Yorkie/Maltese??? Related??
 

I can't find the thread that was asking this question.

But - after a little research - I think the best answer is:

*** When the little Yorkie was first bred and developed - most of the people involved in the development of this breed were illerate -- so no good or written records were kept. This will leave the exact history of the Yorkshire Terrier confusing forever.

Nevertheless, most of the historys that we do have list some of the same breeds that were probably breed to develop the Yorkie.

The Maltese is often mentioned as a possibility. Following are some excerpts I got from different histories (each of these came from a different source.)

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1) A cross-breeding with the Maltese resulted in the smaller dogs we have today.

2) It is believed that Yorkies have in their lineage the Manchester Terrier, the Maltese, the Skye, Dandie Dinmont and the Paisley terriers

3) English contributions to the bloodline of the Yorkshire Terrier may have included, according to many sources, the Manchester Terrier, the Maltese, and the Dandie Dinmont Terrier.

4) It is guessed that the Yorkshire county miners crossed the Black and Tan English Terrier, this dog was rough-coated, and the long-coated, blue-gray Waterside Terrier breeds were infused in the Scottish Terriers. The Maltese and Skye Terrier are also possibilities.
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I also read many other articles - and two facts have become apparent...

1) We will never know the exact history of the Yorkshire Terrier - as
no early written records were kept.

2) There is a high probability that the "Maltese" is a part of the Yorkie's history. But, again, there is no positive documentation for this.

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My opinion is that the Maltese is probably a part of the Yorkie's origin -- but we will never know for sure.

And - anyone who says differently -- is only guessing!


Carol Jean

Here is the thread where it was mentioned.http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35542

IN MY OPINION....the faces and body of the Maltese and Yorkies are very similar. Many people when choosing a small pretty breed often pick one or the other.....

My first choice when looking for a small dog was a Maltese...till I fell IN LOVE with a co-workers yorkie.... and then it was LIGHTS OUT FOR ME......I was in LOVE and have been totally infatuated with yorkies since.

so I'd have to say that they do seem related in the distant past...but then again I sure could be WAY off base. I know the Maltese has a long rich history.

There is also the possibility that both the maltese and the yorkie have some common ancestors but neither of the two breeds is part of the other.

again
 

I dont care what that auther said i will still read her biik it sounds interesting

BUT THERE IS ABSOLUTLEY NO PROOF OF THE DOGS BRED TOGETHER TO GET A YORKIE.

Dskeeter - You're right - there is no absolute "proof" regarding which breeds were involving when the little Yorkie was developed. (This can be said of all breeds -- remember the Yorkie is nearly as old as many other breeds.)

Even so, word of mouth, and other tales help us learn about a lot that happened in the past. So, I would say that even though we can be "exact" about the Yorkie's origin - we still have a good general idea which other breeds may have been involved.

Carol Jean

I have always seen Maltese but didn't notice their similarities to the Yorkies. Now that I have one I deffinately see it! When I give Lola a bath she looks just like a white yorkie lol . They look like Chihuahuas all wet. The only thing is that Lola( maltese) has her ears down. The tempermants are pretty much alike also. I don't know if it's because she is still a puppy but my daughters say "Mom ! she acts like such a blonde!" Like when I walk into a room and she wakes up ,ready to walk towards me. Well I freeze and act like a statue and she looks at me for a few seconds and tilts her head like she's not sure if I'm real or not and then falls asleep again lol. I love both of these breeds so much!

Genie, Cookie & Lola

I wonder why they can't do some kind of genetic testing and settle this. You'd think these days they could. I'd be interested to know because I love both the Yorkie and the Maltese!

Oh, CSI - why don't you answer the REAL mysteries????