About the Yorkshire Terrier (Yorkie)

    Yorkies were originally bred to hunt rats in old mines. They were brave and fierce! Although, I am pretty sure if you asked one of mine to catch a rat, they might actually laugh at you. The average yorkie weighs between 2 and 7 pounds. But as much 10 or 11, like Amya is not uncommon among the breed. There is much debate, but there is actually no such thing as a “toy yorkie” That is just breeders taking the smallest of the small and breeding them together, which is actually VERY unhealthy and unsafe for the mothers. Yorkies live on average to be 11 to 15 years old, so make sure that when you choose to adopt a puppy that you understand that this puppy is a lifelong commitment for potentially that long. 

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Personality

    I don’t think that there is another dog on earth that can compare to the Yorkshire Terrier. They are a dog that you almost have to dote upon. I think it is in the owner’s manual, I can’t find mine – I am pretty sure they chewed mine up a while ago. If you want a dog that is dainty yet not afraid of anything, this is the dog for you. This is not a dog you own, the dog owns you but in the best way possible. They can read you like a book, they are bossy and we oblige for some reason. I can’t explain it but we do. They have huge hearts and will love you like no other dog you have ever had before. They begin to learn your routine and know what you need before you need it. They are comic relief when you’ve had a stressful day at work and full of kisses when you’re sad. They’ll find their way into your heart before you even realized there was something missing. They are sassy, smart, funny and compassionate, did I mention sassy? 

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    You need to take sure to socialize them properly and they may not always interact the best with children. Not necessarily in an aggressive away, usually in an I’m running away and finding mom, kind of way. It is best that if you have children around a yorkie that the children understand the size difference and understand that they could easily hurt the yorkie. Yorkies, despite their size, are great guardian dogs. They will alert you to anything new and suspicious going on outside that you need to be aware of. They are very bonded and want to keep you safe. They are not huge barkers for the most part, I think a lot of it is how they are raised and what they are shown. But if your yorkie happens to be a barker, they can be trained not to be. 

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    Yorkies are incredibly sweet dogs and very loyal. Even as I write this right now, mine are laying around me, because they just want to be by me. That is what you get with a yorkie, a friend, a companion, someone by your side, that you also get to dress up and take places with you. They truly are a great dog. They are like having another child but one that isn’t quite as mouthy. They want your love and all they ask for in return is your love back. 

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Maintenance and Grooming

    It is key with a yorkie, that they are properly groomed. They are not like other dogs in this area. They do not have typical dog fur, their hair is closer to our hair. Which means two things – first, they NEED clothes (which I will talk about later) and they need to be groomed regularly. I am not a groomer, so my dogs get professionally groomed every 5 to 6 weeks. I keep my yorkies hair long, which means a lot of brushing, A LOT of brushing. You will need to purchase a SLICKER brush before you even pick up your puppy. And it is requirement that you make a grooming appointment for your puppy prior to pick up. Your puppy has to be used to being brushed and clipped. If you decide that shaving your dog is the haircut you want, you can go every 3 months but your puppy will still need brushed in between. Your dogs hair will not look that in the AKC pictures, they play and romp around, which causes the hair to break, and your groomer will actually cut the hair at your grooming appointment so that the hair doesn’t touch the ground – trust me it’s a pain to make it look like that just around the house. 

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Weather and Yorkie Clothes

    Now, keep in mind, my husband and I come from the world of big dogs (originally) and one of the first things we said was, we are not dressing our dogs in clothes. WRONG ANSWER! This is actually something that the yorkie needs. They do not have fur. They require clothes to help keep them warm. They will need sweatshirts and a winter coat and if picking up in the winter time, I will ask if you have these things ready for your new baby. No one wants to see their baby shivering because they are cold. Amya loves the snow, but she loves it in a coat! Yorkies CANNOT be left outside for long periods outside due to weather. A few minutes to go potty so long as they are properly dressed and then back inside. 

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Potty Training

    I wish I could tell you that potty training a yorkie is easy, I would be lying. Potty training is probably the toughest thing you will encounter with your new baby. We start with puppy pads here and encourage you to do the same. Trust me – you will need them! The easiest way to potty train is to leash them to you or hold them until they are ready to go potty. I wish someone would have given me that advice before I had 4 of them. We now have a doggy door in our house for our littles to be able to go potty whenever they need to. 

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    When your yorkie is outside, it is very important to be aware of outside predators. Large birds can and have carried small yorkies away. Anything that would attack a rabbit, could potentially see your new baby as a snack. So, please keep this in mind at potty time.

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They’re worth it!

Out of all the things I can tell you about the yorkie, let me tell you this. I absolutely love and adore my “littles” (my yorkies) I cannot imagine my life without them. Yes, they can be naughty but the pros of owning my littles outweigh anything naughty that they do, a million to one. They brighten my day every day! They are spoiled beyond anything I should be proud of but it is truly because of how loved they are. Like I said before, I think it is in the handbook…it is something about these dogs, something about the sassiness, something about the way they look at you, something about they completely give you their whole heart, that makes you want to give them everything you can. They can be challenging some days but they are always worth it!