Don't Be Afraid Of The Yorkshire Terrier Breed Standard

Article Title: Don't Be Afraid Of The Yorkshire Terrier Breed
Standard
Author: Susan A Bailey

How can you tell if that little perky dog at the animal shelter
is a Yorkshire Terrier? By seeing if the dog mostly lives up to
the Yorkshire Terrier breed standard. A Yorkshire Terrier is
easiest to identify in the incredibly long show coat. Most
Yorkshire Terriers live in clipped coats, for practical and
hygienic reasons. Other distinctive features of the Yorkshire
Terrier include a black nose and level spine. Many common faults
not seen in the show ring are black hairs and a silver blue
instead of steel blue coat.

The point of a breed standard is to have a goal for all
breeders to aim for. When a dog is judged in the show ring, it
is judged against the breed standard and not against the other
dogs. Since the Yorkshire Terrier is the second most popular
breed of dog in America, there are a lot of Yorkshire Terriers
around that fall short of the breed standard goal.

A lot of Yorkshire Terriers are bought on impulse or as a gift
that the receiver soon regrets. Although Yorkies are cute and
need a bare minimum of exercise, they need money invested in
their health and coat care. They also have very small bladders,
making housetraining difficult. These dogs are also efficient
bodyguards and will attack any one they think is threatening.
So, most Yorkies are abandoned through no fault of their own. By
knowing basic Yorkshire Terrier information, you can avoid this
tragedy.

You can find the Yorkshire Terrier breed standard in a variety
of places. All breed dog books are not very good if you are
looking for a detailed description. They only give the most
general descriptions of breed standards. You need to go the
American Kennel Club or a Yorkshire Terrier rescue group website
in order to find the most recent Yorkie breed standard (which
can be updated occasionally). There are also books focusing on
just the Yorkshire Terrier that may available in your local
library.

In general, Yorkshire Terriers are lively, bright-eyed toy
sized dogs that weigh an average of six to seven pounds. For the
most part, their ears are pointed, but sometimes they are floppy
in adults. Puppies almost always look to be black and tan, and
lighten to the distinctive steel blue and tan as they mature.
The spine is level, the muzzle pointed and the tail is usually,
sadly, docked. Very rarely will you find a Yorkie with a long
tail.

But the physical appearance is perhaps the only way you can
tell a dog's breed at your local animal shelter. The Yorkshire
Terrier is small, averaging just seven pounds. They have
V-shaped ears which usually (but not always) stand straight up.
Their noses are black and their muzzles pointed. They have big,
bright eyes and their teeth should meet in a scissors or an even
bite.

They are to be steel blue and tan, with black and tan in
puppies only. However, there are a lot of purebred Yorkshire
Terriers who are other colors. Also, some may have dewclaws and
a full, long tail that resembles a purebred Poodle's (without
the pom-pom). The coat is very soft and silky and fast growing.
The Yorkshire Terrier needs to be groomed every day and needs
his coat trimmed about once a month, otherwise he will be a
muddy mess and miserable. Show dogs don't have dewclaws, but
purebred Yorkies are still often born with them.

About The Author: Susan Bailey grew up with and still lives
with all kinds of dogs, including Yorkshire Terriers. The
http://www.officialyorkieguide.com/ Yorkshire Terrier is the
perfect pet for some people. Many articles can be found on the
Internet that contain lots of
http://www.officialyorkieguide.com/Yorkshire_Terrier.php
Yorkshire Terrier information.

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