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The Yorkshire Terrier is, without doubt, one of the most appealing
of all Toy Breeds. With its charm and intelligence, the Yorkie is,
in spite of its size, full of courage, loyalty and affection. He is
very intelligent and can learn tricks quickly. It
has an attractive coat, which does not shed, and is always a joy to
own. Being a small dog, he can be carried easily. Therefore, it
is an ideal dog for anyone with a small home and garden or for the
flat dweller who enjoys the occasional walk in the park on good days.
This man-made animal, although small in size, has a very big heart
making him an ideal pet for the whole family. On the other hand, for
the fancier who wishes to compete in the show ring, the Yorkshire
Terrier is one of the most glamorous breeds of dog. They are born
show-offs.
The Skye Terriers of 1890 are thought to be in the ancestry of the Yorkshire Terrier. Note both the pricked and dropped ears.
The Yorkshire Terrier Blue Tan, silkycoated Terrier, is a modern breed altogether,
having been almost unkown beyond the neighbourhood of Halifax until within the last
few years. Excepting in colour and coat this dog resembles the old English rough terrier,
as well as the Scotch, but the silky texture of his coat and his rich blue tan are
the result of careful selection and probably of crossing with the Maltese.
The coat should be long, silky in texture, and well-parted down the back. The beard is
peculiarly long and falling, being often several inches in length, and of a rich golden
tan colour. The colour must be entirely blue on the back, and down to the elbows and
thighs, without any mixture of tan or fawn. The legs and mussle should be a rich golden
tan; the ears being the same, but of a darker shade. On the top of the skull it becomes
lighter and almost fawn. The weight varies from 10 to 18 lbs.
The Yorkshire Terrier Club was founded in the UK in 1898. Lady Edith Windham Dawson became the secretary
for several years. She watched the breed's popularity climb from 931 registrations in the
UK in 1948 to 3,244 in 1959.
The Breed's popularity continued to rise reaching 15,147 registrations in the UK in 1974,
with a brief drop in 1977. At the end of 1986, the Yorkshire Terrier with 10,637
registrations is the second most popular breed in the UK.
The first Yorkie to be bred and recorded in America was in the early 1870's, a dog called
Jack bred by J. Marriot and sired by Havelock Ex Jessie. The parents were most likely from
British stock. In 1976 the numbers registered had risen to 20,392. By 1986, the Yorkshire
Terrier was the 12th most popular breed in the USA with registrations reaching a total of 32,485.
When choosing a puppy from a litter, do not be tempted by the shy
retiring individual huddled in the corner. Choose the medium-sized,
bouncing extrovert who comes to investigate what is happening.
Check the puppies ears, which should be pink and clean without any odor.
A brown discharge could be a sign of ear mites. Its teeth should be
clean and white, its eyes bright and alert, and the coat should look and
feel clean and healthy. Check that nails are short. Don't hesitate to
ask the breeder any questions, no matter how insignificant. Most breeders
will welcome your interest.
All puppies receive 50 percent of germ plasma from each parent.
Without understanding something of the genetic picture of any
chosen dog, it is difficult to obtain any specific results in
breeding. Unseen genotype, consisting of pairs of genes for each
characteristic adds up to a pattern of heredity. They can be
dominant or recessive or one of each. We can see the dog's dominant
traits as it matures. Recessive traits are not always visible.
A dominant trait when bred to a dog depicting the same trait will
usually breed true and most of the progeny will show this dominant
trait. A recessive trait bred to a dog depicting the same trait
will result in all offspring exhibiting the recessive trait. A
recessive gene cannot be lost, a dominant gene can.
The Yorkshire Terrier should never be bred until it is quite mature.
Although a bitch will probably have her first season at six or seven
months of age, on no account should she be mated at that time. Firstly,
she is still a puppy herself and will not be fully developed; secondly,
the puppies produced at this early age could be too weak to live.
After her second season, providing she is over a year old when it
occurs, she can then be bred. Be sure that if she is only 5 lbs. that
you use a stud that is smaller then her. If the male is too big, she
could get hurt or have problems during the delivery. The gestation period
for the puppies will be 60 to 63 days.
If you buy a puppy or plan to breed your dog, I suggest that you buy
a book of the specific breed that you have chosen so that you can learn
more about the breed and will know about problems that may arise. I
hope that this has helped you become more familiar with the Yorkshire Terrier.
They are, of course, my favorite breed of dog.