Yorkshire Terrier Totally Explained

Everything about Yorkshire Terrier totally explained

The Yorkshire Terrier (often called simply the Yorkie) is a breed of small dog in the terrier category. The long-haired terrier is known for its playful demeanor and distinctive blue and tan coat. Based on registrations of the American Kennel Club, Yorkshire Terriers became the second most popular dog breed in the United States in 2006, trailing only the Labrador Retriever.

Description

Appearance

The Yorkshire Terrier breed standard specifies that the dog should have a compact, athletic build suitable for an active lifestyle; and hold itself in an upright, confident manner. For Yorkies, toy stature doesn't necessarily mean frail or fragile. Rather, their hair is like human hair in that it grows continuously and falls out rarely (only when brushed or broken). The teeth should have either a “scissors bite” or a “level bite” (no underbite or overbite).
Traditionally, the Yorkie’s tail is docked to a medium length. The World Small Animal Veterinary Association and the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals oppose tail docking. As of 2007, several nations have enacted prohibitions on docking, including Australia, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Norway, South Africa, Sweden and Switzerland. A docked tail is part of the AKC, ANKC, CKC, NZKC and UKC breed standards for Yorkshire Terriers. In one case a 12-pound Yorkie pushed open a screen door (to investigate a commotion outside) and rushed to the aid of an elderly woman who was being attacked by an 80-pound Akita. When the Yorkie snapped and growled, the Akita turned his attention on the small dog long enough for the woman to escape. Unfortunately, this boldness can get Yorkies into trouble, as small dogs can be seriously injured. For similar reasons, Yorkies don't make suitable pets for very young children. Some people also find the dog's boldness to be a source of great nuisance, leading to the dog sometimes being regarded as "yappy". They make well rounded family pets.

Intelligence

Yorkshire Terriers as a breed, are intelligent dogs. According to Dr. Stanley Coren, an expert on animal intelligence, the Yorkshire Terrier is an above average working dog, ranking 27th (32nd including ties) out of the 132 breeds tested. His research found that an average Yorkshire Terrier could understand a new command after approximately 15 repetitions and would obey a command the first time it was given 70% of the time or better. This capacity as working dogs enables Yorkies to excel in sports like obedience and agility, which require the dog to understand communication from the handler and carry out a complex series of commands. Another common health condition in Yorkies are their sensitive skin. The most common type of skin conditions Yorkies face are brought on by allergic reactions to seasonal pollen, pollution, food, and sometimes the air itself. Their coats may get very dry due to scratching and biting and eventually leading to massive hair loss. Yorkies often have a delicate digestive system, with vomiting or diarrhea resulting from consumption of foods outside of a regular diet. They are usually picky with which foods they eat. They usually won't eat what they don't like, it'll be left aside. Trying to mix foods isn't a good idea because they tend not to enjoy it. The relatively small size of the Yorkshire Terrier means that it usually has a poor tolerance for anesthesia. Additionally, a toy dog such as the Yorkie is more likely to be injured by falls, other dogs and owner clumsiness. In rare cases hypoglycemia may continue to be a problem in mature, usually very small, Yorkies. It is often seen in Yorkie puppies at 5 to 16 weeks of age. Low blood sugar can also be the result of a bacterial infection, parasite, or portosystemic liver shunt. Hypoglycemia causes the puppy to become drowsy, listless (glassy-eyed), shaky and uncoordinated, since the brain relies on sugar to function. A dog showing symptoms should be treated by a veterinarian immediately, as prolonged or recurring attacks of hypoglycemia can permanently damage the dog’s brain. The following are among the most common congenital defects that affect Yorkies.

Distichiae, eyelashes arising from an abnormal spot (usually the duct of the meibomian gland at the edge of the eyelid), are often found in Yorkies.
Hypoplasia of dens is a non-formation of the pivot point of the second cervical vertebra, which leads to spinal cord damage. The condition appears to result from insufficient circulation to the area around the hip joint. The standard treatment is surgery to remove the affected part of the bone. Although the affected leg will be slightly shorter than prior to surgery, the Yorkie may regain almost normal use. This causes the leg to 'lock up' with the foot held off the ground. As a result of genetics, the walls of the trachea can be flaccid, a condition that becomes more severe with age. There is a possibility that physical strain on the neck might cause or contribute to trachea collapse. Since this is usually caused by an energetic Yorkie pulling against his collar, many veterinarians recommend use of a harness for leashed walks. In the mid-nineteenth century, at the peak of England’s industrial revolution, miners and mill workers from Scotland came to Yorkshire in search of work and brought with them several different varieties of small long-coated terriers, generally known as Broken Haired Scotch terriers (not Scotties). Early Yorkies were also known simply as Toy Terriers, in both rough and broken haired varieties. Yorkshire Terriers were given their breed name by 1874. The very public life of this dog, owned by M.A. Foster, did much to popularize the breed in England.
In America
The Yorkshire Terrier was introduced in the United States in 1872. Smoky, a Yorkie and famous war dog from World War II, is credited with beginning a renewal of interest in the then obscure Yorkshire Terrier breed.
Yorkie hybrids
Yorkies are a popular breed to include in intentional crosses with other dog breeds. In some cases, the purpose of using a Yorkie in a cross is to try to retain the non-shedding Yorkie coat in the offspring. Currently the Maltese Yorkie mix ("Morkie") or Poodles ("Yorkie-Poo") are very popular.
A cross between a shedding breed and a Yorkie doesn't reliably produce a non-shedding dog. Most of the offspring will shed to some extent. Because they often don't shed as much as the shedding parent, that'll usually require regular grooming, including haircuts. People with dog allergies who want a Yorkie mix should spend enough time with the dog to ensure they won't have a reaction before committing to ownership. Yorkies and Poodles are two breeds that don't shed therefore their offspring won't shed.

Notable Yorkies

In film
Mr. Famous, Audrey Hepburn's beloved Yorkshire Terrier, appeared with her in a scene in Funny Face. During the shoot of The Children's Hour, Mr. Famous was run over on Wilshire Boulevard and killed. After the death of Mr. Famous, Mel Ferrer gave Hepburn another Yorkie named Assam of Assam.
In the movie Meet the Fockers, the Fockers' (Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand) family dog, Moses, is played by a female Yorkie mix named Terem.
Horror film Urban Legend features a Yorkie in the role of Hootie, a fraternity house dog who drinks beer through a beer bong. Hootie is murdered by a serial killer in an imitation of the infamous urban legend of "the dog in the microwave."
In the film Daltry Calhoun, Aunt Dee (Beth Grant) has a Yorkie named Pickles.
The character of Mrs. Coady (Patricia Hayes) in A Fish Called Wanda owns three Yorkshire Terriers. Throughout the movie, an animal lover named Ken Pile (Michael Palin) repeatedly tries to assassinate Mrs. Coady, but instead accidentally kills the Yorkies one by one. Following the death of her last little dog, the woman dies of a heart attack.
In the movie Amazing Grace, one of the characters refers to the main character, William Wilberforce (Ioan Gruffudd), as a "Yorkshire Terrier."
In the movie High School Musical 2 Sharpay Evans is seen carrying a small male Yorkshire Terrier, named Boi, around with her at the Lava Springs Country Club. The dog's real owner is Kenny Ortega the director/choreographer of High School Musical and High School Musical 2.
At the end of the 2004 version of Shall We Dance?, a Yorkie is seen playing with the character Link's wig on the floor as Link (Stanley Tucci) and Bobbie (Lisa Ann Walter) dance together.
Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead has a Yorkie
Bobby the white yorkie, as seen on #REDIRECT The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby

In literature

Toto in the original book version of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is believed to be a Yorkie. Although the book doesn't specifically state Toto's breed, it describes Toto as "a little black dog with long silky hair." Most recognize Toto as a Cairn Terrier from the 1939 film version. However, from the illustrations in the first book many have concluded that Toto is a Yorkshire Terrier, as this breed was very popular at the time of publication. Toto was a Boston Terrier in later books of the Oz series.

Fred Basset, the comic strip created by Alex Graham, features a Yorkshire Terrier named Yorky.

On TV

On the television series Green Acres, Eva Gabor's character (Lisa Douglas) owned a Yorkshire Terrier named Mignon (from the French meaning "cute" or "precious", as in "filet mignon").

Whitney Houston's Yorkshire Terrier, Doogie, was featured with her on the television series Being Bobby Brown.

On MTV's, a reality show revolving around the marriage of Carmen Electra and Dave Navarro, the couple has a pet Yorkie named Daisy.

A Yorkshire Terrier named Barney was seen on the newspaper drama television series Lou Grant, where he shared the spotlight with Margaret Pynchon (played by Nancy Marchand). The character of Barney was killed by a Pit Bull Terrier on an episode of Lou Grant that affected legislation on dog fighting in several states.

The George Carlin Show featured a Yorkie named Miles (after jazz legend Miles Davis); George Carlin's George O'Grady won the dog from a plastic surgeon in the first episode of the television series. Another character on the show commented to George "that's not a dog for a straight man.".

Milhouse Van Houten from The Simpsons television show owns a Yorkie.

Show dogs

Huddersfield Ben, a champion show dog, was the father of the modern Yorkshire Terrier.

In 1997, Champion Ozmilion Mystification became the first Yorkie to win Best in Show at Crufts, the world's largest annual dog show.

Champion WA Mozart Dolce Sinfonia ("Mozart") is a show dog owned by socialite Sabrina A. Parisi. He was featured in the Krassimir Abramov music video for "Say Goodbye" and will star in the upcoming documentary It's a Dog Life from director Vibeke Muasya. On May 11, 2006, Mozart attended Krassimir's concert at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, becoming the first dog to enter the venue.

Small dogs

Sylvia, a matchbox-size Yorkshire Terrier owned by Arthur Marples of Blackburn, England, was the smallest dog in recorded history. The dog died in 1945 when she was almost two years old, at which point she stood 2.5 inches tall at the shoulder, measured 3.5 inches from nose tip to tail, and weighed 4 ounces.

For 1995 through 2002 Guinness World Records listed a Yorkshire Terrier named Big Boss, as the smallest dog in the world. Big Boss was listed at 11.94cm (4.7in) tall when his owner, Dr. Chai Khanchanakom of Thailand, registered the toy dog with Guinness.

A Yorkie named Thumbelina, 5.5 inches tall and 8 inches long, held the Guinness World Record for smallest living dog prior to 1995.

Tiny Pinocchio, an abnormally small Yorkshire Terrier, has appeared on several television programs including Oprah and the Today Show.

War dogs

Smoky, a war dog and hero of World War II, was owned by William Wynne of Cleveland, Ohio. Wynne adopted Smoky while he was serving with the 5th Air Force in the Pacific.

White House dogs

Pasha, Tricia Nixon's pet Yorkie, lived in the White House during the Richard Nixon presidency.

Noticed Yorkies

Greyfrairs Bobby, a white yorkie, guarded his owner's grave for 13 years, then a movie was made about him.

Celebrity owners

Legendary actress and fashion icon Audrey Hepburn owned a yorkie named Mr. Famous. When Mr. Famous was killed by a car, Audrey's then husband Mel Ferrer bought her another yorkie which she named Assam of Assam.

A Yorkshire Terrier named Spike was the former canine sidekick of television celebrity Joan Rivers. The corporate logo of Rivers' PGHM (Please God Help Me) Productions featured an image of her beloved Spike in a prayerful pose with a halo over his head. Joan Rivers also owned a Yorkie named Veronica.

Missy Elliott owns a Yorkshire Terrier named Poncho. The dog appeared in the music video for Elliott's song "Lose Control."

Kelly Rowland's Yorkshire Terrier, Mocha, was featured on an episode of Cribs on MTV.

Justin Timberlake owns two Yorkshire Terriers named Bella and Bearlie. The dogs appeared with Justin in a 1997 US Weekly feature on the members of *N Sync and their dogs.

Model Gisele Bundchen has often been photographed with her Yorkshire Terrier, Vida.

Bruce Willis owns a Yorkshire Terrier named Wolf Fishbein (Wolfie), after a character in the Woody Allen movie Crimes and Misdemeanors.

Raven-Symone owns a Yorkshire Terrier named Dr. Dolittle . The dog appeared with Raven in a photo shoot for Ebony magazine. After he died, she adopted another Yorkie, Shawty.

Professional football player Brett Favre owns a Yorkshire Terrier named Jazzmin.

Actress Tara Reid owns a Yorkshire Terrier named Stoli.

Public relations professional Lizzie Grubman from MTV's PoweR Girls owns two Yorkshire Terriers named Peanut and Crunch.

Actress Taryn Manning owns a Yorkshire Terrier named Speakers.

Former Chelsea Football Club Manager Jose Mourinho owns a Yorkshire Terrier named Leya. Mourinho was arrested for obstructing police and animal welfare authorities when they attempted to take his Yorkie into quarantine for alleged improper vaccination travel documentation.

Actress and model Molly Sims owns two Yorkshire Terriers named Chloe and Poupette

Sabrina A. Parisi owns the Yorkshire Terriers named Dolce Sinfonia

Paris Hilton owns a Yorkshire Terrier named Cinderella.

Britney Spears owns a Yorkshire Terrier named London.

Actress and actor, Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs own a Yorkshire Terrier named Sammy Davis Jr.

Actress/Singer, Hilary Duff owns a Yorkshire Terrier named, Jack. He was a present from ex-boyfriend Joel Madden.

Racer, Jeff Gordon has a Yorkie named Valentino.

Actress Aimee Teegarden has a Yorkie named Gizmo.

Model Miranda Kerr has a Yorkshire Terrier named Frankie.

Japanese singer/songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki has a Yorkie named Ringo.

Singer and Actress Miley Cyrus has a Yorkie, Its name is Loco and she brought it to the set of High School Musical 2 when she did her cameo.

Rudolph Moshammer, a famous and eccentric german fashion designer who was murdered 2005, took his female Yorkie named Daisy with him everywhere, his trademark and companion. He even wrote a book about her and she'd her own website on the internet.

Actress Danielle Panabaker owns two Yorkies named Peanut and Butter

Blues Traveler bassist Tad Kinchla owns a Yorkie named Laverne

Famous Artist Sharon Liebman owns a Yorkie named Laila Tov which means Good Night in Hebrew.

International super-model Michael Routliffe owns a Yorkshire named Nigel, as well as a pug named Piglet

Actress and singer Eden Espinosa owns a Yorkie named Owen.

Famous Chilean socialite Macarena Ravinet owns a Yorkie named Benito. Miley Cyrus also has a yorkie named Roadie...short for Rodeo.

Further Information

Get more info on 'Yorkshire Terrier'.

External Link Exchanges

Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:

<a href="http://yorkshire_terrier.totallyexplained.com">Yorkshire Terrier Totally Explained</a>

Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned.