Qualities of The Yorkshire Terrier
Yorkies form deep attachments to their families. They are little protector's that make a wonderful companion even making the most ordinary day more special. They love to sit on your lap quietly for hours as you watch television or bounce across the room to fetch a ball you threw for them. They love a car trips to town or to go for a walk on a long country stroll. What ever the case may be, the Yorkshire Terrier is a breed that loves to please and connect with their owner..
Frequently Asked Questions
SIZE:
A Yorkies correct weight is to weigh seven pounds and UNDER.
APARTMENT LIVING:
Yorkies are a great choice for apartment dwellers. Especially those living in apartments in large cities. Yorkies are easily trained to go on pee pee pads which would eliminate the need to take them out on busy streets in the middle of the night to go potty. They can be potty trained to go outside and/or on pee pee pads.
BARKING:
Yorkies are a small toy companion breed, but because of their true terrier heritage, they do make great family watch dogs. But I do not find that Yorkies bark excessively or for no reason. Yorkies are easily trained to curtail their barking if you find it necessary to do so.
GROOMING:
For your Yorkie to have a long beautiful flowing coat, its upkeep does require some weekly grooming. The closer your Yorkie has to the "correct" silky coat texture Yorkies are known for, the easier this grooming and upkeep will be. Many owners of pet Yorkies trim their dogs for much easier maintenance. See Yorkie grooming for more grooming tips.
TRAINABILITY:
Yorkies are easily trained and adapt well to their surroundings. I use positive reinforced training methods for all of our show Yorkies. This works extremely well with the breed. They are very quick to repeat behaviors that are positively reinforced and discontinue those behaviors that are not positively reinforced.
SHEDDING:
A Yorkies coat is very similar to human hair. They do not have an undercoat. They will lose some hair during bathing and brushing, but do not "shed" like so many of the other dog breeds. There is no need for increased vacuuming due to pet hair. Yorkies do not have an undercoat.
FEEDING:
Feeding a Yorkie is inexpensive due to their small size. Yorkies can be sensitive to sudden changes in diet. When changing brands of dog food, you should do this gradually by mixing the new food with what they are use to eating. Slowly eliminating the amount of old brand of dog food all together. As far as proportion, that is dependent on the Yorkie. Each Yorkie requires a different amount of food a day to maintain proper weight, just as in people. For more information on Yorkie diets and what is the proper weight, see yorkie nutrition.
TRAVELING WITH A YORKIE:
Their size makes traveling convenient. Yorkshire Terriers are a great choice if you are looking for a pet to travel with as they make a great travel companion, weather it is just a quick trip to town or an extended road trip. They are the perfect size to travel with, and often love a doggies travel bag to go along into stores in. When buying a Yorkie puppy, you should start to take them at a fairly young age for short car rides to get them acclimated to the motion of the car.
CHILDREN:
Yorkies are great with kids. Children must be taught to be careful as they would with any other small breed dog.
OTHER DOGS:
Most Yorkies get along well with other dogs. Caution should be taken with larger breeds, as dogs rough house and play, your Yorkie will not keep in mind his smaller stature. A Yorkie is a small dog with a big dog attitude.
HOW BIG WILL MY YORKIE GET:
Taking your Yorkies weight and height at 12 to 13 weeks of age and doubling it, then adding a 1/2 pound will give you a pretty good indication at what size your Yorkie will be as an adult.
POTTY TRAINING:
Yorkies are NOT hard to potty train as you might have read other places. The problem is "how" your Yorkie is being potty trained if you are having problems. As a rule of thumb, your puppy can only be expected at most hold its bladder for as many hours as the puppy is months old. The great thing about Yorkies is they can be taught to go both outside and inside on a pee pee pad or doggies litter box.
Yorkie Puppy Tips
There is nothing more adorable than a Yorkshire Terrier puppy. You should never buy from someone trying to place a puppy younger than 12 weeks old. You should always buy a Yorkshire Terrier puppy that is AKC registered if bred in the U.S. As the American Kennel Club is the only registry that will assure you are getting a purebred dog.
Yorkie puppies should be alert, curious, confident, and spunky. You want to choose a puppy that is outgoing instead of shy and reserved.
