What Were Yorkies Bred For? – History, Jobs & Roles of the Yorkshire Terrier

Yorkies are always full of energy, all while maintaining a loving and spirited attitude. These toy dogs have a personality that few people can resist. But with their fun-loving temperaments and petite size, you may wonder what Yorkies were bred for.

Yorkies were originally bred for “ratting,” where these dogs would catch rats in the mills and mines of northern England. Eventually, these skills led them into hunting small game, where Yorkies would dig into underground burrows to chase down foxes and badgers. From there, they Yorkies evolved into the loving companions that we know today.

The history of the Yorkie is an interesting one. It’s astonishing just how much the roles and jobs of these dogs have changed throughout the years. From ratting to hunting and companionship, Yorkies did it all! Read on to learn more about the Yorkie’s history.

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3 Jobs Yorkies Were Originally Bred For

Yorkshire terriers are very small dogs. In fact, the typical Yorkie will grow no more than 9 inches tall and weigh between 5 and 7 lbs! You must be wondering how such tiny dogs can possibly have any “job” or role in society.

Well, there’s more to the Yorkshire Terrier than meets the eye. In the past, these toy dogs were feisty, confident and brave. Plus, they had no idea how small they were. That being said, let’s look at all the jobs of these sassy lap dogs.

1. Yorkies were initially bred as ratting dogs

The original purpose of the Yorkshire Terrier was for ratting. These dogs were sent into coal mines or mills, where they would skillfully track and hunt down annoying vermin pests. It was an important canine job back then.

In the mid 1800’s, rat infestation was a big problem. Not only did rats carry deadly diseases but they also destroyed crops and generally made life very difficult for businesses all throughout England. The solution was a ratting dog.

This period was when the Yorkshire Terrier was born. These dogs were developed for the sole purpose of dealing with rats. And surprisingly, they were some of the best at their jobs. They’re small enough to get through cracks, but also had strong prey drive.

Keep in mind, the Yorkshire Terrier wasn’t always this small. Instead, they were much bigger back in the days when they were used as ratting dogs. It’s similar to how the Pomeranians were once big enough to actually pull sleds.

Yorkshire Terriers were so good at ratting that even the working class brought them home to deal with their own vermin problems. And in the more rural cities, it was common for a “community ratting dog” to be used for the entire village.

Because Yorkies were so successful at rat hunting, they had developed instincts and skills that would let them seamlessly transition into hunting larger game.

2. Yorkies were then bred for hunting small game

If you didn’t know, you probably would have never guessed Yorkshires were also bred to hunt. Given the size of a rat, it’s believable that they once hunted vermin. However, did you know Yorkies hunted small game as well?

It’s true. Yorkies had all the components to take down badgers and foxes. They had a certain fierceness to them and sky-high confidence in their abilities. And despite their small stature, they were courageous dogs too.

According to historic documents, they simply loved the thrill of hunting, and would never back down no matter how much bigger the prey was. This is what’s called the prey drive or instincts, which can still be seen in these dogs today.

How Yorkies hunted small game was relatively simple. After having tracked down the prey, Yorkies would then chase the animal (likely into the prey’s burrow). The hunters would dig open the burrow entrance as much as they could.

And because these dogs were small, some hunters would release them into the underground burrows to flush out the game. As soon as they pop out, the hunters grab the animal and put them in their secured carriers.

This type of hunting is rare these days and it’s likely you’ll never get to see your Yorkie hunt like this. But if you’re curious, here’s a video of a badger being flushed out of a burrow by a dog:

3. Yorkies were bred as rat baiting dogs

Unfortunately, even the small Yorkshire Terriers were subject to the cruel blood sport, that is, rat-baiting. Similar to how Pit Bulls and Bulldogs were forced into bull-baiting, Yorkies also had a part in the killing of rats for sport.

This blood sport involves placing Yorkies in an enclosed sunken pit that’s surrounded by a large number of rats. Spectators gathered around the pit and placed their bets. Attendees would bet on how long a dog would take to kill all the rats of the pit.

It’s not a pleasant sight. Yorkies would chase down rats, pin them down and ruthlessly shake them to death while in their mouths. More often than not, at least two dogs would compete and spectators picked their dogs.

This senseless violent sport was not exclusive to Yorkies. In fact, many dog breeds (mostly terriers) participated in both rat and bull-baiting, such as the Rat Terrier, Bedlington Terrier, Bull Terrier, Fox Terrier and many more.

With the Cruelty to Animals Act of 1835, the UK Parliament had essentially banned the baiting of large animals, including bulls and bears. But despite the act’s purpose of protecting animals, the law was not enforced for rats.

After the act, rat-baiting had exploded in the popularity within the country. So much so, that it’s estimated London had at least 70 rat pits going on at one time. And while rat-baiting has been long since banned, it is still legal in some countries.

The History of the Yorkshire Terrier

The Yorkshire terriers were not always like the ones you see today. In fact, it wasn’t until many iterations of breeding that we developed this cute little toy dog perfect for your lap. There’s plenty of history behind these dogs.

Ancestor Terriers From Scotland

Due to the industrial revolution & boom of the mid 19th century, mills began popping up in Yorkshire, England. As a result, a flood of new workers from Scotland migrated to northern England in search of new opportunity.

A good amount of Scottish immigrants had brought their companion dogs with them. In fact, most of them were small terriers. For example, many had with them the Paisley Terrier, Skye Terrier, Waterside Terrier and others.

It seems that no one can’t make up their mind about which dog breed the Yorkshire Terrier was primarily developed with. However, many historians suspect the primarily breed was the Waterside Terrier (now called the Airedale Terrier).

We don’t know for sure which terriers actually contributed to the development of the Yorkshire Terrier. However, plenty or people believe that it was a combination of these various terrier-types brought from Scotland.

The Debut & Name of Yorkies

It wasn’t until 1861 that the Yorkshire Terrier made it’s debut to the world at a bench show. When they were first introduced, they were called the “Broken-haired Scotch Terrier” due to their Scottish origins and silky textured coat.

For nearly a decade they were called that name. Others also called them the “Rough Coated Toy Terrier” or the “Broken Haired Toy Terrier.”

Around 1870, a reporter commented saying that they should be called the “Yorkshire Terrier” because the terrier had changed much since first debuting. And from then on, the name stuck and they were thus called the “Yorkie” for short.

Back then, there was a lot of confusion about the breed. There simply was no strict standard for the Yorkies yet. In fact, any dog breed that resembled the appearance of the Yorkshire was considered one.

If the dog was in the shape of a terrier with a long coat, the proper colors, docked tail and ears, then they were automatically labeled as Yorkshire Terriers. It’s very similar to how pitbull-looking dogs in shelters are falsely labeled as pits despite no genetic connection.

The “Father of the Yorkie”

It wasn’t until the late 1860s that the standard for the Yorkshire Terrier took a huge leap forward. A show dog by the name of Huddersfield Ben became extremely popular while touring shows throughout Great Britain.

Huddersfield was a superstar dog during his time. Not only did he win multiple show awards everywhere he went, but also won several rat-baiting events too. Huddersfield did it all and as such, captured the hearts of Great Britain’s dog enthusiasts.

Huddersfield Ben was the best stud dog of his breed during his lifetime, and one of the most remarkable dogs of any pet breed that ever lived.

– George Earl (Painter & Terrier Enthusiast)

With all that fame and glory, Huddersfield Ben inevitably became the standard for the Yorkie. The dog quickly became the ideal family dog that everyone wanted. And from the puppies of Huddersfield, the breed we know today as the Yorkshire Terrier was born.

For this reason, Huddersfield Ben is still called the “father of the Yorkshire Terrier.” He had the irresistible Yorkie charm and the silky smooth coat. And without him, we could be talking about a very different Yorkie today.

Yorkshires Arriving in America

The Yorkshire Terrier eventually made its way to North America, where they exploded in popularity. Since 2013, the Yorkie has been on the American Kennel Club’s top 10 most popular dog breeds list.

This makes them the single most popular toy dog breed in America. And in the small dogs category, only the French Bulldog is more popular (and not by much). But how exactly did the Yorkshire Terrier make it’s way to America?

Unlike other European breeds, the Yorkie was introduced to North America shortly after the standard was developed (in 1872). Even so, it wasn’t until 1885 that the first Yorkie was officially registered with the AKC.

The Yorkshire Terrier had its ups and downs in North America. By the 1940s, the popularity of Yorkies had slumped to it’s all-time lows. With the growing popularity of big dog breeds, the slump was as expected.

However, during World War II, a Yorkie named Smoky served as a war dog and became an instant hit around the USA. Despite being just 4 pounds and 7 inches tall, he was “serving” the country in war.

An American soldier, named Bill Wynne, found Smoky in an abandoned foxhole somewhere in the jungles of New Guinea. For the following years in the world war, the Yorkie followed him everywhere in his backpack.

He was so popular at the time, it’s believed he was the sole reason for the resurgence of the Yorkshire Terrier. As a matter of fact, there’s even a memoir about Smoky and Wynne, called Yorkie Doodle Dandy.

Yorkies Are Bred For Companionship Today

The Yorkshire Terrier has come a long way since the mid 19th century. Not only do they look different (they’re much smaller), but their temperaments aren’t exactly the same either. They’re the same, but different.

It’s safe to say that hunting, ratting and rat-baiting are all roles of the past for the Yorkie. Rather, they’re bred solely as top companions and lap dogs today. They also make some of the best playmates for older children.

Still, these dogs have retained some characteristics and traits from their old days. Given the array of roles and jobs they had, it’s easy to see why they’re such energetic, feisty, clever and confident dogs. And of course, adaptability was a must.

Teddy, our Yorkie, is a sweetheart. But I think he is very prey driven. He’ll always go for the final kill. Not even flies are safe around him.

– Maximo (Yorkie owner)

Some Yorkies can show aggression towards smaller animals, such as guinea pigs, hamsters or small cats. But this is just all part of the strong prey-instincts they once had as a legitimate hunting dog and premier ratting dog.

It’s hard to stop this natural instinct of your Yorkshire Terrier. The most you can do is to try to socialize your Yorkie with these animals very early on. But, you’ll still need to be careful when they’re with small pets or kids.

Overall, the Yorkshire Terrier has become a very easy companion to take care of, as they are bred for today. They don’t really shed (great hypoallergenic dogs) and require minimal exercise. Yorkies are really the perfect dog for any family!

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Does the history and previous jobs of Yorkies surprise you? Let us know in the comments section below!

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