THE YORKSHIRE TERRIER PUPPY Portions taken from Pick of the Litter , by Betty R. Dullinger
When we have the proper head with muzzle in correct proportion, the eyes are not only well-placed, they are more often than not of proper size as well. When the muzzle is short, and the head domed or rounded, then the eyes become rounder as well. The Standard does not actually state the “shape” of the eye, but most breed- ers prefer the oval or almond-shaped eye to achieve the proper expression. The eye rims must be black in or- der to carry out the expression to its fullest extent. Ears on young puppies are not always well-placed; so, here we choose a puppy with a well-shaped ear that ap- pears somewhat small... puppies with “bat ears” (ears that are rounded at the tips rather than pointed) will usu- ally have larger ears with a wide base
at maturity. The ear that is very point- ed at the tip will usually be a smaller ear at maturity. Placement of the ears generally improves as the puppy ma- tures and grows. As he becomes more aware of the world around him, he “uses his ears,” thus strengthening the muscles so necessary to the eventual placement and carriage of the ears. Bite cannot be determined with 100 percent accuracy until after the adult or permanent teeth are in. However, a puppy with either an even bite or a scissors bite is what should be chosen at an early age. NECK Length of neck is most important to the finished product and this too can be determined at a young age. The neck should be in proper balance with the rest of the body, and when viewed from the side, the neck should not end abruptly at the shoulder. There should be a GRACEFUL, rather than a SHARP, angle here. This gives the appearance of a “smooth flow” from the back of the head into the topline. A short-necked puppy will never have the elegance so typical of our breed. BODY Ideally, choose a puppy that appears to be balanced. The puppy should be as high from the withers (point of shoulder) to the floor as he is long from the withers to the set-on of the tail. If youMUST give a little on these proportions, then it would be prefer- able to have a puppy slightly taller
HEAD You don’t have to be a genius to pick a puppy with an attractive head! The Yorkie has a “stop” (that’s the point at which the muzzle meets the head), and this feature is readily discernible from about 3-4 weeks of age. If the muzzle meets the head in a distinct 90-degree angle, then the muzzle and head will grow in proportion to each other. In other words, this head will look the same at two years of age as it does today. If the angle is greater than 90 degrees, you will have a shallow stop at maturity and a muzzle that is relatively long and sloping downward. If the angle is less than 90 degrees, you will have a muzzle much shorter than desired and a greater tendency toward an “apple head.”
ALWAYS PLEASING TO THE EYE HEAD STUDY (Adult)
SMALL HEAD EARS
NEVER COARSE EXPRESSION Sharp, intelligent, keen terrier-type MUZZLE Clear, Rich shades of golden tan NO INTERMINGLING OF BLACK, Deeper golden tan at side of head, at ear roots and on muzzle COAT TEXTURE Glossy, fire, silky Bright, rich gleam- ing, brilliant GOLDEN hue-reflects light rays Broad, tapering to nose COAT COLOR-HEAD
Small, V-shaped, good set Deep rich tancolor EYES Dark, medium size Oval shap, Eye rims black NOSE Jet black BITE Scissor or level
Crown- Flat Muzzle Stop-Slight
90° Head
UNDESIRABLE 1. Ears - Pulled up into topknot to hide a poor ear set
2. Topknot - Bouffant 3. Unclear, sooty coat 4. Golden tans artifically colored - unable to reflect light - lacking brilliance 5. Lack of expression 6. Down faced (too long muzzle) Doll-faced (too short muzzle)
7. Head too large (coarse) Head too round (apple head) 8. Nose lacking pigment, Eye rims lacking pigment 9. Undershot bite, Overshot bite 10. Snipey muzzle 11. Small beady eyes, Large round eyes 12. Lowset ears, Bat shaped ears
GROOMING Hair trimmed on tip of ears Head fall tied up with one or two bows
52 • T op N otch T oys , J uly 2021
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