Yorkie 101: Toy Yorkshire Terrier
It is very difficult for the Yorkie novice to discover that there are no different Yorkshire Terrier types. A Yorkie is a Yorkie is a Yorkie. This is according to the breed societies and national showing bodies like the American Kennel Club (AKC) or United Kennel Club (UKC). However, if you look into any advertising for Yorkshire Terrier puppies, you will find lots of breeders insisting that there are such things as Teacup Yorkies, Standard Yorkies and Toy Yorkshire Terriers.
If you are looking for a Yorkshire Terrier, be very clear what the individual breeder considers a Toy Yorkshire Terrier. Most will call any Yorkshire Terrier a Toy Yorkshire Terrier. The Yorkshire Terrier is in the Toy group of dogs for showing purposes after all. But there are some breeders who will insist that Toy Yorkshire Terriers are of a certain weight - four to six pounds. The average weight for a show quality Yorkshire Terrier is seven pounds.
What do you think you are getting with a Toy Yorkshire Terrier? You are expecting a dog of about four pounds when full grown - smaller than a cat, and a heck of a lot more fragile. They will look cute, but that cuteness wears off for many. Toy Yorkshire Terriers need to be brushed everyday, need at least twelve trips to a professional groomer in a year, and are considered delicacies by bigger dogs.
If you discover that the puppy you are interested in is expected to turn out to be less than five pounds, run far away. These puppies are sickly, short-lived and overly excitable. They often have problems with housetraining, separation anxiety and biting. They are also incredibly fragile and can be killed if you drop them. Breeders of these kinds of Toy Yorkshire Terriers hope you know nothing about dogs.
There really aren’t any laws tough enough to stop breeding incredibly tiny, sickly Toy Yorkshire Terriers Since there is a demand, there logically must be a supply.
Don’t be swayed by marketing gimmicks such as Toy Yorkshire Terriers being somehow more desirable (and therefore more expensive) than plain old Yorkshire Terriers. If you want a Yorkshire Terrier, than size does not matter. In fact, most purebred Yorkshire Terriers grow far too big to be considered show animals. A Yorkshire Terrier is disqualified if he or she is over seven pounds. Quite a lot of purebred Yorkies are more than seven pounds.
Because there are no requirements for buying a dog, many people buy a dog that he shouldn’t. Then, those dogs wind up in shelters. Because of the particular needs of Yorkies, many Yorkshire Terrier rescues have sprouted up all over the country. They know how domineering, needy and yet how loyal these dogs are.
You always should meet the dog before you take him or her home. If you are getting a puppy from a licensed breeder, you need to check out the kennel to see if it is a healthy place and check on what kind of dog Mom is. Mom will teach the puppies how to behave. ##
