CHILDREN’S WORLD - PETS - YORKSHIRE TERRIER

Yorkshire Terrier
Yorkshire terrier is among the smallest breeds in the world - definitely the smallest terrier - and among the most popular ones. To the fact surely contributes apart from its size also its beautiful hair and colour, well-groomed look, and also its attractive, lively nature. The dog breeders have in the course of time polished the look and character of these small puppies to perfection.
However, the history of the breed is far from the perception of an elegant puppy for company. Its ancestors were working dogs - terriers of various kinds used by hunters in fox, badger and rabbit hunt but also served as vermin terminators, primarily rat terminators. The term itself - terrier - generates from the Latin word „terra”, meaning earth, land, since these short-legged dogs searched the ground and underground looking for its prey.
Their somewhat longer, harsh hair made it possible for owners to pull them out of burrows or ditches where they would get stuck during hunt, if they could not catch them by tail and thus pull them out. The hair was good protection for the body and eyes in confrontation with predators and vermins.
So, how did it happen that from those coarse dogs today’s gracious and long-haired doggies developed? The theories that arose about their origin speak about small dogs, insufficiently big to confront rats but vigorous to catch mice and gladly accepted in households. Also miners’ shafts are mentioned where these doggies caught tiny rodents and made life easier for miners. They dwelled with them deep down in shafts, without light, most time in total darkness. Long hair, especially on head, falling over his eyes in tufts, saved their eyes when after long time they would step into daylight. Anyhow, it is sure that they originated from Yorkshire and Lancashire in Great Britain, areas with developed mining but also weaver industry, so that the beginning of their breeding took place in weavers’ households. Efficient selection turned theses common, working terriers into beauties.
Due to its small size Yorkie needs relatively small space in an apartment which is a reason why today it is so often met in many cities’ households; especially convenient is that although a lover of walks, it can get enough exercise also in small spaces. It is a relatively long-lived breed, and can thus be a good and faithful friend for many years. Since one of essential characteristics of this breed is its glamorous hair and colour, it needs to be said that it is necessary to put a lot of effort in maintenance of this beauty. Thus, for the sports way of life of these doggies their hair is usually shortened, leaving only a longer lock with a bow in hair.
While the breed was still in the process of development there appeared a need to create standards and typify dogs. Today, the official standard of the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale) describes the breed as a dog of long, silky hair that hangs straight and evenly on both sides. The parting in hair stretches from the snout to tail top. The hair colour is dark steel blue stretching from nape to tail root. The hair on chest and partly on face is in the colour of rich, lush arson. The dog is of very compact and regular build and upright posture that creates an impression of importance. Dog’s outer description creates an impression of energy and body balance. It weights up to 3.1 kg.