As the name suggests, Yorkshire Terriers, also known as Yorkie’s, came about in the county of Yorkshire in the United Kingdom. It is said that they were first bred in the 1800s by Scottish weavers who had relocated to England. They wanted to create a small dog breed that could be considered a working dog and was small enough to hunt out mice and other rodents that may be in tight spaces. Though they were used in mines and mill buildings for that reason, Yorkie’s also made a name for themselves in another way. They became well known for their bravery, as they would not back down when cornering their prey. Even when they would hunt bigger prey like foxes, badgers, and other large animals, they would corner them without hesitation.

Yorkie’s come from a mixture of many types of Terriers. It is not fully known which types of Terriers created the Yorkie, as they did not keep records at the time, but it is believed that their ancestral line includes several such as Clydesdale, Paisley, Skye, and the Waterside Terrier. The Yorkie was originally named the Broken-Haired Scotch Terrier in 1861, and it was not until 1872 that the name was changed to the Yorkshire Terrier as it is known today. By 1878, they were recognized by The American Kennel Club (AKC), and as they became more and more popular, they quickly became a household pet in Victorian homes rather than a working dog. Smaller dog breeds were known to be worth more value, and as time went on, Yorkie’s became a common breed throughout America.