Yorkie Personality and Temperament

The Yorkie is highly intelligent, and therefore, very independent.  They can sometimes seem stubborn and not particularly interested in pleasing its owner. Keep in mind that due to this intelligence, and the fact that it is a terrier, it thinks on its own. Yorkies are well known for being a big dog in a little dog’s body. They have a large personality and like to be involved in their surroundings. The Yorkie personality is active, curious, protective, and they also love attention.

Yorkies can be a bit loud as they bark, or yap, quite often. They sometimes believe they are guard dogs as they will announce strangers at any time.  Socializing your dog is important so that they are used to seeing many people and other animals. This will make living with a Yorkie in their adult life much easier. Also, remember that the first 3 months with your Yorkie is essential for developing his personality. That’s why a breeder is very important because they have your dog for half of that time, if not more.

Yorkies have a lot of courage and carry themselves with confidence. Even though many Yorkies are put in carrier bags and purses, they are not commonly docile little toys. However, because Yorkies have great confidence, they are excellent travel companions and can be therapy dogs for people with anxiety and for timid travelers.

Because of their terrier heritage, they can be aggressive towards other dogs. However, with early socialization, this will likely not be an ongoing problem for Yorkies. Socialization is also important because your dog has to develop the proper skills to behave, and it is your job as the owner to give your dog the opportunity to learn these skills.

Yorkies require some exercise but are not as demanding as bigger dogs. Remember, Yorkies were bred to have a job and a purpose, so, they love having tasks and aim to please. Yorkies also adapt well to their surroundings and are good at adjusting to what is going on around them. They travel well and are good in many different home situations such as an apartment, condo, or house.

Now keep in mind that dogs are pact animals, and they will establish a hierarchy with their owners and their family. Having the big dog in a little dog body personality Yorkies may perceive a young child as a dog and be slightly aggressive towards them.Meaning that they will rank themselves higher in status then the young child. However, if a Yorkie has grown up around young children, and been well socialized this will likely not be an issue.

Yorkies can be relatively easy to train. Because they were originally bred to perform tasks, they are quite capable of being independent thinkers, and they carry out duties well. Yorkies are also quite incentivized by praise and food for positive reinforcement.