15 Things You Need to Know Before Getting a Yorkshire Terrier

Yorkshire Terriers are small, energetic, friendly dogs. They can be fun if treated properly, but they can also be loud and moody when annoyed.

Yorkshire Terriers are small, intelligent, and bold dogs perfect for small houses. However, do not let the size fool you. Petting these dogs can be troublesome if you do not know about their traits and do not pet them right.

Experienced Yorkshire owners know that it can be difficult at first, but once you have the basics, you will love your new pet.

Origin and Physical Traits of Yorkshire Terriers

The history of the Yorkshire terrier suggests that the dog originated in Yorkshire, England. Several Scottish settlers came to Yorkshire and brought a few variants of terriers in the 19th century. These dogs were then bred in Yorkshire, and several other terrier breeds grew from there.

The breeds that came out were named Paisley terrier, Scottish terrier, and many other terriers. But since all of them grew up in Yorkshire, the names changed into Yorkshire Terriers or Yorkies for short.

These dogs are the smallest of all terrier species. They have a long fur coat surrounding their body. The fur is glossy, colorful, and has a smooth texture. On average, they weigh about 3.2 kg, and their height is around 8 to 9 inches.

Things Only a Yorkshire Terrier Owners Understand

1. Yorkies Are Very Active

Dogs, in general, are very active; they love to go on walks and love to play, but Yorkshire Terriers are twice as active as any other dogs.

They are small in size, so they love to jump around the house and play with their owners. You need to take them out every day so that they can run around and enjoy themselves. Otherwise, they will start getting gloomy and upset.

2. Feeding Time for Yorkshire Terriers

You need to ensure a balanced and nutritious diet for your Yorkies. They might be small, but they need a lot of protein. They need frequent meals to maintain their blood sugar.

Young puppies of about three months need to be free-fed, meaning you need to provide them fresh food near them all the time. Make sure you toss out the old food and replace it with fresh food from time to time.

Puppies older than 3 months need to be fed by following a schedule. You must feed them 3 to 4 times a day. The best routine would be to feed them in the morning, noon, early evening, and two hours after the evening.

3. They Are Great for Small Places

Keeping them is very easy, even if you have a small apartment. Even if they are active and run around everywhere, the small space in your apartment will be enough to play with them and even train them.

Have some small toys in your apartment, and they will remain busy with the toys. However, these energetic pups might still break small household items sometimes.

4. They Love to Get Dressed

Yorkshire Terriers are fancy dogs and love to get dressed. Because of this, they are very common in dog shows. People dress them up with various accessories like hair clips, sunglasses, hair bands, fancy collars, dog hoodies, jewelry, and many other items. The Yorkshire Terriers seem to enjoy wearing these items as well.

5. They Can Get Moody

This seems to be a pattern in all small dog species. Chihuahuas, Bichon Frises, Pomeranians all are small dogs that can get grumpy and throw tantrums now and then.

Yorkshire Terriers are no different. They will growl at dogs two to three times bigger than their size, and if they do not like something, they will growl at their keepers as well. They are prideful dogs and love to stand up for themselves.

6. They Get Along With Kids

Although this is not an innate habit, they will be friendly with kids if you train them properly. They will be playful around them and cuddle with them. There will be times when the Yorkie gets a bit moody and howls at the little babies.

Apart from those one or two incidents, they get along with little kids just fine. But even if they are friendly, you should not keep them unsupervised with toddlers.

7. Potty Training Can Be Difficult

Potty training is crucial for keeping dogs. And training a Yorkshire terrier can be difficult. One great method for potty training is crate training.

Crate training is a method of taking advantage of your dog’s comfort zone. You have to make the potty place of your dog comfortable. So, whenever they need to poop, they will go to the designated potty area by themselves. Train them with love and care, and try not to scold them for their mistakes.

8. Their Hair is Similar to Human Hair

Yorkshire Terriers are hairy, fluffy dogs covered in a long fur coat. Their hair is very much similar to human hair. This means you can take care of their hair the same way you take care of your hair.

The hair needs to be brushed regularly and shampooed at least twice a week. If they are not going on any dog shows, it is wise to keep the hair short. Unless you are very good at cutting dog hair, it is better to call for a professional.

9. Their Teeth Are Prone To Diseases

Oral diseases are very common in dogs. Like other dogs, the most common sickness in Yorkshire Terriers is dental sickness, such as Tartar build-up on the teeth, gum infection, and if they are not treated soon, their teeth will start falling off.

Untreated dental problems can shorten the lifespan of your Yorkshire terrier by one to three years. If you see dark spots in the teeth of your Yorkshire terrier, get them checked and treated as soon as possible. Take them to the vet at least twice a year for routine checkups.

10. They Are Very Nimble

They love to move around a lot, but they also love to be silent sometimes. They will walk around the house slowly with nimble footsteps, almost like a cat.

They do that to get the attention of their keepers or to behave a little too sassy. If you have both a cat and a Yorkshire terrier in your house, you will sometimes get confused about which is which.

11. They Can Get Scared Easily

Even though they are prideful animals who will always stand up for themselves, they can get scared. But because of their prideful nature, they will never show that they are afraid.

Instead, they will start to shake, and their feet will tremble. So if you see your Yorkie shaking as they look at something, move them away immediately or try to comfort them.

12. They are Like Little Human Babies

Just like little human babies, Yorkshire Terriers need to be pampered all the time. You will need to carry them in your arms wherever you go. They will sleep for long hours, and they will throw tantrums when they do not get their food.

Just like babies, they also love to make a mess of things. So do not be surprised if you see your bedsheets wrinkled and scrambled.

13. Bathing Them Can be Hilarious

Yorkies are entirely covered in a long fur coat, but they hide their small and fragile body inside the coat. You would not normally see their small body because of all the fluffy hair, but their hair settles in and their skinny small body becomes visible when you bath theme.

It truly is a funny experience when you bathe them for the first time. They become so small and skinny that you might even confuse them with a large sewer rat.

14. Their Barking Can Get Annoying

Yorkshire Terriers bark at a very high pitch and their barks can get very loud. They bark at the smallest things. They even bark at themselves when they are in front of the mirror.

I am pretty sure that every Yorkie owner has felt extremely annoyed at their Yorkies just because of its continuous loud barks.

15. Hear Jokes about Yorkies

For those who are new to keeping a Yorkshire terrier, be sure to hear jokes about your Yorkie from other dog owners. Every Yorkshire terrier owner has gone through this.

They will constantly hear jokes like, “Is that a Yorkie or an Ewok?” The jokes will eventually get annoying and boring. So you need to practice your fake laugh around these annoying jokes.

Final Thoughts

Yorkshire Terriers are small and funny dogs that can be a fantastic companions if trained well. You will get to experience many things from this small moody yet cuddly little dog that you will never get from any other dog breed.

Yorkshire Terriers are small, intelligent, and bold dogs perfect for tiny houses. However, do not let the size fool you. Petting these dogs can be troublesome if you do not know about their traits and do not pet them right.