History of the origin of the Yorkshire Terrier breed

The Yorkshire Terrier is perhaps the most common dog of all indoor ornamental breeds. These crumbs have the ability to win hearts at an incredible speed. A touching appearance, soft fur and perky, active disposition cannot leave you indifferent.

The history of Yorkies is rooted in the past and is shrouded in countless conjectures and assumptions, which are often very ambiguous. The formation of the breed took place over several centuries, its first progenitors are considered the Old English Terriers, which were very different in appearance. The breed appeared in northern England, more precisely, in Scotland, in the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire in the 18th-19th centuries.

The patriarchs of the breed differed from modern dogs in more significant parameters, weighed about 5-7 kg. The wool of a bluish-blue tint did not have a special length and density, the body was more elongated, and the ears were semi-erect.

During this period, hunting for commoners was prohibited in England, and in order to avoid cases of poaching, a law was passed prohibiting peasants from keeping large dogs. Moreover, for a medium-sized dog it was necessary to obtain a special permit from the local authority. The aristocrats believed that the poor would not be able to hunt with small dogs. To determine the size of the dog, a special loop was invented. Its diameter was about 17 cm, and if the animal could crawl into this loop, the peasant was allowed to keep it.

Partly because of this law, there are a large number of small dog breeds in England. The ancestors of today's Yorkies guarded the homes and fields of peasants from rodents, served as guides on trips. Agile and agile small animals easily made their way into the narrow holes of mice and rats, catching them. Such abilities were appreciated, and the peasants, for the sake of entertainment, organized various competitions, the essence of which was in the destruction of rodents in a certain time. The dogs that won such fights were highly respected and protected.

It was then in the history of the breed that a small dog called the Waterside Terrier was noticed, weighing 3–6 kg with a height of 27 cm, with an already longer coat of gray color with a blue tint. The fact confirming the real existence of these animals is considered a documented article in the newspaper about the Waterside Terrier Polly, the winner of just such competitions, and its owner John Richardson.

One of the first Yorkie breeders is considered a certain Mr. Spink, who brought a male Australian Terrier from Australia. At that time, a dog named Punch was the winner of 13 shows in his homeland. As a result of crossing Punch with female Waterside Terriers, Spink bred offspring that were distinguished by their small size, soft coat and beautiful color.

One of his offspring was Ben Hudersfield, who in the future became the "father" of the modern Yorkie breed. With the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, peasants from surrounding and distant villages began to converge in Yorkshire County, looking for work. Together with them, their pets appeared - small-sized Scotch Terriers. These dogs in general had similar features, although they differed slightly in appearance, since they were from different localities. They were known by different names, depending on their habitat, although they were united by the well-known Scotch Terrier.

In the history of Yorkshire terriers the Maltese lapdog is also nominated as possible progenitors. In old breeding records, you can find information that to improve the quality of wool, its structure and length, representatives of Yorkies were mated with Maltese lapdogs. As a justification for this fact, Yorkies with light coat have the best coat characteristics.

The male had an elongated body, a copper-bronze color of the muzzle and limbs. Kitty's ears were saggy and the coat had a blue tone. Their descendants were used for the further development of the breed. In 1873, the Kennel Club was created, whose members registered pedigrees and described breeds. Clydesdale and Paisley Terriers can also be considered as potential relatives of today's Yorkies, although they have not been classified as separate breeds by the Club.

Their selection soon stopped, and now such varieties no longer exist. As a result of long-term work on the formation of the breed, terriers appeared with soft, smooth wool, moreover, having a sufficient length. The color she had was gray-blue with tan brownish-golden tones. Workers and weavers took part in the breeding and development of the breed. A new breed of dog with a diminutive size and a cute look gained recognition in different circles with lightning speed, displacing other types of terriers.

The year 1886 is significant in that the Yorkies were officially accepted into the Kennel Club and entered into the studbook. At the same time, the breed standard for breeders and breeders was approved. Yorkies connoisseurs created the Yorkshire Terrier Club in 1898. In the chronology of Yorkies, a special place is given to a dog named Ben Huddersfield. He is called the ancestor of the breed.

The owner of the animal Joan Foster from Yorkshire was a member of the Kennel Club jury and a famous breeder.During his short life, the legendary dog ​​received 74 prizes at various exhibitions and became the father of numerous champions. He died at the age of seven under the wheels of a cab, giving birth to a fairly numerical offspring.

The sons of Huddersfield Ben were officially recognized as Yorkies: Mozart, who won the championship at the exhibition in 1870, was named the first representative of the new breed, and Ted for six years was considered the best specimen of the Yorkie breed. It had the following characteristics: short back, weight 5 pounds, height 9 inches.

The formation of the character of the Yorkies lasted for several centuries, because each generation made its own contribution. Despite the tiny size, dogs are distinguished by courage and courage... Such traits have been inherent in the breed since its inception, since small hunters have always been brave. Only a dog with such abilities could rush into a narrow hole or tirelessly destroy rodents, even if they came across the same size as the hunter himself. Yorkies have energy and restlessness, they can run after the ball without a break or play active games with children.

At the same time, Yorkies are characterized by restraint, amazing intelligence and loyalty to the owner. Due to its active nature, Yorkshire Terrier needs long walks, active pastime and training.

Yorkies are very sensitive to the mood of the owner, and if you add extraordinary mental abilities to this feature, it is difficult to find a better manipulator. Therefore, upbringing requires consistency and perseverance, the Yorkie will be able to turn the owner's weakness to its advantage.

The representative of the Yorkies came to our country only in 1972. The puppy was presented to the ballerina Olga Lepeshinskaya. He made a splash in society, and since then, rich people have brought miniature dogs from abroad for huge sums of money. Only in 1992, a nursery was created in Mytishchi, where pedigree Yorkies were brought from different countries. Today there are a huge number of breeders of this unusual breed. Anyone can purchase this amazing miniature creation and get a faithful friend.

For the Yorkshire Terrier breed, see the video below.