The Origins of the Yorkshire Terrier and Smoky

In the 1850s, Scottish coal miners in Yorkshire bred small Terriers to be effective rat killers in coal mines. Over time, these traits made them desirable as lapdogs. In 1944, an American soldier named Bill Nguyen found a four-pound dog named Smoky in Papua New Guinea during World War II. Smoky became Bill's companion throughout the war, learning tricks and providing comfort to soldiers. After the war, Bill and Smoky embarked on a journey of fame, performing on TV shows and entertaining audiences as trained dog performers.