“They can be sweet but protective,” Baugh affirms. She believes their definitive characteristic is being alert and on watch at all times. They are clever and will skillfully try to dominate any household.”Īlthough now retired from breeding and handling, Baugh’s years of experience have shown her that Silkys are loyal, fearless, and tenacious terriers at heart as well. Their spirited play and enduring energy are a constant source of entertainment for their owners. “They think they are much bigger than they are and will challenge much bigger dogs. “As far as temperament, the Yorkie is a true terrier: intelligent, feisty, energetic, courageous, and independent (often stubborn),” claims Lyon. Although each Yorkie has a unique personality, Lyon asserts the defining characteristic is being a perky companion or adorable charmer. Silky ears are not as large at the base and have sharper upside-down V-shapes set on the top of the head.īoth breeds may be in the Toy Group, but they are terriers through and through. According to Baugh, the shape of the ears is different than that of the Yorkie. In addition, the ears can help distinguish the Silky. Plus, the teeth are larger, originally intended for catching larger prey. The Silky has a wedge-shaped head versus the more rounded skull of the Yorkie. According to Lyon, a smaller, highly-refined Silky and a larger, unrefined Yorkie may look nearly identical to the untrained eye.Īnother key difference in appearance is found in each breed’s head. They range from 10-11 pounds, while the Yorkie weighs no more than seven. But, the body of a Silky is much more substantial, with more bone and muscle. To add to the confusion, the breeds are of similar size, as well. “In the show ring, Yorkies often have a bow in a topknot, while the Silky is topped by profuse hair parted down the middle,” says Lyon. And the hair on their head is different too, with the Silky’s being shorter. However, when it comes to the conformation ring, the Yorkie’s coat is trimmed to reach the floor while the Silky’s body coat should not approach that length. When their coats are trimmed as household pets, they can look very much alike. Both have a straight, silky-feeling coat reminiscent of the texture of human hair. Baugh believes that the coat and colors are most often the source of mix-ups. “Therefore, these three breeds, Yorkshire Terrier, Silky Terrier, and Australian Terrier, are closely related but were developed for different purposes,” says Baugh.īoth the Yorkie and Silky are blue- and tan-colored toy terriers. Of course, crosses with Yorkies would have gone into the development of what was to become today’s Silky. The purpose of this new breed was to be both varmint killers and pretty household pets. According to Baugh, these long, silky coated pups were taken into several different areas of Australia and developed to be a sturdier-built long-coated dog with large teeth. However, due to the breed’s ancestry, puppies with long coats would pop up in Australian Terrier litters. “The Australian Terrier became more developed in Australia to be stout, with medium bone and strong teeth to catch larger varmints. “As time went by, the Yorkie was bred in England to be a smaller, long-coated dog to catch mice,” she states.
But, there is more to the story than that. Baugh explains that it has become common to say Silkys are a cross of Yorkie and Australian Terrier in Australia.
Australians wanted a stouter dog for the home, so they looked to cross the Yorkie with the Australian Terrier.
It wasn’t until after Yorkies arrived in Australia that the Silky was born. Later, the elegant little dog became fashionable with the upper class of Victorian society.” “Some had duties as sod-house guardians and others earned their keep in saloons by entertaining clients and chasing rats.
“The breed was originally a workingman’s dog,” says Lyon. Although these breeds no longer exist, the combination resulted in the breeding of the founding father of today’s Yorkies, a dog named Huddersfield Ben, in 1865. Several small, broken-haired British terriers went into the mix, such as the Paisley or Clydesdale. Lyon explains that the Yorkie was developed in the north of England in the 1800s.
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