The AKC standard for a Yorkshire Terrier says the dog should not weigh more than 7 pounds. Nobody told the Yorkie. It walks into a room like the guest of honor and keeps a household of full-sized humans on its schedule. In December, when the house fills with guests, cameras and wrapping paper, a Yorkie's life looks a lot like a celebrity's holiday season: appearances, styling, photo calls, fan mail and a very demanding rider.
That makes shopping for a Yorkie person easy, as long as you play along. Below are 11 original Yorkie tees, one for each stop on a tiny celebrity's Christmas schedule, plus coat care and comfort gifts Yorkie homes really use.
From Mill Town Ratter to Lap Royalty: a Short History for the Card
Before the bows and the silk, the Yorkshire Terrier was a working dog. The breed was developed in the 1800s in the industrial north of England, in Yorkshire and Lancashire, where workers in the textile mills and mines wanted a small, quick terrier to keep rats out of the mills. The breed's foundation sire was a dog called Huddersfield Ben, born in 1865 and famous at shows in his day. As the coat grew longer and silkier, the Yorkie moved from the mill floor to Victorian laps, and the American Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1885.
The ratter's nerve never left. The most famous Yorkie in history, Smoky, was found in a foxhole in the New Guinea jungle in 1944 and adopted by a US Army Air Forces corporal, William Wynne. In the Philippines she pulled a telegraph wire through a narrow drainage pipe under an airfield, saving the crew from digging up the runway, and after the war she visited hospitals as one of the earliest known therapy dogs. Not bad for a dog of about 4 pounds.
A Tiny Celebrity's Christmas Schedule: 11 Tees
1. The red carpet entrance: The Art of Arriving
A Yorkie steps through a tall Art Deco doorway under a single star, its long coat sweeping behind it like the train of a gown, above the words "THE ART OF ARRIVING." A Yorkie never just comes into a holiday party. It pauses at the door, waits for someone to say its name and then makes its way through the room. For the Yorkie person whose dog is always the first guest everyone greets.
See the The Art of Arriving tee
2. Working the room: All Presence No Bulk
A proud Yorkie sits high on a bold Art Deco poster of red circles and teal blocks, with "ALL PRESENCE NO BULK" in big stacked letters. That is the whole Yorkie paradox in four words: a dog that fits in a handbag yet somehow fills the room at a family gathering. For the friend who loves good design as much as a good dog.
See the All Presence No Bulk tee
3. Hair and makeup: Luxury in Motion
A Yorkie's long coat flows into cream, copper and navy ribbons that curl around the words "LUXURY IN MOTION," finished with one small sparkle. Every Yorkie owner knows the pre-party routine: the brushing, the topknot, the bow, the dog standing still for exactly as long as it wants to. For the owner who keeps a comb in every bag and calls the daily walk a runway.
4. The wardrobe fitting: Coincidence Dressed Itself
A woman in a sweeping black-and-pink gown holds the leash of a Yorkie whose silky coat almost matches her dress, styled like an Art Deco fashion poster, with the leash curling through the words "Coincidence Dressed Itself." Matching holiday outfits are a tradition in plenty of Yorkie homes. This tee is for the owner who will deny it was planned and has the photos to prove otherwise.
See the Coincidence Dressed Itself tee
5. The holiday card portrait: Mystery Wears Well
A Yorkie sits in the pose of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, hands folded, in dark Renaissance clothes against the hazy landscape, above the words "Mystery Wears Well." Anyone who has tried to get a Yorkie to look at the camera for the Christmas card knows that expression: perfectly composed, faintly amused and absolutely not cooperating. For the art lover and the family photographer.
See the Mystery Wears Well tee
6. Fan mail at the door: Good Things Arrive Loudly
A blue Yorkie stands on its hind legs, reaching up toward a bright orange sun above "GOOD THINGS ARRIVE LOUDLY" in big retro script. December brings a package to the door almost every day, and a Yorkie announces every single one of them, the terrier in it still guarding the mill. A cheerful, warm-toned pick for the household that never needs a doorbell.
See the Good Things Arrive Loudly tee
7. On tour for the holidays: Time Travels Badly Packed
A woman in old-fashioned travel clothes strides along with one small suitcase and a Yorkie, past clocks, an hourglass and a classical column, under a banner that reads "TIME TRAVELS BADLY PACKED." Holiday travel with a Yorkie works the same way: the human forgets half of what she needed, but the dog, its bed and its sweaters are always packed first. For the owner who visits family with a carrier under the seat.
See the Time Travels Badly Packed tee
8. Opening presents: Leave a Little Drama
A Yorkie's long hair curls around a sweeping teal-and-gold ribbon lettered "Leave a Little Drama." Christmas morning is the Yorkie's big scene: the tissue paper gets shredded, the new toy gets a performance, and the box is always more interesting than the gift. For the friend whose dog never met a moment it could not make theatrical.
See the Leave a Little Drama tee
9. The lifetime achievement award: Tiny Monument
A Yorkie with flowing, geometric fur in gold, navy and cream stands on a grand sculptural plinth above the words "TINY MONUMENT." It is the statue every Yorkie believes it deserves. A good pick for a senior Yorkie's owner, or anyone whose small dog has been a very big part of their life.
10. The late night after-party: Sleeping Town, Loud Sky
An alert Yorkie sits in front of Van Gogh's The Starry Night, with the swirling blue-and-gold sky, the bright moon, the dark cypress and the little church steeple, beside the words "Sleeping Town, Loud Sky." On Christmas Eve, when the house finally goes quiet, there is always one small dog still listening for something on the roof. For the stargazer and the art fan.
See the Sleeping Town, Loud Sky tee
11. Home for the holidays: The House Standard
A Yorkie sits proudly under a tall purple arch lettered "THE HOUSE STANDARD," between two grand columns. Dog shows have a breed standard. A Yorkie home has a house standard, and the dog wrote it: which pillow, which lap, what time dinner is served. If you only buy one Yorkie tee this year, this one says what every owner already knows.
See the The House Standard tee
The Star's Rider: Coat Care and Comfort Gifts
A Yorkie's coat is more like human hair than fur. It is fine and silky, with little undercoat, and it keeps growing, so it tangles easily and needs regular brushing and trims. That makes grooming gear some of the most useful Yorkie gifts you can give:
- A good pin brush and a fine steel comb. Brushing a few times a week keeps mats from forming behind the ears and under the legs, where they start first.
- A gift card for a groomer the owner already trusts. A trim before the family photo is always welcome.
- Soft bows or topknot bands. They keep hair out of the eyes.
- A light sweater and a cozy, raised-edge bed. A dog this small loses heat quickly on winter walks and loves a bed it can curl into, ideally near its person.
- A donation in the owner's name to a Yorkie rescue or a local shelter.
Holiday Notes for a Seven-Pound Star
- Underfoot in a busy house: a Yorkie is easy to step on and easy to let out by accident when guests come and go. Give it a quiet room during the party.
- Small dog, small dose: chocolate, grapes and raisins, onions and xylitol are toxic to dogs, and a tiny dog needs only a small amount to get sick. Keep plates and treat-filled stockings out of reach.
Washed Tee or Soft Tee, and Getting It There by Christmas
- Fabric and fit: the Washed Tee ($35) is 100% cotton, 250 gsm, relaxed straight unisex cut, true to size, S to 5XL, three colors per design. The Soft Tee ($32) is a lighter 155 gsm, regular fit, S to 3XL. Tees are printed to order, so we cannot take returns for a wrong size; compare with the size guide before ordering.
- Delivery: printed and shipped in the USA, about 5 to 7 business days in the US including printing. Order by early December to be safe, since carriers get busy after Black Friday on November 27. See the shipping page.
- Multi-tee offer: 2 or more tees ship free in the US, and 3 or more get 15% off automatically.
Want more? Browse funny Yorkie shirts for the lighter side of the breed, or see every design in the full Yorkshire Terrier collection. Shopping for another long-coated lap star? Try the Shih Tzu Christmas gifts guide, or the Black Friday gifts for dog lovers guide to shop early.
More for Yorkie people: Yorkie mom shirts, 21 elegant designs, many showing a stylish woman with her Yorkie.
Shopping for her any time of year? Yorkie gifts for her reads a Yorkie's resume line by line, from mill-town ratter to museum muse, with 11 more tees.
FAQ
What is a good Christmas gift for a Yorkie owner?
Something for the coat and something for the owner: a pin brush and steel comb, a groomer gift card, soft bows, a light sweater for the dog, or an original Yorkie shirt about the big entrance, the drama and the house rules a seven-pound dog sets.
Why does a Yorkie's coat need so much grooming?
A Yorkshire Terrier has fine, silky hair with little undercoat that keeps growing, much like human hair. It tangles easily, so most owners brush it several times a week and book regular trims.
Were Yorkies really bred to catch rats?
Yes. The breed was developed in 1800s Yorkshire and Lancashire to catch rats in textile mills and mines. The confident, alert terrier personality comes from that job.
Is there a deal on more than one tee?
Yes. 2 or more tees ship free in the US, and 3 or more tees get 15% off automatically at checkout.