The Yorkie standard was issued in England in 1896. It was put together by the English Kennel Club, the parent organization that oversees all of the English breed clubs.
These standards are passed down so that there is uniform criteria when judging Yorkshire Terriers. They are also the basis for any breeding program.
Breeders, dog clubs, and show judges must adhere to the guidelines of the breed standard. If you want to breed or show your Yorkshire Terrier, you should buy one that is follows the guidelines of the standard as closely as possible. If you only want a Yorkie for companionship and as a pet, you do not need to have one that fits the standard exactly.
This standard is a written description of the ideal, perfect Yorkie. All responsible breeders strive to produce dogs that conform to this Breed Standard.
This standard was approved on April 12, 1966 by the Yorkshire Terrier Club of America.
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 quite evenly and quite straight down each side of the 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 biter neither undershot nor overshot and teeth sound. Either scissors bite or level bit 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 back line level, with height and 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. Dew claws, if any, are generally removed from the hind legs. Dew claws on the forelegs may be removed.
Tails:
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 nature. Coat on hte 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 requiements 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.
Head fall:
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 (3.18 kg).
From the Official Standard of the Yorkshire Terrier at the Yorkshire Terrier Club of America
http://www.ytca.org/standard.html http://www.yorkietalk.com/index.php?...breed_standard