good topline is present, then we can evaluate other parts of the dog. I feel that Yorkshire Terriers being shown should be as sound as possible and a bitch should be of a size to be able to reproduce. If one can breed that perfect dark blue silk coat with the proper shaded gold- en tan, on a sound moving dog, then you have perfection, and we should always strive for that goal. Hopefully this article will be helpful in evaluating the Yorkshire Terrier. ABOUT THE AUTHOR My name is James “Jim” Hupp, I re- side in Kokomo. IN, and I have been in- volved in the wonderful breed of York- shire Terriers since 1974. Along with my partner in the sport, Bret Walker, we have been fortunate to have bred BIS and BISS winners under the pre- fix of Exmoor. We have bred over 60 AKC Champions. I am an AKC licensed judge for all Toys, Jrs, and BIS. I have been fortu- nate to have had the opportunity to have judged numerous Yorkie Special- ties, including the YTCA National and Roving Specialties, Regional Special- ties, as well as, many toy dog clubs. I have made many long times friends in the sport of dogs and hope to continue more of the same in the future.
proper evaluation is balance. If all the parts are in proper proportions and the dogmaintains good type, I recom- mend you should NOT get “hung up” on a smaller/shorter legged dog or a larger/taller dog, whichever the case. Secondly, some judges will fault a good overall Yorkie because the eyes are not almond or oval shaped. Our standard states: “Eyes are medium in size and not too prominent; dark in color and sparkling with a sharp, intelligent expression”. So please keep this in mind when evaluating the total dog. As a breeder-judge, I can certainly un- derstand one’s dilemma, as for breed- ing for that quality dog, it is a very dif- ficult to get everything in a nice, neat package; however, we should all strive for that perfection. In my opinion, when judging the Yorkshire Terrier, as well as any other breed, one should not place all of your emphasis on one area of the breed. Look at the over all dog and focus on the positive points in the breed, even if it is not your “personal” style. I de- spise the excuse, “if your class dog just had a little more face furnishings.” Providing the face furnishings are the correct texture and color, hair can al- ways grow. That alone should not be a factor in your decision, unless every- thing else is equal. Movement is something that is very important to breeders that exhibit Yorkies, although it is vaguely dis- cussed in our present standard. The standard reads “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. The hair may be trimmed to floor length to give ease of movement.” The AKC Judge’s Education Video and the Yorkshire Terrier Illustrated Standard does address proper move- ment and carriage. The Yorkshire Terrier that possesses proper struc- ture should move in a fluid motion. As a breeder judge I believe a good topline and good movement is of ut- most importance. When evaluating a
potential show pup, most breeders are concernedwith a good topline. Sowhy not make that a priority when evaluat- ing your dogs in the ring? A Yorkshire Terrier, that canmove around the ring with a level topline, fluid movement, while carrying a flowing silky coat, is a sight to behold. I also want to touch on another im- portant area, especially for newer judges of the breed. I feel it is im- portant to give a bit of history about how and why the DQ was added in October 2007. DISQUALIFICATIONS: Any solid color or combination of colors other than blue and tan as de- scribed above. Any white markings other than a small white spot on the forechest that does not exceed one inch at its longest dimension. The reason behind the disqualifica- tion was the concern by the YTCA with off-color Yorkies, including, par- ti and solid colors, including gold, red or brown, being exhibited in the ring. The AKC will not deny registrations on color alone, and there are cur- rently parti and solid color dogs being registered as Yorkshire Terriers. The AKC wanted the YTCA to state an age when the Yorkshire Terrier was “mature”. However, as I mentioned earlier, the coat of the Yorkshire Ter- rier can take up to three years to ma- ture from the black and tan puppy to the blue and tan adult. The YTCA chose not to specify an age for color maturity. Unfortunately, this has caused a few Yorkies to be DQ’d due to judge’s interpretation. Only dogs of solid color, parti color, or unusual markings, that is not the blue and tan pattern as outlined in the standard, should be disqualified. In closing I would like to add the posi- tives of what I believe is being shown in the ring today. There is more over- all consistency in structure, coat tex- ture and color. There are some Yor- kies currently being specialed that are a very good representations of the breed, all in their own rights. There is no perfect dog; however, if a
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