Although details about the Yorkshire Terrier, in days gone by are, scares ,it is known that they originated in England from an area called Yorkshire in the nineteenth century. They were bred by people that worked in the cotton and woolen mills of the day. What we do know is that these dogs came from three small terriers. The male was named Old Crab, one of the two females was named Kitty, and the third dog, also a female , whose name has been lost some where in history. In 1878, John Walsh described the extensive grooming Yorkshire Terriers received then, including putting coconut oil on the coat. The show class of this breed, at the time, was called the “Rough and Broken-coated, Broken-haired Scotch and Yorkshire Terriers”.

The Yorkshire came to America in 1872 and was registered in 1878 with the American Kennel Club, making it one of the first twenty five breeds to be registered. The coat of the Yorkshire Terrier, according to the standard, should be Steele blue to dark gray and this should extend from the base of the tail to the base of the neck. The coat should part down the middle of the back, extending to the floor. The color of the tail should be a darker blue than the coat on the back. When grooming Yorkshire Terriers make sure the coat is floor length and in no way impedes the movement of the dog.

The hair on the adult dog’s head, chest and legs, should be a bright tan color with dark roots. The texture of the hair should be fine and straight. It should have a silky look to it. Grooming Yorkshire Terriers can enhance this shiny coat by the oil that is placed on them and then wrapped in plastic or rice paper. This is usually washed out weekly. The average owner does not do this, it is usually reserved for show dogs.

Many owners will also trim the coat a little shorter to ease maintenance. Grooming Yorkshire Terriers, for the dog that is not going to show, includes daily brushing, trimming the coat to the desired length, and monthly bathing. Special attention must also be paid to the legs and feet with routine trimming of the coat and nails. In general, the basic care of a Yorkshire Terrier is not that extensive. The hair of a Yorkshire Terrier is said to only fall out when it is brushed or when it breaks off.