Yorkshire Terrier vs Chihuahua

Yorkshire Terriers are friendly and will love your family members and house guests if properly socialized as pups. However, they aren’t great with young kids and babies—or, rather, young children aren’t great with them, especially those who like to play rough and haven’t been taught how to respect a dog’s boundaries.

The Yorkshire Terrier is a super-smart, super-cute and super-friendly dog. Like many small dog breeds, Yorkies aren’t aware of their diminutive stature. Full of confidence and spunk, your pup might take over full command of the household, not-so-gently letting you know when it’s time to wake up, put the food out and go for a walk. How? Yorkies can yap. They’re really, really, really good at it.

If their big personality—and high-pitched bark—are given run of the show, though, Yorkies can get a little too full of themselves, possibly developing aggressive temperament towards visitors and new people. But as long as your Yorkshire Terrier knows who’s boss (that would be you) and is given plenty of opportunities for social interactions with humans and canines from an early age, this breed can be a loyal, playful and friendly best bud.

Yorkshire Terriers don’t mind being handled and carried, so they’re some of the most portable pups around. Just be careful not to coddle them too much. Yorkshire Terriers still need exercise and independence so that they don’t grow afraid to be out of your arms. In fact, because Yorkies don’t love being alone, many Yorkie parents get two so they can keep each other company.

Young children aside, Yorkshire Terriers are perfect playmates for almost everyone. They can even get along with other dogs and cats if they grow up in a home with them. But beware if you have a hamster, guinea pig or other small animal; this terrier was bred to catch rodents and will chase them around the house.

Chihuahuas are charming little scamps with an eye for mischief and a sense of bravery that outsizes their physicality. They’re playful pups who enjoy a good romp or game, even though it may not last long (depending on their energy level). And they love to snooze on laps and cuddle—that is, after all, what they’re bred to do.

They like a lot of attention and are quite portable. But even though they’re easily carried, they do still need to learn how to walk on their own and be able to engage in normal dog behaviors, like sniffing, exploring and playing. In other words, don’t pop them in a purse or a stroller and tote them everywhere—unless, of course, it’s somewhere risky with lots of feet that could hurt a tiny paw, like an airport or street festival.

The Chihuahua dog breed is said to resemble a terrier with their demeanor and can become quite feisty, especially if they feel threatened. Some sites report that the Chihuahua bite force is 3,900 pounds per square inch (psi), but those so-called Chihuahua facts are wildly inaccurate, when a lion is only at 600 psi. In truth, Chihuahuas usually inflict no more than a Level 1-3 bite, with no puncture deeper than half the length of one of their canine teeth.

To help your Chihuahua puppy overcome a nipping or protective tendency, socialize them by safely and slowly introducing them to new people and places from the get-go and start training when they are young. Early training will also help this smallest of dog breeds become wonderfully friendly and receptive to all members of the family, including other pets.