Yorkies: The Purse Dogs With A Story

The Yorkshire Terrier, also known as the Yorkie, Walking Jewel and the Yorkshire Terror is a very small, silky-coated breed of dog. They usually weigh less than 7 pounds or so. They were developed in the 19th century in Yorkshire, England. Most people think of them as the little dog that you can dress up in anything. Or the dog with bows in its hair. Or even the purse dog. I think that Yorkies would truly be offended by these frou-frou titles, because they have so much more to them than just that. Although they seem helpless and tiny, they were actually bred to do something entirely different than wear little dog outfits.

The Yorkshire was developed in the 19th century to catch rats in clothing mills, which could explain why people dress them in clothes today. But it really seems unbelievable how they are pampered today compared to being used in mills to chase rats. Yorkies have helped develop other breeds of dogs like the Australian Silky Terrier. This dog is probably very offended by all the pampering, clothes, and hair bows. I'm sure they would much rather be wildly running around a mill chasing rats. It is often thought that the Yorkie was made by crossing the Black and Tan English Terrier and some blue-grey Waterside Terrier breeds. Another way that people think Yorkies may have been created is by crossing the Maltese, and Skye Terrier.

Yorkies can be wonderful family pets. They can be a little temperamental around small children, especially if someone bothers them while they are sleeping or eating. That is basically their only flaw when it comes to being a good family pet. Their small size is great for any house or an apartment. Yorkies tend to be very energetic dogs, so as long as they have a nice place to run around from time to time, they'll be good. When you get your yorkie, you need to be in charge from the start, because if they begin to think they are the boss, it could result in barking and snapping. They can also be hard to housebreak if they think that they e the boss. One good thing for Yorkie owners is that Yorkies are independent dogs and don't need another dog around to play with them or to have their owner constantly around them.

Yorkies were first introduced to the United States in 1872, and were also recognized by the AKC (The American Kennel Club) that same year. Even though the Yorkie came to the United States in 1872, they did not look like they do today until the 1930s. Up until then Yorkies could weigh up to 30 pounds versus the 3 to 7 pounds they weigh today. If you have a fear of large dogs, if you live in a small house, or apartment, or if you just plain prefer small dogs, a yorkie may be a good choice for a pet for you and your family.