What exactly is a cotton coat and where does it come from?
 

Hi all,

I'm a bit confused in regard to 'silky coat vs. cotton coat' in regard to Yorkshire Terriers.

We're getting a Yorkie in March; his name is Shakespeare. He'll have a silky coat as an adult. So...since we'll be getting a purebred Yorkie...I wanted to find out all I could. I've been doing the same thing with Bella, but it's a bit more 'in depth' with her, since she's a mix of two breeds (Yorkie and Maltese) so I'm having to study both breeds. lol

When I go to the AKC site (American Kennel Club - Yorkshire Terrier)
it states:

Coat
"Quality, texture and quantity of coat are of prime importance. Hair is glossy, fine and silky in texture. Coat on the body is moderately long and perfectly straight (not wavy). It may be trimmed to floor length to give ease of movement and a neater appearance, if desired. The fall on the head is long, tied with one bow in center of head or parted in the middle and tied with two bows. Hair on muzzle is very long. Hair should be trimmed short on tips of ears and may be trimmed on feet to give them a neat appearance."

...none of the information on the AKC site says anything about "cotton-coated Yorkies", it just says "Glossy, fine and silky".

Naturally, I'm curious about where 'cotton coats' come from? Is it a Yorkshire Terrier that is bred in another part of the world...or is it just a different 'strain' of Yorkies or what? lol Clearly I'm clueless, which is why I am asking.

Thanks in advance for any information. :)


:animal-pa

The Standard (or as close to it as possible) is what breeders strive for....it's a goal, but not all yorkies meet it or even come close. A silky coat is of "prime importance" in a show yorkie, but not all yorkies have beautiful silky coats, just like in a human family, not everyone always has exactly the same hair. By breeding dogs with excellent coats, breeders hope to get offspring with excellent coats, but that's not always the case.

That makes sense, thank you for wording it in a way I can understand.:)