The Yorkshire Terrier is by nature a small dog, not a degenerated mite. In the past, responsible breeders were always careful in their efforts to reduce the size by breeding and to make sure that the dogs remained sound and healthy. There are clear guidelines for breeding Yorkies which insist on this, and you should buy your dog from those breeders who follow these rules.

The popularity of the breed has made the Yorkshire Terrier an object of high demand and high prices. It is a pity that in the past some irresponsible breeders began to produce more and more dogs from females that were too small. This still happens occasionally.

The result was that whelping became more difficult, and the smallest from those litters had a poor life expectancy. These goggle-eyed, round-faced puppets were often hysterical and / or aggressive. A Yorkie in good health will on average live to 10 - 12 years of age – even 15 to 18 years are possible.