Yorkshire terriers are one of the most popular dog breeds around. I didn’t know if they were right for everyone, so I did some research and wrote the following guide.

So, is the Yorkshire terrier right for you? If you want a small, loyal dog who will keep you company, the Yorkshire is an adorable option. However, they have decently high grooming requirements, don’t do well with other dogs, and often have to content with health problems.

Yorkshire terriers walk a fine line between prim and pompous. At their best they’re intelligent, tolerant dogs, who love to be pampered and will always be happy to be by your side. They hypoallergenic nature and low exercise requirements make them excellent for apartments. However, Yorkies also have a bad case of ‘big dog’ syndrome, and they don’t like having to share their attention with anyone else. Additionally, their size is a disadvantage for some people, especially considering how fond they are of hiding under blankets and pillows.

Is the Yorkshire the Right Fit?

So, is the Yorkshire terrier right for you?

You might want a Yorkshire terrier IF…

• You want a small dog who’s adventurous and will accompany you anywhere
• You like their long hair and pert faces
• You don’t have a lot of time/space to be taken up by a larger dog
• You’re a novice dog owner
• You want a companion who you can pamper and give all of your attention to.

However, on the flips side, you might not want a Yorkie IF…

• You like playing rough with your dog
• You already have a dog in your house, or you plan on having more than one dog
• You don’t have time/don’t want to groom your dog frequently
• You can’t tolerate a bit of stubbornness and yapping

About the Yorkshire Terrier

The Yorkshire terrier is a toy-sized dog that comes from a past of hunting rats on mills in Northern England. The dog has since climbed the social ladder and is now the most popular toy breed in America, a testament to how loveable they are. With their long hair, prim attitude, and intelligence, the Yorkshires make great pets.

Size and Appearance

As a toy breed, Yorkies stand 5-6 inches tall and tip the scale at a measly 7 pounds. These dogs are easy to pick up, carry, or have sit in your lap when you’re doing work.  

Yorkshire terriers have long, silky hair that often falls all the way down to their legs. Traditionally, their faces are cut much shorter, allowing their features to be visible. They can come in a variety of different colours, but the most common is a tan body with a black saddle on their back. Other colours can include solid tan, brown, or a rare piebald shading. r

As a puppy, Yorkies can go through several colour changes, and it might take as long as a year for them to reach their final colour.

Personality

In terms of attitude, though, the Yorkshire is certainly larger than their small stature would have you believe. The prototypical ‘big dog in a small body’, Yorkies inherited the attitude and defiance of their terrier family, and it shows in the way they carry themselves. These dogs have the traditional levels of stubbornness, curiosity, and protective instinct as many of their cousins.

Yorkies are a feisty breed who isn’t afraid to stand up for themselves. They’re very curious dogs, and they always like to be involved in the action. This belays another feature of the Yorkie: they love attention, and they don’t do very well without it. In fact, Yorkshire terriers can quickly become jealous towards anyone who may be redirecting attention away from them.

When they’re content, though, Yorkies are a loving and sensitive breed. Their intelligence allows them to pick up on cues, and they know when they need to be there to provide emotional support for you. Their smarts also allow them to adapt well to different scenarios, so there’s almost no scenario in which a Yorkie won’t be comfortable in.

Finally, the most important thing to remember: these dogs are all individual creatures, and no two will be alike. What I’ve outlined above is a very general view of the Yorkshire breed, but not every dog will fall within the description given. Talking to the breeder you’re purchasing from is perhaps the only way to get a (somewhat) accurate idea of what your dog’s personality will be.

Pros

So, now that we know a little bit more about the Yorkshire terrier, let’s get into some of the reasons that these dogs have become so popular.

Looks and Attitude

One of the most obvious ones is that people simply like their appearance, and the personality that comes along with it. Yorkies have very cute features, and on top of that, they really like being pampered; it’s not uncommon to see them decked in in ribbons or bows to accentuate their dainty appearance.

Additionally, the Yorkie is an easy dog to love. Their courage and curiosity make them highly endearing, and a lot of people (myself included) have a certain admiration for the fact that they don’t seem to care about how small they are.

Aside from that, though, there are a few other things that help people love Yorkshire terriers:

Hypoallergenic

One of the great benefits of the breed, especially given how popular they are in apartments, is the fact that Yorkshire terriers are hypoallergenic, meaning they cause lower levels of reactions in people with allergies (it’s important to note, though, that this doesn’t mean they cause no reaction. You can still be allergic to a Yorkshire terrier, but the degree of your allergies should be lower).

To understand how Yorkies are able to do this, it’s important to understand how allergies work. When you’re ‘allergic’, that means that your body produces antibodies when it comes in contact with a certain substance. In the case of dogs, this substance is a protein that’s spread through their dander (dead skin cells), drool, and hair.

Yorkshire terriers, like many of the terrier clan, have hair instead of fur, which lowers the dander they produce. They’re also very neat dogs, who carry themselves with too much pride to go drooling all over the place. Finally, Yorkies don’t shed very much, especially as long as they’re properly groomed.

Those three factors combined mean that Yorkshire terriers do not spread many allergens, so they cause lower levels of reaction sin people who are sensitive.

Size

To a lot of people, the size of the Yorkshire is a massive advantage to them. This is for three main reasons:

Easy to Travel With

To go along with their adaptable attitude, Yorkies are easy to pack up and move around with. Their diminutive stature means that they can fit in most crates, and they can even be considered a carry-on for plane rides. It’s also easy to pack them in the car.

As someone with an 80-pound Airedale, I can’t overstate the importance of that last point. Theo not only needs an SUV just to fit him, but he’s a handful inside: climbing over seats, scratching at floors, and gnawing on the seatbelts. With a small dog, you can simply put them in your lap.

Won’t Harm Anyone

Not having to deal with always keeping your Yorkie in line can save you some major headaches. When I say harming someone, I don’t just mean that you don’t have to worry about the dog turning aggressive; there’s also no concern that your Yorkshire will jump on an unsuspecting victim or small child, knocking them over and causing an injury.

Easy to Cuddle With

Finally, the size of a Yorkshire terrier means that they make excellent lap dogs. For someone who likes being affectionate with their pet, these guys can be picked up, hugged, and placed in your lap with ease. You won’t have to struggle with them or worry about your body parts falling asleep because of their weight.

Alertness

Although they’re too small to act as guard dogs, Yorkies actually make excellent sentries. They’re intelligent and slightly territorial, which means that they’re instantly alert if they sense someone coming near.

This sounds like a minor point, but it’s really not. It’s actually strangely comforting to know that, if anyone comes within twenty feet of your house/apartment, you’ll know of it. Yorkies aren’t used exclusively for this purpose, obviously — most people looking for a guard dog will go for something larger — but it’s a nice secondary benefit to the breed. It’s also assisted by the Yorkie’s natural mouthiness; they have a high-pitched bark that’s hard to miss.

Another great thing is that you don’t have to train this into your Yorkie. They do it naturally, and they do it very well.

Low Exercise Requirements

Not everyone has the time to commit several hours to exercising their dog every day. This can be especially hard in apartments or urban environments, where you lack the space to let them run around.

The explosion of urbanism has led to more people wanting dogs like this, who can exit in confined spaces without driving their owners crazy. For that purpose, the Yorkshire is the perfect pet.

These dogs can be fairly hyper, but because of their size, it’s not difficult to wear them out. Yorkies have short legs, and they need to work several times harder than you to do the same activity. This means that 1-2 walks a day, plus some playing, is often enough exercise for these guys; that usually adds up to about an hour to an hour and a half per day.

You’ll know when a Yorkie is bored, because that’s when they start acting restless and barking.  If you’ve already walked and played with them and they’re still acting like this, it may be the case that your Yorkshire terrier needs some kind of intellectual stimulation to satiate their curiosity.

You can pre-emptively prevent that from happening by making sure you’re engaged with your Yorkshire’s daily exercise. These dogs love nothing more than getting to be involved and playing with their owners, and they find these kinds of activities much more satisfying.

Good in Apartments

This relates to the above point, and it also helps to explain how the Yorkie’s rise in popularity has been tied to urbanization. These dogs are just as comfortable living in a high rise as they are in a bungalow, and that makes them ideal pets for a lot of people.

There are a few things that make Yorkies so good at living in high-rises. A major factor is their hypoallergenic nature. Remember, allergies are caused when you come in contact with a certain dog protein. The more of this protein that’s present, the more severe your allergic reaction will be.

In apartments, which are smaller and more confined, allergens will build up quickly. Therefore, having a hypoallergenic dog can be a major factor. The Yorkie’s neatness is also a plus, because they don’t get things as messy.

Their size is also a big advantage. If it’s a rainy day and you don’t feel like going outside, you’ll be able to give your Yorkshire all the exercise they need indoors; little legs mean they don’t have to run a lot to get tired.

Finally (and this sounds a bit ridiculous), you don’t have to worry about losing them. Yorkies are small dogs that like tight spaces (more on this later), and in big houses, it can be easy to lose track of where they are. Having a smaller apartment makes this more simple.

Intelligence

Finally, another plus is the intelligence of the Yorkshire. We’ve already touched on this briefly when I talked about their alertness, and it’s evidenced by how naturally they pick up on being a watch dog.

The Yorkie’s smarts, however, go way past barking when someone gets close. This is a highly trainable, highly sensitive dog, you will often be able to pick up on and respond to the subtle changes in your mood.

For starters, Yorkshire’s are very trainable, and they can do just about any trick you ask of them. In fact, they’re so clever that people use them for agility courses (the ones where they have to jump through hoops and weave between batons). They pick up quickly on new tasks, which makes them easy to train. This is a major plus for first time owners.

Beyond that, though, Yorkies also have a certain emotional intelligence. These dogs can pick up on when you’re feeling down, and they’re always happy to be there to lend support (or just lay in your lap and cuddle you). That makes them great companions, and it’s one of the reasons that they’ve become so beloved.

Cons

There are obviously a lot of upsides to owning a Yorkshire terrier, which is the reason that they’ve become so popular. However, they’re not the right dog for everyone; there are some downsides to this breed that you should be aware of before you make any purchasing decisions.

Hard to Housebreak

This seems strange for a dog who’s renowned for their intelligence, but Yorkshire puppies can be difficult to housebreak. This is due to a few factors:

• Small Bladder: Being a toy-sized breed means that the Yorkshire can’t hold a lot of liquid in them before they need to go to the bathroom. This makes accidents more likely than they are in larger breeds, who can often wait upwards of eight hours.
• Lack of warning signs: Yorkshire terriers are infamously bad at warning their owners when they need to go to the bathroom. This means that you need to be around to read the warning signs.
• High maintenance: Sorry to all my Yorkshire owners who may find this offensive, but it’s the truth. Yorkies will sometimes go indoors simply because they can’t be bothered to exert the effort to walk outside. After all, they’re not the ones who have to clean up the mess!

Because of this, it’s important that you start training your Yorkshire as soon as you get them to be properly house trained. Doing so involves understanding when they need to go, rewarding them if they warn you, and reprimanding them for going indoors.

Failure to do so will teach your dog the wrong habits, and trust me: with a breed as stubborn as the Yorkshire, you don’t want to have to try to change their behaviour once it’s become ingrained.

Bad with Other Dogs

One of the defining characteristics of the breed is that they get aggressive with other dogs, especially when they feel that said dogs are directing any attention away from themselves. This essentially eliminates them from being able to exist in a multi-dog household.

Yorkshire’s get jealous very easily. These dogs believe that the world revolves around them, and they respond very poorly if they’re not the center of attention. If they can find a reason for this (another dog that’s taking up their owners’ time), they risk becoming hostile and aggressive towards it.

Even with dogs not in the household, Yorkies don’t always do great. They’re not fond of strangers, and they don’t always play nice.

Now, this isn’t too much of an issue, given their size; you won’t have to worry about your Yorkshire harming anyone else’s pet. What you might have to be concerned with, however, is the trouble that they get themselves into. Remember when I said that Yorkies don’t always acknowledge how small they are? These guys won’t hesitate to go after a dog that’s much larger than them, and it might be up to you to step in and save them.

Can be Fragile

While there are a few advantages to the Yorkshire terrier being as small as they are (like we discussed earlier), there is also one major downside: these dogs can be easy to injure by accident.

If you’re someone who likes getting physical with your pet, Yorkies are definitely not the best choice for you. They’re simply too small to wrestle or get thrown around with any kind of meaningful way. This can also be a danger if you have small children; they might not understand how fragile your dog is, and they could harm them by accident.

Additionally, Yorkies sometimes hide in inconvenient locations. One of the most common places for them to do this is underneath blankets or pillows, and they’re so small that you often don’t notice them until it’s too late. It’s actually a fairly common cause of injury: the Yorkshire digs their way underneath something and then gets sat on. Because of their size, this can cause serious damage.

So, if you like to play a little rough with your dog, or if you simply don’t want to constantly be worried about crushing them, I wouldn’t recommend a Yorkshire terrier for you.

High Grooming Requirements

Although Yorkie’s don’t require a lot of exercise, they take up your time in another way, and that’s their grooming requirements. For such a small dog, they take a decent amount of maintenance.

The main thing to concern yourself with is the Yorkshire’s long, silky coat. It can easily become matted and knotted, so brushing it daily with a steel-bristled brush. You should also dampen it with water or a light conditioner so that it keeps its sheen. Additionally, if they got dirty throughout the day, you may need to hand-wash them. All in all, this can take fifteen minutes half an hour per day, depending on how well behaved your Yorkie is.

Once every week or two weeks, your Yorkie will require a full bath, which can take upwards of an hour. Training your Yorkie from a young age will help make it easier to bathe them, which can cut down on the time it takes.

Finally, your Yorkie will need to be trimmed every month or every other month, especially around the face and paws. This will help cut down on how dirty they get, and it will make sure that your Yorkie ca see.

All in all, these dogs have a fairly demanding grooming schedule, and they’re proper enough to get cranky when left dirty. Don’t get a Yorkshire unless you’re prepared to keep up with their upkeep.

Persistent Health Problems

As a purebred breed, Yorkshire terrier have a certain amount of genetic issues that they risk being born with and that will last them their entire life. Additionally, the small dogs don’t have the best immune system, so they sometimes struggle to stay healthy.

A few of the common diseases that affect Yorkies include:

• Hypoglycemia: This is an ailment that affects many toy-sized dogs. Just like in human’s, it’s caused by low blood sugar in your Yorkshire terrier. While most common during the first few months of their life, it can also affect adults.
• Luxing Patella (Kneecap Displacement): This is when the dog’s kneecap slips out of its regular spot due to a weakness in the tendons. It usually forms when the Yorkie is just a puppy.
• Leggs-Perthes Disease: This is a genetic disease that can affect certain lines of the Yorkshire breed. It weakens the dog’s femur, causing bone and hip joint issues. Often, surgery is the only option here.

There are several more issues that affect the Yorkshire terrier, which can lead to large vet bills and (more importantly) a shortened life for your pet.

Struggle to be Left Alone

Unsurprisingly for a dog that likes to be the center of attention, the Yorkshire terrier doesn’t do well when left to their own devices. Without someone around, the Yorkie often becomes bored and anxious; this exhibits itself in activities like barking, going to the bathroom, or scratching at furniture.

This can be a major barrier for some, because not everyone has the option to stay home all day with their pet. Additionally, the Yorkshire doesn’t do well with other dogs, so it’s not like you can get them a companion for when you’re away.

The answer that many people choose is to buy a second Yorkshire so that they can keep each other company. If you raise the dogs together from a young age, they’ll adjust and socialize to each other’s company, and you probably won’t have to deal with as much jealousy and in-fighting.

However, this solution also means double the Yorkshires: that’s twice as much grooming, twice the risk of a health problem, and twice the danger that you’ll accidentally sit on one.

Should I buy a Yorkie?

So, after all of that, it’s time to make your decision: should you buy a Yorkshire terrier?

If you’re someone who likes small dogs, has time to groom them, and is patient enough to put up with their poor housebreaking and sometimes insolent attitude, the Yorkshire is a great dog. They’re loyal, intelligent, and faithful.

If you spend lots of time out of the house, already have a dog, or are simply someone who prefers larger breeds, I wouldn’t recommend the Yorkshire for you. If you’re still set on getting a terrier, you can check out my article here to see what breed is best for you.