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Yorkies at a Glance 
Average lifespan - typically 12 to 15 years.
Size 4 to 7 lbs., 5 to 7 inches high at the shoulders.
Temperament Big dog in a small body! Yorkies are affectionate, lively and brave.
Easy to housetrain? Potty training a Yorkie isn't alway easy... but you can read more here.
Grooming needs - Yorkies need regular grooming. Keep hair out of their eyes with a "ponytail" or "pigtails"
Allergy-free? Not really but the good news, Yorkies hardly shed at all and they have less "dander" the stuff that makes us sneeze, than most dogs. Hair comes out mostly only when they are combed.
Bark a lot? Well they are terriers, and terriers are barkers. Plus the more spoiled any dog is, the more he barks.
Exercise needs - at least one daily walk
Intelligence - above average dogs... in fact Yorkies rank 27th out of the 132 breeds tested. (Dr. Stanley Coren, an expert on animal intelligence)
Good with small children? No, Yorkies are very fragile physically, and it's easy for a child to harm without meaning to.
Origins - northern England (Yorkshire area) late 1800s
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The Yorkshire Terrier Temperament 
The Yorkshire Terrier is a small, toy sized dog with a huge personality. In fact, Yorkies seem oblivious to their size and can dangerously aggressive with larger dogs, something owners need to watch for. Yorkies are very bright and learn quickly.
They’re eager for action and adventure. True terriers, Yorkies are brave, loyal and clever. But they can also be suspicious of strangers and aggressive with strange dogs and small animals and people they don’t know.
While Yorkshire Terriers are very affectionate, they can also become too demanding if you don’t gently assert yourself as the pack leader. Out of control, they can be yappy and even snappish. Then they demand a ton of your attention, and seem jealous and insecure. In short, the Yorkie without a strong leader can be very neurotic and all round unpleasant. Yorkies are easy to train, although they can sometimes be stubborn if owners do not give the dog proper boundaries. They can be difficult to housebreak. The Yorkie is an excellent watchdog.
Yorkshire Terriers often get away with behavior that we wouldn’t accept in a larger dog, just because they’re so cute. They can begin to take over the household, exhibiting classic Small Dog Syndrome - a viscous circle of owners accepting bad behavior and allowing the dog to become less “dog-like” and more neurotic. This in turn, leads to more bad behavior including jumping up, begging, demanding to be let into bed, refusing dog food for human food, barking excessively and more.
When owners are the pack leaders for the Yorkshire Terrier, they are very sweet and loving, ready to cuddle in and snuggle up.
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Toy or Terrier?
Although the Kennel Clubs classify it in the Toy Dog Group because of its tiny size, the Yorkie is clearly a Terrier.
History of Yorkshire Terriers
The Yorkie was one of the first 25 breeds that the American Kennel Club introduced as "registered" back in 1878. During Queen Victoria's era (1837 - 1902) Yorkshire Terriers were extremely popular in England, and everyone around the world was trying to copy that Victorian lifestyle. Yorkies also grew in popularity.
Like all breeds, their popularity had ups and downs or "fashions". By the 1940s war-bound North Americans were choosing much larger dogs -- Yorkshire Terriers like all other Toy size dogs, fell in popularity as setters, retrievers and hounds became more popular.
However one little Yorkie called Smoky changed all that. Owned by Corporal William A. Wynne of Cleveland, Ohio, Smoky became one of the most famous Yorkies ever. Corporal Wynne picked up Smoky, a stray in the New Guineau Jungles, (southwest Pacific, just north of Australia) during World War II. The dog was such a fighter, he became a famous symbol of the times - even parachuting with Wynne's platoon. Yorkies became hugely popular again, and that's never changed.
 In fact in New York City, Yorkshire Terriers are the #1 registered purebred dog and they are the 2nd most popular purebred across the country. (2009 data)
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The Yorkshire Terrier is a fairly "young" breed compared to many others... the Pekingese breed for example, is more than 2,000 years old and the skeletal remains of Shih Tzu dogs were found in human settlements that go back ten thousand years!
By contrast, the feisty Yorkshire Terrier was developed in the 1800s in the historical area of Yorkshire in England....the result of breeding different Terriers.
Today the Yorkie Terrier is one of the most popular breeds around.
Yorkie appearance
The Yorkshire Terrier is a long-coated small-size dog categorized as a Toy by kennel clubs around the world. These dogs should not exceed 7 lb. in weight, and the height should be 6-7 inches. The long body coat is glossy, fine, silky and straight. Hair on the muzzle is very long.
That long hair need daily combing and brushing, so many owners keep their hair in a short "puppy cut." The good news is, Yorkies really don't shed - any more than you and me, that is!
The Yorkshire Terrier has a compact and well-proportioned body. Although he's born black with tan points, as he grows his coat turns to steel blue and gold.
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