• LIFE
  • animals

A Breed Apart: Portraits of Yorkshire Terriers

1 minute read

In November 1964, LIFE magazine noted that “a small dog with a sweeping hairdo and a peppery disposition” was pushing the poodle aside as the elegant canine accessory-of-the-moment. LIFE also noted that the small, dynamic Yorkie — for it was none other than the Yorkshire Terrier to which the magazine devoted a multi-page feature — “is no lap dog. It has the dash and spirit of all terriers and is a better ratter than most cats.”

The image of a fearless rat-killer is hardly the first that comes to mind, of course, when one thinks of the Yorkie — and the Nina Leen photos in that LIFE feature focused on the breed’s cute, lively nature rather than its innate (if rarely exercised) ferocity. But the point was clear: while small in stature, the Yorkie has huge appeal.

Here, as the 138th annual Westminster Dog Show gets underway in New York, LIFE presents some of Leen’s pictures from 50 years ago — photos celebrating a rare and singularly winning breed.

Liz Ronk, who edited this gallery, is the Photo Editor for LIFE.com. Follow her on Twitter @lizabethronk.

Champion Yorkie Wildweir Moon Rose.
Champion Yorkie Wildweir Moon Rose.Nina Leen—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Yorkshire Terriers
Caption from LIFE. "Champion Wildweir Moon Rose of Glenview, Ill. proudly sits among some of her many trophies"Nina Leen—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Yorkshire Terriers
Caption from LIFE. "To keep the trailing hairdos long and impressive for any special occasions a Yorkie's fur is rolled up in wrappers and brushed out once a day. The head fur can be trimmed up around the face, rolled into a bun or left to droop."Nina Leen—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Yorkshire Terriers
A Yorkie in curlers.Nina Leen—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Yorkshire Terriers
Caption from LIFE. "Proud Girl, 1963's top Yorkshire, is carried by Mrs. Leslie Gordon. Her head fur reaches to tip of her tail."Nina Leen—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Yorkshire Terriers
Yorkie with two puppies.Nina Leen—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Yorkshire Terriers
Caption from LIFE. "Tank, a 3-month-old-puppy from Westport, Conn., looks like a stuffed toy. At birth Yorkies weigh 2 ounces."Nina Leen—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Yorkshire Terriers
Caption from LIFE. "Feather, owned by Beryl Hesketh of Westport, Conn., goes for a swim. Like all terriers, Yorkies love to take a swim. They can be trained as hunting dogs, learning to point and even retrieve the smaller game birds like doves."Nina Leen—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Yorkshire Terriers
Yorkie after a swimNina Leen—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Yorkshire Terriers
A Yorkie jumping.Nina Leen—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Yorkshire Terriers
Running with a running Yorkie.Nina Leen—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Yorkshire Terriers
A hunter with a Yorkie.Nina Leen—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images

More Must-Reads From TIME

Contact us at letters@time.com