ABOUT YORKSHIRE TERRIERS 

With the holiday weekend and soon to be Christmas coming up it is tempting to want to get a puppy during these times.  As recommended by the rescue organizations and the SPCA, this is a very poor time in most cases to bring a new four legged member of the family into the home.  Wait until after the holidays to buy a dog or puppy.

As the Yorkie and any other toy breed of dog is so small, do not purchase a puppy less than 12 weeks of age, older is better.  There are too many risks in a very young puppy going to a new home at too young an age as the stress of teeth coming through, just being weaned recently, vaccinations, then adding a new environment can bring on serious health problems you will have to deal with that often will require Vet visits at your expense.

In Canada, if you are buying a purebred dog or puppy, it is law that the Canadian Kennel Club registration papers are provided by the breeder/seller at no extra charge.  The legislation is under Agriculture Canada, Pedigree Act.  A reputable breeder, when selling for pet, will put a non breeding contract on that dog or puppy which will be reflected on the registration certificate that it is not to be used for breeding.  Registration verifies authenticity of purebred status.  

All puppies are born black and tan.  As they mature, colour can stay black and tan but most will change to lighter colours ranging from steel blue to silver and the tan can range from a tan to gold.  Yorkies can take up to 2 to 3 years for any colour lightening to occur.  As such, it is very difficult to determine on a young puppy whether it will stay black and tan or go to lighter shades of blue/tan to silver/gold.

You can read about the breed standard on the Canadian Kennel Club website at www.ckc.ca or  the American Kennel Club website at www.akc.org 

The Yorkshire Terrier is classed in the Toy Group by the AKC and Canadian Kennel Club.  The size of a full grown mature Yorkie should be less than 7 lbs.  Some will grow oversize and be greater than 7 lbs.  These will usually be sold for pet only under spay/neuter contracts. 

At the other end of the size issue is the very small sometimes called ‘teacups’ etc. There are no varieties of sizes in the classification of Yorkies such as Toy, Mini, Standard.  They are all a toy breed.  Most reputable breeders would consider a Yorkie less than 4 lbs to be undersized. These are not teacups, there is no such thing, they are undersized poor representatives of the breed, not something to purposely breed to produce.  Puppies that mature to 3 ½ lbs or less have a greater risk that they are unusually small due to health problems.  The Yorkshire Terrier Club of America which is the National Club in the USA, has more information on colour and size on the Frequently Asked Questions page of the their website at www.ytca.org

Coat types can be a soft coat which is an incorrect coat or a silky texture or modified which is some of both.  The true correct coat according to the breed standard, is silk. 

The Yorkie can be very difficult to housetrain.  I recommend a fenced yard or deck for them to go out as they often do not understand they can potty with a harness or collar attached to a lead.  I also recommend the washable fabric wee wee pads in the house for when they might be caught short to prevent them soiling elsewhere.  You can still expect accidents in the home even with an older Yorkie.  If this is an issue for you, the Yorkie may not be the right breed for you. 

Yorkies, as with any Toy breed of dog, are not good with very young children.  They will usually be frightened of toddlers and avoid them.  I usually will recommend that in a family considering adopting a Yorkie, the youngest child should be no younger than about 10 years old.