The original broken-haired Yorkshire Terrier of thirty years ago was
often called a Scottish Terrier, or even a Skye, and there are many
persons who still confound him with the Clydesdale, whom he somewhat
closely resembles. At the present time he is classified as a toy dog
and exhibited almost solely as such. It is to be regretted that until
very lately the terrier character was being gradually bred out of him,
and that the perkiness, the exuberance and gameness which once
distinguished him as the companion of the Yorkshire operative, was in
danger of being sacrificed to the desire for diminutive size and
inordinate length of coat.

Perhaps it would be an error to blame the breeders of Yorkshire
Terriers for this departure from the original type as it appeared,
say, about 1870. It is necessary to take into consideration the
probability that what is now called the old-fashioned working variety
was never regarded by the Yorkshiremen who made him as a complete and
finished achievement. It was possibly their idea at the very beginning
to produce just such a diminutive dog as is now to be seen in its
perfection at exhibitions, glorying in its flowing tresses of steel
blue silk and ruddy gold; and one must give them full credit for the
patience and care with which during the past forty years they have
been steadily working to the fixed design of producing a dwarfed breed
which should excel all other breeds in the length and silkiness of its
robe. The extreme of cultivation in this particular quality was
reached some years ago by Mrs. Troughear, whose little dog Conqueror,
weighing 5-1/2 lb., had a beautiful enveloping mantle of the uniform
length of four-and-twenty inches.

Doubtless all successful breeders and exhibitors of the Yorkshire
Terrier have their little secrets and their peculiar methods of
inducing the growth of hair. They regulate the diet with extreme
particularity, keeping the dog lean rather than fat, and giving him
nothing that they would not themselves eat. Bread, mixed with green
vegetables, a little meat and gravy, or fresh fish, varied with milk
puddings and Spratt's "Toy Pet" biscuits, should be the staple food.
Bones ought not to be given, as the act of gnawing them is apt to mar
the beard and moustache. For the same reason it is well when possible
to serve the food from the fingers. But many owners use a sort of mask
or hood of elastic material which they tie over the dog's head at
meal-times to