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Personality: Yorkies, as Yorkshire Terriers are commonly known, are generally loyal and affectionate towards their owners, and often hostile towards other dogs. They're intelligent, active, brave, and most often described as being "bold." Yorkies carry themselves with a regal carriage and a sometimes haughty air. Although comparable in size to lapdogs, Yorkies do not share the same low-key temperament.
Grooming: The coat of a Yorkshire Terrier can be striking when well-maintained. Yorkies are known to have either long, straight, shiny "silk" coats, or shorter "soft" coats. With both types, because it is a single coat (without an undercoat) it is not known to shed. In fact, the hairs of a Yorkie are similar to human hairs! They should therefore be treated similarly: daily combing or brushing, with regular baths. Soft coats may need more care, including professional trims.
Common Health Issues: A number of inherited genetic disorders can plague the Yorkshire Terrier. Distichiae is a condition that causes eyelashes to grow from abnormal spots along the eyelid, which can lead to corneal abrasions and ulcers. Legg-Calve-Perthes syndrome causes degeneration in the femur and can present as early as five months of age. It often requires surgery to correct. Portosystemic shunt, a congenital defect involving blood supply to the liver, can also be resolved through surgery. As with toy dogs, a Yorkie may experience a collapsing of the trachea, especially as it gets older. For this reason, it is advised that Yorkies be leashed with harnesses rather than neck collars. Like many breeds, a trick knee (also known as luxating patella) may become a problem later in life.
Training Tips: Yorkies respond very well to training, as it allows them to exercise their intelligence and spend time with their owners. As people often complain that Yorkshire puppies are difficult to potty-train, be sure to devote plenty of time to this part of your Yorkie's upbringing. By sticking to a strict housebreaking schedule, your Yorkie's potty training should be a success.
Best For: Yorkies are a good match for people with allergies; since the Yorkshire's coat is similar to human hair, it is considered hypoallergenic. Also keep in mind that if you're thinking of having more children, a Yorkie might actually react negatively to a new person in the house that he protects so dearly.
What Yorkie Owners Say: "They are great for single people," says Los-Angeles-based Jaime Smithson. "I could leave him home for hours and it won't phase him. Yorkies do well with some other dogs in the household, especially with other Yorkies. They like to be in packs, but not with other dogs outside the household. No dog park for him!"
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I have had Yorkies all my life and I have never found them to be aggressive towards other dogs, just the opposite. It is not unusual to see Yorkies romping around with the other small dogs in the dog park and dog beach we go to. Like most dogs, if they are socialized at a young age and exposed to many different situations they grow up to be fun loving, warm and affectionate little companions. Unfortunately many dog owners do not socialize or bother to train these little characters correctly and will consequently have behavior problems, just as they would with any other breed. The only time I have seen my dogs react aggressively is when a large breed puppy starts playing way to roughly with them and when that happens they will back the dog off with some pretty assertive growls and barks. For this reason I would not recommend they be placed in a home where young children would also have a tendency to be too rough. I have heard some real horror stories of young children physically abusing these little dogs, especially when they are small puppies. As for the potty training, I too had difficulty with my first Yorkie. But once I pulled up the old carpet, learned to be consistent and to reward appropriately, the problem stopped. Yes they are really cute when they are puppies and the accidents they have are rather small compared to other breeds, but that is no excuse to let them get away with going in the house.....treat them the same way you would a bigger dog. If you let them get away with murder just because they are so cute, you will have a real problem on your hands when they become adult dogs. I currently have three Yorkies, two are 14 years old and the other is 11. They are in good health, go for long walks every day, still love to play with their squeeky toys, and love all the other dogs on the block and vice versa. I cannot begin to tell you the number of compliments I have received while walking these dogs...everyone wants to know where they can get such cute, well behaved and loveable dogs.