Yorkshire Terrier Information & Dog Breed Facts

Yorkshire Terrier, commonly called Yorkies, are little dogs with tenacious personalities and they are one of the most popular dog breeds worldwide. The breed can be traced back to the migration of weavers from Scotland to Yorkshire, England in the mid-19^th century.

In the mid-1800s, England was at the top of the Industrial Revolution. Many miners and mill workers from Scotland traveled to England looking for work. Eventually, these laborers have found work in Yorkshire and brought their small terrier dogs along with them. Among them were Paisley, Clydesdale, Skye, and Waterside Terriers. Moreover, those breeds were mixed with the Manchester terriers, Broken-Haired Terriers, and the Rough-Coated Toy Terriers. The mixes were commonly referred to as Broken Haired Scotch Terrier but were eventually renamed Yorkshire Terriers after the County they originated from. In 1874 the breed was recognized by The Kennel Club in a studbook, but it wasn’t until 1885 that they were officially recognized as a separate breed.

Furthermore, the early Yorkshire Terriers, and the terriers that made up the Yorkie breed, were mostly used to rid homes and clothing mills of rats. However, the workers enjoyed using the Yorkies for entertainment by filling a small pit with several rats and taking bets on how many rats their terrier could kill within a specific time limit. Besides hunting rats, the Yorkshire Terrier did much more than that. The breed was very skilled at hunting down animals that lived in dens and burrows hidden on the forest floor. Hunters would carry the Yorkie in their pockets as they headed out to hunt for foxes, badgers, and other small to medium-sized wild animals. Therefore, the breed became well known for their bravery and courage to go after their prey without hesitation and to do so with much success. However, in 1859 when the very first dog show was held, it changed the course of history for what the Yorkshire Terrier would be known for from that point on. As word spread, wealthy women caught the eye on these beautiful dogs in show form, and the purpose for breeding them changed from rat dogs to lapdogs. Owners began breeding for longer and silkier coats, smaller sizes, and striking coloring in hopes of selling them to the wealthy. Huddersfield Ben, “the father of the breed”, was arguably the most famous Yorkshire Terrier in history. He was named after the town in which he was born, Huddersfield, in the county of Yorkshire. This dog was owned by a man named M.A. Foster and in the late 1860s, he was seen throughout Great Britain in several dogs show and Ratter contests. Huddersfield Ben was the most sought-after stud dog. While he himself was considered to be rather large at 11 pounds, he was known to consistently produce litters of dogs that were under 5 pounds and dogs that fit the breed standard at the time. People went wild for the looks of this show-winning dog, and the demand for them began to increase. Unfortunately, during the 1940s the popularity of the breed began to drop but there was one famous Yorkie at that time known as Smokey. Smokey was a famous dog who was considered quite a hero as she served with the 5^th Air Force in the Pacific. Her notable service brought this breed back into the mainstream. American William Wynne found Smokey in a shell hole near the Japanese lines in New Guinea. She became part of the troop, going on over 150 air raids and 12 sea missions. Her courage was great and she hailed for surviving a treacherous typhoon at Okinawa. While serving with her American troops, she quickly learned amusing tricks which not only entertained the troops but also enabled her to help the Signal Corps by carrying a telegraph wire through a 70 foot, 8-inch pipe. Smokey also jumped from a 30-foot tower with a parachute made just for her. After the war, she spent ten years entertaining millions of people on live television and in live performances with her incredible tricks that she had learned throughout her time with Wynne. She was even able to walk a tightrope while blindfolded. She also serves as a therapy dog and provided wonderful entertainment in the veteran hospitals. Smokey went down as the first therapy dog on record according to an Animal Planet investigation. Furthermore, in the 1960s Audrey Hepburn introduced the Yorkshire Terrier to Hollywood. Her beloved pup, known as Mr. Famous, even appeared with her in one of her films. Her little lap dog sparked the desire for other celebrities to have their own, and the popularity of the breed increased even more. Since that period, they continued to rise on the popularity charts, until they reached the highest point in 2006 boasting the position of the 2^nd most popular breed, right after the Labrador Retriever. Since then, they have remained in the top 10 and are currently holding the 9^th position. Celebrities such as Tom Brady, Hilary Duff, and Orlando Bloom being just a few that one of these lovable dogs.

Although Yorkies have proven to be compassionate companions and lapdogs for celebrities, they still have a lot of their fierce, and feisty roots buried deep into their DNA. They may have come from several breeds, but they certainly are a breed of their very own with a large personality to go with. The Yorkshire Terrier was also recognized by the AKC in 1885, along with 14 other breeds.