by Susan Bailey

In 2006, the American Kennel Club announced that the Yorkshire Terrier was the second most popular purebred dog in America. They are poised to become the nation’s most popular dog – even over the ubiquitous Labrador Retriever. Where did the Yorkshire Terrier come from? What breeds went into making it? And why did it get to be so popular?

Despite being named after a Northern county in England, the direct ancestor stock of today’s Yorkshire Terrier came from Scotland. When Scottish weavers lost work because of the rise of factory made clothing, they had to move south and brought their dogs with them. These dogs were Scottish Terriers, Paisley Terriers, Clydesdale (or Clyde) Terriers, the latter two breeds are now extinct. The Scottish dogs bred with the local terrier breeds, thought to have been Skye Terriers, Maltese and the now extinct breeds of Black and Tan English and Waterside. The eventual result was Huddersfield Ben, considered the fore sire of the entire Yorkshire Terrier breed.

Back in 1865 – the year of Huddersfield Ben’s birth – dogs were bred to exhibit useful qualities, not for their looks. There also was not much interest in keeping breeds pure. There are very few accurate records of dog breeding at this time. It is also thought that dog breeding was considered such a secret business that no records were kept for fear of the knowledge getting out to competitors. Yorkshire Terriers got their name because the breed was perfected in Yorkshire.

The Scottish dogs then inevitably wooed the blushing English roses of the local canine population. It is thought those breeds were the Black and Tan English Terrier (also now extinct), the Skye Terrier and the Waterside Terrier (which is – you guessed it – also extinct). According to the majority of Yorkshire Terrier information sources, the founding father of the breed, Huddersfield Ben, was born in Yorkshire in 1865. He became one of the most admired dogs of his day.

The Yorkshire Terrier was bred back then for a specific purpose and not for looks. Rats were a terrible problem in farms, homes and the Yorkshire mines. Small, brave terriers were found to be better than cats for quickly dispatching these rats.

Over the last century, Yorkshire Terriers have become ever smaller. The original Yorkies were about thirty pounds and came in several colors. Today’s show Yorkies are not to exceed seven pounds and must be steel blue and tan (and have those colors in specific proportions).

Just one hundred years after Huddersfield Ben’s birth, the breed standard listed the weight of a Yorkie to be “no more than seven pounds”. The current trend is to breed them even smaller. Who knows how small the Yorkshire Terrier will be by 2065?

About the Author:

Susan Bailey is an avid lover of the Yorkshire Terrier and owns a popular website where you’ll discover how to have a happy, healthy and well behaved Yorkshire Terrier. Among other topics at this website, you can also learn all about Yorkshire Terrier History plus a whole lot more.

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