Silky Terrier vs Yorkshire Terrier
Both Silky Terrier and Yorkshire Terrier are often confused with one another especially when they are at their puppy stage or having the same clip. The easiest way to differentia them is looking at their body shape. From a side view, Silky Terrier is rather “oblongish” (its length is slightly longer than its height) whereas Yorkshire Terrier is more squarely proportion.
Yorkshire Terrier was developed from a combination of Scottish and English black-and-tan terriers, Maltese, and now extinct Clydesdale Terrier. From each litter the smallest dogs were selected for breeding, and gradually Yorkshire Terrier was “shrank” to the ideal size of what we see today.
Silky Terrier was developed in Australia from crossing Yorkshire Terrier and Australia Terrier, when Yorkies were brought to Australia in late 1800s. Although Silky Terrier gained a foothold in America after WWII, it’s far away from the most popular breeds in US and UK till this day.
| Breed | Silky Terrier | Yorkshire Terrier |
| Country of Origin | Australia | England |
| AKC / KC Groups | Toy Group | Toy Group |
| Original Function | companion, small vermin hunting | companion, small vermin hunting |
Physical Appearance
| Coat Color | blue and tan | steel blue and clear tan; born black and tan |
| Coat Type | fine, silky, worn down to knee level | fine, straight, silky, draping to the floor |
| Head | quite long, broad with a flat skull and shallow stop | small, slightly flat at the top |
| Eyes | small, dark, round | medium-sized, dark brown |
| Ears | set high, small v-shaped, erect | set high, small v-shaped, erect |
| Body | quite long, level back, strong loins, deep chest | compact, level back, muscular loins |
| Tail | docked, carried high | docked to a moderate length, carried slightly higher than the level of the back |
| Height | 9 – 10 inches | 8 – 9 inches |
| Weight | 8 – 11 lbs | 7 lbs and under |
Temperament, Needs, and Learning
| Overall Temperament | strong character, alert, liveliness, loyal, bold, feisty | mischievous, spunky, stubborn, quite oblivious of its tiny size |
| Exercise | moderate | low |
| Grooming | brushing every other day | daily brushing |
| Ideal Home Environment | apartment, small home; highly adaptable | apartment, small home; sensitive to extreme temperatures |
| Ideal Owner | patient, semi-active, firm | calm, couch potato |
| Intelligence / Ranking | moderately high / no.37 | high / no. 27 |
| Trainability | high | high |
Behavior
| Excitability | very high | high |
| Playfulness | high | high |
| Demand for Affection | moderately high | high |
| Watchdog Barking | very high | very high |
| Protection | low | low |
| Dominance Over Owner | moderately low | moderately low, occasionally stubborn |
| Good With Dogs | moderately low, sometimes aggressive | low |
| Good With Pets | moderate | low, may pick fights |
| Good With Children | moderate | snappy, better with older children (12 above) |
| Good With Strangers | moderately low, sometimes aggressive | moderately low |
Health
| Life Span | 11 – 14 years | 14 – 16 years |
| Major Aliments | cataracts, cushing’s, legg-perthes, patellar luxation | dental problems, portacaval shunt, progressive retinal atrophy, patellar luxation |
| Minor Aliments | diabetes, epilepsy | legg-perthes, tracheal collapse |
| Recommended Food | poultry, lamb, fish, wheat, rice, potato | beef, potato, sugar beet, wheat, barley |
Click here to download Silky Terrier vs Yorkshire Terrier Chart
Source on Intelligence Ranking:
The Intelligence of Dogs: A Guide to the Thoughts, Emotions, and Inner Lives of Our Canine Companions
Page 192 to 193
Feb 15th 2009
11:35 AM
Recently purchased a Yorkshire Terrier but she is
looking more like a Silky Terrier but she is registered
as a Yorkshire Terrier. Is this common?
May 29th 2010
10:14 PM
I have a Silky, when I first got her she came from a puppy mill, she weighed 3/4 of a lb. and was the WORST dog I ever had, She will be 5 this year and she is now the best dog I ever had, Her name is Sugar, I thank God I stuck it out with her, she is lovable, playful, funny and fun to live with. There is a long story behind her and I learned a lot raising her, she is the love of my life !!
Nora