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Originally Posted by Jazzy Girl  However the Yorkies termed as "red leg" are REALLY the true color and fur type as the original breed was. If you trace back the Yorkshire Terrier's history--they were black and tan--not silver, chocolate or any other color. Their coat was also wiry and short---not floor length tresses. ... Yorkshire Terrrier's have been breed to be much smaller, with totally different colors and hair type--for what purpose--I can not figure out. ....it seems to me the Yorkies that most represent the true original Yorkie breed are the "so called" red leg Yorkies.
The original breed was far from a 2-5 pound adult weight, nor was their coat silver, chocolate, silky, floor length, etc.
When one thinks about a breed of dog that has been changed to meet owner's wants-------------the Yorkshire Terrier-----------is definitly in the top 10.
This is very unfortunate. |
I think it is very fortunate -- since I love the current Yorkshire Terrier standard. I love the beautiful silky coats, the bluish black and tan or gold, especially when kept long. I like the small size. I fell in love with the standard Yorkshire Terrier of today. That is why I bought them instead of a shorter-haired, different color, larger breed. I also appreciate the chocolate color but would not breed for them.
I think you might want to look through some reputable sources for Yorkshire Terrier history. I am not sure what you are calling "the original breed" -- do you mean one of the dogs used to develop the YT breed? The first "shown" Yorkshire Terriers? You have to remember that the Yorkshire Terrier is whatever the current standards for the breed says it is and every breed winds up with some sort of mixed roots that may look different from what they wind up to be. The original Yorkshire Terrier has to be the one that was first called that -- not one of the several dogs that might have gone into the making of it.
Even tracing the history though, the AKC site says: "
The Yorkshire Terrier traces to the Waterside Terrier, a small longish-coated dog, bluish-gray in color... "
and looking at the dog that came to be called Yorkshire Terrier, "
The earliest record of a Yorkshire Terrier born in the United States dates to 1872. Classes for the breed have been offered at all shows since 1878. Early shows divided the classes by weight - under 5 pounds and 5 pounds and over. Size, however, soon settled down to an average of between 3 and 7 pounds, resulting in only one class being offered in later shows."
the ytca.org site is a tremendous wealth of historical info on the Yorkshire Terrier and if you look at the pictures of the Waterside and the Clydesdale -- it is easy to see the source of our Yorkies. There is a particularly good picture of a Clydesdale on this page:
http://www.ytca.org/history.html look for: English Ch. Sneinton Amethyst 1911. His floor length coat is beautiful! Of particular note is a quote: " Reference is made that King William IV, of England in the late
1700's requested a friend to procure for him "
a Blue and Tan
Waterside Terrier with a coat six or seven inches long, weighing about
6 lbs." " So ....long coat, blue and tan color and 6 pounds -- all the way back in the 1700s!!!!
ytca also says: "
While the Clydesdale (Paisley) Terrier was without doubt the main source of the breed's development, there is also ample evidence that three other terriers were involved. The Waterside Terrier, (also called the Otter Terrier), the Old English Black and Tan rough coated terrier and lastly the Toy Terrier Rough and Broken Haired who was the most dominant player with the Clydesdale in the makeup of the original
stock including the Broken Haired Scotch Terrier. "..... the article goes on to explain why the Waterside, Old English B&T and Toy Terrier Rough and Broken played such a small part in the development of the Yorkshire Terrier. So, that leaves the most contribution from the Clydesdale -- which had the floor length, blue and tan silky coat. I hope you look at that picture I mentioned because it is BEAUTIFUL! And note the color! Blue and gold!
The Redleg Yorkshire Terrier refers to more than color of their coat. The ones I have seen pictures of are usually longer legged; longer, pointy snout; short whispy hair that does not grow well. Most also have the reddish color along the bottom of the body coat as well as the legs, and face. I don't know if it could be a throw back all the way to the old Black and Tan or the Rough and Broken -- but it is not how the original Yorkshire Terrier looked. Remember -- the Yorkshire terrier is a mix of others but you can't call any individual breed the original until after the mix was finished and called a Yorkshire Terrier.
I do find it interesting that some breeders are using the Redlegs to bring color back into a line. Stats over time would be interesting to read on that method. It sure seems like a potential solution to the fading colors I see on some yorkies, but I am no genetics expert.