Egads! Pepper (the puppy) has green and blue sheen in every picture! Good start!

I wasn't interested in resizing a bunch of pictures and uploading them, so I started a flickr album. I would love your comments on my little ragamuffins! =) Flickr: biewerdiva's Photostream The adult yorkie is Pepper's mom. I tried to take good pictures of the shiny coat. I've started brushing every day and using a lusterizer leave in conditioner. I know I have no idea what the heck I'm doing with the stand/stack -- I'm just trying to get her used to standing up and she is freely standing while I brush her, so I feel its partially a success. I will learn more about stacking when my conf. class starts. =)

She is cute. How much does she weigh? Is that mom in the first two pictures? She is pretty. Pepper does look like she will have a silky coat. It is hard to evaluate conformation from a photo but some things you need to watch in her movement would be her tail set and tail carriage. It is important they learn to carry their tail up when moving. I have seen many of beautiful yorkie not win because they would be scared in the show ring and not carry their tail up. Attitude is very important in the show ring. You definitely should have her evaluated. Please keep us posted on her.

I'm not an exhibitor, but I also noticed her tail is down. I wonder just how accurate that eye shine theory is. My Nicco also shines blue/green and he is cottony coated. I look forward to watching your progress with her! I'm also going to my first show - this Friday in San Antonio! Can't wait!

I don't have a way to weigh her at my house, but about 3 weeks ago she weighed about 3.2 lbs. I am visiting the breeder's house today and will get her weighed there. The pretty one you mentioned is actually my Biewer, India. =) The mother is GG, the adult Yorkie which is pictured last.

As far as her tail, I am working on that while we are standing on the counter. While she is playing and running around it is up, and also when we are walking on a leash. I wish I had a way to record video because when we are practicing leash time, which she is picking up really quickly, she prances and put a lot of attitude in her step it seems. Very cute. I read on the internet that if I make the grooming table/counter area a fun place by playing with toys it will make her more confident of being up there, so I will start doing that.

Thank you very much for your input. I am going to ask this local person that I found if she wouldn't care to evaluate my girl and see what she says. If she turns out to not be show quality, I'm going to try very hard to not be disappointed, but I am still going to do the classes and enter her at shows for my learning's sake. =)

The eye shine of Nicco in your album looks more gold to me. Gold eye shine can go either way. He might have a modified silk coat. Also I am not sure how accurate the eye shine theory is on a young puppy. I am planning to going to San Antonio also. It will be nice to meet you there.

It is not unusual for young pups to have their tail down when standing. Here is a link to some video from the YTCA specialty that was held in New York earlier this year. You can order the video if you like. This link shows the judging of the dogs (males). Make the video full screen and you can really study the conformation and movement of the dogs. I would say that most of these dogs are from the top show lines from all over the country. Needless to say many of them will become champions.
Yorkshire Terrier Club of America 2011 National Specialty On-Demand Streaming Video

You said your girl has a lot of champions in her pedigree. Do you know what her lines are and what generation the champions start? Has her breeder ever shown? It sounds like she might be a good size for showing.

The tail being down is nothing to worry about, she's young and as she gains confidence and her owner works with her that tail will come out. It's all in the training.

The eye shine color is something that some old timers chock up as old wifes tales. And I won't disagree with them as they know best.

I still take a picture of each of my pups, the turqouis/blue shine has always proven to me a silk coat. I only have one soft coated female that I purchased as a pet several years ago and her eye shine is reddish brown....

I know what you are saying. Some people swear by it. Just from my own experience, mine that have the silky coats have the green/blue eye shine. I have only had two that had the red eye shine and they definitely had cottony coats. Some of mine have had gold eye shine and they were more of a modified silk.

I strongly suggest that you order this DVD. Although, the exhibitors in the DVD are highly experienced exhibitor/handlers/breeders there are some wonderful tips on how to train to ensure your pup has a good head start.

Yorky Club Magazine - United by passion for Yorkies [Product details]

I too have seen some photos where it looks gold. What about this one at 12 weeks? Can eye shine change as they grow?

I think the eye shine can change to some degree as they grow. Like Mary said it is not a proven science. As for myself, I am happier to see the green shine vs the red shine. If if a dog has the green shine, they might have a silky coat but they can still go to light.

Here a picture of my Rebel at 4 months, you can easily see the shine in his eyes.

I agree, this is a great dvd. It has been very helpful for me as a new exhibitor.

WOW I loved watching that video! Watching the puppies was so funny - its reassuring to see that some aren't so perfect in the ring and puts my mind at ease a little. The one that that little asian girl was handling was completely defiant on that table.

Her mother has some champions in her lines but they are serveral generations back. Dad is champion sired and is loaded up with champions. The breeder is going to email me a copy of her sire's pedigree this evening - I meant to pick up a copy when I visited today, but forgot. She has never shown before but has lots of very great quality Yorkies.

Btw, I weighed Pepper at her house and she is actually 2.9 lbs at 14 weeks. I don't know where I got that 3.2 from before.

OKAY -- NOW.. I've gone and done something real dumb, I'm sure of it. While at the breeder's house today, she brings out this dog. A boy, born this past August with champions out the yang. He has a beautiful, thin silky coat that is already about 2 inches long. He has this delicate little face and feet that are just to die for and weighs 2 lbs 14 oz today. She said she didn't have the heart to sell him, and when I told her of my interest in learning to show, she wanted to know if I was interested in taking him for a while. Well, of course I didn't turn her down.

Now I have no idea what to do! There is a little issue though. He's a little shy. He's fine around the other dogs, but his body tenses up when you pick him up. Maybe its just because I'm new to him and he needs to get used to me. While I'm sitting here on the couch, he's laying contentedly next to me and even laying his head on my leg. Maybe he will get over this little apprehensiveness once he gets to know me. I've attached a couple of cell phone pictures.

I may just give it a week or so -- if he isn't receptive to leash training at least then I think I might have to give him back.

Thank you for the tip! This would be perfect.