THE YORKIE GIVES THE APPEARANCE OF SELF-IMPORTANCE AND VIGOR. IT SHOULD NOT BE EXAGGERATED IN ANY PART. “ “
Blue with a very silky texture, with- out any approach to BLACKNESS. Texture can tell you a great deal be- cause some coats will look steel blue. However, when you touch them, the coat will feel wooly or cottony. This is called a Clerical Grey coat. In Europe, the judge’s table always has a bristle brush to use. When you brush a really clean silky coat it falls straight in place. Without a brush, you can run your hands down the coat, pick it up, and if it has the right tex- ture and quality it will fall right back in place. QUALITY, TEXTURE, AND QUANTITY OF COAT ARE OF PRIME IMPORTANCE. THEHEADisoneof theYorkie’smost distinctive features. It is balanced, without being fragile or course. The skull is flat on top, not too prominent or round; definitely not a Chihuahua head. The muzzle is not too long and is in balance with size of the head. The distance from the stop over the crown to the back of the skull, and the mea- surement from the outside set of ear to ear, should be approximately the same length. A “pussycat” or “doll face” will have too short a muzzle and too deep a stop to have correct proportions. THE EYES are expressive, full of sparkle and intelligence, with dark eye rims. Oval eyes are preferred. They should not have small beady, large round or protruding eyes. THE HEAD FALL should be a rich golden tan, deeper in color at the sides of the head, at the ear roots, and at the muzzle. The ears are a deep rich tan. Color should not extend down the back of the neck. SHADING is the key word here, and a SOLID
RED COLOR OR A SOLID GOLD COLOR HEAD WITHOUT SHAD- ING IS NOT CORRECT. IT MUST BE COMPLETELY FREE OF ANY REMAINING BLACK OR SOOTY GRAY HAIRS LEFT OVER FROMPUPPYHOOD. The Yorkie gives the appearance of self-importance and vigor. It should not be exaggerated in any part. Stand- ing about eight inches at the withers, it should be the same length from withers to tail as it is from withers to ground. A Yorkie that is low on leg or too high-stationed gives an incorrect overall appearance. The Yorkie is well-proportioned and very compact. The back is level, with the height at the shoulders the same as at the rump. YORKIES are a sturdy, well-knit dog with no extremes. In relationship to the body, the neck should not be too long or too short. The lack of spring of rib—or a long loin—is a serious fault. Ribs should be oval, gradually round- ed at the base and reaching to the el- bows, with ample forechest. The back should be level from the withers to set on of the tail. There should beNODIP BEHIND THE SHOULDERS. Sway back, camel back, and low tail sets are serious faults. Forelegs are straight, hindquarters are well-muscled and straight when viewed from behind. Stifles are mod- erately bent and not over-angulated like a German Shepard. The Yorkie moves with a free, confident gait in a parallel motion. Crossing, weaving, and moving close or single tracking are all incorrect. WHEN A YORKIE HAS A COR- RECT COAT, YOU CAN SEE THE
OUTLINE OF THE DOG UNDER- NEATH. A fluffy or cotton coat will obscure the outline, making it more difficult to evaluate gait or structure. THE TAIL is docked to a medium length and carried slightly higher than the level of the topline. Many Yorkie’s carry their tails in a higher position when they are moving. How- ever, when the tail is carried only slightly higher than the topline, it should not be penalized. With regards to the undocked tail carriage, such a tail (in my opinion) should meet the same requirements as that of the docked tail. Neither a long, gay tail nor a long, squirrel tail are acceptable. The point being, the length of the tail should not alter the correct tail carriage. Running gold is when the tan ex- ceeds the desired marking pattern. The golds should not extend above the elbow on the forelegs or above the stifles on the hind legs. Yorkshire Terriers are Toy dogs. The ideal weight should not exceed seven pounds, with the size and balance remaining proportionate. DISQUALIFICATION: “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 one inch at its longest dimension.” In closing, just remember that under that glamorous coat and red bow is a little dog whose roots go back to being a farm dog for the purpose of killing rats. So, he should be sound—no mat- ter how pretty he looks.
44 • T op N otch T oys , J anuary 2021
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