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Originally Posted by FlDebra I am not sure barkbytes can be construed as an official reference. It also says until the 1930's Yorkies usually weighed 30 pounds! I have some books with Champions through history and I think I would doubt that too. One little champion was less than 2 pounds in the early 1900's! They had over and under 5 pounds classes til 1960, and I read one from 1860's that had an over and under 9 pounds. Another topic, but it goes to credibility of the site you gave.
Your reference says Maltese were a possibility -- I guess anything is a possibility but since the Maltese is a spaniel, I am doubtful. I think I will go with the YTCA official position -- no white in the Yorkie history. For one thing the Maltese were dogs of culture and aristocracy -- I have a hard time imagining the weavers in the mills or the miners owning them. The Yorkie's were bred for ratting, after all.
You have to be careful about which references you use. It is officially recognized as a reference for the UKC or AKC? One of your references mentions Joan Gordon and Janet Bennett -- they wrote The Complete Yorkshire Terrier -- in which the history does not include Maltese. There is a quote that I like from that book, " some of our authorities have attempted to throw a great deal of mystery about the origin of the Yorkshire Terrier, where none really exists."
I have no doubt over the years people have sureptitiously bred maltese into the Yorkshire terrier lines.  But I am of the belief, that was not done before it was first shown in England or accepted into the AKC. But who really knows -- only the ghosts of a few old millers and miners, I guess.  |
i think the mystery exits cos the people who first bred them prob could not write so no records were kept on the breeds used but people have guessed due to the breeds around at the time, i think they say maltease cos no ones sure where the silky coat comes from as i think the other breeds used did not have silky coats.
and maybe one of the mens terriers got friendly with one of the lords or ladys papered maltease lol
i think the 30 pound sized dogs where most likely the first few dogs bred together as the other terriers used were large terriers so would make sence and then over the years of breeding got smaller.
but like you said only the ghosts know for sure and they are prob laughing at the yorkies we see today with there papering, clothes and bows in there hair as i bet years ago the miners yorkies didnt have there own wardrobes lol