When do they start changing color?

[Marilize]

It is true about lighter coats breaking earlier. Cash's head colour was breaking when he was 8 weeks old and he is very silver on his back. His face is also very light. Strange though, the roots of the hair on his saddle are a dark steel blue, but his hair is very light.

June, on the other hand, is 5 months old (today!) and her head is barely breaking. The hair on her head is long enough for a clip or a puppy top-knot and the roots of the hair is a sooty, light grey. Her face is still very puppy-like as in she still has the black and tan primarily.

Her coat is also very fluffy and thick. It doesn't tangle easily, but it does shine. The tan that she has on her face, chest and feet is a rich tan.

Can anyone tell me if her coat will be standard? I want to show her, so hopefully, she will have the right colours. By the way, her mother was the same colour as Cash.

[jeanm1963]

I always wonder this too, but figure time will tell! Laci just got spayed the hair they shaved on her belly came in silver not black like her body hair! I also can see alot of silver comming in under her hair expecially in her shoulder area? Is that normal???

[MI Yorkielover]

I'm curious, too. It was my understanding that the silver/gray will eventually turn to a light tan. That seems to be the case when I checked my yorkies roots under the silver.

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by MI Yorkielover

I'm curious, too. It was my understanding that the silver/gray will eventually turn to a light tan. That seems to be the case when I checked my yorkies roots under the silver.

If all goes as planned you are correct. You will see various shades of tan when all is done.

[crystalsmom]

Mardelin has given you some wonderful advise and I don't mean to putt in but I might add one more way to tell a silk coat and that is cool to the touch where the cotton coat is warmer.

This is also one thing that I will also always remember that I read about breaking patterns and it is:

A puppy that is about 3 or 4 weeks of age that shows gold hairs on the top of its head when the black hairs are parted, will as an adult have a clear golden tan. If the coat texture is silky, the blue will have no intermingled colors.

I also have found that the silky coat in a pup is a thinner coat but maybe Mardelin would know if that is always the case?

I've also heard a young puppy with gold on the back of the ears should have nice color but I am not sure of that one either.

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by crystalsmom

Mardelin has given you some wonderful advise and I don't mean to putt in but I might add one more way to tell a silk coat and that is cool to the touch where the cotton coat is warmer.

This is also one thing that I will also always remember that I read about breaking patterns and it is:

A puppy that is about 3 or 4 weeks of age that shows gold hairs on the top of its head when the black hairs are parted, will as an adult have a clear golden tan. If the coat texture is silky, the blue will have no intermingled colors.

I also have found that the silky coat in a pup is a thinner coat but maybe Mardelin would know if that is always the case?

I've also heard a young puppy with gold on the back of the ears should have nice color but I am not sure of that one either.

You've added a couple of things that I'd completely omitted. The cool touch and the gold at the back and base of the ears.

No, the thin coat is not always the case. The density depends on genetics....

The blue should have no intermingled colors, however, you missed something, running gold....

[crystalsmom]

Originally Posted by Mardelin

You've added a couple of things that I'd completely omitted. The cool touch and the gold at the back and base of the ears.

No, the thin coat is not always the case. The density depends on genetics....

The blue should have no intermingled colors, however, you missed something, running gold....

Thanks, oh it's the base of the ears. What does your last two words mean.....running gold.

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by crystalsmom

Thanks, oh it's the base of the ears. What does your last two words mean.....running gold.

There is a correct color pattern in a yorkie.....The illustrated standard really goes over the standard.....running gold is where the gold runs into the blue in places where it shouldn't.

[soryloveyorkie]

Originally Posted by Mardelin

There is a correct color pattern in a yorkie.....The illustrated standard really goes over the standard.....running gold is where the gold runs into the blue in places where it shouldn't.

i have two yorkies. The female is black and tan( 6 years old). she doesn't have a cotton hair. The male is black and gold but he has cotton hair( 21 months). When you choose a puppy how do you know if they will be silver and gold? and cotton or silky?

thank you

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by soryloveyorkie

i have two yorkies. The female is black and tan( 6 years old). she doesn't have a cotton hair. The male is black and gold but he has cotton hair( 21 months). When you choose a puppy how do you know if they will be silver and gold? and cotton or silky?

thank you

It's very rare that you have a black silk coat, once touched it you don't forget it.

It's difficult to determine a puppy's coat texture and color at 12 weeks of age. That's one of the reasons exhibitor breeders hold onto them longer.
It takes a trained eye, a breeder that has an established line to somewhat make a good guess at the coat texture.

However, there are a couple of things that were mentioned that are some indicators of whether a coat is going to go too light or if the coat is silk or soft coated.

[kokomoka]

I feed my year and a half year old dog Eukanuba for adults. It's supposed to enhance their coat's shine. My dog is also very soft, not wirey like most Yorkies, but she's always been like that. My puppy isn't as soft as the older one, but she's not wirey either.

Originally Posted by Mardelin

Soft coated/cotton coat along the same lines....

Take a look at his feet....if they look a bit like bedroom slippers, if the coat doesn't shine and reflect light, most likely he isn't silk.

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by kokomoka

I feed my year and a half year old dog Eukanuba for adults. It's supposed to enhance their coat's shine. My dog is also very soft, not wirey like most Yorkies, but she's always been like that. My puppy isn't as soft as the older one, but she's not wirey either.

Most yorkie coats are not wirey. A good silk coat is cool to the touch and feels just like silk.

Puppy coats take a while to evolve to the correct silk of a yorkie.....

[crystalsmom]

Very helpful thread!

It hit me what you meant right after I posted Duh!!

[Roxy_Mom]

This thread is very helpful! I have been wondering about Roxy as well. She is only 12 weeks so I know I cant tell anything yet but her head makes me chuckle. She has black at the tips, gold in the middle, and like a gray color at the roots (is that called steel?) Like someone said before, looks like a teenager who cant decide their hair color lol. One question I do have is......her coat started out real thick when we got her. It is still full but the hair does not seem as dense should I say. She has the same amount hair but it just not as thick. However, as you go down her back it gets thicker. Is this normal????

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by Roxy_Mom

This thread is very helpful! I have been wondering about Roxy as well. She is only 12 weeks so I know I cant tell anything yet but her head makes me chuckle. She has black at the tips, gold in the middle, and like a gray color at the roots (is that called steel?) Like someone said before, looks like a teenager who cant decide their hair color lol. One question I do have is......her coat started out real thick when we got her. It is still full but the hair does not seem as dense should I say. She has the same amount hair but it just not as thick. However, as you go down her back it gets thicker. Is this normal????

Nope it's not steel....it's just going throughthe metomorphis stage.

I don't know if anything in the yorkie growth stage can be called normal. What you have is a puppy coat growing out and changing. Puppy coat is fluffy and as it grows out, transitioning to silk it begins to lay flatter.