.
• Intelligence: These toy-sized terriers were once working dogs so are not only cute, but also clever and respond well to training.
• Lifespan: 11-15 years.
• Barking/howling: As bold bundles of fluff, Yorkies want to be heard, so they’re prone to barking. But with consistent training from a young age, you can keep it under control.

Yorkshire Terrier breed appearance

Weighing in at between two and seven pounds, Yorkshire Terriers have truly earned their ‘toy dog’ status. Along with their button-like eyes, pointed ears and unassuming stature, these tiny lap dogs are known for their single coat of (sometimes) luscious hair. In fact, it’s a key feature for show-Yorkshire Terriers. 

While these long-haired beauties are revered for their human-like locks, we can also find wiry and soft Yorkshire Terriers, along with their silk-coated cousins. Just as cute by far, but often not strutting their stuff at a show, it’s pretty easy to decide whether your Yorkie is wiry-haired. What’s slightly harder to work out though, is whether they’re silk or soft-haired. So if you’re wondering whether your pooch is show quality (i.e. silk-haired), follow the American Kennel Club’s fur colour guidelines. These include a golden colour from head to front limbs and a steal blue colour across the body. It’s worth noting that even if your Yorkie’s coat is silky smooth, they won’t qualify for a silk coat if their fur colouring deviates from the American Kennel Club’s specific coat standards.

If your four-legged cutie has passed the fur colour round, up next is the hair texture. To be considered silk-haired, their glossy coat will need to grow straight and evenly with no waves. That’s right, no matter how cute those waves are, they aren’t considered silk-haired! And finally, if your buddy has an undercoat, their hair is slightly woolly or it’s almost doubling them in size, it’s considered soft, not silk.

Aside from their slightly complicated coat situation (for which many Yorkie haircut possibilities arise), these adorable lap dogs are known for their evenly proportioned body shape, stand-up tail and small heads that are carried tall and proud.Depending on the type of Yorkshire Terrier though, their appearance can differ slightly. Let’s take a look at each of these below…

Types of Yorkshire Terrier breeds

If you’re thinking about getting a Yorkshire Terrier, did you know that there are several different types? Let’s explore their differences below…

Original Yorkshire Terrier

The ‘OG’s of the Yorkshire Terrier world, these originals are known for their compact stature and playful personalities. Find these adorable toy terriers in a combination of black and gold, black and tan, and finally, blue and gold.

Parti Yorkie

The equally energetic cousin of the Original Yorkshire Terrier, Parti Yorkies unfortunately don’t get their name due to any Saturday night antics. ‘Parti’ actually refers to ‘particolour’ because these cuties can be found with a combination of three coat colours rather than two. 

Black Yorkie

Unlike their bi or tri-coloured cousins, black Yorkies are found with just the one colour. They’re just as fluffy, playful and energetic as their Original and Parti Yorkshire Terrier friends, but are much rarer.

Biewer Yorkshire Terrier

With their Parti Yorkie heritage, Biewers could be easily mistaken for a Yorkshire Terrier puppy. Their dainty stature is covered in a seriously fluffy coat with random markings on top of the standard Yorkshire Terrier breed patterning.

Teacup Yorkies

And if Yorkshire Terriers couldn’t get any cuter, these lap dogs can also be found in a Teacup variety, otherwise known as the Mini Yorkshire Terrier, or just a small Yorkie! Sadly, these cuties are likely to suffer from a variety of health problems including collapsing trachea, liver shunts, patellar luxation and various dental problems. If you’re thinking about adopting a Teacup Yorkie, make sure you’ve got pet insurance, the time and funds to give these cuties the care they need.

Mismarked Yorkie

Any Yorkshire Terrier that falls outside of the American Kennel Club’s standard breed markings are considered Mismarked Yorkshire Terriers. The markings recognised include black and tan, blue and gold, blue and tan, and black and gold. While they maybe don’t hit the American Kennel Club’s standard, Mismarked Yorkies are still fab furry companions!

Yorkie mix

Otherwise known as ‘hybrid’ or ‘designer’ Yorkshire Terriers, these cuties are bred from two distinct parent dog breeds, inheriting personality traits and adorable looks from both sides of the family. These include…

• Morkie: Yorkie and Maltese.
• Yorkipom: Yorkie and Pomeranian.
• Shorkie: Yorkie and Shih Tzu.
• Corkie: Yorkie and Cocker Spaniel.
• Snorkie: Yorkie and Miniature Schnauzer. 
• Jorky: Yorkie and Jack Russell.
• Yorkie Cav: Yorkie and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
• Peekie: Yorkie and Pekingese.
• Pugshire: Yorkie and Pug.
• Dorkie: Yorkie and Dachshund.

Yorkshire Terrier personality

Dainty yet tenacious, compact but sassy, and toy-sized yet self-assured, Yorkshire Terriers are known for their ‘typical terrier traits’ that have served them well throughout their history. Their endearing, feisty nature is assertive yet playful and they love to be around their best two (and four)-legged buddies - as much as we do! Their ratting background has ingrained a hunting instinct, so Yorkies LOVE nothing more than to chase. It’s stimulating and will keep these active little fluffballs happy. And don’t be fooled by their button eyes, dainty stature and charming stand-up ears! These cuties are bold and confident (as puppies and adult dogs), so make sure they know who’s boss in and outside the house. They’re daring enough to challenge their two-legged friends and will try to get their own way if they can. Often what these cuties are after is a deep companionship and lots of fun. So, to avoid yapping and acting out, just make sure that training, socialisation, affection and play are consistent and equally balanced. No giving into those puppy dog eyes and happy, wagging tail!

What’s the ideal home for a Yorkshire Terrier dog?

As you’ll know by now, these cuties are of a small size and so do well with apartment living. Unlike their long-bodied German cousins (i.e. the Dachshund), they crave lots of movement and stimulation: not all apartment dogs are built the same! But similarly to the sleek-coated weiner dogs, they’re prone to digging. So if you live in an apartment, that’s one training step you can skip!

These apartment-loving lap dogs are equally happy in a home with a garden, but what they really crave is a local outdoor space where they can let off steam, off the leash. They’re even decent watchdogs as they’re super reactive to noise. That can of course be a blessing as well as a curse, so it’s worth bearing that in mind when deciding whether your local area is well-suited to these sound-sensitive cuties. And if you live in a colder area, it’s worth considering a coat to keep these cuties warm.

So now we’ve established that these toy dogs would rather an apartment than the textile mills and mines of their past, what sort of company are they happiest around? Well, while you can’t adapt your family based on the dog you’re thinking about getting, it’s important to be sure on the ages that your prospective pooch does best around. With that in mind, these toy-sized terriers are better suited to families with older children, as little ones may easily (yet accidentally) upset them. And if you’ve got any other (non-canine) fluffy friends around the house, great (we love them here), but it’s worth considering whether a Yorkshire Terrier will fit into your current family structure. Yorkies are terriers who are hard-wired to chase, so despite being happy around cats and other dogs, you should keep a keen eye on them around other pets (like rodents).

What’s the ideal human for a Yorkshire Terrier dog?

While Yorkies love to run about off the lead, they only need around 30 minutes of exercise per day. So if you’re not so into lengthy morning runs or hours-long weekend hikes, maybe a Yorkshire Terrier could fit into your lifestyle. They’re companion dogs, meaning they love the company of their sapien sidekicks. So as long as they can have your attention when you’re around, they’re happy. And while Yorkie puppies need a bit more fuss, adults and seniors can be left alone for up to six hours per day, so not to worry if you’re not retired or you don’t work from home.

Tips for training a Yorkshire Terrier dog

These terriers are ex-working dogs, so aren’t too difficult to train! They were once used to obeying the orders of their masters in textile mills and mines on the daily, so won’t find it too hard to pick up your house rules. Like with most of our other four-legged buddies though, it takes consistency and assertiveness to train Yorkshire Terrier puppies properly. Be sure to keep up that positive reinforcement in the form of treats and praise to make sure you’ve successfully conditioned that great behaviour you’re after, and maybe consider puppy training classes.

What these pups crave most is your attention, so it’s important to get them used to time alone so that you can avoid separation anxiety. And it’s worth knowing the signs: separation anxiety in Yorkies includes destruction, barking, trembling, food refusal, depression, and even eating their own poop.

Along with getting a pretty easy ride at training your pooch to pick up the basic puppy cues, Yorkshire Terrier dogs are also pretty good at learning new tricks. They’re intelligent and fun, so take the time to enjoy fresh air with your four-legged buddy and teach them a few tricks along the way.

Grooming a Yorkshire Terrier

According to the American Kennel Club, the Yorkshire Terrier coat is very similar to human hair. That’s because it’s typically single-layered, low-shedding and grows rather than malts (like many of our other four-legged friends). As the loving pet parent you are (or are soon to be!), you can choose whether your pooch has long or short hair, it doesn’t really matter! If you love the look of a long-haired pooch, be sure to groom those silky locks every day and give it a gentle wash each week. It’s always best to get the hair on the upper area of the head trimmed short, just to avoid any eye irritation. If you'd prefer a pooch with a lower maintenance coat, a Jack Russell might be for you. Check out these Jack Russell Terrier facts if you're interested in learning about this feisty breed.

And when it comes to keeping your Yorkie’s ears healthy, check them each week for any build-up or symptoms of infection. Your pooch will also need their nails trimmed along with a tooth brush regularly too. If you’re not confident in doing this yourself, head to a reputable grooming salon. Just be sure to get your pup used to the groomers’ environment before taking them along to any treatments. That way, their grooming experience will be less traumatic and easier for the groomer.

Yorkshire Terrier breed history

These cuties have an instinct for hunting and they’ve got their history to thank. Originally bred internationally from the Waterside Terrier and the Black and Tan Terrier by workers of northern England (Yorkshire and Lancashire) in the early 19th century, these pooches were fit for purpose. It’s thought that these workers first migrated from Scotland to northern England and brought their Scottish working dogs with them - the origins of the pooches bred that resulted in the Yorkies we know and love. 

Their tiny frames were just what the workers of the north needed: a nimble body to hunt the rodents scurrying about their textile factories and coal mines. While they were successful ratters, they became the interest of the wealthy towards the end of the 19th century. The heads of the upper classes were turned when the Kennel Club in England recognised these cuties as a distinct breed in 1886. These soon-to-be lap dogs were taken under the wing of the wealthy and quickly became popular domestic dogs across England, the United States and beyond.

Yorkshire Terrier health

According to the American Kennel Club, Yorkies are pretty healthy breeds. But while they might be pretty sturdy, there are a few health problems to keep an eye out for. A reputable breeder will most likely have carried out the necessary tests (such as checks for eye anomalies and luxating patella) and pups from a rescue centre almost definitely should have done. Once you’ve welcomed your Yorkshire Terrier puppy or senior home, try to limit their jumping height to avoid luxating patella, otherwise known as a dislocated kneecap. And if you're a prospective pet parent, learning all you can before adopting, check out this guide to the longest living dogs.

Getting a Yorkshire Terrier

Thinking about welcoming one of these adorable toy dogs into your home? If you’re not sure just yet, jet off and pet sit to help you decide whether a Yorkie is right for you and your family. While there are many reputable breeders out there, it’s always worth considering adoption. With lots of adorable rescue dogs currently living in shelters, maybe you could consider welcoming a rescue Yorkie into your home as your newest furry family member. And if you’ve already got a Yorkie, remember that our four-legged buddies are happiest at home! So, if you’re considering a trip away or have a business trip on the horizon, find a pet sitter.

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