Description of the Yorkshire Terrier

The ultra long, fine,silky coat parts along the spine and falls straight down on either side. It is steal blue on the body and tail, and tan elsewhere. Puppies are usually black & tan. The tail is usually docked to half its length. If the dogs are not for showing, the owners usually go for the shaggy look. The Yorkie has a flat head, medium-sized length muzzle, a black nose, and regular teeth. The eyes are extremely vivacious and the ears are v-shaped, erect or semi-erect. The tail is docked to medium-length and is carried level with its back. Its limbs are straight with round feet and black nails. The hair on the head is so abundant that it is almost always necessary to gather it in a band to keep from going into the dog's food bowl and to give the animal maximum visibility. Some owners choose to trim the hair on top of the head.

Temperament of the Yorkie

The Yorkshire Terrier seems oblivious of its small size. It is ever eager for adventure. This little dog is highly energetic, brave, loyal and clever. With owners who take the time to understand how to treat a small dog, the Yorkie is a wonderful companion! Affectionate with its master, but if humans are not this dog's pack leader, it can become suspicious of strangers and aggressive to strange dogs and small animals. It can also become yappy, as the dog does his best to tell you what HE wants YOU to do. It has true terrier heritage which needs someone who understand how to be it's leader. They are recommended for older, considerate children, simply because they are so small, most people allow them to get away with behaviors no dog should display. This changes the dogs temperament, as the dog starts to take over the house. Yorkies who become demanding and dependant appearing to need a lot of human attention and/or developing jealous behaviors, become snappish if surprised, frightened or over-teased, have owners who need to rethink how they are treating the dog. Owners who do not instinctually meet the dogs needs can also find them to become over-protective, and become neurotic. Yorkies are easy to train, although they can sometimes be stubborn if owners do not give the dog proper boundaries. They can be difficult to housebreak. The Yorkie is an excellent watchdog. When owners display pack leadership to the Yorkshire Terrier, they are very sweet and loving and can be trusted with children. The problems only arise when owners, because of the dogs cute little size, allow them to take over the house. The human will not even realize it, however know, if you have any of the negative behaviors listed above, it's time to look into your pack leader skills. These are truly sweet little dogs who need owners who understand how to give them gentle leadership. If you own a Yorkie who does not display any of the negative behaviors, high five for being a good pack leader!