Is your Yorkie an athlete?
 

I wanted Eddie to be a superstar athlete. I put him in agility. I worked with him every day on jumps and teeter-totters and all kinds of stuff. He did well. But I was flabbergasted when I dogsat a friend's female Yorkie who put Eddie to shame athletically. She ran faster, jumped higher and, while untrained, was obviously a better natural athlete.

So I wonder. Are most Yorkies gifted athletes or are most Yorkies just average? Do they amaze you when they jump up on couches or chase a squirrel? Or are they like you'd expect: Just normal.

When you look at your Yorkie's pure athletic ability, how would you rank him or her?

Jackson's an Olympian! LOL... No, really, he's a natural. Everything comes easily to him, as far as activity goes.

I always encouraged his athleticism, which I know helped, but at the same time, it DID come natural. For example, as a pup, he used to play in the water on the pool cover, and in the pond, etc, so once the pool was opened, I encouraged him to get in. Had I not, he probably never would've gone further than laying on the step. Now, he does this:


So far, he's excelled at anything I've thrown at him though.

He's just very swift, very fast, very agile, quick in his movement. Jumping on/off furniture is very easy for him, he enjoys jumping onto fallen down tree trunks outside, onto benches, picnic tables etc. It's something I don't pay attention to, but he's given others heart attacks!

His nickname is 'Action Jackson' for a reason! :D

Ha ha. I was thinking of Jackson when I posted this. He's definitely one of the YT Yorkies I'd put in the Olympian class.

Tibbe isn't up to Olympian status but he does love his little home-schooled agility and seems not to tire easily at all. He will politic me to train him and set up his jumps and little treat-hunt field trials. He has a ball doing all of that. He is only 5.3 lbs. but he can jump so high and when he hears a cat outside, he can jump off the couch, clearing the doggie steps entirely and about 18" beyond them and he's off. I have worked and worked to stop the latter activity so now, when I hear a cat outside, I start telling him to stay and then "doggie steps" and get over to him before he can make that dangerous a jump for a dog his size. And, when he's motivated, he can said up onto the couch from several feet away without using the doggie steps at all. Again - don't want him jumping like this so in the house I really have to watch him to stop this. I think he would do so well in actual agility but right now I'm not up to it. When we go on walks, I never can tire him out. He's sure no lap dog - he's all terrier.

Sounds like any Olympian to me!

I just rescued my first Yorkie from a no kill shelter. I named him Doodle. He is my first small dog. I have had Bouviers for the last 20 years. I put my last Bouv, Grace, down about a month ago. I was NEVER getting another dog. That feeling lasted 2 weeks! I knew I wanted to downsize and rescue. Pit Bulls are abundant but larger than I wanted. I found Doodle in the 2nd shelter I went to and it was love at first sight! I knew nothing about Yorkies. He is on the bigger side at 10 lbs. I could feel his ribs and every vertebrae on his spine. At first he wolfed his food. I feed him twice a day, 2 tbl. of wet and a palmfull of dry. He snacks on the dry all day now. The reason he was put up for adoption is that she did not have time for him. I don't get it...he is pee pad trained, comes when called, sits on command, and walks great on a leash! I am thrilled with my little guy. It was kismet the day I walked into that shelter. I think he only needs some socialization but not much. He loves my cats and they seem to love him too. I'm looking forward to many years with my Doodle and really appreciate this small breed!

Welcome to YT! We'd love to see some pics of your lovely pup! What luck you got there. It's pretty rare to come across a yorkie in a shelter that isn't very old or sick.

I think Uni is an athlete, perhaps not Olympian, but maybe like minor leagues. She has LP grade 2, but still she loves to jump. We have the home AKC agility high jump thingamabob, and she can clear it with the pole almost to the top. It could help that she has unusually long legs tho. :)

Also she can go for super long walks. After a 2 mile hilly walk in the park, she's still ready for more. One day we went to three parks in a row and she still wasn't ready to go home.

She's a super fast runner too. I think it's those legs again. I've always wanted to pit her up against a whippet. A full sized greyhound would not be fair.

All 4 of mine are closet Olympians! I had a ring jump set up in my Living Room, at floor level, my poor old Peek A Boo fell over it twice. I raised it 4 inches for Tink, then the doorbell rang and he turned and flew over it like he'd been doing it his entire life!

Sapphire almost beat the UPS guy to the gate, lol. He said, Gosh they're so little, I never thought they could run that fast! Lol.

Tink is just plain fast, and seemingly tireless.

Finny rolls, walks backwards, and has escaped every harness I've ever put on her. Miss Houdini.

Joel is an Olympian AND a couch potato haha!:D

Oh, I forgot, I also clocked Jackson running about 20-22mph easily. Lol. I was shocked. (I ride the four wheeler next to the fence and he runs at top speed, haha).

That is cool! I have always wondered how fast a Yorkie can run. Jackson is definitely trialthlon or any sport material!

I would rate my guys as Olympians. Max has amazing strength and can propel his body in any direction seemingly without flexing a muscle.

Dad and I always argue who is faster, Max or Teddy. When the boys got outside once without permission, Teddy tried to catch Max but couldn't quite pounce on him. So, while Teddy is lighter and has prettier movement, Max is still fast.

If sleeping were considered an athletic event then Gracie would be a World Champion. :D:D:D

Teeka is only eight months and can run with the big dogs! She is not a jumper but she is fast. She can outrun our Cocker Spaniel! For a 3 pounder she "runs like the wind"!

I would not have thought that Princess Sophie could be in any way an Olympian until I saw her fly over DH's shoulder to land (belly first) on her Cloud 9 below. If I can post the video, I will. Just need time to figure it out!! LOL

I would have been in a panic if mine did that! I am always so scared of them falling and injuring themselves!

Very Capable - A could be Olympian
 

Razzle is a mover. He can run as fast as a 26inch zoomer of a large BRT.

He is a good swimmer and jumper.

How-ever as a former competitive athlete, I am not sure he has the `heart`` and drive for Olympic sport.

In main part because I have never tried to train him, the literal thousands of hours to get to that level of performance. And to find out if he has the heart for it.

He suffers a bit from lack of focus. He doesn`t naturally compete with strangers, although he always competes with his pack.

Magic his very big brother, does compete, has done so subtly yet naturally over the years. He could have been a World Class obedience dog, it was what we were training for, before he was injured.

Now trying to balance out the different breeds - one a Yorkshire Terrier, one a Black Russian Terrier. It can be difficult to assess, and come to an equivalency measure.

BRT`s were developed to Work with a Human. Their main drive is to please their owner, but this is wrapped in a personality that is dominant, highly intelligent and also stubborn. You need to èarn`their respect and obedience.

YT`s were not developed for the same things.

Magic is never cowed by strange dogs - even if they are larger then him. When he is working, nothing and I mean nothing gets in his way.

Razzle is easily distracted; he decides not to `compete`especially with strange dogs.

So in summation he is very capable, but at this point in his life, will never be a n Olympian.

Alfie is a runner and jumper, he lives to chase balls, he runs out in front and as soon as he sees the ball his head goes down, his ears touch at the back of his head and he's as quick as a whippet.
He will jump (or try) on anything except into my arms, but we are working on that.
I think a little Italian Greyhound but make a great buddy for him.

When I say Ruger is an Athlete that doesn't mean he can run a routine I've taught him. It just means he jumps higher than most, and can leap from thing to thing without thinking about it. When left on his own in the exam room at the vet's, Ruger's antics really freak the vet out. :aimeeyork

when alice was a puppy she was painfully shy (rescue puppy problems) .. and i remember when the trainer from puppy obedience class brought out the agility props...and she looked at us and said.."alice prob wont do this" ...but..guess who was BEST IN HER CLASS at all of them! she just instantly "got it" and wasn't afraid of the tunnels or equipment...I was so proud! :-)
xoxo

I was just talking to my hubby this weekend about this. Mandie is so muscular and very athletic. She spends a lot of time in our backyard running as fast as she can chasing her brother. I've seen her fly over a pile of limbs before. I really am thinking she would be great at agility courses and I want to set one up in my backyard. Her brother would do great too so it's something they could both do - worth the money invested, I think :)

That's awesome! Yorkies can be agility stars. Or you can just start slow and have fun with it. Buy a kid's tunnel at Toys R Us. Have them walk through the legs of a ladder lying on the ground. I saw a video online recently of a 23-week-old pup weaving through about 10 styrofoam cups set up like mini weave poles.

Yup. That was Misa Minnie (MyYorkieBear's pup). So smart!

Good idea on the Toys R Us tunnel. Oh and the ladder - I already have that so might start out with that this week :)

I'm impressed! The vote so far is 78-27 for either "Olympian" or "Very capable" vs. "average" and "couch potato." Just goes to show what amazing athletes we have. And for the not so athletic, take heart: They always have the "adorable" thing going for them. :)

So my Sasha is a couch potato. We live in an apartment and it's the only safe place for her... When we rented a room in a house with a fenced in yard she was crazy when she went out. We lived with 4 other yorkies and she was out running and out maneuvering the others like no tomorrow. She loves to run around... But I will not let her run around like others in my area off leash. She is too small and though I live on a side street people drive too fast around here because I am between 2 one way roads...

I am even more convinced that I want to get Mandie an agility course set up out back.

We had our Alabama Yorkie Meet-up yesterday and here are a couple of pics of my girl running full force. She's sooo stinkin cute! (sorry- proud mom moment lol)

Attachment 385288 Attachment 385289

My Kudos is an athlete. He hasnt ever even been in any training. He loves to run jump and hunt!!n He is such a outgoing dog!!

How cute & what a fun thing to do---this swimming!

I just now spotted this post. She is such a darling. I know you're proud of her!

An olympian?
 

My little Princess is very active when we play with her. She adores my 24 yr old son. However, the vet just informed us she has S.A.R.D.S. we knew. She had problems with her vision since birth but not this. She is 3 today and it seems her vision is getting worse. It breaks my heart. I hate leaving her home when i go to work.