-Ann Landers

The Yorkshire Terrier, also fondly known as the Yorkie, enjoys cuddling on laps and snuggling

into soft pillow, but is lively and inquisitive, physically and mentally quick, and spends

much time dashing around checking things out.

If this sounds like the match for you, stick around.

Welcome to Animal Facts, I'm Leroy and today we discuss the small, elegant, easy to carry,

ever-popular lap dog, the Yorkie.

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Let's Get Started.

10.

Today, Yorkshire Terriers are popular companion dogs, but these little dogs were bred from

a collection of terriers, including the Waterside terrier, in order to hunt rats.

Miners, weavers, and other business owners in Scotland in the mid-1800s used these tiny

exterminators to keep their workspaces rodent-free.

Because of their compact size, Yorkshires could squeeze into tiny spaces; their fierce

personalities helped them fearlessly take on their rodent prey.

Yorkies love squeaky toys.

Maybe it’s because the squeakiness stirs up their age-old instinct to hunt.

9.

THE FATHER OF THE YORKSHIRE TERRIER BREED WAS A SHOW CHAMPION.

Yorkshire Terriers descend from several similar terrier breeds, some of which no longer exist,

such as the Black-and-Tan Terrier and the Clydesdale Terrier.

But the one dog considered the father of the breed was a champion show dog named Huddersfield

Ben.

He won more than 70 prizes and sired many Yorkies, laying the foundation for the breed.

At the time, the dogs were called Broken Haired Scotch Terriers or Toy Terriers, but by 1870,

they were known as Yorkshire Terriers, after the region where they were first produced.

8.

According to the American Kennel Club's registration statistics for 2016, Yorkie are the seventh

most popular dog breed in the U.S.

They trail only Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Beagles, Bulldogs

and French Bulldogs.

In 1949, only 173 Yorkies were registered by the AKC.

In 2007, they were the 6th most registered breed by the AKC.

7.

There are 4 color combinations approved for the breed standard: Black & Tan, Black & Gold,

Blue & Gold, and Blue & Tan.

These 4 different combinations each have a specific code associated with them, and that

number is entered on the dog’s registration form.

6.

When American soldier Bill Wynne found a Yorkshire terrier in a foxhole during WWII, he named

her Smoky and took her in.

The two traveled through New Guinea, and Smoky soon began to help with the war effort.

Thanks to her small size and obedience, she was able to run through pipes and string communication

wires under a former Japanese airstrip.

Without her help, soldiers would have had to dig trenches and expose themselves to enemy

fire.

Smoky also toured hospitals throughout the Pacific and the United States, working as

a therapy dog for wounded soldiers.

After wartime, she went to Hollywood, where she performed on various TV shows.

There is a monument dedicated to her memory where she passed away in Cleveland, Ohio.

5.

The smallest dog alive today is a 4-inch Chihuahua named Miracle Milly, but Milly is still bigger

than Sylvia, a Yorkshire Terrier who for 70 years has remained the smallest dog in recorded

history.

Sylvia was 2.5 inches tall, measured 3.5 inches long and weighed only 4 ounces.

4.

Legendary actress Audrey Hepburn was famously attached to her Yorkshire Terrier, Mr. Famous.

Lots of photos exist of Hepburn toting the dog around with her on studio lots, and he

even made an appearance in one of her most popular movies, "Funny Face."

Other notable celebrity Yorkie owners include: Tom Brady, Carmen Electra, Natalie Portman,

Ivanka Trump, Britney Spears, and Joan Rivers.

3.

Yorkies are known for their long, flowing, silky coats, which swish around the show ring.

But this beautiful feature is also incredibly time-consuming to care for.

Because the coat is similar to human hair, it tangles into knots if the owner doesn't

brush it every day.

The bonus is that Yorkies don't have an undercoat so their coat doesn't shed anymore than your

hair does.

Many breeders recommend that owners keep their Yorkies in a "puppy cut," which is short and

easily to maintain.

2.

This fact will remain a point of contention among Cairn Terrier and Yorkshire Terrier

fans alike.

The original drawings in the first edition of L. Frank Baum’s book The Wonderful Wizard

of Oz depict Toto as what some say seems to be a Yorkie.

The assumption makes sense, considering the breed was popular at the time and that the

illustrator W.W.

Denslow owned one.

We will never know for sure, but we are certain that in the movie, Toto is played by a Cairn

Terrier.

1.

Judging by their bravery and boldness, Yorkies have no idea how small they are, or else they

have the confidence not to let their diminutive size hold them back.

Loyal to the bone, Yorkies have been known to protect their owners from any threat.

In 2014, a 6-pound Yorkie in New Jersey even chased off a hungry bear that wandered into

the dog's home.

Well there we have it - ten colosal facts about a tiny toy terrier.

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