Yorkshire Terrier

A small, beige dog with a long-haired tail, a square face, triangular, alert ears and a small button nose, wears a blue-check doggy jacket, standing on a small, grassy mound enjoying a winter's walk.

Yorkshire Terrier

With their big personalities and small stature, it’s no wonder our members absowoofly adore Yorkshire Terriers. Whether you’re thinking of borrowing one of these small dogs or getting your own, we’ve pulled together some interesting doggy facts you should know about the breed.

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What is a Yorkshire Terrier?

Yorkshire Terriers (also known as Yorkies) are small long haired dogs and are part of the toy dog group. When competing in shows, Yorkshire Terriers’ coats can be quite a sight to see. However, most owners prefer to keep their Yorkie’s hair shorter as it requires less maintenance than their longer coat. These cute tiny dogs usually weigh around 3kg and can live up to around 16 years.

Despite their reputation for long, flowing locks, Yorkie’s shed very lightly and are a great dog if you suffer from allergies - but are Yorkies hypoallergenic? Unfortunately, it is difficult to say and hypoallergenic dog breeds lists should be treated with caution. Allergists are sceptical about labelling particular breeds as hypoallergenic and believe it will vary from person to person to dog! Experts do agree, however, that it is usually a dogs’ saliva and dander (microscopic sheds of skin), rather than their hair, which cause most allergic reactions. As such, if you have allergies, it’s best to seek medical advice and go from there.

A number of Yorkie crosses have appeared in recent years with names as cute as the dogs themselves: the Morkie (a Maltese Yorkie mix), the Chorkie (a Yorkie Chihuahua mix), the Snorkie (a Schnauzer Yorkie mix) and the Dorkie (Dachshund Yorkie mix). Slightly diverging from the usual naming practice, there’s also the Yorkipoo (a Yorkie Poodle mix). Yorkie poo puppies are particularly cute, tiny balls of fluff. To ensure you get the best idea of temperament and possible health issues of mixed breed dogs (and to avoid getting too caught up in the cuteness!) check the breed pages of each breed in the mix.

How much exercise does a Yorkshire Terrier need?

Their Terrier tendencies give Yorkies a hunting instinct, and they love a good walk or hunt for a toy around the garden. The Kennel Club suggests up to 30 minutes of exercise a day to ensure a happy, healthy pup.

"Although she's almost 11, she can walk easily for two hours, maybe 4 miles max. We've recently just come back from Anglesey where we were walking the coastal path. Not a problem!" - Louise, Owner of Becky

A small, long-haired dog looks excited with his tongue out — Doggy member Bear

What is the temperament of a Yorkshire Terrier?

Yorkies are friendly dogs who make great companions. According to The Kennel Club they can sometimes be picky eaters. They are known to be good small family dogs due to their playful character and low maintenance walking needs. Here’s what some of our members had to say about their Yorkie pals:

"He is genuinely the loveliest dog and is full of character! He is beautifully natured and plays really well with other dogs. He is amazing company....happy to play but happy to do his own thing too." - Elaine, Owner of Arnie

Coco's long, tan, black and grey hair is blowing in the wind. They have large ears and a fairly short nose. — Doggy member Coco

Are Yorkshire Terriers easy to train?

Training a Yorkie can be a bit tricky, and they might be a bit reluctant to walk on the lead at first. However, with time and patience your pup can be house trained and wonderful when taking a walk. They’re also incredibly light should you need to help them along the way!

Owner Claire on her Yorkshire Terrier, Maisy

Maisy is a gorgeous, playful dog. She's totally house trained, never chews things up and is amazing with kids.

That being said, here are a few funny quirks that some of our members’ pooches have:

Owner Jo on her Yorkshire Terrier, Poppy

Bizarrely, if you get her wet, she's goes crazy - a bit like a gremlin.

Owner Genna on her Yorkshire Terrier Ziggy

He loves children and always chases them around for kisses and play.

Owner Darta on her Yorkshire Terrier Smurphie

In his spare time, he likes to catch flies in the house and work part-time as a little hoover by cleaning up everything that's been dropped on the kitchen floor.

Most common Yorkshire Terrier names on BorrowMyDoggy:

Charlie
Alfie
Teddy
Oscar
Bailey
Poppy
Bella
Lola
Tilly
Bobby

BorrowMyDoggy member, Phyllis, joined with her adorable Yorkshire Terrier, Jack. Read their story to see why she says their borrowers “started off having him for a few hours and now they’ve even had him for a whole week. They’re a godsend.”

High paws to our lovely community for letting us share these facts about their Yorkshire Terriers. Paws crossed you found them helpful :)

Looking for the pawfect Yorkshire Terrier to join you on a walk? Or would you like your Yorkie to make a new friend? Why not sign up to BorrowMyDoggy today.