Yorkshire Terrier Information The Yorkie Standard
The point of a breed standard is to have a goal for all breeders to aim for. When a dog is judged in the show ring, it is judged against the breed standard and not against the other dogs.
One of the advantages of getting purebred dogs is that their physical and personality temperaments can (for the most part) be predicted. You will also be aware of the needs for the dog in order to happy and healthy.
They are most commonly in blue and gold coats, although a there are slight variations in color the blue and gold dominate. These coats naturally grow long and silky, getting to be almost twice the length of the dog, requiring that tiny red bow in top so the dog can see.
A Yorkshire Terrier is often identified by the incredibly long show coat. The show champions are usually the ones pictured in dog breed books and in magazines. If you are familiar with guinea pigs, the Yorkshire Terrier is the one who looks a lot like a Peruvian show guinea pig (and some Yorkies aren’t much heavier than a guinea pig!) However, this show coat is only seen on show dogs. The majority of Yorkies spend their lives in a closely clipped coat.
So, in order to identify a purebred Yorkshire Terrier, you need to know the breed standard other than that of a really long blue and tan coat. If this upcoming description seems hard to grasp, don’t worry. There are many websites and dog magazines that have pictures of clipped Yorkies. Going to a Yorkshire Terrier rescue is a great source of Yorkshire Terrier information. In time, you will learn the difference between Yorkies and other toy breeds.
Other distinctive features of the Yorkshire Terrier include a black nose, a yappy voice and a bold personality. Unlike a sloping spine of, say, a German Shepherd, Yorkies have even spines with the shoulder in line with the rump.
Their noses are black and their muzzles pointed. They have big, bright eyes and their teeth should meet in a scissors or an even bite.
Yorkshire Terriers are famous for their silky coats. In show champions, the coat is about twice as long as the dog. In the shelter, most likely the dog you are trying to identify has a clipped coat, making him or her look like a cross between a teddy bear and a ragamuffin. Another fault that disqualifies a Yorkie from a show ring is having black hairs mixed with the blue and tan. Also, if the blue of your Yorkie is silver blue instead of steel blue, he or she will also not be considered good enough for the show ring.
