12/23/2025
DNA information is interesting! I learned why an AKC-Registered Yorkshire Terrier Can Have Ancestors From Many Different Breeds and Still Be Purebred Yorkshire Terrier
A purebred Yorkshire Terrier does not mean the dog descends from only one type of dog throughout all of history. Instead, it means that the dog belongs to a recognized breed that has been consistently bred true for many generations and is officially recorded as that breed.
Like all established dog breeds, the Yorkshire Terrier was originally created by combining multiple different breeds. Historically, breeders in England selected small working dogs with desired traitsβsuch as size, coat texture, temperament, and agilityβand bred them together until those traits became stable and predictable.
As a result, early ancestors of the Yorkshire Terrier included dogs that would today resemble or relate to breeds such as:
Schnauzer-type terriers
Small bulldog-type dogs
Shih Tzu-type companion dogs
Papillon-type toy dogs,
Chihuahua types, and even Poodles -
Other small terriers used for ratting and mill work
These breeds existed before modern breed registries and contributed genetically to what eventually became the Yorkshire Terrier. This is normal and true for all dog breeds, not just Yorkies.
Once breeders consistently produced dogs with the same characteristics, the Yorkshire Terrier was formally recognized as a distinct breed. From that point forward, dogs bred within that registry and meeting the breed standard were considered purebred Yorkshire Terriers.
Today, an AKC-registered Yorkshire Terrier is considered purebred because:
Its recent generations are documented and recorded as Yorkshire Terriers
No modern crossbreeding has occurred
The dog meets the breed definition recognized by the American Kennel Club
How many ancestors are we talking about?
Every dog has an exponentially growing number of ancestors:
2 parents
4 grandparents
8 great-grandparents
16 great-great-grandparents
Within 10 generations, a single dog can have over 1,000 ancestors.
Going back far enough in history, it is expected and scientifically normal that those ancestors were not all the same breed.
What matters is not the ancient breeds involved, (Embark and Wisdom panels will show you ancestors) but that:
The breed has been stable for generations (AKC DNA testing will show you generations of Yorkshire Terrier linage)
The lineage has been consistently bred as Yorkshire Terriers
No new outside breeds have been introduced in modern times
In simple terms
Every purebred dog comes from many different breedsβfar enough back.
A dog is considered purebred because of what it is today and how it has been bred for generations, not because of what its ancestors were centuries ago.
Purebred does not mean βonly one breed forever.β
Purebred means βa recognized breed that now breeds true.β That is exactly what we have! A wonderful recognized Yorkshire breed that Breeds true! I am DNA testing my dogs and finding all the ancestors to be very interesting. They are why we get so many wonderful colors.