The Yorkshire Terrier originated in the mid-19th century industrial city of Yorkshire, England. At that time, people in the region kept it to catch mice. It has a small body size, second only to the Chihuahua, with fur that slopes down from the head and never stops. The fur is shiny and looks extremely smooth, very beautiful. Some people often say that Yorkshire Terriers have a charming charm like "a lady from an upper-class boudoir". This is because people always like to decorate the mischievous Yorkshire Terrier's head with ribbons, making it look like an upper-class lady. Furthermore, Yorkshire Terriers are very clever and intelligent, with high alertness. They particularly enjoy playing with their owners, are friendly to children and other animals, and are wary of strangers. They are very gentle and can be kept as a companion dog.
The name of the Yorkshire Terrier comes from its place of origin, Yorkshire, England. The Yorkshire Terrier breed has a history of over 100 years and is now found all over the world. It is known as a widely loved miniature dog. In 1861, the Yorkshire Terrier first appeared at a dog show in England, where it was originally called the "Scotch Terrier." It was originally used as a working dog to catch mice and later became known as a companion dog. By 1870, it was renamed the Yorkshire Terrier and was recognized as a purebred dog in 1872.
During the reign of Queen Victoria, it was a fashionable symbol and many trendy people competed to keep it as a pet. Therefore, its noble status was very stable, and even now it is one of the most popular breeds in the world. Its breed has been crossbred and improved many times in history. The early Yorkshire Terrier was larger in size, but unfortunately, there is no record of the secret of the Yorkshire Terrier's breeding. The reason mentioned in historical records is that the workers at that time did not want those unscrupulous breeders to know and profit from it. However, there are records in history that some Scots brought various terrier dogs, such as the Skye Terrier, when they came to work in the Yorkshire woolen mill and crossbred them with the local terrier dogs, resulting in the Yorkshire Terrier.
The Yorkshire Terrier is a very excellent guard dog and family dog, gentle and friendly, suitable for ordinary families. It is very popular among the elderly in Europe. However, because it is too lively, it is not suitable for families with active children. It needs strict training to be obedient. It is also not suitable for busy working people to keep because its fur is long and needs frequent combing and brushing, which requires the owner's patience.
1. Canine Infectious Diseases
The common infectious diseases that dogs are prone to include canine distemper, canine coronavirus, etc. The common clinical manifestations are: fever, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive sleepiness, difficulty breathing, bloody stools, pus in the eyes, dry nose, cracked paws, and other symptoms.
Generally, this type of infectious and fatal disease occurs more frequently when dogs are weaning or around 1 year old, and puppies are more susceptible with a low cure rate and a tendency to leave sequelae.
Prevention:
When bringing a dog home, it is recommended that the owner choose a dog through formal channels, vaccinate the dog on time, and regularly disinfect the home. Before the completion of vaccination, do not take the dog out for walks, avoid contact with unfamiliar dogs, and do not allow others to touch the dog's mouth and nose casually.
2. Canine Skin Diseases
Dogs are prone to various skin diseases because they often go for walks outside. If a dog accidentally gets infected with mites, bacteria, or fungi when outside, it can be difficult to cure for a long time. Therefore, pet owners must pay attention. Clinical manifestations of canine skin diseases include oily skin, peeling, red patches, itching, papules, ulceration, pus, hair loss, scabs, and more.
Prevention:
In daily care, it is necessary to keep the dog's living environment clean and tidy, avoid darkness and dampness. In addition, regular disinfection of the dog's living environment, internal and external deworming, using dog-specific shampoo, regular grooming, and supplementing vitamins and fish oil can help prevent skin diseases in dogs.
3. Canine Parasites
Common parasites in dogs include roundworms, heartworms, ticks, fleas, etc., which often cause skin diseases and gastrointestinal diseases in dogs. They may cause vomiting and diarrhea in dogs, affecting the quality of life and physical development of dogs. Generally, dogs with parasites are often thin and listless.
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Prevention:
When feeding, pet owners need to pay attention and try not to feed dogs with non-sterilized raw meat or unknown meat sources. Dogs need to be dewormed internally every 3 months and externally every month. When going out, prevent dogs from eating and licking randomly or going into grassy areas. After returning home, be sure to check carefully.
Yorkshire Terrier is a carnivorous dog, and owners should feed it the right amount of food according to its body size. Yorkshire Terriers should not have too much exercise. They need to have their fur groomed, ear hair plucked, ear hair trimmed, and their living environment kept clean on a daily basis.
Key points for ear hair plucking: clean the ears first, sprinkle ear powder into the ears, then pull out the necessary ear hair. The ear powder can reduce or eliminate adverse reactions caused by plucking hair, and plucking ear hair can effectively prevent the formation of ear mites.
Key points for ear hair trimming: use ordinary scissors to trim half of the outer hair, which makes their ears look small and clean.
1. Do not bathe frequently
When bathing a dog, it should not be done too frequently. The frequency of bathing should depend on the dog's hygiene condition. In hot weather, the dog can be bathed one or two more times, while it can be reduced by one or two times in winter. However, the total number of baths should not exceed 5 times in general. Otherwise, it will damage its fur and skin!
2. Brush regularly
Dogs shed their hair almost every day, especially in spring and autumn when seasonal shedding is more severe. To ensure good hair growth, regular brushing is an important step. Pet owners can use pet-specific brushes to help dogs remove naturally shed hair and prevent tangling. Brushing once in the morning and once in the evening for about five minutes each time is sufficient.
3. Sunbathe
Sunbathing is beneficial for the growth of the dog's fur. Besides making the fur more shiny, letting the dog sunbathe can also help kill bacteria. While sunbathing, pet owners can let the dog exercise a bit, which can help improve the dog's physical fitness, promote blood circulation, and help grow healthier fur.
4. Deworming
Poor fur condition is closely related to parasites. Parasites will consume a large amount of nutrients from the dog's body and compete for nutrition. Therefore, deworming is necessary. It is recommended to perform internal and external deworming at the same time. Deworming medications can cause significant damage to the dog's gastrointestinal system, so it is advisable to feed probiotics regularly to alleviate gastrointestinal discomfort.
5. Pay attention to diet
In order for a dog to have beautiful fur, a good nutritional foundation must be established, and attention must be paid to daily diet. On one hand, feed the dog nutritious and healthy dog food, choose a brand that is suitable for the dog and provides sufficient nutrition to meet the dog's needs. On the other hand, the dog can be given an appropriate amount of lean meat, cooked egg yolk, and vegetable oil, etc.