Yorkshire Terrier
Yorkshire Terrier — breed profile
Training note: Yorkies respond well to positive reinforcement with high-value treats. Their terrier independence means they need a reason to comply — make it worth their while.
The Yorkshire Terrier is one of the most consistently underestimated breeds in dog training. Weighing under seven pounds, they are routinely treated as accessories rather than dogs — carried instead of walked, coddled instead of trained, and excused from behavioral standards that would never be tolerated in a larger breed. This is a fundamental misread of the animal. The Yorkie was developed in the textile mills and mines of northern England to kill rats. That heritage produced a dog with genuine terrier drive: tenacious, self-directed, and willing to make independent decisions. When owners recognize this and train accordingly, Yorkies are surprisingly capable learners. When they don't, small dog syndrome fills the vacuum.
Their trainability score of 65 reflects a real but conditional willingness to work with you. Yorkies are not stubborn in the way people mean when they say stubborn — they are selective. They assess whether compliance is worth their effort, which is classic terrier logic. Pair that with strong food motivation (75) and solid praise responsiveness (70), and you have a dog that will engage enthusiastically with training that respects their intelligence. Their independence score of 55 means they bond closely and want to be near you, but they don't exist to please you the way a retriever does. They need a reason.
New owners most commonly get two things wrong. First, they skip foundational training entirely because the dog is small and manageable — until it isn't. A seven-pound dog that resource guards, snaps at strangers, or refuses to walk on leash is still a dog with a behavioral problem. Second, they misread the Yorkie's affectionate nature (85) as softness. This is a dog that loves deeply but was bred to dispatch vermin alone in the dark. They have more grit than most owners expect. Their sociability score of 72 means they generally enjoy people and novel situations, but that sociability needs to be built through proper exposure, not assumed. Without structured socialization, that terrier confidence can curdle into reactive barking and suspicion — especially toward other dogs, where their tolerance is only moderate.