Are Yorkshire Terriers Good for First-Time Owners? The Honest Answer

The Yorkshire Terrier is the dog people picture when they picture a lap dog: two to three and a half kilos of silk, a ribbon on the head, a face that fits in a handbag. Ask a trainer whether it is a good first dog and you will get a pause, and then a careful answer that starts with the word 'terrier'. Here is ours.

What makes them a good first dog

• Size. A Yorkie fits in a flat, a car seat, a café and a train. Walks are shorter, food bills are tiny, and most landlords say yes.
• Brains. Quick learners who enjoy training when someone bothers to do it. A Yorkie can learn everything a Border Collie can, in smaller pieces.
• Devotion. Companion dogs to the bone. They want to be where you are, and they are very good at it.
• Lifespan. Thirteen to sixteen years, and seventeen is not rare. You get a long time with this dog.
• Low shedding. A single coat of hair rather than fur, which suits some allergy sufferers and most sofas.

What makes them a hard first dog

• The terrier. Bred in the mills of Yorkshire to kill rats. Bold, loud, fast, suspicious of the postman, and convinced they could take the Labrador next door. A Yorkie who is treated as a cushion becomes a shrieking, snapping cushion.
• The fragility. A fall from a sofa or a child's arms breaks a toy dog's front legs. A game with a big dog can break their back. The house has to be set up for a two-kilo animal.
• The teeth. Dental disease is the number one Yorkie health problem. Daily brushing from puppyhood and dental cleanings under anaesthetic every year or two are part of the deal, not an extra.
• The tiny-dog medicine. Hypoglycaemia in puppies, a collapsing windpipe, slipping kneecaps, and the highest rate of liver shunt of any breed. None of it is rare, and all of it is cheaper to know about in advance. The health guide lists them.
• Toilet training. A grape-sized bladder and strong views about rain. It takes longer, and it takes a plan.
• Grooming. Daily brushing for the long coat, or a groomer every six to eight weeks for the puppy cut. There is no low-maintenance Yorkie.
• Being alone. Companion dogs are prone to separation distress. Four hours is a sensible maximum for an adult, and it has to be taught.

The 'yappy' question

Yorkies have a reputation for barking, and it is half earned. They are terriers, and a terrier tells you about the door. But the trembling, shrieking, snapping Yorkie of the stereotype is made, not born: picked up whenever anything worries them, carried past every big dog, never taught anything because they are small, and laughed at when they growl. A Yorkie walked on their own feet, trained like a real dog, and allowed to meet the world at a distance they choose grows into a confident, cheeky companion. The small dog syndrome guide explains the difference.

Teacups, and why not

There is no teacup Yorkie. There are runts, bred small on purpose and sold for more money. Under about one and a half kilos, everything that can go wrong in the breed goes wrong more often: blood sugar crashes, open skull plates, hydrocephalus, liver shunts, bones that snap. A standard Yorkie is already one of the smallest dogs in the world. Buy from a breeder who breeds for health and temperament and can show you the parents' knees and eyes, not one who advertises weight.

The questions to ask yourself

Is someone home most of the day? Will you brush a coat daily or pay a groomer every couple of months? Will you brush a dog's teeth most days and pay for dentals? Will you walk and train a tiny dog like a real dog, on the ground, in the rain? Can you keep a fragile dog safe in a house with children, stairs and a sofa?

Five yeses, and a Yorkie could be the best fifteen years of your life. Two noes, and you will both be happier with a different breed.

If you go ahead

Insure before the first vet visit. Buy a harness, not a collar. Read the first 30 days guide before the puppy comes home, because a toy puppy's first month has rules that no general puppy book mentions.