A mill rat-catcher
It was bred in the 1800s by mill workers in Yorkshire to catch rats in the mills and mines.
Small dogs · Time every day
Yorkshire terrier
Toy terrier · from Yorkshire, England
A tiny terrier with a long, straight, silky coat, steel blue on the body and tan on the head, parted down the middle of its back.
- Size
- About 20cm at the shoulder; up to 3.2kg
- Lives for
- 13 to 16 years
- Suits
- Adults and older children, in any size of home
Scurries after you, coat flowing. Move your pointer and see.
Good to know
Six things about the yorkshire terrier
Hair like ours
Its coat is more like human hair than fur. It keeps growing and hardly sheds.
Born black and tan
Puppies are born black with tan points. The blue comes in over the first year or two.
A war hero
A Yorkie called Smoky served in the Second World War, and once pulled a telephone wire through a long narrow pipe under an airfield.
One of the smallest
It is among the smallest breeds, but behaves as if it does not know.
A bow on top
Show dogs wear their hair long, tied up out of their eyes with a ribbon.
The real thing
Photos of the yorkshire terrier
Photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under the free licences shown. They have been resized, and cropped where they appear in link previews.
Looking after one
It needs a daily walk and a daily brush if the coat is kept long. Many owners have it clipped short. Its small teeth need regular cleaning.
Before you get one
Yorkies are brave and bossy. They are fragile, though, and can be hurt by rough play or a fall.
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