Plate 081 · British Isles
Yorkshire Terrier
约克夏㹴
“A Victorian mill ratter that climbed into the lap of fashion.”
- Origin
- United Kingdom
- Yorkshire, northern England
- Region of origin
- The point marks the region the breed comes from, not an exact birthplace.
- Era
- Mid-19th century
- Today
- Companion · Toy breed
Under editorial review — sources listed below.
Then → Now
Then · 1919A Yorkshire Terrier (right, beside a Japanese Chin) from 'The Book of Dogs' (National Geographic, 1919), painted by Louis Agassiz Fuertes.
Louis Agassiz Fuertes, in National Geographic's The Book of Dogs (1919) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
NowValenzuela400 · CC BY-SA · Wikimedia Commons
History
01 · Origin
Yorkshire, northern England
Developed in the industrial towns of Yorkshire and Lancashire, partly from terriers brought by Scottish workers.
02 · Historical role
What it was bred for
Caught rats in textile mills and coal mines.
03 · Breed development
How it changed
Breeders selected for ever smaller size and a long, silky coat; a dog named Huddersfield Ben is regarded as an important early sire. The breed moved from the mills to Victorian drawing rooms.
04 · Today
Companion · Toy breed
A spirited toy companion with a big-dog attitude.
Personality
- Feisty
- Brave
- Affectionate
- Energetic
- Vocal
General breed tendencies, not guarantees — individual dogs vary with genetics, training and environment. Ratings: this atlas’s editorial summary on a 1–5 scale, for rough comparison between breeds here — not a measurement or a standardised assessment.
- Size
- Toy
- Lifespan
- 11–15 years
- Coat
- Long, fine, silky coat
Field note
During the Second World War a Yorkshire Terrier named Smoky, adopted by a US airman in the Pacific, carried a communications wire through an underground tunnel.
Recognition & today
- AKC
- Toy Group
- Also recognized by
- FCI, The Kennel Club (UK)
- Popular in
- United States
AKC registrations: ranked 13 among breeds in 2025.
Sources3 references
- Yorkshire Terrier — breed information — American Kennel Club
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/yorkshire-terrier/
Registry · accessed 2026-10-06 · Used for registry status, AKC group and breed standard reference only.
- Yorkshire Terrier (encyclopedia overview) — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yorkshire_Terrier
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-06 · Secondary overview; cross-check claims against primary breed-club sources.
- Smoky (dog) (encyclopedia overview) — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoky_(dog)
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-06 · Background on Smoky.
Image credits
Louis Agassiz Fuertes, in National Geographic's The Book of Dogs (1919) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Valenzuela400 · CC BY-SA · Wikimedia Commons
Text is written by World Breeds from the references above; it does not reproduce registry descriptions.
