The Different Types of Yorkies
Yorkshire Terriers, or "Yorkies," originated in England and are part of the toy breed group due to their small size. Usually, these dogs (standard yorkies) grow up to be only around 7-10 inches high and weigh less than 8 pounds. Although there is only one official breed of Yorkshire Terriers, Yorkshire Terriers come in two sizes: the standard and the miniature. They both have the same amount of energy, liveliness, and overall attitude. They do differ in size, however. The miniature yorkie, which is also called toy or teacup yorkie, is even smaller than the standard one. It is also called a teacup because it is so tiny that it may fit in an actual teacup. As adults, mini-yorkies are only about half the size of standard yorkies. The texture of a teacup yorkie's coat is the same as a standard Yorkshire Terrier's coat, except the teacup's coat is short.
The standard yorkie is born with black and tan coat colors. The yorkie's color begins to change when it reaches around 6 months old. The black coat becomes more of a bluish, diluted black, while the tan reaches a more golden color. Sometimes, black, blue, tan and gold are all combined on a yorkie's coat. The combinations that most of them have are blue and gold, blue and tan, black and gold, or black and tan. There are some different colored yorkies, however, these are considered to have genetic problems due to having an unusual color.
Yorkies are quite intelligent and known for having good hunting abilities. They are also known to be extremely friendly with other people. They are easy to maintain because they shed very lightly and require little exercise. They are also protective by barking if they sense a stranger approaching their home. In general, small dogs, especially, require lots of care and sometimes constant attention. If you want to get a yorkie, make sure it will not be home alone all day. There is even more attention needed for a teacup yorkie because they are so small and vulnerable. Furthermore, yorkies are hard to housebreak. Another characteristic of teacups is that they are more likely to get injured due to their extremely small size. The smaller the dog, the weaker it is and it's harder for people to see them when walking. Therefore, if not watched properly, they can be easily injured. Also, breeders breed teacup yorkies to be miniature in size. They are not a separate breed of their own. Due to this and their small size, toy yorkies are prone to hereditary and non-hereditary health issues. Also, both standard and miniature yorkies are prone to liver disease. Due to many of these risks, it might be very expensive to own a standard or teacup terrier. You might have to pay expensive bills to the vet more often than you'd like. These are some things to consider before purchasing a yorkie.
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