The Yorkshire Terrier is a lovable dog with a big attitude and incredible personality. If you love dogs that think they are the biggest animal on the block – but are actually small, cuddly fluffballs.

A member of the Toy Group, the Yorkie loves to cuddle and looks like it is gliding across the showroom floor when in a competition. The reason for this is due to their long, elegant hair that goes all the way down to their feet. Some Yorkshire Terriers can weigh as little as 1 pound, but breeders do not often recommend buying puppies this small. Plainly put, when a dog is that tiny, their health is definitely at risk.

The AKC recommends keeping your Yorkie under seven pounds, but these dogs do not operate under a minimum weight requirement. The Yorkie’s coat can be silver, blue or black and they have tan on the heads and legs. All of the puppies are both with black and tan color and change as they mature.

Characteristics – The Yorkshire Terrier has long been the top choice as an apartment dog. They love to roam around in a yard, but they don’t have to have one. Some dogs never go outside at all, actually, as their owners teach them to use a litter box. You can always play an indoor game of fetch with your Yorkie to keep them healthier. Finally, if you do leave your Yorkshire Terrier outside, be sure it is a secure area as Yorkies love to scramble and dig to explore.

Yorkshire Terriers love to have all of the attention on themselves and are quite sociable. Yorkies can become irritated around toddlers, however, but only because they are worried that the toddler is going to hurt them in some way. Yorkies can injure easily due to their small size. A Yorkshire Terrier with an exceptional personality will allow a toddler to squeeze, poke and play with them, but it can be quite unfair to the dog to be treated like a toy.

Yorkies can become stubborn as they mature and develop quite the diva attitude. For this reason, it pays to take your puppy trained early on to give them the right guidelines.

Health Problems and Grooming – Yorkshire Terriers have few health problems, although they can have problems with their teeth. They have also been known to develop hernias and have hypoglycemia.

These little dogs do not eat a lot of food, but you will be careful not to spoil them with soft food, unless he can’t eat dry food. Dry food is much better for their teeth and since the Yorkie has issues with dental problems anyways, you should definitely push them towards the dry version.

Yorkies need to be groomed at least three times a week in order to prevent tangles. The dogs with silkier coats will only need a weekly brushing. Of course, you will need to watch their teeth and keep them very clean to prevent any dental problems in the future.

If you want a dog with a lot of personality and character, this gorgeous lap dog with a big bark could be just right for you.

Moses Wright is a proud owner of 3 beautiful dogs and loves to help new dog owners with their Training and Socialization. You can also find more Dog Health Illness Symptoms related articles on his site.

Yorkshire Terrier Pups Facts and Health Problems Information

A Schnauzer is a German breed of dog. The name comes from the German word for snout because of the dogs’ distinctively furry muzzles. The AKC generally subdivides these dogs into three breeds by size: Miniature which is less than 15 inches at the shoulder, Standard the females are 17 to 19 inches and the males 18 to 20 inches at the shoulders, and last but not least The Giant 23.5 to 25.5 inches. The three share some common features such as intelligence, alertness, strong sense of smell, and loyalty to family. Each breed is very distinct in their own right. The Miniature was developed in the 19th century from Standard Schnauzers and Affenpinschers or Poodles. The Standards date all the way back to the 15th century. It has a blunt whiskery muzzle and a square body. The Giant is developed from a cross between the Standard and various working breed dogs. The Miniature is classified in the AKC terrier group and the Standard and Giant are classified in the working dog group.

The Schnauzer was once used to accompany coaches as messengers in WWI, and as vermin hunters and guards in stables and on farms. They actually still put many cats to shame hunting mice. They also watched children earning the name kinder watcher. Some have even been trained as livestock guardians and retrievers.

The only colors that are currently accepted to be shown in the American Kennel Club conformation events are the black and silver, salt and pepper and the black. White, chocolate, and parti-colored Schnauzers are not permitted in the conformation ring since they do not conform to the breed standard. They have a hard wiry outercoat with a soft undercoat that is short on the body but longer on the legs and face, where it forms the characteristic eyebrows, moustache and chin whiskers. The small, v-shaped ears are set high and fold over except in countries where ear-cropping is practiced. The tail is docked to a short length.

The wiry coat is pretty easy to look after. But the undercoat needs to be combed and brushed daily or it will become matted. They should be clipped to an all over even length twice a year, in the spring and fall. Trim around the eyes, ears, and nose with blunt nosed scissors. They have no odor and shed little to no hair. Making them a great prospect for allergy sufferers.

The Schnauzer is a pretty healthy breed but are predisposed to congenital cataracts, progressive retinal atrophy and Schnauzer comedo syndrome. Their life expectancy is about 15 years.

The Schnauzer is a fearless and protective dog making a great watch and guard dog. Some of their other talents include hunting, tracking, retrieving, military work, agility, competitive obedience, and performing tricks. Having the personality of a terrier they are high spirited, affectionate,clever, intelligent, demanding, and playful. They need companionship and make excellent dog to travel with. Schnauzers have a high learning rate but can be willful thus needing firm training. They should be socialized well early in life to keep them from becoming overprotective later in life. Schnauzers need alot of exercise and need at least one good brisk walk a day. They also need a dominate owner to show them who is boss. This breed does better with older children.

What very versatile breeds! Being such an intelligent breed they can be trained to do just about anything. In the Schnauzer you will have a friend and loyal protector for life.

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The Schnauzer, Very Versatile Breeds