Yorkshire Terrier Breed Standard
General Appearance
That of a long-haired toy terrier whose blue and tan coat is
parted on the face and from the base of the skull to the end of
the tail and hangs evenly and quite straight down each side of
body. The body is neat, compact and well proportioned. The dog's high head carriage and confident manner should give the
appearance of vigor and self-importance.
Head
Small and rather flat on top, the skull not too prominent or round, the muzzle not too long, with the bite neither undershot nor
overshot and teeth sound. Either scissors bite or level bite is acceptable. The nose is black. Eyes are medium in size and not
too prominent; dark in color and sparkling with a sharp, intelligent expression. Eye rims are dark. Ears are small, V-shaped, carried erect and set not too far apart.
Body
Well proportioned and very compact. The back is rather short,
the back line level, with height at shoulder the same as at the
rump.
Legs and Feet
Forelegs should be straight, elbows neither in nor out. Hind legs straight when viewed from behind, but stifles are moderately
bent when viewed from the sides. Feet are round with black
toenails. Dewclaws, if any, are generally removed from the hind
legs. Dewclaws on the forelegs may be removed.
Tail
Docked to a medium length and carried slightly higher than the
level of the back.
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.
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.
Color on Body
The blue extends over the body from back of neck to root of tail. Hair on tail is a darker blue, especially at end of tail.
Headfall
A rich golden tan, deeper in color at sides of head, at ear roots
and on the muzzle, with ears a deep rich tan. Tan color should not extend down on back of neck.
Chest and Legs
A bright, rich tan, not extending above the elbow on the forelegs
nor above the stifle on the hind legs.
Weight
Must not exceed seven pounds.
