Long before it became a lapdog in a bow, the Yorkshire Terrier was a working ratter in the textile mills and mines of nineteenth-century northern England, created by workers who crossed several small Scottish terriers. A show dog named Huddersfield Ben helped fix the type in the 1870s, and Yorkies have ranked among America's favorite breeds for decades. The breed is tiny, usually around seven pounds, with a fine, silky, steel-blue and tan coat that grows like human hair.
Yorkies tend to carry themselves with a big terrier attitude: confident, curious, affectionate and quick to sound the alarm. They bond closely with their people and travel easily, but they are fragile around rough play and prone to dental disease. Adopters should plan for regular grooming, patient house training and frequent small meals for young or very small dogs.