Yorkshire Terrier, Breed of the Week
I was told, years ago by a breeder, that it’s a fierce hunter, the Yorkshire Terrier. Wednesday is our breed of the week day, which usually means that I’m learning right along with y’all. I’m going into this post thinking I already know a lot, since we had a cute Yorkie for a bit, and I knew well a breeder. In fact, one of her dogs gave my son a cute little scar right under his eye. RIGHT under his eye.
*AHEM*
Today’s post is gently recycled. I’ll have a new Breed of the Week post next week, hopefully, as I’ll be visiting with a breed I haven’t yet ever met. You’ll just have to wait and see … 😉
While I’m not necessarily a Yorkie fan, they are beautiful little scrappers. I’ve known quite a few sweet ones, some very spoiled Yorkshire Terriers, and some downright neurotic crazies. Can that be said of most breeds, depending on the breeder and owner?
About the Breed
We’ll start with what the AKC site says about owning a Yorkie, determining if it’s the right dog for you and your family:
Yorkies are easily adaptable to all surroundings, travel well and make suitable pets for many homes. Due to their small size, they require limited exercise, but need daily interaction with their people. Their long coat requires regular brushing.
Yorkshire Terrier are lapdogs, y’all. Sweet. Beautiful. Meant to be pampered. They love and need their people!
That said, they, like some other terriers, have long, silky hair instead of fur. They need regular grooming, or they get all snarly, hair-wise. A good brushing a couple of times a week probably suffices, especially if you keep their hair from getting too long. Or, like Jazz above, give them a buzz cut, which is equally cute when done well.
The Yorkshire Terrier is part of the toy breed. Tiny, sweet, but fierce when they need to be. This breed needs socialization. The owner needs to be the definite leader of the pack. Sounds a little like last week’s boxer, eh? The Yorkie thinks it’s a big dog. In fact, it often develops a Napoleon complex. Y’all, don’t get a Yorkie unless you’re prepared to be the boss. And definitely be the dog boss if you have small children or grandchildren.
Things to Know
Stories from personal experience. When the children were young – in fact, I was potty training my youngest, who is now 15 – we were given a Yorkie puppy, whom my middle child named Hawk (he had a fascination with hawks). I learned three very important things about the Yorkshire Terrier in those six months:
- Yorkies are hunters. I had been told this, but didn’t fully understand. We had a dog door and Hawk brought in small animals. One morning I sat on the bed to put my shoes on and heard a squeaking noise under the bed. It was a mole. Hawk brought a live mole in and gave it to me as a present. A couple of times he brought in live snakes. That was fun, having black racers slithering through the house. I’ve blocked out the other instances. Suffice it to say, Yorkshire Terriers are hunters.
- Yorkies, like other tiny dogs, have tiny bladders. And are stubborn. Maybe it was just that I was also potty training a stubborn little boy. I couldn’t house break that little dog to save my life. After we found a new home for Hawk ( a lovely young couple who had him housebroken in a week), we moved my daughter’s bed and found a line of tiny poo against the wall, just out of sight and out of reach.
- That whole Napoleon complex and being pack leader? A family member had a male Yorkie whom she allowed to run the family. It didn’t like my youngest, who was small and wanted to play with the dog. One day the family member was sitting my kids and her little dog snapped at my boy, nearly taking out his eye. He should have had stitches, but that’s a whole ‘nother story. The moral of this story is, be the pack leader. Socialize your Yorkie. Don’t let your dog rule the roost.
The Yorkshire Terrier is a great pet if you know the breed, know what you’re getting into. Head to the dog breed info page to learn more if you’re considering one as a pet.
If you have a Yorkie, I’m betting they’d really like the one inch Windee Rings, the Woofermen, or a good hoof, from Jones Natural Chews. Jones has plenty of chews for small dogs.
Giveaway
In fact, we’re currently hosting a giveaway for a great long-lasting chew for a Yorkie. The Jones Natural Chews Small Strap Sticks would last any Yorkshire Terrier a long time, giving you some down time. To enter to win, simply click this sentence, scroll down and leave a comment, then click the box and click “I commented.” Easy. If you really want to win, tweet daily about the giveaway, as well as doing whatever else that little box tells you to do. Hey, sometimes it pays to think inside the box.
Spreading the good chews …
Flea