Julz - I am sure that your remark is partly responsible for some of the differences.
BUT - if you read the history of most breeds - most of them have come from crossbreeding a variety of other breeds... and, eventually, with time, most other breeds have come into their own - being much more stable in appearance than the little Yorkie is.
For sure though -- as long as we continue to breed little Yorkies (with all their differences), we are going to continue to get Yorkies with all these same differences.
This, in part, is why so many breeders feel it is so important to stay with what are considered to be "Yorkie standards." Doing this would certainly more quickly give us Yorkies that more closely resembled one another. On the other hand - if we continue breeding little Yorkies that are so different - one from the other - we will continue to have Yorkies that are
very different.
Is it possible that so much "off standard breeding" is what is responsible for so much variety. And - to further increase these variations - we are all registering these different looking little dogs - as purebred Yorkies - allowing us to continue producing so many very different looking little dogs.
It's a puzzle to me. But, I do think constant "off standard breeding" is largely responsible for the many variations in this one little breed. I don't think other breeds (as far as AKC registration goes) have allowed this to happen.
I would think that you breeders (who are very selective as far as "standards" go would agree with me on this).
And, again - I want to say over and over and over again - that we love all these little guys - and they are all wonderful little pets. It is just a puzzle that they can be so different.
Carol Jean |