The Yorkshire Terrier started out as a combination of terriers that all lived in Yorkshire
England. The serfs at the time were not permitted to have large dogs so they kept small ones they could kill pesky varmints
with. Yorkies are a combination of the Waterside Terrier(6-20 lbs), the Old English Terrier and the Manchester Terrier(approx.
5 lbs). They were considered to be exceptional ratters and were used for this purpose around the homestead. Innkeepers began
having ratting contests in order to draw a bigger crowd to their establishments. In these contests, the dog's size and ratting
ability were both considered when points were given. The Yorkie did not begin as the fashionable dog we know today.
In the 1700s Scottish craftsmen came to the Yorkshire to work. They brought with them some Scotch
terriers such as the Paisley Terrier, which was silky blue and about 16 lbs. Another breed was the Clydesdale Terrier which
had a steel blue coat with a golden tan head and shoulders. This dog had to have a long straight coat and the tail was dark
blue or black. In 1873 the Yorkshire Terrier officially became a member of the Kennel Club of England. They were known as
both Broken Haired Scotch and Yorkshire Terrier.
Huddersfield Ben was born in 1865 and is considered to be the father of all modern Yorkies. They
didn't become well know in the US until the 19th century when they quickly gained popularity.The first Yorkshire Terrier to
be registered with the American Kennel Club was Butch, who lived in Bloomington Illinois.In the difficult years between 1900
and 1920, 45 champions were recorded. By the end of World War 2, there were only eight US and two Canadian breeders left.
Although there are many lines of Yorkshire Terriers now, they can all be traced back to one magnificent dog, Huddersfield
Ben.
