The History Of The Yorkshire Terrier

If you are interested in the history of the Yorkshire terrier there is plenty of information to be found in books, magazines, and of course all over the internet. The Yorki gets its name from where it was originally found – in Yorkshire England.

People came to that part of the world from various locations due to the types of work available. They could work in the mines or various aspects of agriculture.

Many of them brought their dogs along too. So there was quite a mix of breeds to be found around Yorkshire. Various types of terriers were used for a specific purpose. They were used to chase rats that were a huge problem around New England.

Rats were such a problem that there were even prestigious awards for the dogs that captured the most of them.

Over time, breeding resulted in what we know as the Yorkshire terrier today. The process involved only breeding the smaller of the terrier dogs and that is what resulted in the much small size we see now. You may be surprised to learn that the weight of them was to be no more than 30 pounds.

It is believed the types of dogs breed to create the Yorki include the Waterside terrier, and Scottish terrier. Some researchers believe the Maltese and the Skye terrier may have been used for this purpose as well. It didn’t take very long for this need breed of terrier to gain recognition though.

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They were a huge hit when people saw them publicly at a dog show in 1870. It seemed that everyone wanted to have one of these toy Yorki dogs at that time.

It wasn’t long after that breeders were taking an interest in offering such dogs. They were certainly in demand and a great way to make a profit off of that type of business.

According to the history about Yorkshire terrier, they were introduced in the United States around 1872. By 1878 the Yorkshire terrier was recognized by the American Kennel Club. This meant that you now had individuals purchasing them to use as show dogs instead of just as pets.

In 1898 the first the first Yorkshire terrier breed club was formed. Many found it to be quite an honor to be part of this elite group.

They were able to learn a great deal from each other about the best way to raise Yorkshire terriers. They also learned information about choosing the best sires and dams to mate for quality puppies.

The size of the Yorki as we know it today didn’t come into the picture until around the 1930’s. Breeders once again started using only the smallest of the dogs in order to get the size down significantly.

Today you will find that they weight between 3 and 7 pounds. The smallest of them are often referred to as teacup Yorkshire terriers.

Today the Yorki is among the top ten breeds of dogs registered with the American Kennel Association.

Breeders have no trouble at all finding buyers for their puppies as so it has become quite a profitable business for them. People just can’t seem to get enough of this amazingly small breed of dog.

While having a Yorki is a wonderful privilege, it comes with plenty of responsibility. It is important that you know all about Yorkshire terrier care before you buy one.

They aren’t a breed of dog you can just offer food and water to. They require a great deal of interaction. You also have to be committed to keeping them well groomed.

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