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History of The Yorkshire Terrier

Hi and welcome for a little journey into the fascinating history of the amazing Yorkshire Terrier.

The Yorkie was not always as it is today

The Yorkshire Terrier has not always been the miniaturized dog that it now is.

In about 1750, the farm workers in England at the time of the Industrial Revolutions gave up working in the country and moved into larger cities to obtain better paying jobs.

A lot of the workers came into Yorkshire, England, from Scotland, where there were many manufacturing centers, coalmines and other industries.

 With the workers came their Paisley or Clydesdale Terrier dogs, used to keep rats down in both the houses and the workplaces.

These terriers eventually crossed with Skye Terriers, Black and Tan Terriers and even Maltese Terriers.

 Dog fanciers began to keep the smallest from each litter to breed to each other, eventually producing the miniaturized Yorkshire Terrier we now know.

 Developing The Breed

Huddersfield Ben is considered to be the father of the modern Yorkies.

 Born in 1865, Huddersfield Ben was one of the first Yorkshire Terrier stud dogs to be shown. He won numerous shows before he died in 1871.

Yorkshire Terriers were first shown at the Kennel Club shows in 1870, and the British Kennel Club officially listed the breed in 1874 as Broken Haired Scottish Terriers and Yorkshire Terriers.

In 1886 the Kennel Club recognized the Yorkshire Terrier breed, and entered this name into the registry.

 In 1898 a Yorkshire Terrier Club was formed, with Lady Edith Wyndham-Dawson being one of the most influential members.

Several other individuals including Mrs. Palmer, Mrs. Crookshank and Mrs. Hillman, all served to promote and standardize the breed.

Gaining Popularity

In 1932 there were only 300 Yorkshire Terriers registered with the Kennel Club, but by the 1970’s they had become the most popular breed in Britain. This has dropped off since then, but they are still in the top 10 breeds in England.

The first Yorkshire Terrier to become a champion in the United States was Bradford Harry in 1889. He was a direct descendent of Huddersfield Ben, and had the same characteristics as his great-grandfather.

 Yorkshire Terriers quickly gained popularity in the toy dog section of the American Kennel Club.

They are consistently in the top 20 dog breeds by registration numbers in the United States.

The first Yorkshire Terrier came to Brisbane Australia in the year 1872. Punch, like Bradford Harry, was a direct descendant of the famous Huddersfield Ben.

Future Of The Yorkie

Yorkshire Terriers continue to be a popular breed for people that like a smaller dog that has a fun loving and intelligent demeanour.

 Yorkies are excellent for many people that have allergies, and Yorkshire Terriers are well equipped to deal with apartment life provided they have some daily exercise.

They continue to be popular with older people, as well as families with more mature children.

Thanks for visiting us and we hope you look around some more at our other pages on our Yorkie website.