Meet the Yorkshire Terrier
A LONG-HAIRED TOY TERRIER WITH A CONFIDENT MANNER
With its flowing blue-and-tan coat and spunky personality, the Yorkshire Terrier is both fashion-forward and fiercely feisty. Originally bred to chase rats in English mills, the Yorkie now enjoys life as a glamorous, if somewhat insistent, companion. This is an affectionate breed, sprightly and tomboyish. Their compact size, big attitude, and need for human connection make them perennial stars in the Toy Group and on the living room sofa.
The outstanding breed characteristics of the Yorkshire Terrier are Coat, Color, and Texture. However, for many exhibitors and judges, this seems to be a problem. The general appearance for a Yorkie is that of a long-haired Toy Terrier that has a steel blue and tan coat that is parted from the base of the skull to the end of the tail, and hangs evenly and very straight down each side of the body. Each strand appears to be individual. The coat is distinctively long, silky, glowing, and reflects light.
The clear metallic color, the single coat, and the texture are of the utmost importance in evaluating this breed. The ideal texture of the coat is silk; Yorkies DO NOT HAVE FUR. The coat can be compared to human hair. A clue to this is that on a 100-degree day, the coat will still feel silky and cool to the touch. Puppies are born black and will start to show markings of gold on the ears and legs first, with intermingling black hairs in the tan until they reach maturity. The change from a puppy coat takes quite a long time. Judging the puppies, you can see the changing by checking the part line and shoulder line. It can take from twelve to eighteen months for a complete adult coat. Yorkies do not shed, it is a continuously growing coat.
“Simple Talk on the Yorkshire Terrier Standard” by Kathleen B. Kolbert SHOWSIGHT September 2018
Please visit showsightmagazine.com to learn more about the Yorkshire Terrier.