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The Yorkshire Terrier traces
to the Waterside Terrier, a small longish-coated dog, bluish-gray in
color, weighing between 6 and 20 pounds (most commonly 10 pounds).
The Waterside Terrier was a breed formed by the crossing of the old
rough-coated Black-and-Tan English Terrier (common in the Manchester
area) and the Paisley and Clydesdale Terriers. It was brought to
Yorkshire by weavers who migrated from Scotland to England in the
mid-19th century.
The Yorkshire Terrier made
its first appearance at a bench show in England in 1861 as a
"broken-haired Scotch Terrier". It became known as a Yorkshire
Terrier in 1870 when, after the Westmoreland show, Angus Sutherland
reported in The Field magazine that "they ought no longer be called
Scotch Terriers, but Yorkshire Terriers for having been so improved
there."
The earliest record of a
Yorkshire Terrier born in the United States dates to 1872. Classes
for the breed have been offered at all shows since 1878. Early shows
divided the classes by weight - under 5 pounds and 5 pounds and
over. Size, however, soon settled down to an average of between 3
and 7 pounds, resulting in only one class being offered in later
shows.
While a Toy, and at
various times a greatly pampered one, the Yorkshire is a spirited
dog that definitely shows its terrier strain. The show dog's length
of coat makes constant care necessary to protect it from damage, but
the breed is glad to engage in all the roistering activities of the
larger terrier breeds. |
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