Yorkshire Terrier

Yorkshire Terrier

19×24 colored pencil. Original available.

The Yorkshire Terrier, (often called simply the Yorkie), is a breed of small dog in the toy category. The long-haired terrier is known for its playful demeanor and distinctive blue and tan coat. Yorkies can be very small, usually weighing not more than lb ( kg); the standard of this breed does not mention the minimum weight accepted nor does it specify a height. Based on registrations of the American Kennel Club, Yorkshire Terriers became the second most popular dog breed in the United States in 2006, trailing only the Labrador Retriever.
Appearance
General
The Yorkshire Terrier breed standard specifies that the dog should have a compact, athletic build suitable for an active lifestyle; and hold itself in an upright, confident manner. The Yorkie has a free, jaunty gait, with both head and tail held high. For Yorkies, toy stature does not necessarily mean frail or fragile.
Coat and color
Yorkshire Terriers are a long-haired breed with no undercoat, which means that they do not shed as much as their short haired friends. Rather, their hair is like human hair in that it grows continuously and falls out rarely (only when brushed or broken). Additionally, since Yorkies carry less dander on their coat, they generally do not have the unpleasant “wet dog” odor when wet, and they may not affect as many people who suffer from dog-related allergies.

Yorkie puppies are born with a black and tan coat, and normally have black hairs mixed in with the tan until they are matured. The breed standard for adult Yorkies places prime importance on coat color, quality and texture. The hair must be glossy, fine and silky. However, some have very fine hair, making it feel a bit different and are harder to care for. From the back of the neck to the base of the tail, the coat should be a dark steel-blue (not silver-blue)- never mingled with fawn, bronze or black hairs. Hair on the tail should be a darker blue. On the head, chest and legs, hair should be a bright, rich tan, and darker at the roots than in the middle, shading to still lighter tan at the tips. Some Yorkies never turn the usual blond and continue to be gray. There should be no dark hairs intermingled with any of the tan in adult dogs. Many Yorkies do not conform to the standard for coat color; the tan may range from a very light blonde to a darker brown, while the body may be black or silvery gray. Many pet-quality Yorkies have “wooley” coats which are completely black across the back. The hair never “breaks” into the dark steel blue that is preferred in the breed because the coat texture is not a pure silk – the favorable coat texture. The Yorkie’s nose, lips, eye-rims, paw-pads and nails should be darkly pigmented.

The breed standard requires that the Yorkshire Terrier’s hair be perfectly straight (not wavy). For show purposes, the coat is grown-out long and parted down the middle of the back, but may be trimmed to floor length to give ease of movement and a neater appearance. Hair on the feet and the tips of ears are also be trimmed. The traditional long coat is extremely high maintenance, requiring hours of daily brushing. To maintain the long coats of show dogs (between exhibitions), the hair may be wrapped in rice paper, tissue paper or plastic, after a light oiling with a coat oil made for show coats, which prevents the hairs from being broken easily and keeps the coat in condition. The oil has to be washed out once a week and the wraps must be fixed periodically during the week to prevent them from sliding down and breaking the hair. As a more practical alternative, many Yorkie-owners opt to keep the dog’s coat trimmed to a shorter all-over length. (Information from Wikipedia)

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