Yorkshire terrier - a few pounds of dog supported by a big personality!

 

We love and adore them and learn more about the breed every day we spend with our little one(s). As Yorkie lovers, we trade information and give advice to each other, as we deal with the [1]   issues our doggies face. Basic knowledge to some, is new knowledge to others, and in the process we all learn and grow.

 

Yorkshire Terriers date back to 19th century England, when they were bred to hunt rats in the Yorkshire clothing mills and mines[1]. They may originally have been bred from different types of Scottish and other, including English, terriers. The Paisley Terrier, Skye Terrier, the Manchester terrier, and even the Maltese, may have played a role in their breed development[2].

 

Yorkshire Terriers were introduced to the USA in 1872, and in 1885 the first one was registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC)[3]. In the 1890's, a show (and stud) dog named Huddersfield Ben, owned by Mary Ann Foster and her husband, became the breed standard[4]. Today they are rated amongst the top 10 popular breeds in the USA[5].

 

One of the most famous American Yorkies, was Smoky, who was found in an abandoned foxhole in New Guinea during WWII, and sold to Corporal Bill Wynne, by a fellow soldier. He trained her to entertain the soldiers and even assist with chores during the war[6]. After her return home with him, she made the newspapers, TV shows, and visited soldiers in hospitals. Our little hero died in 1957, but her (and other war dogs') heroism, is immortalized by a statue in Cleveland OH.

 

These feisty little dogs average 7 pounds, but can range in size from a few pounds less, to up to 15 pounds. They may be small or large in stature - but are almost always big in personality. Their built depends on their breeding, their sex, and at times their medical issues. Their personality is affected by their breeding, socialization, training, their health, and their home life and surroundings. How you view and treat your dog, also helps shape their personality and world view.

 

                                 

 

Typical of terriers, they can be stubborn and independent, pure little divas, or mild mannered and sweet as pie. Our blind little 7-pound Nico, who we believed were 17+ years old, struggled with tracheal collapse. Yet he could still scold his 107-pound Ridgeback brother off the bed with a commanding hoarse bark, only to cuddle up tightly next to you and be the love of your life.

They can be little attention hogs who bask in all the love you can offer. They will court anyone coming to visit, whom they run into on their walks, or when they accompany a parent on an errand . Caroline's potty walks can be time consuming, since she has to soak up the neighborhood goodwill, and a pat on the head from all approachable strangers. She also has to demonstrate her dominance by peeing over any spot the rest of her doggie family claimed, or a stranger doggie marked before her. Our newest old doggie Suzanne barely weighs in at 5 pounds. She's calm, loving and wants to please, until she hits the road for a potty walk. Then she stops to smell the roses, the trees, the hydrants, and anything else that comes her way - four feet planted firmly on the ground, in case you thought of moving her on!

 

 

 

These lovely bundles of energy can roll over and sit on demand, like a prior foster doggie, Lexi, yet be loud and busy, and difficult to contain, like the latest addition to our family, LeeLee. A home with a Yorkie is seldom quiet when a doorbell rings, or a knock on the door announces a visitor. They will either do a happy dance and song, or loudly, and at times ferociously, advertise the "intrusion". They can be curious, but also overprotective, which could lead them to attack larger dogs or animals - not realizing the danger.

 

 

 

Yorkies can be high strung. When not well socialized, they could also alert the whole neighborhood when someone arrives, or when they are left alone. Their loud wailing sounds can pierce the ears. Little Caroline, Suzanne and LeeLee are the typical culprits, and at times will create quite the vocal show whether you leave them inside while working outside, or when you leave the home without them in the middle of the day. Work on the barking and shrieking with a clear short NO! and don't give in and pay extra attention by coddling naughty behavior. This could be a tedious process when you adopt them as adults, especially when they have separation anxiety. Progress can be slow - but there is improvement if you stand your ground. They are bright little dogs who catch on fast. Be careful that you train them, instead of them training you. Caroline and her mommy took a while to work out who was the trainer, and who the trainee. Suzanne proved to be a bit easier to adjust and train (maybe because she's older and more frail), but LeeLee still gives her mommy a run for her money, despite her own training, and her mommy wisening over the years.

 

Yorkies are bright, active, and smart. They are very inquisitive, easily excitable, have a strong chasing instinct (squirrels beware), and can move fast. Make sure you provide them with mental and physical stimulation. They were originally bred as working dogs[1], will thrive with attention and exercise, and will do well in day care. A tired and content Yorkie is a good Yorkie ...

 

                                     

 

This also brings us to the need of a well fenced yard or exercise area, and checking for holes on a regular basis, as well as a well fitted harness for walks. Beware of constricting their airways with the use of regular collars.

 

Our energetic little dogs' coats vary in color, from black and tan, to silver or blue with light brown, at times blond. We fostered and then adopted LeeLee, a light brown chocolate Yorkie, and friends adopted a colorful Biewer Yorkie, named Cassie, who joined her blond sister, Bella. The rest of our Yorkies are the color of the majority of their breed, black and tan. Yorkies typically have long hair - fine, glossy, straight and silky. This calls for daily brushing, and frequent bathing. Be especially careful of their fine hair matting - it pulls on the skin which hurts and will also break off the hair. A professional groomer from time to time really eases the process of managing their beauty. At home we use baby shampoo and conditioner, and a baby detangler, as well as Moroccan oil, to keep their coats untangled and shiny. Occasionally we use coconut oil. If you are not able to keep up, consider a puppy cut.

 

                                                

When you bring a Yorkie into your home, be ready for a commitment of up to 20 years. Most Yorkies live 12-15 years, with smaller Yorkies often less long, and female Yorkies on average outliving their male partners by 1.5 years[9]. However, we adopted a large male Yorkie, Neff, that lived to be 19, older than any females we have had.

                       

They can face multiple health issues over their lifespan. Similar to other smaller dog breeds, they often retain some of their deciduous ("baby") teeth. One of YTNR's adoptees in 2018, Lexi, had to have 4 of them removed during her dental, at 4.5 years old. They are also prone to severe dental disease. Both our little Nico and Neff had to have all their teeth pulled upon adoption - with many of our other doggies losing most of theirs by old age. Our Andy came to us after a major dental, with 2 teeth left at age 14, and little Suzanne lost most of her teeth as soon as she got a dental at age 12. Their health and level of pain improved big time once they were rid of the bad teeth and infection. The reason for those cute little tongues hanging out of Yorkies' mouths on pictures, is a lack of most or all teeth, and often a lack of dental care through the years. Infected teeth cause pain but can also be a precursor to so many other problems, and a little life cut short.

 

Yorkies are also known for luxating patellas (slipping kneecaps), collapsing trachea (progressive weakening of the trachea walls which leads to difficulty breathing), legg perthes (a hip joint confirmation disorder), Liver shunt, (inadequate blood supply to the liver, when the blood vessel flows around it, not through it), bladder stones, Cushing's Syndrome (excess production of steroid hormone), Encephalitis (brain inflammation), and digestive issues, such as pancreatitis[9]. Of course, our Yorkies, like other dogs, face multiple other health issues as well. So, when you bring a little lovely into your home, budget on the expense for food, general care and veterinary care. Consider a pet health plan. It is only fair to them that when we make a promise of care to them for the rest of their lives, that we keep that promise. When life circumstances change - explore assistance options, such as low-cost care, or animal food banks, in your area. If you are no longer able to care for your Yorkie, for any reason, please consider surrendering your loved one to YTNR. We will find it the home and the care you would want it to have. We will chip them so they can always come home should anything happen again, and we will always be there for them.

 

Our Yorkies (and our other animals) provide amazing companionship and camaraderie - and unconditional love. They give us a reason to wake up and start the day (often earlier than we humans would have preferred), a reason to be outside (and smell the roses), they teach us to be caring and compassionate (often by example), and responsible (by reminding us of food times and walks). As Yorkie parents we are blessed with learning from our dogs, and about our dogs, daily. They lead us to making friends who enrich our lives - and all because of a few pounds of vigor and vim! Let's return the favor with love and care, and by advocating for the breed (and for other animals). But most of all, let's enjoy each other's love and company, and the friends we make in the process.

 

Let our dogs be our co-pilots in our lives, while we live life to the fullest.

 

[1]   https://theculturetrip.com

[2]   https://www.petwave.com.DogsBreedsYorkshireTerrier

[3]   https://www.akc.org > Dog breeds

[4]  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huddersfield_Ben

[5] https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/most-popular-dog-breeds-in-the-u-s/18/

[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoky_(dog)

[7] https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/05/140520-dogs-war-canines-soldiers-military-healing-yorkshire-terrier-smoky

[8] www.yorkieinfocenter.com/Yorkshire-terrier-life-span

[9]   www.YTNR.com for further info

 

 

 

As the cold weather grips the USA, it often puts the most vulnerable at risk. We think of children not realizing the dangers, of people not having the funds to heat their homes appropriately, of the elderly, some of whom have limited support and limited resources, of the homeless, who struggle to make it into shelters, or those who cannot manage spending time in shelters. And then there are the animals, the little souls we are responsible for, and who depend fully on us. They have little recourse against the elements, if not for us.

 

 

When it gets freezing cold outside, and it's too cold for us, it is also too cold for our companion animals. Exercise caution for yourself and those who depend on you. If we need a jacket and shoes, our dogs need warmth, like a jacket/sweater/insulated raincoat and booties too. For doggies that do not do well with booties, consider massaging petroleum jelly into their paws to protect them. If their walk is on sidewalks where the snow and ice are being managed with chemicals, they need to be rinsed off when they come into the home. The chemicals or salt can burn their feet, their bellies and their skins, or cause other problems, like poisoning, if they lick off their paws. The snow can also cake into the finer hairs of their paws, and around their paws, and cause damage, even frostbite. We usually wash off our dogs' feet in warm water when they come back in.

 

 

If the snow falls and accumulates, keep your dogs on a leash, or set up a X-pen right outside the door, for safe potty options. A little dog can get excited, run, try to play, and be buried in the snow, if they have the run of the yard. Always keep a dry towel with you on snowy cold walks, to wipe them off, because wet fur or jackets can make them colder. Check their paws for damage such as cracks or bleeding, when you bring them back into the house. Consider a humidifier, to help their skins from drying out and becoming flaky when you go out into the cold and come back into the dry heat in the home. We often use one, including for our doggies with breathing issues.

 

Keep a good eye on older or ill dogs, since severe cold can worsen symptoms of some illnesses, such as arthritis. Dogs with medical issues such as Cushings, diabetes, kidney or heart disease, may have more difficulty regulating their body heat and staying warm. Our now deceased doggie, Eric, used to love his jacket in cold weather, since his hair thinned out more, and his body just couldn't stay warm enough, due to his decreased kidney function, and his hormonal balance due to Cushings.

 

Feed them a little more if they go outside in the very cold weather, since they burn more calories. Keep fresh water ready in the house, to entice them to remain hydrated. Also make sure they have a warm dry bed. Personally, we try to place the beds close to vents, and our doggies sleep with hot water bottles when they're not in bed with us. We fostered and adopted out little Bella, who still protects her hot water bunny with her life. It goes everywhere with her, including on trips or when she comes to visit.

 

When the temperatures drop dangerously low, consider not letting them out at all - use potty pads or artificial grass. Amalia's little Neeko parked himself at the sliding door, hoping to go out in minus 15 degrees weather, but learned to take no for an answer, from a mommy who knew better. During unthinkable temperatures of minus fifty when windchill was included, Corrine's dogs never saw the outside for days, and remained safely inside with her. Life threatening temperatures for us, are life threatening for them too. They can get frostbite, hypothermia, and they can die, if left outside for extended periods. When a dog starts whining, shaking, become suddenly anxious or weak, take them inside immediately. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), it could be signs of hypothermia.

 

 

If you do let them out in very cold, but not extreme weather, like our recent polar vortex that hit the Midwest, try seconds or minutes at a time, on a leash, and fully monitored, even when they have thick coats. Make sure to close or lock your doggie doors, so they cannot accidentally let themselves out.

 

According to the American Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)'s website, pets left outside can become disoriented, lost, stolen, injured, or freeze and die. They also advise to not leave animals in cars for prolonged periods in the cold weather, since the car can act as an insulator, and typical to a refrigerator, can trap the cold, which can also freeze an animal to death. (The opposite of how animals die in hot cars.)

 

 

As we take care of our own animals, please keep an eye out for those who did become lost or disoriented, those who are less fortunate, who are freezing alone out in the extreme weather, and who need help. Educate owners who are not aware of the dangers in a caring manner, so they can hear you, and not become upset, but follow advice for the good of their animals. It warms my heart when I see the multiple social media post by my friends Paula and Maureen in Pennsylvania, who warn others of the dangers of leaving dogs outside, and to see them educate owners that even breeds we consider more resistant to cold, like Huskies, are in danger in extreme weather.

 

My most heartwarming story is about a Good Samaritan in Washington state, who found a soaking wet little Yorkie in freezing cold temperatures outside, on his way home from a night shift. She would never have survived by herself, but he took her in, dried her off, fed her, and contacted YTNR, when no veterinarian or the local Humane Society could locate an owner. He gave Sunshine the opportunity to find a new family and live the rest of her little life being loved to pieces.

 

There's so much good in the world, and so much warmth in people's hearts, even when it's cold outside. Thank you to all who care, and who make the world a better place!

 

 

 

 

Kobe has been adopted !

Kobe and his new mom Susan

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Ella found her furever home

Here she is with her new Mom & Dad

Have a wonderful life precious Ella ♥

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♥ Yorkies across U.S. will Thank You, as will YTNR ♥