Yorkshire Terrier Temperament

The Yorkshire Terrier is a small breed of dog that originated in the Northern parts of England. The Yorkshire Terrier Temperament is that of any other terrier in that it can become overly aggressive at times and sometimes even territorial. This article will endeavor to answer any questions there may be about the Yorkshire Terrier temperament.

To understand the Yorkshire Terrier’s temperament, we have to go back to when they first started breeding them. You see, the Yorkshire terrier originated from some of the earlier forms of terrier dogs that were used to hunt and eliminate the local rat infestation that plagued the industrial areas in the North where there were many coal mines and rat bites were occurring frequently among the workers.

Therefore the terrier had to be trained to be aggressive and also territorial. Why territorial? Well, when any other animal(like rats) that seemed to be a fair fight, entered a terrier’s domain, they would immediately attack and drive out the unsuspecting victim. This was perfect for the time because the terriers were able to drive out most of the rat population. So this is where the Yorkshire Terrier temperament came from. It was bred down through the ages and each time select breeding took place, the terrier’s aggressive nature was passed down.

Many people do not know that some of the early terrier’s in the mid 19th century were a lot larger than the ones we see today. Therefore in case you’re wondering how a dog the size of the Yorkshire Terrier could possibly take down a large black rat, then you are mistaken. The early terriers were around 3 times the size of the Yorkshire terrier we see today.

What else do I need to know about the Yorkshire Terrier temperament? One thing very important about the Yorkshire terrier temperament that you need to know about is that not all terriers have aggressive natures. It really depends on the dog you buy and the type of breeding that was associated with it. There are many well behaved and friendly ‘Yorkies’ as well. Many people don’t realize that there is a soft side to the Yorkshire terrier temperament too. Of course the way your terrier acts also depends on the type of environment it lives in throughout its life.

If an owner decides to keep their dog secluded from other people and dogs that it’s more than likely that it will grow into an aggressive territorial dog, however on the other hand if you introduce it as a puppy to other people and dogs than it will become more comfortable around strangers and tend to be a much more friendly dog.Next we’ll look at the Physical appearance of the Yorkshire terrier

Attention: To discover how YOU can have the Happiest, Healthiest and Best Behaved Yorkshire Terrier, get a copy of this Yorkshire Terrier Guide NOW!

   Home >> Yorkshire Terrier >>