The Yorkshire terriers, or Yorkies, originated from Scotland but bred in England. They were molded to hunt rats, but nowadays they are popular as pets. In fact, their variety was one of the Top Dog Breeds of 2005.

They usually grow being small and light varieties. Hence, owners do not mind having their pets on their lap almost all day. Moreover, this usual bonding activity usually transforms this lap dog into a bright, playful, and loyal companion pet.

The following are some of the basic facts breeders would really love to know about Yorkies:
Category: Toy (Terrier)
Living Environment: indoors (highly recommended); outdoors (fenced yard)
Coat: silky, glossy, long and fine; no undercoat
Colors: black when young but they attain the colors tan and blue as they mature
Height: between 8 and 9 inches
Weight:  between 3 and 7 pounds
Temperament:

Naturally,
•    they are territorial and like their privacy to be respected
•    they are intelligent and fearless
•    they are assertive and independent

When properly trained,
•    they develop close affinity with older children
•    they become really playful and lively
•    they become extremely affectionate
•    they do not mind having other pets at home
•    they focus much of their attention and affection toward their owner

Breeders should note of the following health issues:
•       Alopecia, or losing hair
•       Cataract, or loss of transparency of one or both lenses of the eyes
•       Cryptorchidism, wherein testicles do not descend into the scrotum
•       Dwarfism
•       Entropion, a disorder with the eyelid; lashes on the eyelid that irritate the eyeballs could lead to other complications
•       Glaucoma, a condition that causes an increase pressure within the eye
•       Hydrocephalus
•       Keratoconjunctivitis sicca, or the reduction of tear production
•       Low blood sugar
•       Patellar luxation, a disorder in the kneecap
•       Portosystemic shunt, or the accumulation of blood toxins in the liver
•       Urolithiasis, an infection of the urinary tract leading to the formation of bladder stones.

Care and Exercise:
•    They require daily grooming.
•    Ears and eyes must be cleaned and checked regularly.
•    Dental hygiene must be regularly maintained.
•    They are fit only for short strides.
•    They should have a regular play time while lying under the sunbeams, chasing shadows, and joining tug-of-war.

Origin/History:
In the 19th century, a number of weavers from Scotland migrated to England and brought with them different terriers that were bred to hunt rats. Through time, these terriers were crossed and terriers with “broken hairs” were produced.

In 1870, a “broken-haired Scotch terrier” was named as a Yorkshire terrier by a reporter. He argued that the breed should be called as such because his types were bred in a town called Yorkshire.

Though the Yorkies were originally bred as working dogs, they became fashionable pets is England in the latter part of the Victorian era. In 1972, Yorkies were brought to the United States and became the country’s favorite pet.

You can say that the Yorkies developed into tough breeds because of their ancestors’ reputation as rat-hunters. However, their size, and playful and bright character have actually captured the attention and affection of most pet owners. Most proud owners would boast that they have the great giants inside the bodies of these little dogs. If you want a small but terrible breed of dog, grab a Yorkie now! Just a friendly reminder, they would really need your attention and companionship than any other terriers.

It is essential to have a dog that knows how to follow the right rules and how to live around your house. To achieve this, dog training must be considered. Most people think that training a dog is hard and expensive. Moreover, dog training requires a lot of patience and creativity for your dog. We have to remember that dogs may be intelligent but they can not be as intelligent as us.

What are the differences between a submissive dog and a dominant dog?
A submissive dog normally:
•    avoids eye contact.
•    rolls on its back.
•    crouch down, ears back and tail lowered.
•    is comfortable on its back in your arms.

On the other hand, a dominant dog:
•    maintains eye contact.
•    is unwilling to move from his place on the couch.
•    dislikes grooming and petting.
•    is possessive of dishes and toys.

Training your silky terriers requires kindness and consistency. Silkys respond actively to praises and to rewards. Trainings with obedience classes can be intensely beneficial in petting your silky terriers. In many dog training schools, classes for puppies are available. Young dogs are taught to get accustomed with other dogs and people using limited trainings. However, there are areas that do not conduct formal obedience training unless the dog is at least half a year old. Always remember that a dog is never too old to benefit from training when a good trainer is available, or if the owner is fully committed to the task.

Here are the recommended ways of training silky terriers:
1.    Reiteration or Repetition
Reiteration is the name of the dog training game. In here, dogs are asked to do a task over and over again to achieve mastery. Dog tricks are best learned when reiterated and reinforced through rewards.

2.     Persistence
Apparently, dog training requires a lot of persistence from the owner or from the trainer Physical and psychological aspects of the owner and/or the trainer must be sound.

3.     Commendation and Amendation
Simply put, if a dog does the right thing, it should be said aloud.

4.     Rewarding
Bits of cheese would really be good treats for dogs who responded correctly to a given command. Other food can be bought at pet sores. However, if you are able to get the respect of your pet, commands will be executed even if there are no longer involved treats. Likewise, these things reinforce warranted responses.

If your lifestyle permits being in charge of training your own pet, you can do the training as long as you have gathered enough patience and commitment by:
1. spending time grooming your dog.
2. having regular training times on the leash.
3. stroking its belly and toes and rolling it on its back
4. hand feeding some food to ensure that the pet is taking treats gently and slowly.

In asserting dominance, always practice consistency and firmness.

Whatever your dog preference is, you are sure to find terrier dogs among the candidates for a pal.

Basically bred for hunting and killing vermin, Terrier dogs are now known to offer wide spectrum of features and characters that you might find lovable. They are not as cuddly as toy dogs (while there are some terrier dogs in the toy and companion dog brackets) and they may not be as intelligent like other breeds but they set off these lacks with various things that only they can offer.

Let us discuss in brief some of the terrier dog types that you may find interesting:

Less aggressive but definitely not timid. This best describes Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers. This dog type too is gifted with intelligence which makes them very responsive with obedience training.

Parson Russell Terrier is a dog type that exhibits boldness, cleverness, affection and exuberant disposition.

The Norwich Terrier, on the other hand, is a type of dog that resulted from breeding small Terriers with other smaller breeds, possibly Yorkshire Terriers. Maintenance of Norwich Terrier is minimal and they are content with modest living quarters. They have active disposition though and can be affectionate and fearless. Additionally, they are also known to display stocky and happy personalities which make them ideal pals.

Much like the Norwich Terriers, Norfolk Terriers are also well-spirited, fearless, charming and always ready for game.

Basically workman-like dogs, Kerry Blue Terriers are excellent watchdogs and work well in farm settings. This dog got its name from its blue-shade coat color which was originally black during puppyhood.

Wire Fox Terriers are of great interest since they display power through its excellent endurance capabilities and speed. Alertness and quick movements are the dominant expressions of this dog type. It is advisable though that the owner trains this dog and should be given enough doses of daily exercises.

Meanwhile, Smooth Fox Terriers are the frolic and lively types of dogs that are ideal in both country and city living. Displaying intelligence and cleverness, this dog makes good trainees and must be well credited by that. They are also likely to show great affection towards their owners.

These are just some of the many terrier dog types that can be considered as your next pets. In general, this dog type has good dispositions and makes ideal home pets. Be warned though that some dog types in this breed can be very playful and should be given enough amount of attention and time during obedience training and exercises.