Couple questions ...
 

1. What are the different "types" of yorkies out there, I often read that people should look for the type they like. What are the different charactoristics of some of the lines that stand out to where they are divided into a certain look??

2. I watched the W. dog show and there was a certain dog that was shown (of another breed) with a tail but the breed standard said that their tails were docked. Is it ok to show a yorkie with a tail, or is there exceptions with other breeds and not Yorkies..?

3. Oh and one more, when do you start health testing?

I hope my questions are clear enough, if not i'll try to clarify better :D

1. All Yorkshire Terriers should conform to the Yorkshire Terrier Standard as set forth by the Yorkshire Terrier Club of America. Now, for show, most Yorkies in the ring can vary from 4 lbs to 7 lbs. Some Yorkies are more leggy and some are shorter in leg but both types should be somewhat square in body or what we call 'balanced'. There is quite a difference in coat type seen in the show ring. All Yorkies should have a silky coat but some coats are just silkier than others and some are what some call a 'modified' silk. Some Yorkies have the really dark steel blue and some have the lighter steel blue. There is some variation in the facial look also. Some have shorter muzzles than others, some have small ears and some have not so small ears. Some have beautiful shaded gold, some have light gold, some have dark tan and some have a sooty gold or tan. Since it is very difficult to find a 'perfect' Yorkie you just have to find one that looks like what you perceive the perfect Yorkie to look like according to the standard. Not everyone interprets the standard exactly the same way. It takes a lot of studying and observing dogs and movement to acquire a good eye for a dog.

2 In the United States the Yorkshire Terrier is judged with a docked tail. I think recently the rules have been changed so you can show one with a undocked tail but I have never seen one in the ring. In other breeds like the Pembroke Welsh Corgi they are shown with docked tails and the Cardigan Welsh Corgi is shown with a long tail but both breeds look very similar.

3. Some start health testing at 12 weeks by doing blood work and a general well puppy checkup. Genetic testing for liver shunt can be done anywhere from 12 weeks to 1 year depending on who you talk to. The patellas should also be checked before using a dog in a breeding program.

Thanks for the info, I really appreciate the answers bjh!

I have been attending local dog shows so hopefully I can get the eye for the different looks and maybe get to know some breeders. That would be awesome if undocked Yorkies could be shown, I think its somewhat unfair that they could or couldnt be shown that way.

Whats a good age to test for patellas? I have heard that sometimes it wont show up for a couple years..I want to have mine tested but I dont want to do it too early.

I think most vets can tell if the patella is o.k. by feeling for looseness but I really don't know if many breeders actually get x-rays. The patella's can get injured very easily by excessive jumping. If you see your Yorkie skipping with their hind leg then that is usually sign of a luxating patella and it should get checked right away, otherwise you might just want to wait until they are about a year old.