Yorkshire Terrier Facts You May Not Know

One of the AKC’s more popular dog breeds year after year, Yorkshire Terriers offer a big personality in a tiny package. If you aren’t familiar with the breed, some of these fun facts could help. Even seasoned Yorkie owners may learn a few surprising things about their beloved breed.

Yorkies Are Called the “Tomboy Toy”

Don’t be fooled by this toy breed’s tiny stature — they are five to seven pounds of pure tomboy. This spunky personality has earned the Yorkie its nickname, “the tomboy toy.” The breed standard references the breed’s trademark confidence and courage, saying, “The dog’s high head carriage and confident manner should give the appearance of vigor and self-importance.”

Because of these traits, Yorkshire Terriers do well in dog sports, such as agility. They’re also a great fit for therapy work and make great travel companions, as well as family dogs.

Bows Are Part of Their Breed Standard

You may have seen Yorkshire Terriers in the show ring with bows keeping their hair up, often red. This isn’t just a fun decoration: bows are actually a requirement according to the Yorkie breed standard. The standard states that “the fall on the head is long, tied with one bow in center of head or parted in the middle and tied with two bows.” Why stop at one bow when you could even do two?

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The Yorkie’s Coat Has a Unique Texture

Yorkies are known for their long, flowing, silky coats, which swish around the show ring. But this beautiful feature is also incredibly time-consuming to care for. Because the coat is similar to human hair, it tangles into knots if the owner doesn’t brush it every day. It can also break easily when brushing against carpets in the home.

The bonus is that Yorkies don’t have an undercoat so their coat doesn’t shed more than your hair does. Many breeders recommend that owners keep their pet Yorkies in a “puppy cut,” which is short and easily to maintain.

Yorkshire Terriers Have a Blue Collar Background

Sure, today they may wear bows in their top knots and their self-important air may make them seem like they have royal roots. However, Yorkies have a rather unglamorous background of catching rats and other vermin in underground tunnels.

This instinct still comes out in their play (offer a Yorkie a stuffed mouse, and you’ll see what we mean). Owners can put Yorkies’ instincts to work in non-competitive AKC Earthdog tests. This sport allows dogs to test their ability to pursue caged rats underground.

Yorkies May Have Been the Inspiration for Toto

This fact will remain a point of contention among Cairn Terrier and Yorkshire Terrier fans alike. The original drawings in the first edition of L. Frank Baum’s book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” depict “Toto” as what some say seems to be a Yorkie. The assumption makes sense, considering the breed was popular at the time and that the illustrator W.W. Denslow owned one. We will never know for sure, but we’re certain that in the movie, Toto is played by a Cairn Terrier.

They Love Their People

Yorkshire Terriers are known to be very affectionate, even often to strangers. These tiny, friendly dogs treat everyone like their best friend, and they’re also good with children. Their small size makes them less intimidating to small children, and they’re patient and overall family-friendly dogs.

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They’re Terriers Through and Through

Even when you call them by their “Yorkie” nickname, don’t forget that this breed is, at their core, a terrier. They’re often described as tenacious, feisty, brave, and even bossy. Don’t let their tiny size fool you! These dogs have a lot of attitude in a small package. Don’t forget, these breeds were ratters before they were Victorian lapdogs.

One Yorkie Was a War Hero

In World War II, a Yorkie named “Smoky” is credited with saving the lives of soldiers by dragging a communications cable through an 8-inch-wide, 60-foot-long drainage culvert. She is also thought to be the world’s first therapy dog, visiting wounded soldiers in hospitals.

Smoky was found by an American soldier in 1944 in a Papua New Guinea jungle, and when he brought the little dog back to the barracks, U.S. Army Corporal William Wynne took her under his wing. He later wrote a book about Smoky called “Yorkie Doodle Dandy.” There are six U.S.-based memorials honoring Smoky, including one at The AKC Museum of the Dog, and an international memorial in Australia.

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Yorkies Can Thrive in Big Cities

Even a dog as small as a Yorkie can succeed in cities and other large urban environments. That confident manner comes in handy when a truck backfires or a crowd scurries around them on the sidewalk. By providing proper socialization from a young age and leading them through the Canine Good Citizen test, you can help ensure that your pint-sized dog has a New York state of mind.

Yorkshire Terriers Have More Terrier Cousins

Yorkies originated in the northern English countryside, alongside kinds of Scottish terriers, not to be confused with the Scottish Terrier breed. Many of these terriers of Scotland were part of the Yorkie’s genetics, along with breeds we know today, like the Skye Terrier and the Dandie Dinmont Terrier, both of whom are distant relatives.