The Yorkshire Terriers are small and cute pets, but you should never underestimate their energy and attitude. They are a powerhouse of activity, as they love to jump about your home at will. Are you planning to buy a Yorkshire Terrier? Here are some points that you should know about their personality. This will make it easy for you to manage them.
1. Be ready for their attitude and demand for attention
The Yorkies know they are cute, with their small bodies and long, silky furs. When you take them out for a walk, they will suddenly stop midway and demand you to carry them. They love to be held and they love to cuddle with their owners. With their innocent looks and beautiful eyes, they know that their owners cannot say no to their demands!
However, leading veterinarians across the globe warn Yorkie owners that too much of holding and cuddling can result in the Yorkies having very low confidence levels. Yes, they like to be held at all times, but you should leave them to explore the house and streets by themselves so that they learn new things. They are quite easy to train; therefore, you only have to teach them to obey your instructions.
While you train them to live independently, you should always supervise them, because they can get injured easily. Since they are very small, they are more prone to injuries and accidents than other breeds of dogs. In a nutshell, we would advise you to hold them or cuddle them only for a few minutes in a day. Yes, they are toy dogs, but that doesn’t mean they need to be carried around at all times like your toy.
When you keep on holding or carrying your Yorkies with you wherever you go, you are only doing more harm than good to your pets. These dogs will grow up to be quite insecure and they will always remain nervous when they enter into a new environment. These dogs have terrier qualities inbuilt in them. Terriers are natural adventure-seekers and courageous breeds. The least you could do, as a Yorkie owner, is not to curb the inherent courage and confidence of your pet.
2. Cuddling needs to knots
The furs of the dogs are almost similar to human hair in terms of length and texture. When you hold the dogs too close for long periods of time, or when you cuddle them too much, you are causing unnecessary friction to their furs. Similar to human hair, they can also get into knots easily. These knots can result in a lot of pain for your dogs. Therefore, you need to understand that there are many other ways to show your affection than cuddling too much and causing distress for the dogs. Always brush the furs of your Yorkie at least once a day to avoid knot formation. Trim the furs as frequently as possible and keep it as short as possible for easy manageability.
3. Courageous by birth
If you thought that the Yorkies are sweet and cuddly toys that you can play with all day, you are mistaken. Yes, sometimes, they expect you to hold and cuddle them, but that is only to get your attention. It may be a shock for you to know that these cute, small and hairy creatures are courageous by birth. They are described as “tomboys” because of their “devil-may-care” attitude. It is purely because of their strength and agility that these dogs were used in the Second World War to save the lives of some soldiers!
Another interesting point about the Yorkies that you wouldn’t find in most other breeds is that they can easily adjust to any new city or environment, without much of a fuss. Even if you were to shift your base from the countryside to a busy city like New York in one day, you don’t have to worry about your Yorkies getting adjusted to the urban culture. You and your family may take time to settle down, but your Yorkies will adjust to the new place like fish to water!
Conclusion
The Yorkies may not look strong and adventurous, but they are! Don’t get fooled by their cute and cuddly looks and try to hold & cuddle them always. By doing this, you are curbing a Yorkie’s natural instincts of being adventurous and courageous.
