I need to know EVERYTHING about Yorkshire Terriers. I am VERY interested in getting one.?

Question

I need to know things like whether they shed? Is it heavy shedding? Do they have sharp claws? Would the claws cut through our furniture (it is leather)? Do they retain smells? Etc., etc. ...

Answer 1

Yorkshire Terriers
What's good about 'em
What's bad about 'em

There are energetic Yorkies, and placid Yorkies.
Hard-headed Yorkies, and sweet-natured Yorkies.
Serious Yorkies, and good-natured goofballs.
Introverted Yorkies, and Yorkies who love everyone.

If you acquire a Yorkshire Terrier puppy, you can't know for sure what he or she will grow up to be like. Because a good number of purebred puppies do NOT grow up to conform to the "norm."


To learn why, read:
Purebred Dogs vs.
Mixed Breed Dogs

Now let's look at some common characteristics for this breed...


If you want a dog who...



Is small, fine-boned, elegant, easy to carry, and doesn't take up much space
Has a lovely flowing coat that doesn't shed (one of the best breeds for allergy sufferers)
Is lively and inquisitive, and moves swiftly with light-footed grace
Doesn't need a lot of exercise
Makes a keen watchdog -- won't fail to announce strangers
Is peaceful with other pets
A Yorkshire Terrier may be right for you.



If you don't want to deal with...



The fragility of toy breeds (see below)
"Separation anxiety" (destructiveness and barking) when left alone too much
Suspiciousness, shrillness, and highstrung temperaments in some lines, or when babied and spoiled, or when not socialized enough
Excitable chasing instincts
Frequent brushing and combing
Notorious housebreaking difficulties
Barking
A Yorkshire Terrier may not be right for you.



If I were considering a Yorkshire Terrier...


My major concerns would be:


Fragility. Too many people acquire a toy breed puppy without understanding how incredibly fragile a toy breed is. You can seriously injure or kill a Yorkshire Terrier by stepping on him or by sitting on him when he's curled under a blanket or pillow, where he frequently likes to sleep. And Yorkshire Terriers can seriously injure or kill THEMSELVES by leaping from your arms or off the back of your sofa. A larger dog can grab a Yorkshire Terrier and break his neck with one quick shake. Owning a toy breed means constant supervision and surveillance of what's going on around your tiny dog. Yorkshire Terriers must always be kept on-leash -- they are just too easy to injure when not under your complete control. And many Yorkies, with their terrier heritage, have strong chasing instincts. They will take off after anything that runs.

Yorkshire Terriers are NOT suited to children, no matter how well-meaning the child. Children cannot help being clumsy, and that a child meant well is little solace to a Yorkshire Terrier who has been accidentally stepped on, sat on, rolled on, squeezed, or dropped onto the patio. Most Yorkshire Terriers feel overwhelmed by the loud voices and quick movements that children can't help making -- and stress and fearfulness (even defensive biting) may be the result.


Separation anxiety. More than most other breeds, Yorkshire Terriers need a great deal of companionship and do not like being left alone for more than a few hours. They tend to express their unhappiness through destructive chewing and barking. If you work all day, this is not the breed for you.

Providing enough socialization. Standoffish by nature, Yorkshire Terriers need extensive exposure to people and to unusual sights and sounds. Otherwise their natural caution could become suspiciousness or shyness, which are difficult to live with and can even lead to snapping and biting.

Grooming. Without frequent brushing and combing, Yorkshire Terriers become a matted mess. If you can't commit to the brushing, you have to commit to frequent trimming to keep the coat short, neat, and healthy.

Housebreaking problems. As a behavioral consultant, I would put the Yorkshire Terriers on my Top Five List of "Hard to Housebreak." Consistent crate training is mandatory. Sometimes a doggy door is necessary. And some owners never do get their Yorkshire Terriers fully housebroken.

Barking. Yorkshire Terriers are often too quick to sound the alarm at every new sight and sound. You have to be equally quick to stop them.

To teach your Yorkie to listen to you, "Respect Training" is mandatory. My Yorkshire Terrier Training Page discusses the program you need.


Avoiding the hype. Beware of breeders selling "teacup" Yorkies. This is a made-up marketing term for Yorkshire Terriers weighing only 2 or 3 pounds. Stay away from any breeder who uses this term.

I do NOT recommend a Yorkshire Terrier under 4 pounds. These individuals are great risks in the health department. Their bones are extremely fragile. There is not enough room in their mouth for healthy teeth. Their internal organs are often weak and can fail suddenly. They tend to have great difficulty regulating their blood sugar and can go into hypoglycemic shocks and comas.

To make matters worse, some breeders deliberately breed these high-risk Yorkshire Terriers and charge outrageous prices. There are breeders on the Internet right now charging $1000, $1500, $2000 for "teacup Yorkshire Terriers." Don't be taken by these irresponsible people. Stick with Yorkies who will mature at 4 pounds and up. And don't pay such ridiculous prices for any Yorkshire Terrier.



If you're considering an adult Yorkshire Terriers...


There are plenty of adult Yorkies who have already proven themselves NOT to have negative characteristics. If you find such an adult, don't let "typical breed negatives" worry you.

When you acquire a puppy, you're acquiring potential -- what he one day will be. So "typical breed characteristics" are very important. But when you acquire an adult, you're acquiring what he already IS.




Copyright © 2000 by Michele Welton. All rights reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced without the permission of the author.

Answer 2

All animals shed, and you'll need to brush them on a daily basis, plus have them groomed occasionally. Their nails could cut furniture (like any other dog) if you don't keep them trimmed. This could be done while at the groomer's place also. They're very good dogs, loyal, and demand attention...some of them can be pretty mean to strangers. If you care for your "Yorkie", it should live many, many years. The old rumor is correct about dogs......the smaller the dog, the longer the life span. Best of luck to you...........

Answer 3

A dog should be trained on how to eat, walk with you, not to bark, potty training and sleep on its place etc. You can teach anything to your puppy, dogs get trained easily with some good instructions. If you want some good training tips visit https://tr.im/y2dAr

If properly trained, they should also understand whistle and gesture equivalents for all the relevant commands, e.g. short whistle or finger raised sit, long whistle or flat hand lay down, and so on.

It's important that they also get gestures and whistles as voice may not be sufficient over long distances and under certain circumstances.

Answer 4

I have two....they are a wonderful breed of dog. As long as you keep them groomed and brush them daily you shouldn't have any problems. Kinda hard to house train, but taking them out every hour seems to work really well and gets them on a schedule.
As with any other dog..they just take time to train, but it's worth it in the long run.
Good luck.....Yorkies are the best!!!

Answer 5

the best thing for you to do. is go to the libary and look up what you need to know. or go into a web site about the yorky.

Answer 6

go to akc.org and dogbreedinfo.com