Today, the Yorkshire terrier is the quintessential purse dog, but its lap-dog status wasn't always that way. In 19th-century England, Yorkies had important roles hunting rats in clothing mills which makes sense on their cute and agile built. Yorkshire Terriers do tend to bark a lot. This makes them excellent watchdogs as they will sound the alarm when a stranger gets close. However, this barking problem can be resolved with proper training and exercise.