About the Yorkshire Terrier

The Yorkshire Terrier has a magnificent coat that requires regular grooming. Despite its Toy dog appearance, it’s still a terrier at heart and retains its hunting instinct, whether that’s for a toy in the house or a rodent in the garden.

Yorkshire Terriers don’t always mix well with children, especially active and noisy ones! This terrier’s dominant instincts can sometimes pose a challenge around other pets and dogs. Having said that, a dog’s temperament is often a product of its training and upbringing, so Yorkshire Terriers can make great family pets when trained well.

Source: key facts and characteristics sourced from Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI)

Breed specifics

Country: United Kingdom
Group: FCI Group 3, AKC Non-Sporting Group
translations.feature.breeds.sizecategory: Very small
Avg life expectancy: 15–16 years

Alert / Intelligent / Lively / Even-tempered / Friendly

Key facts

Requires a lot of grooming
May not get along well with children
Needs little exercise

Origins of the breed

The Yorkshire Terrier comes from the same area as the Airedale Terrier and was first seen around the 1850’s. The old Black and Tan Terrier was a base for the Yorkshire Terrier, together with other breeds such as the Maltese and the Skye Terrier.

It is believed that Scottish workers brought terriers to Yorkshire, where they were employed to work in mills and mines. The current name was accepted in 1870.