Dying Yorkies
 

Since I am fairly new to the show scene I would like some honest input about show breeders that dye their dogs. The YTCA code of ethics says:

7) An exhibitor-member shall not alter a dog’s natural appearance except as provided in the Yorkshire Terrier Standard.

With the YCTA making a change to the standard about color, some of the lighter Yorkies are being disqualified. I know of some Yorkies that are being dyed to hide their ligher silver. I also know that most of the handlers and a lot of the exibitors use a lot of gold/tan caulk to enhance the gold and cover black hairs in the gold. Are these practices common and accepted by all exhibitors? Are there exhibitors that dye the dark (black Yorkies) to make them steel blue. I am just curious because it seems that all is enhancement is detrimental to the breed. I wish everyone could just show their Yorkie 'natural' without all the enhancements.

i don't feel it's fair to do this and it is strictly against the AKC and UKC show rules. In fact, UKC, you aren't even supposed to use hair gel or hairspray. These people that are dying the coats better make sure AKc doesn't catch them. They are really cracking down on it now that the color standard has changed.

As a sylist I know that if you try to lift pigment to bring a black coat to a steel blue you may very well run into trouble. This is not human hair and the ph is different. You also have to deal with the color of the underlying pigment. Danali is very dark and if she doesn't break in time than I will stop showing her for a while and breed her. I'll put her back in the ring when and if she breaks to a dark steel blue but I wouldn't try to bleach her. As far as dying a lighter dog, I'ver heard it goes on quite a bit.

I learn something new everyday here.. :eek:

Dying coat is very common in alot of breeds, not just the Yorkie. Handlers have become experts in this and most judges cant tell.

color enhancing shampoo
 

bio silk carried it before cant even tell if it is used Ive seen dogs that get there teeth straightend people will do anything to win it can get nasty.

Funny, I heard of one breeder that had an artificial testicle implanted because the dog only had one. What a huge surprise when the judge felt three testicles!!! Evidentally, the 2nd one dropped and no one noticed. the dog was DQ'd.

I had heard of many handlers or exhibitors in Europe dying their dog coat, it seem like people will go for anything just to win and forgot the sportmanship of a dog shows...sad isn't it... What the point when u do not win in a honest way, u can lie to the world but u can never lie to yourself. When u win in a dishonest way, u will have to ask yourself if u deserve the winning.. and the poor dog being put with the "Chemicals"...

I find the showing of dogs and all aspects fascinating. I am not planning on showing just like to learn. Can you tell me what the new color standard for yorkies is? I wasn't aware it had changed. Thanks.:)

The new color standard states that all colors like chocolate, parti , blond, white, etc will be DQ'd in the show ring. The standard for the Yorkie is a dark steel blue saddle and shaded tan head and legs. The tail should be a little darker blue than the body.

Not sure how they can live with themselves when they do that to the dog. Its not because the dog has won by the real coat. So wouldn't that be cheating?

:rolleyes: And they call that breeding to better the breed? If you have to cheat to win, what is the point of it all.

But then when you consider that judges can be bought, judges will choose a friends lesser dog over a stangers better dog. It all seems pointless to me.

I wasn't going to comment on this thread but have to put my 2 cents in....I breed to better the breed as everyone else should. Yes it's wrong to dye a coat but it's done ALOT in all breeds not just yorkies....to me why worry about dying a coat when there are more serious threats to the yorkie breed such as LP and shunts and other health issues with the yorkie being bred "knowingly"!!! To me health, structure and movement are the most important to me and the coat is just icing on the cake! Show exhibitors/breeders need to worry more about health issues than coat JMHO

Donna Bird
Brooklynn's Yorkshire Terriers

One more thing....if a show dog was to go all natural then you wouldn't need a top knot, all the coat products as in shampoo, conditionars, combs brushes, flat irons (to staighten the coat when it's in wrappers because it does curl when it's been in wrappers) ect.... So when you prep a show dog that is sort of what you would call enhancements.

Hi Donna,
I agree with you all the way. HEALTH structure movement all should be in the top ranking not the color of the coat. Without health we will loose
our breed. And breeders need to start caring for the health of the yorkies
first and foremost!!!! the color is just the icing on the cake!!!

What is just as bad is...
 

When a judge disquailfies a 10 month old puppy in the ring for the "new" color requirements.....when it should have never been considered an "adult" yorkie...

I guess the only ones that will be able to finish will be "handled" Yorkies..based solely on whether the judge reads the laws correctly...and they are paid to know how smart the judge is....

I think dying a show dog is really wrong...it's deceitful and cheating :thumbdown I don't care how many people do it...it's wrong. You shouldn't have to cheat to win a dog show. The whole purpose of showing is to prove your dog is of quality to breed. So if you have to cover up faults just to win, that's not right and doesn't prove anything about the dog. Enhancing colors happens in the cat show world too. I met a Tonkinese breeder's daughter who told me her mom used eye shadows to fix the cats colors.

I have even witnessed the use of Eyeliner on a Yorkie at a show when Strut was a young puppy.
My daughter was tugging on my jacket and said look, I looked over and you could see they didn't want us to see, they tried to block the view once they noticed we were looking.
I can honestly say I had never seen a Yorkie person doing that before.
You do see alot.
I think the coloring of the coat and the standard emphasis on the coat being of prime importance has so many focusing on the wrong part of the body as the number one importance.
Health should be first no matter what.

Deana
Prestigeous

And with the "color change" come the ignorant judges and some that are just plain obnoxious. So far there are 3 judges that are DQ'ing on color alone. One, in particular, was "bragging" at a show saying that he was going to DQ everything, even the whole ring, if they werent dark steel blue. And he proceded to just that. He almost DQ'd the whole ring except for the ones showing last who pulled their entries when they saw what was going on. Even the AKC rep ws called to the ring. This judge payed absolutely no attention to conformation at all. And he gave BOB to a black soft coat, also an incorrect color. Can we say COLORBLIND!!!!!

The smartest dog in the ring was the one that tried to bite this judge!! Also DQ'd, but worth the giggle!!

It is frustrating to say the least.
Makes it hard for everyone to want to continue to show when all of this is going on.
It was hard enough before when it was just the politics.

Deana
Prestigeous Yorkies

Black and gold, black and tan and blue and gold (colors that were once allowed to show and win) are also in the ring because of the new rule.

Yes I agree coloring is wrong and cheating! But with that said, I'd rather go up against a dyed dog any day than a obivious "black" soft coated dog AND a dog with health issues or an obivious crippled rear, bad front, any day! When I see a dog that's so obivious that's crippled in the rear and bad top line win over a dyed dog then there is something wrong in my humble opinion! While coloring is wrong at least it's not a structural fault or a health fault as a bad rear which it far worse than just a lighter coat that was enhanced. JMHO

Donna Bird
Brooklynn's Yorkshire Terriers

Apparently emphasis on the coat is not something new. Laurie sent me this the other day.

The one from 1920 is interesting. There is a chapter on showing and it gives this value of points in judging
Quantity and color of hair 25
Quality of coat 15
Tan 15
Head 10
Eyes 5
Mouth 5
Ears 5
Legs and feet 5
Body and general appearance 10
Tail 5

Total 100

It's incredible to see so many points given to coat matters and so little to structure. It seems like we are headed back towards the 20's sometimes.

You are exactly right. This is why I will NOT put my eight month old girl under an AKC judge. She is a slow breaker and her "career" could be ruined by one simple minded judge that hasn't yet learned the new standard.What surprises me is that these judges are being allowed to get away with DQ'ing these puppies instead of being called on the carpet for it and made to memorize what it says about DQ'ing because of color.

I bet he was allowed to get away with it, too. There should have been an uproar from exhibtors that was heard around the world.

Don't let them scare you. Danali is slow to break. She is still almost black down her topline and a deep blue coming up her shoulder and hip. She took her first point last month at 8 months old. Dark is really popular right now and you'll find that your gal would do better in the ring than a dog that is breaking early and on the light side like my Carly.
Mary Trimble finishes small dark dogs around here all the time as does Barbara Stratford. Small and dark is in!!!

Maybe this judge is trying to make a point or statement about the new rule, especially when choosing a black soft coat for BOB? If this is the same judge that I'm thinking about, it was a class of young dogs 12-18 months? Since the YTCA didn't put an age limit as to when a dog had to turn blue by, I guess this judge felt that the black soft coat was the best conformationally, in the class. More than likely that soft coated dog, is a black and tan that will never turn blue as an adult because it lacks the grey gene. This would mean that dogs are showing and winning even though they don't and won't meet the Parent clubs standards for color. But isn't this exactly why this DQ rule was put into effect in the first place, to insure that off colored dogs would not be allowed to show ???

It's a mess for sure.

The following is taken from the Yorkshire Terrier Standard:

"Colors
Puppies are born black and tan and are normally darker in body color, showing an intermingling of black hair in the tan until they are matured. Color of hair on body and richness of tan on head and legs are of prime importance in adult dogs, to which the following color requirements apply: BLUE: Is a dark steel blue, not a silver blue and not mingled with fawn, bronzy or black hairs. TAN: All tan hair is darker at the roots than in the middle, shading to still lighter tan at the tips. There should be no sooty or black hair intermingled with any of the tan.


Disqualification
Any solid color or combination of colors other than blue and tan as described above. Any white markings other than a small white spot on the forechest that does not exceed 1 inch at its longest dimension.
Approved April 12, 1966. Approved Addition of DQ October 1, 2007 "

Because the YTCA added the disqualification it has caused a bigger problem. I never saw a parti or chocolate Yorkie being shown in our area. I do see a lot of silver blue Yorkies. I agree with Donna that too much emphasis is being put on coat color and not on soundness. It is the beautiful silky coat that really make the Yorkie breathtaking but it does have to move around the ring correctly. The Yorkshire Terrier is one of the most difficult dogs to breed (correctly) and to show. I just wish the YTCA had not added the disqualification. I know handlers and exhibitors have always dyed and chalked dogs but I still have a hard time excepting it. That's how it is in the real world.

Ok I'm going to make another comment LOL.....Here is my opinion on this subject.....Although I prefer the correct color but what is more important to me in a show yorkie is the overall health, then comes structure/top line and movement, then a nice ear set, good bite and then the coat color. In my opinion you have to have a well put together dog structurely and healthy and then strive for that perfect color but you won't always have a 100% correct yorkie or any breed for that matter. I did not approve of the DQ in our standard but nor do I support a tri colored yorkie in the yorkie ring either nor do I support showing that kind of color or a chocolate or parti's, black soft coated yorkies but that is just me please those that have these colors that I mentioned is in no way saying you don't do it unethically just the way I practice in my showing/breeding practices. I love my black soft coated yorkie she's the love of my life and she's spayed. I know so many exhibitors that say their yorkies have that silk coat and they actually believe they are a silk coated yorkie but are a soft black coated yorkie it's so obivious it's those that kind that need to take off the blinders and see it for what it really is. As for dying a coat just remember this....what one thinks is a dark steel blue may actually be black so really color is all in the eye of the beholder....so that's why I take health, structure/topline and movement over coat color anyday and again the coat just being the icing on the cake!! And again, I'd rather lose to a dyed yorkie than one that has a crippled rear, bad front and bad topline JMHO!

Donna Bird
Brooklynn's Yorkshire Terriers