The yorkie coat is a little difficult to understand. A proper coat is really not pure black it's called blue because it's almost a metallic shade of black. The way the light hits it you see silver-like color, but on close examination, there is really no silver or white. It’s just the way the light reflects off their coat. If I put Joey next to an all black yorkie, he definitely looks lighter. While the dark blue is the preferred yorkie coat, some yorkies have what they call a light blue and look more silver. Females often get lighter with each season or after giving birth. All black yorkies generally don’t have the silky coat their hair is most likely cotton, and fast growing. Many breeders will keep an all black yorkie in their line to keep the blue from getting too light. This article explains some of the genes involved.
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First Yorkies are almost "unique" in the dog world. They carry a silk gene, and if they are breed correctly carry 2 blue (bb) or 2 black genes (BB) and 2 progressive graying genes. In addition, they also have a dilute gene.....this is what determines how light or dark the blue pigment color of the saddle is. When all these genes are present in the correct combination in one dog you have one beautiful animal. There's a lot more to this part of the blue coat.....but you need to read Dr. Little's "Inheritance of Coat Color in Dogs". He did much study on many breeds and although written long ago is still considered the bible of coat color in dogs. Eye Shine |