Yorkshire Terrier
A tiny terrier with a long steel-blue and tan coat and the bold, busy spirit of its ratting ancestors.
At a glance
- Size
- Toy
- Weight
- 2–3.2 kg
- Life expectancy
- 13–16 years
- Exercise
- 30–60 min a day
- Grooming
- Every day
- Coat
- Silky, long
- Colours
- Blue, Tan
- Bred for
- Companionship, Terrier work
- Country of origin
- United Kingdom
- FCI
- Group 9, no. 86 · Companion & toy dogs
Breeders on Kuldo
No breeders on Kuldo have this breed yet.
Living with the breed
| Affectionate with family | 5/5 – Very high |
|---|---|
| Good with children | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Good with other dogs | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Good with cats | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Open to strangers | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Energy | 4/5 – High |
| Playfulness | 4/5 – High |
| Needs mental stimulation | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Easy to train | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Prey drive | 4/5 – High |
| Watchful and protective | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Barking | 4/5 – High |
| Shedding | 1/5 – Very low |
| Grooming effort | 4/5 – High |
| Drooling | 1/5 – Very low |
| Good for first-time owners | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Suits apartment living | 5/5 – Very high |
| Adaptability | 4/5 – High |
| Copes with being alone | 2/5 – Low |
| Copes with heat | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Copes with cold | 2/5 – Low |
Kuldo's own guidance from the breed's typical traits. Every dog is an individual, so talk to the breeder.
Is it the right breed for you?
Great if you …
- want a very small dog with plenty of character
- live in a flat or city home
- enjoy grooming or regular salon visits
Think twice if you …
- have toddlers or a rough-and-tumble household
- need a quiet dog
- are away for long hours
Care
Temperament
Spirited, self-assured and affectionate with its family, the Yorkie can be bossy with other dogs and vocal with strangers.
Exercise
Daily walks and play are enough; many enjoy short hikes, scent games and even agility.
Grooming
A long show coat needs daily brushing and regular bathing; a short pet clip every few weeks makes care simpler. Shedding is light.
Training
Bright but can be stubborn; use short, positive sessions and start house training and barking control early.
Health
Patellar luxation, dental disease, tracheal collapse, Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease and liver shunts are among the problems seen in the breed. Ask the breeder for knee and eye results and about health in the wider family.
Health tests breeders usually do
- Kneecaps (patella)
- Eye examination
Ask the breeder to show you the parents' results.
About the breed
The Yorkshire Terrier was developed in nineteenth-century Yorkshire and Lancashire, where mill and mine workers kept small terriers to catch rats. Scottish terriers brought south by workers are thought to be among its ancestors, and the breed soon moved from working homes to Victorian drawing rooms.
Under the glamorous coat is still a terrier: confident, inquisitive and quick to sound the alarm. Yorkies adapt well to flats and travel easily, but they enjoy walks and games and do not like being treated as ornaments. Many owners keep the coat in a short puppy trim, which makes daily life much easier.
Did you know?
Yorkshire Terrier puppies are born black and tan, and the steel-blue colour develops as they mature.