Temperament

Though a toy breed, the Yorkie still retains much of its terrier ancestry in terms of personality. Individual dogs will differ, but they are generally intelligent, independent and courageous.

Yorkshire Terriers are quick to determine where they fit in a household's “pack.”

Their behavior towards outsiders will vary - they often will be inclined to bark at strangers, but some Yorkies are outgoing and friendly towards new people while others are withdrawn and aloof. The differences in behavior in this regard are largely based on how the owner trains or conditions the puppy. A Yorkie should be socialized young so that they are comfortable around strangers. A few individual Yorkshire Terriers may be timid or nervous, rather than bold, but the vast majority do seem to meet the breed standard for a confident, vigorous and self-important personality.

The following distinctive qualities are likely to be present in a Yorkshire Terrier:

Intelligence

Yorkshire Terriers as a breed are intelligent dogs. According to Dr. Stanley Coren, an expert on animal intelligence, the Yorkshire Terrier is an above average working dog, ranking 27th (32nd including ties) out of the 132 breeds tested.

His research found that an average Yorkshire Terrier could understand a new command after approximately 15 repetitions and would obey a command the first time it was given 70% of the time or better. This capacity as working dogs enables Yorkies to excel in sports like obedience and agility, which require the dog to understand communication from the handler and carry out a complex series of commands.

Additionally, Yorkies learn to recognize numerous words and can be taught to distinguish and fetch separate toys in a box by their names.

Independence

The well bred and well handled Yorkshire Terrier is content to be near its owner without being on a lap or underfoot.

Yorkies are energetic, but also need much rest and will often prefer to spend downtime in privacy, such as in a kennel or out-of-the-way corner.

Early terriers were expected to hunt in the company of handlers and other dogs, but also to have the self-confidence to go out on their own after prey.

Very pampered and indulged Yorkies are more likely to be clingy and demanding, and lack the true terrier self-confidence.

Yorkshire Terriers tend to be more difficult to train than some breeds, due to their characteristic independent nature. The independent mindedness of Yorkies leads some trainers to consider them to be among the hardest to house-break.

Health

Health issues often seen in the Yorkshire Terrier include bronchitis, lymphangiectasia, Portosystemic shunt, cataracts and keratitis sicca.

Additionally, injection reactions (inflammation or hair loss at the site of an injection) can occur.

Another common health condition in some Yorkies are their sensitive skin.

The most common type of skin conditions Yorkies face are brought on by allergic reactions to seasonal pollen, pollution, food, and sometimes the air itself.

Their coats may get very dry due to scratching and biting and eventually leading to massive hair loss.

Yorkies can have a delicate digestive system, with vomiting or diarrhea resulting from consumption of foods outside of a regular diet.

These particular dogs are usually picky with which foods they eat. They usually will not eat what they don't like, it will be left aside. Trying to mix foods is not a good idea because they tend not to enjoy it.

The relatively small size of the Yorkshire Terrier means that it can have a poor tolerance for anesthesia.

Additionally, a toy dog such as the Yorkie is more likely to be injured by falls, other dogs and owner clumsiness.

Due to their small size, Yorkies may be endangered if kept in the house with an undiscerning or abusive person, especially a child. Many breeders and rescue organizations will not allow their Yorkies to go to families with young children, because of the risk it poses to the dog.

The life span of a healthy Yorkie is 10-15 years.

Under-sized Yorkies (3 pounds or less) generally have a shorter life span, as they are especially prone to health problems such as chronic diarrhea and vomiting,

Under-sized Yorkies are even more sensitive to anesthesia, and

Under-sized Yorkies are more easily injured.

Hypoglycemia

Low blood sugar in puppies, or transient juvenile hypoglycemia, is caused by fasting (too much time between meals).

In rare cases hypoglycemia may continue to be a problem in mature, usually very small, Yorkies.

It is often seen in Yorkie puppies at 5 to 16 weeks of age.

Very tiny Yorkie puppies are especially predisposed to hypoglycemia because a lack of muscle mass makes it difficult to store glucose and regulate blood sugar.

Factors such as stress, fatigue, a cold environment, poor nutrition, and a change in diet or feeding schedule may bring on hypoglycemia.

Low blood sugar can also be the result of a bacterial infection, parasite, or portosystemic liver shunt.

Hypoglycemia causes the puppy to become drowsy, listless (glassy-eyed), shaky and uncoordinated, since the brain relies on sugar to function.

Additionally, a hypoglycemic Yorkie may have a lower than normal body temperature and, in extreme cases, may have a seizure or go into a coma.

A dog showing symptoms should be treated by a veterinarian immediately, as prolonged or recurring attacks of hypoglycemia can permanently damage the dog's brain.

In severe cases it can be fatal.

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