The Yorkshire terrier is a very popular dog and is in fact the second most popular dog in the US. This means that it is either very easy to find a good pup or it is very easy to get a mixed breed dog without knowing the difference. Not all breeders are ethical and will say and do anything to sell you one of their pups.
It is therefore a good idea to know a little more about the Yorkshire before you start going looking around for one. The first thing to do is to look at the parents of the pups. The Yorkshire terrier has a number of different breed in its ancestry but has been breeding true for nearly a century. Everyone knows about the coat, but the color is also standard and should only be blue and tan. There are variations in the shade of course with some having a darker shade of blue or tan or both than others.
No other color is found in the Yorkshire and that is why the Yorkshire terrier has its color in its breed standard. This means that even if you have a purebred Yorkie that is of another color you cannot register it as a Yorkshire terrier. This very rarely happens although piebald coloring is known to occur sometimes. The piebald Yorkie will have patches of white along with the blue and tan and can be born in the same litter as normal Yorkies. It is however not accepted as a Yorkshire terrier. These Piebald colored dogs can be mated with other piebald Yorkies that go by the name Biewer terriers although there is no separate registration for them too.
One thing that needs to be kept in mind is that all Yorkies are born very dark. They will have very little tan and as puppies will have tan markings only on their muzzle feet and underside. This coloring will slowly spread to reach the traditional color and marking of the Yorkshire. Sometimes the dog is born with a small white spot or patch on its chest. This patch usually goes within a month but is supposed to indicate that the pup will have really thick coat when it grows. Be aware that the Yorkie’s hair grows very slowly and will sometimes take up to three years to reach its full length. Don’t think that the pups will start to look like miniature Yorkies until they are much older.
