Yorkie Color Question. . .
 

Anyone mind explaining to me this yorkie's color/pattern/whatever?
I think it is beautiful and I wouldn't mind having a second yorkie with this coat, I believe it is just beautiful and I would probably drool over it for hours. :p

I've noticed a few people her on YT have yorkies that look just like this fellow as well.

Does this coat color fade with age as well? Can you tell from puppyhood that a yorkie will grow into this coat or is it just kind of a coin toss?

Photos from Excalibur Yorkies!

I would almost bet that the first one is soft coated and not silk but that is my opinion and not the correct coat texture...the other two are silk coated.
From what I see in the first one and why I say soft coated is because the hair on the paws are in appearance to be thick and very full and the other two pictures the hair on the paws are very sparse in texture. The first one looks to me to be black and not breaking in color and with the length of the coat already on the youngster it appears to me that it's thick and dry and doesn't reflect the light but of course that is what I see in the picture could be a totally different feel in person.

Donna

Wow! I think that's amazing that you can tell from just pictures. :eek:
Can you tell me about the color though, as in what color yorkie that actually is. Or is it just a regular black and tan but "displayed" differently?

I'm just spectulating from the pictures I see...could be much different in person.
Yorkies shouldn't be black they should be a dark steel blue. The yorkie in the first picture looks to me like it's black because you do not see it breaking in color at his topline as you do in the other two. Puppies are born black and tan like what you'd see in a dobie or rottie, actually yorkie babies do look like smaller versions of a dobie or rottie in color.
You see the 2nd two pictures look to have a silver color and that is called breaking. The 3rd picture in my opinion will not be a dark steel blue as it's breaking too much at a young age. The 2nd picture is harder to tell because the pup is laying down. The color on a yorkie the saddle should be a dark bluish color that's how I describe it as in gun metal blue. You have a lot of different shades of the blue of course but the preferred is the dark steel blue. I don't mind a medium blue. You can have silver and gold, silver and tan, black and tan and of course some have parti colors (which by the way is not correct in the standard) nor is the black and tan or silver and tan. Any color that is not a steel blue is considered a DQ in our standard. However, I think it's being discussed that the DQ is going to be rewritten to say any color that is Parti, golden, choc will be the DQ but not exactly sure as of yet as we still have a couple more years before we can change the standard.
Donna

I'm sure someone else can describe it much better than I can because I'm not really good with words. I do know what a correct texture and color when I see it in person....BUT some would disagree with me LOL...some are kennel blind but oh well...I see it how I see it and how I interput the standard regarding coat color and texture.

Donna

I think you did a great job describing it. Now, even I am able to understand the colouring. LOL I agree that the first picture is way to black & dull looking. It looks like someone put black shoe polish on the dogs hair.
Is this the same dog at different stages in life/hair growth?

A yorkie coat should reflect the light and the first picture doesn't reflect the light like the last picture does...dull was what I was looking for in describing the first one LOL..see I left out a good word for description :)

Donna

Take a look at my albums of Zhoie, she is a cotton coat. Seems most black coats tend to be cottony. She's soft as all get out, but harder to take care of. Her coat grows super fast though (confusing point), but lately I've been keeping it short..so much easier. Since she is simply, my much loved pet...it's all about comfort for her.
From what I understand after being on YT awhile now is, no matter the lines every now and again, a litter can throw a soft coat. Go figurethat, there's no perfect.
I dont' know that much about it, and I do know she is not the standard, but I too, love the coloring/feel of her full coat and I'm so glad I caught the throw!! LOL. ;)

The 3rd pic is exactly how long Uni's hair is on the body and looks just like that texture, but not color wise. Uni started breaking very early, about 3 months old. she is very light blue (that's what Mary told me :) ) and tan. I did wish before she was darked but now I have grown to love her coloring. :)

Of course you love her :) When one breeds to the standard and for showing you strive to get everything correct BUT that just doesn't happen. One will always have that pet quality not just right for the show ring but they should still be good representatives of the breed. One can usually tell if they know what they are looking at and for within one's breeding program which one will go too light. Some however do take longer to break or clear on the head to that nice rich gold on the head. I don't mind a lighter or darker dog IF they have good health, structure, movement, ear set, scissor bite/or level bite, good angulation, top line ect....I wouldn't toss it out of my breeding program if all that were into play with health of the utmost importance. I've always said the way the dog is put together and health are more important to me than if the dog is not exactly the "dark" steel blue. I want both my dam and sire that I do breed to be both champions so I do have to have all componets necsessary to show :) Yorkie color is probably one of the hardest to judge in the show ring...

Donna

I have heard some people dye or temporarily color the hair to make it look more standard in the ring. Isn't that kind of cheating though? But people ask me all the time if I dye Uni's hair.

It's not just cheating it's a cause for an excuse from the ring...but it's done and so is chalking and bleaching of maltese, hair extensions in poodles ect.. but it's done unfortunately. Actually, you aren't suppose to put hairspray in the top knot but it's done as well, it could be called a foreign substance in the coat. When showing a Havense in their standard it calls for "LITTLE" grooming but you see the handlers combing, flat ironing, hairspraying and perfect grooming which it's NOT suppose to be done but in a perfect world....

Donna

I should get hair extentions for Uni! LOL