Yorkshire Terriers: breed standards, character, varieties and contents

The Yorkshire Terrier does not need a special presentation - it is one of the most popular dogs in the whole world, and among the decorative breeds, perhaps even the most popular. Despite the fact that such dogs are bred everywhere and are in the top of the most recognizable breeds, even the owners can not always answer all the questions about their pets. If you are only thinking of starting such a beast, you should first understand what it is and how to properly care for it.

Despite the exquisite attractiveness of such a dog, the Yorkshirez has a very indirect relationship to the ancient times and beautiful ladies - it appeared relatively late. Moreover, many researchers are inclined to believe that York has a “proletarian” origin: its main ancestor is supposedly the Waterside Terrier - a typical peasant dog that had to be satisfied in size to bark loudly, frighten and chase rodents, but not sufficient to cause significant harm to the fields of noble people.

Waterside was in demand in the XVIII-XIX centuries in the territory of the county of Yorkshire, which in northern England - there and in neighboring Lancashire, the ancestors of the beloved breed appeared. There is a version that another breed, which has been popular for several centuries now - Maltese (Maltese), took part in shaping the modern look of the Yorkshire people.

It is believed that industrialization, which began in the second half of the 18th century, also played a role in the breeding of the Yorkshire terriers. Then the workers from neighboring Scotland began to arrive in Yorkshire en masse, and with them the varieties of the Scottish Terrier. Some of these species have never been recognized as a separate breed and have been lost to date, however, they are credited with a certain part in the breeding of modern Yorkshire people.

The last probable ancestor of the breed in question is the Manchester Terrier. At first, it was not remarkable, however, over time, the breeders managed to get individuals with increased softness and silkiness of longer hair. In this form, Manchester could also take part in the creation of a new, particularly attractive hybrid.

In Yorkshire, at that time, many weaving mills opened, and it was their employees who understood well what perfect wool could be and started breeding a future new breed. Initially, the dog had a long, silky hair of a color that was somewhat unusual for our time - it had a bluish-steel tint and was dazzled with golden brown tan.

Those dogs were somewhat longer and larger than the current ones - their normal weight was 6-7 kilograms. The new breed turned out to be so much better than the existing ones that, over several decades, it ousted its ancestors, or colleagues from the houses of the British. In 1886, the Kennel Club, the leading British canine organization, officially recognized the Yorkshire as a new breed of dog, and in 1898 the first club was founded.

Curious that these dogs got abroad quite early, and already in 1878, the American Kennel Club recognized this breed - earlier than at home.. Although in the second half of the nineteenth century new dogs were extremely popular, the first half of the last century became a period of calm for them. The media almost did not mention them, and in the same England the breeding book was annually replenished with only 250 new individuals.

After World War II, the popularity began to revive - in the same country in 1949 about a thousand new thoroughbred dogs appeared, and in 1960 more than 4 thousand. In the same period, the rise began in the States, and by the mid-2000s, the Yorkshire people were the second most popular breed in the country, quantitatively second only to Labradors. In Russia, the Yorkies appeared quite late - it is believed that the first copy was imported in 1971 and belonged to the ballerina Olga Lepeshinskaya.

Before the collapse of the USSR, only a few copies of Yorkshire people were present in the country, only in large cities. The first nursery in the country was founded in 1991 in the Moscow region of Mytischi - natives first settled here from Spain and England, and a little later from France. To date, approximately 75 nurseries are officially registered in Russia, however, only one in five is located outside of Moscow and the Moscow region.

According to the standard, the Yorkshire Terrier breed is one of the tiniest in the world - the maximum weight of an adult individual cannot exceed 3.2 kilograms, but the smallest height or weight is not specified at all. The official characteristic prescribes wool of great length, strictly straight and falling down in uniform strands. The parting runs along the entire length of the body, from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail. Despite its modest size, the dog looks very aristocratic - this is due to the proud and confident posture.

Unlike many other dogs, the Yorkshire people have no undercoat. This means that, on the one hand, they do not shed, on the other - they are quite easy to freeze in cool weather. Yorkies' woolen coat is often compared to human hair - in the sense that it grows continuously, and individual hairs fall out predominantly with intense exposure to them.

Regardless of whether it is a boy or a girl, the dog is decorated with beautiful red-brown wool of a special golden hue growing on the head - even individual gray or black hairs are not allowed here. Such a color no longer extends to the neck - from the cervical hillock and before the tail begins, the standard is considered to be a deep bluish steel tone, which in most cases does not catch the eye, because the dog in this place is usually cut fairly short. Here, on the contrary, blotches of such colors as bronze, yellow-brown and any other dark will be completely superfluous.

The limbs are characterized by the same color as for the muzzle, but here the roots are darker at the roots, and as they move away from the body, their ends brighten. This color is allowed only in the part of the limbs that is located below the knees, above the wool is bluish-steel, as on the body. The cover is of the same shade on the tail, and here it is distinguished by greater darkness, growing closer to the end.

The Yorkshire Terrier is not so much a pet, as a new family member, since he identifies himself as the owner of the house. Such a beast, in spite of its modest size, differs by increased cheerfulness, he loves to rush back and forth, has endurance and excellent reaction. At the same time, the dog loves its owners very much and is ready for everything for them - in particular, he has inherent desperate courage, which allows him to protect his people and home even in the face of a noticeably superior enemy.

Already one gait of representatives of this breed says a lot about the nature of such dogs - they are not afraid of the environment, they always feel confident owners of the situation, do not expect any danger, or treat it with a marked disdain.

Pull the pet off the leash - and he will enthusiastically begin to explore the surroundings in order to understand where he has fallen. At the same time, an unfamiliar noise, especially loud and with an incomprehensible source of origin, can introduce the dog into a stupor - it is bold, but not without the instinct of self-preservation, therefore she does not know how to behave. Besides, York only pretends that he is completely independent - in fact, he tries not to lose sight of his master during a walk, and if he is suddenly lost, the dog begins to noticeably nervous.

The Yorkshire Terrier is cute not only outside - it behaves as cute as it looks. The word “benevolent” will best describe his temper, because usually yorkies do not seek hostility with the household, and if there are already other animals in the house that are not in a hostile attitude to the novice, then the dog will not provoke a conflict with them.

As for the relationship with someone else, then this trait is considered to be brought up - they say, it all depends on the particular individual and what they are accustomed to. The sweetest and kindest Yorkshire, when meeting a stranger, can suddenly show the skills of a guard dog and raise real din. Others are fundamentally friendly towards everyone and will gladly make new acquaintances with both people and animals.

The development of a Yorkshire from birth to becoming a full-fledged adult is usually delayed for about a year, and experienced owners usually advise to pay maximum attention to caring for a puppy during this period, since the errors made at this stage cannot be corrected. In this case, the development of the baby is uneven. At the age of one month, York seems disproportionately long and with a too large head, its legs look too short, and its ears hang unusually.

Only closer to 6 weeks of age, a small dog acquires a full set of milk teeth, and at 3 months one more feature typical of an adult appears - the ears rise and finally assume a standing position. By 4 months of age, the chest is generally formed, but the puppy continues to grow - another month its body will increase in length, and after 7 months there is an accelerated growth in height due to the elongation of the paws. By the same 7 months, the replacement of milk teeth with permanent ones is completed - the dog passes this stage in about a month and a half.

There is a separate topic with teeth - their growth must be carefully monitored. The fact is that the main teeth grow in Yorkshireans either in front or behind the dairy ones, but not in their place, and therefore for a proper bite you should contact a veterinarian who will ensure their removal. The roots of the incisors are usually located quite deep in the thickness of the jaw, because these teeth never fall out themselves - if they have not yet been removed before 8 months of age, this should be done right now.

In the same 8 months, the Yorkshire terrier gets the color characteristic of an adult individual of its breed - the head becomes golden, and the torso gets steel tint. By the same time, the puppy acquires the size of an adult dog, although much depends on the individual characteristics. With the weight is still less uniform, and although there is a table of how much a dog can weigh at a particular age, these are only indicative data. Do not worry if your pet is out of the norm. So, the average Yorkshire puppy weighs at different ages:

• 1 day - 110-125 grams;
• 1 month - 450-575 grams;
• 2 months - 825-890 grams;
• 3 months - 925-1200 grams;
• 4 months - 1.3-1.5 kilograms;
• 6 months - 1.5-2 kilograms;
• 8 months - 2.1-2.5 kilograms.

If you often and attentively observe Yorkshire terriers walking along the street with their masters, you probably noticed that the strict description from the standard discussed above is not always so strictly observed. The stated breed characteristics are very accurate, while babies are often born with certain violations of the standard. At the same time, many of them, even if by the properties of their appearance they cannot be admitted to the exhibition, still remain rare beauties, because they are dearly loved by people.

Varieties that are not too far from the standard, usually differ from it only in the color of the color. For example, that part of the dog, which according to the requirements must be yellow-brown, is overly clarified, or, on the contrary, gets a dark chocolate color. Such changes are possible in the part of the body that is covered with bluish-steel wool - here the cover can be silver-gray or even completely black.

At the same time, experts have repeatedly noted that wool color directly affects the characteristics of its structure - apparently, this is the effect of the increased proportion of ancestor genes of a certain initial breed. So, the "right" Yorkshire is different Perfectly straight and smooth coatbut representatives of darker varieties cannot boast of such - their cover is distinguished by increased curliness, they are as if fluffy instead of having a smooth surface.

The shade of dark steel for wool on the body of the dog is considered a reference both in terms of color and in terms of the structure of the cover - it creates the most positive impression of the dog, but it is harder to get it the most. At the same time, most breeders have recently focused on the structure and silkiness, and not on the shade, that's why you can see various color variations of the Yorkshire terrier on the streets.

A real Yorkshire is not cheap, so it is not surprising that the owner of such a dog wants to get for his money a truly thoroughbred animal, which can be brought to exhibitions and used for breeding. For this reason, the first advice given by experienced dog breeders is never focus on photos in online ads, but always personally come to the nursery and watch potential pets in person.

The probability of unpleasant surprises will be less if you know the breeder as a responsible person well, but it’s hardly possible for a novice who chooses York for the first time. Again, do not believe the advice handed out by strangers on the Internet - ask for recommendations either from a friend of the veterinarian, or from friends or acquaintances who have already acquired just such a dog. Another place to find a decent breeder is ExhibitionBecause there you can immediately draw conclusions about the work of such a person.

Choosing a puppy Be sure to pay attention to the one who grew it. Breeders do not become coerced - a really good specialist will surely turn out to be in a good way “obsessed” with his favorite occupation, he will be able to answer any of your questions about the breed, its peculiarities of care for it, any secrets without any difficulty and avoidance For such a specialist, all his children are like children of their own, in the process of communication it becomes obvious that he loves them very much.

To whom he got and wherever he puppies will not give up - he will be interested in who gets and in what conditions.

Toddlers are usually dismantled at the age of 2.5-3 months, but at this stage of their life journey they differ very little from each other. For this reason, experienced people advise to pay attention to the mother - at least she should look attractive.

Dad's attention is paid only secondarily, and often he is not around, so you have to be content with just a photo. Both parents must have documents on the pedigree, in which at least 3 generations of ancestors were purebred Yorkshire people. On the territory of Russia, the Russian Cynological Federation issues such documentation.

It's time to pick one puppy from the brood, so pay attention to each individual baby - you need an active and curious burly guy who behaves the same way as an adult dog - that is, shows curiosity and demonstrates aristocratic grace. The nose of a healthy baby is always black, moist and cool (it’s warm in a dog that has just woken up), the gums are strictly saturated pink. Any swelling around the navel may indicate health problems, so there shouldn't be any.

If everything is in order with the appearance of the dog and its documents, check whether the papers are issued specifically for this animal. This is determined by the stigma that yorks usually have around the groin or on the inside of the ear. A code of letters and 6 digits allows the specialist to understand the place of birth and the registration number of a particular individual - the same numbers should be in all documents. By this time, the puppies should have been given some vaccinations, because the baby must have its own veterinary passport with stamps indicating that it has undergone compulsory procedures.

If you didn't need a simple Yorkshire, but a mini-York, be doubly attentive - You should acquire such doggies only from people recommended to you by reputable people. Fraudsters under the guise of a miniature dog sell less healthy puppies or do not specifically feed ordinary Yorkshire terriers.

As soon as the baby gets into the house, immediately designate his zones for sleeping and toilet - the sooner he gets used to the established order, the better for the owners. In the future, changing the location of the usual infrastructure is undesirable - yorkshirers from such perturbations are beginning to get nervous. The newcomer should be settled in a warm corner of the room, for convenience, it is worth buying a pet a special playpen or pet bed.

If you took the baby very early, it is not limited to one purchase - you need to vaccinate a two-month puppy, because without this, walking around the street is out of the question. At the same time, fresh air is good for the baby - knowledgeable people advise daily to take it out at least once for 10-15 minutes, provided that it is warm, but not very hot. The young dog is not ready for long walks, however, their number should be gradually increased.

If the pet originally lives in a country house, then there he largely determines how much he will walk, the stamina of such a pet is slightly higher. At the same time, the owner still has to monitor the situation - the animal should not be allowed to overwork, because the beast that has started too much to play should be taken into the room, filled with comfortable room temperature water and gently lured into the recreation area so that the pet would think that he wanted it.

Caring for a cute dog is rather complicated, and the pet itself is not always happy for him, but this responsibility cannot be ignored.After bathing, once every 2-3 weeks you will have to cut your claws - at home you should not only have good scissors, but also silver nitrate or a special styptic pencil in case a dog is injured. If you are not sure what you can do - contact the grooming salon.

Pet corners need to be cleaned twice a day with a damp cloth or a cotton swab, the latter is well suited for cleaning the ears. An insane resistance may be caused by an attempt to clean the baby’s teeth, but this must be taught to them from an early age, otherwise in 3 years the teeth will start to loose, and by five they may fall out completely. Since yorks are distinguished by long and beautiful hair, constant care is needed.

Long-haired individuals will have to be washed quite often - literally every week, and even combed 2-3 times a day. Haircut greatly simplifies the task, because washing is required only once every 2-3 weeks, and you can comb your pet every other day.

Bathing is a special task, requiring compliance with certain rules. To begin with, the dog is carefully combed and only then put in the water with a temperature of 34-35 degrees. A rubber mat must be placed on the bottom of the pot, otherwise the dog will slip, get scared and be set up against hygienic procedures. For washing, you should use a dog shampoo - a human can provoke unforeseen consequences, some Yorkies shed it.

The redeemed animal should be wrapped in a towel and carried to a warm room, and when the pet dries out a little, brush it. This is the best time to cut the hair where it is definitely not needed - on the paws and near the anus. Here you can put the ears, giving them the shape thanks to the correct figured trimming of wool. If your dog has an impressive head of hair that you decide to constantly shorten on your own, comb along the parting and trim it slightly above the floor.

Yorkshire terriers are good because they are harder to overfeed than members of many other dog breeds - this animal will not eat too much and will be able to stop in time. Like most other pets, the dog can be fed as a specially produced feed, and make a special menu of natural products. With feed everything is clear - the higher their class, the better, especially if they are released specifically for small breeds of dogs. With a self-made menu is somewhat more complicated, because not every owner is able to properly balance it.

The main product, as befits a predator, is meat. Chicken and beef, cut into small pieces, are best suited for this role, so that the animal does not have to waste time and effort on crushing them. Boil the meat is not necessary - it can be given raw, only should be pre scald the food with boiling water to soften the fibers and destroy bacteria. Instead of the meat itself, you can also give offal, however, in this case it is better to give preference to diet chicken or veal.

For dogs this is not very typical, however, the Yorkshire terriers love vegetables and fruits - For them, this is a real delicacy, not only raw, but also boiled. It probably shouldn't be abused, but It is simply necessary to give regularly, because they contain a large amount of useful vitamins and minerals. Representatives of this breed are not particularly fond of sour milk products, but it is also useful for their bodies. Experts advise to include in the diet cottage cheese, kefir and ryazhenka.

As it often happens with pedigree dogs, many kinds of food that seem tasty and healthy to a person are not suitable for feeding an animal.

Under the category of fatty and many other products - like the actual butter, and many types of hard cheese. If Yorkshire digests buckwheat and rice normally, then oatmeal or semolina porridge will not lead to anything good, the same goes for any baking. Although the beast loves vegetables and fruits, he is contraindicated to give cabbage, citrus fruits, nuts and mushrooms. It is also not customary to feed the dog with sweets, first of all chocolate is unacceptable.

The pet appetite of this breed is a very variable phenomenon, and it will definitely disappear if you suddenly decide to radically change the diet of the animal. If such a need arose, do it gradually, slightly replacing the usual ingredients with unusual ones, increasing the dosage of the new food step by step.

Normal Diet for Yorkshire Meals - 2-3 times a day. If a dog learns something, his success should be encouraged in small portions of treats, however, keep in mind that they must be of a purely symbolic size so as not to chase a tiny animal with a measured rhythm.

Yorkshire people are smarter than many other dog breeds, because training is usually not particularly difficult. If you start at an early age, the task will be extremely simple. The first thing worth preparing a dog is the existence of various loud sounds. At first, you should not even speak too loudly or turn on the music "to the full extent" - let the dog get used to the existence of noisy people, technology and the metropolis gradually.

The same applies to too close contact with people. Although you want to immediately cuddle the baby and throw out all your tenderness on him, it is not worth it. Let your pet know the world around him gradually, and only when he is completely at home and gets used to all the household, begin to show him the world around him. The correct order of training allows you to raise a confident dog that is not afraid of any challenges.

It is possible to accustom an animal to a toilet at home in the same way, as well as representatives of other breeds. The dog usually experiences the urge soon after eating, the readiness to go to the toilet is expressed in a certain fussiness and slight nervousness, so watch your pet, and as soon as he begins to show such activity, immediately grab it and carry it to where you have equipped the tray. It is important to take care of its arrangement even before the puppy arrives - then the training will occur more quickly.

Do not forget that the four-legged should be praised for properly executed cases, having treated him with something tasty. To avoid unpleasant surprises in the early stages of training, you can dress up an animal in a diaper, which, however, will have to be changed after each time, even if the kid correctly understood where his toilet is.

Despite the fact that the dog is smart and understands the team well, the problem with his training is the pet's restlessness - he is too active and cannot concentrate on training or any other task for too long. In order to quickly convey to the ward that you are happy with them, decide in advance on a word or phrase that is a universal expression of approval. The dog will quickly remember him and will understand that his actions cause a positive.

Yorkshire people are able to entertain themselves on their own - they easily invent games for themselves, which is generally good. Another thing is that in their amusements, they often tend to use objects and things that are not intended for this.

The master's task is time to stop such proclivities. Physical punishment is unacceptable. - only the stern tone and the call "fu" is suitable, and only then directly at the "moment of crime", and not ever later. For the Yorkshire terrier, it would be very useful to train to a certain schedule, according to which he will eat, walk, bathe and so on.

Most owners characterize the Yorkshire Terrier as true four-legged happiness - it is a very cute and kind dog. If we educate him correctly, there will be no problems with him - he will find a common language with his family, with other pets, with guests, and with strangers. Neither a working vacuum cleaner nor the busy traffic of a large metropolis will become a problem for it. Such a companion is equally good both for young people and for older people, because the aristocratic dog has a rather calm disposition and usually does not give the owner any unnecessary problems, and his independence is in many ways indicative and played out.

Criticism of such doggies is relatively rare and comes mainly from those people who did not understand what was going on. A Yorkshireman is not a mongrel that does not require care at all, it will have to be carefully looked after, not only feeding and walking, but also bathing, trimming and training the pet.

Interesting facts about Yorks you will learn in the next video.