The Yorkshire Terrier is a compact, toy-size terrier of no more than seven pounds whose crowning glory is a floor-length, silky coat of steel blue and a rich golden tan.
Don’t let the Yorkie’s daintiness fool you. Tenacious, feisty, brave, and sometimes bossy, the Yorkie exhibits all the traits of a true terrier. Often named the most popular dog breed in various American cities, Yorkies pack lots of big-town attitude into a small but self-important package. They are favorites of urbanites the world over.
Yorkies are long-lived and hypoallergenic (the coat is more like human hair than animal fur), and they make fine little watchdogs. This is a true “personality breed,” providing years of laughs, love, and close companionship.
Official Standard of the Yorkshire
General Appearance: That of a long-haired toy terrier whose blue and tan coat is parted on the face and from the base of the skull to the end of the tail and hangs evenly and quite straight down each side of body. The body is neat, compact and well proportioned. The dog’s high head carriage and confident manner should give the appearance of vigor and self-importance.
Head: Small and rather flat on top, the skull not too prominent or round, the muzzle not too long, with the bite neither undershot nor overshot and teeth sound. Either scissors bite or level bite is acceptable. The nose is black. Eyes are medium in size and not too prominent; dark in color and sparkling with a sharp, intelligent expression. Eye rims are dark. Ears are small, V-shaped, carried erect and set not too far apart.
Body: Well proportioned and very compact. The back is rather short, the backline level, with height at shoulder the same as at the rump.
Legs and Feet: Forelegs should be straight, elbows neither in nor out. Hind legs straight when viewed from behind, but stifles are moderately bent when viewed from the sides. Feet are round with black toenails. Dewclaws, if any, are generally removed from the hind legs. Dewclaws on the forelegs may be removed.
Tail: Docked to a medium length and carried slightly higher than the level of the back.
Coat: Quality, texture and quantity of coat are of prime importance. Hair is glossy, fine and silky in texture. Coat on the body is moderately long and perfectly straight (not wavy). It may be trimmed to floor length to give ease of movement and a neater appearance, if desired. The fall on the head is long, tied with one bow in center of head or parted in the middle and tied with two bows. Hair on muzzle is very long. Hair should be trimmed short on tips of ears and may be trimmed on feet to give them a neat appearance.
Colors: Puppies are born black and tan and are normally darker in body color, showing an intermingling of black hair in the tan until they are matured. Color of hair on body and richness of tan on head and legs are of prime importance in adult dogs, to which the following color requirements apply: Blue – Is a dark steel-blue, not a silver-blue and not mingled with fawn, bronzy or black hairs. Tan – All tan hair is darker at the roots than in the middle, shading to still lighter tan at the tips. There should be no sooty or black hair intermingled with any of the tan.Color on Body: The blue extends over the body from back of neck to root of tail. Hair on tail is a darker blue, especially at end of tail.
Headfall: A rich golden tan, deeper in color at sides of head, at ear roots and on the muzzle, with ears a deep rich tan. Tan color should not extend down on back of neck.
Chest and Legs: A bright, rich tan, not extending above the elbow on the forelegs nor above the stifle on the hind legs.
Weight: Must not exceed seven pounds.
Disqualifications: Any solid color or combination of colors other than blue and tan as described above. Any white markings other than a small white spot on the forechest that does not exceed 1 inch at its longest dimension.
Approved July 10, 2007
Effective October 1, 2007
An Important Message About “Teacup” Yorkies
By Gale Thompson
From Yorkshire Terrier Club of America
If you are interested in purchasing a tiny Yorkie, sometimes called a Teacup, Micro Mini, Teeny, or any other name that means “extra small”, there are several things you should consider. The Yorkshire Terriers Club of America’s Code of Ethics precludes the use of the words “teacup”, “tiny specialists”, “doll faced”, or similar terminology by its members, and for good reason.
All breeders may occasionally have an unusually small Yorkie (hopefully healthy), though no responsible breeder breeds for this trait. Many breeders prefer a general weight range of 4-7 pounds believing that size retains desired Toy qualities while maintaining optimum health. The Yorkie Standard states weight “must not exceed seven pounds” and as a prospective pet owner you should realize that even at 7 pounds, the Yorkie is still a small dog. (Females weighing less than 5 pounds are considered by most breeders to be unsuitable for breeding.)
Special circumstances often come with extra tiny dogs. They are extremely susceptible to both hereditary and non-hereditary health problems, including birth defects that may go undetected for a long time. Other common problems may include, but are not limited to, diarrhea, vomiting, along with extra and expensive tests prior to routine teeth cleanings and surgeries. Small ones are more likely to have poor reactions to anesthesia and die from it. Tiny dogs are more easily injured by falls, being stepped on and being attacked by other dogs. These health problems nearly always result in large veterinary bills.
Please take this into consideration and make purchasing a healthy pet your top priority, not size. The “novelty” is certainly not worth the pain, heartbreak, or extra expense. Remember, all Yorkies are comparatively small. The most important thing is finding a healthy puppy that will grow into a healthy adult, especially since you are looking at an 11 to 15 year commitment with your Yorkie.