Yorkshire Terriers Dog
The Yorkshire terrier is perhaps best known for its fur.
Its famous long, straight silky coat is often seen primped
and tied back in a fancy top knot, and adorned with a colorful bow (usually for
the girls).
And while there's good reason to fuss so much over this dog's
'do, it isn't the only thing that makes the Yorkshire terrier so highly sought
after.
History
During the mid-1850s, Scottish workers looking for employment
in cotton mills and mines in Yorkshire, England, brought with them a variety of
terrier dogs to use as pest control. Some of these rat- and mouse-catching
terrier breeds included the Skye terrier and the now-extinct paisley and
Clydesdale terriers.
As these dogs grew to become pets more than hunters, the
breeders in Yorkshire focused on perfecting the appearance of this new type of
dog. Selective breeding created today's modern Yorkshire terrier, which can
have either a long "shiny" coat or a short, "soft" coat.
By the 1860s, the Yorkshire terrier was a popular lap dog and
in 1878 was one of the first 25 dog breeds to be recognized by the American
Kennel Association.
Personality
Yorkshire terriers tend to believe they're actually large
dogs. With a reputation for being eager, loyal to their families and clever
minded, these small dogs are big on adventure and show little fear.
Along with their bravado comes a great deal of affection,
particularly from Yorkshire terrier puppies, who are known to cuddle
excessively during the first several years of their lives.
Intelligent and active, this dog breed strives to be more
than just a lap dog. Training is recommended to curb any inclination to become
yappy and aggressive toward strangers. They are known to respond very well to
training, although potty training may take longer with this sometimes stubborn
breed.
Yorkies born with a short, soft coat require less brushing.
Appearance
The Yorkshire terrier's defining features include its small
size and steel blue and tan coat. The average Yorkshire terrier weighs 7 pounds
and is six inches tall.
If your Yorkie has a silky long coat, daily grooming and a
monthly bath is required in order to maintain a healthy texture. Trimming is
sometimes necessary as well. Yorkshire terrier owners who tend to show their
dogs in contests will go so far as to lightly oil their dog's coat, then wrap
the coat in rice or tissue paper after bathing. Adjustments to the rice paper
must be made weekly, so this requires a great deal of commitment to maintain.
Because the coat covering the Yorkie's head is so long it is
sometimes necessary to pull it back with a hair apparatus in order to maximize
the dog's visibility and prevent it from dragging in the food bowl. While some
owners simply trim the fur, others prefer to get creative and fanciful with
colored hair bands and bows.
It can take as long as three years for a Yorkshire terrier
puppy's coat to reach its final steel blue and tan color. Until then, Yorkie
puppies tend to have a black coat with tan tips and sometimes a white
"star" on their chest and/or toes that typically fade with age.
Hypoallergenic
While many Web sites and sources suggest that the Yorkshire
terrier has a hypoallergenic coat, it should be recognized that no one dog is
truly capable of being hypoallergenic.
The difference between coats from one dog breed to the next
is the amount of dander (dead skin) and fur it tends to shed. Allergic
reactions to dogs are due mainly allergens (proteins) found in saliva and to a
lesser extent dander or the urine of dogs.
That being said, the Yorkshire terrier sheds a great deal
less on average than many dog breeds. They tend to shed nearly exclusively
following a bath or grooming. Of course, there is no guarantee that you or
someone in your family will not develop allergies to this particular dog breed.
Health
Yorkshire terriers can suffer from a variety of health
conditions. While these may be common medical conditions, your Yorkshire
terrier will not necessarily develop those listed below.
·
Bladder
stones are produced if excess minerals and other waste products solidify
or crystallize in the dog's urinary bladder. The stones typically appear in
dogs less than 6 years of age and are often the result of portosytemic shunts
in Yorkies. Just as in humans, bladder stones cause a great deal of pain for
dogs who have them. Immediate care is required by a veterinarian to prevent
complications such as severe infection and kidney failure. While the bladder
stones can reoccur, dietary modifications are helpful in reducing the incidence
of recurrence.
·
Congenital
hydrocephalus is caused by birth defects of the brain's drainage system
and is not uncommon in the breed. Mild hydrocephalus, manifested by a dome
shaped skull with a pronounced “soft spot,” does not appear to cause serious
clinical problems in many dogs. Severe hydrocephalus may cause depression, loss
of coordinated movement, eye abnormalities, vision problems, seizures, and
skull enlargement.
·
Congenital
patellar luxation is caused by anatomical defects of the bones that make
up the knee joint. It is manifested by the kneecap (patella) slipping in and
out of its normal location in the knee. Mildly affected dogs may carry the leg
for 2 or 3 steps while walking. Severely affected dogs may become severely lame
and refuse to use their rear legs. Surgical correction of this condition is
very rewarding.
·
Distichiasis occurs
when eyelashes grow in the wrong place on the eyelid and cause an eye
irritation which may result in scarred corneas.
·
Hypoglycemia happens
when a Yorkie puppy's blood sugar is too low. This may be caused by a
habitually long period of time between meals. Other environmental factors can
exacerbate this condition, including stress, fatigue, a cold environment, poor
nutrition or a bacterial infection, parasite or portosystemic shunt. Immediate
treatment is required because the condition can be fatal.
·
Hypoplasia
of dens occurs when there is a congenital abnormality in the dog's 2nd
cervical vertebra, leading instability and spinal cord damage. Symptoms may
occur at any age; signs include neck pain and sometimes quadriplegia.
·
Legg–Calvé–Perthes
disease is caused by degeneration of the femoral head of the thigh bone
due to poor circulation. The disorder typically appears when the Yorkie is
young; signs include pain and lameness of the rear leg. Surgery is necessary to
alleviate pain and the lameness associated with the disorder.
·
Portosystemic
shunt is a congenital malformation of the liver vasculature that results
in blood bypassing the liver where toxins and nutrients absorbed from the
intestines are normally metabolized prior to entering the circulation. The
buildup of “toxins” in the unfiltered blood is responsible for the clinical
signs that include small stature, loss of appetite, inadequate muscle
development, poor coordination, behavioral abnormalities and seizures.
·
Retinal
dysplasia refers to abnormal development of the retina. It may be due to
an inherited defect or damage caused by a viral infection such as canine
herpesvirus or other viral disorders. The result is abnormal development of the
retina which could lead to poor vision and sometimes complete blindness.
·
Tracheal
collapse is caused by poor development and weakening of the trachea walls,
becoming more severe with the dog's age. Since this condition is typically
aggravated by a Yorkie pulling against his collar, it is recommended that a
harness be used instead to prevent irritation and coughing. Chronic irritation
and coughing may cause complications, including chronic lung disease and right
sided heart enlargement.
