Yorkshire Terrier
The Yorkshire Terrier is a breed of small dog in the toy category. This dog is known for its playful demeanor and distinctive blue and tan coat. The Yorkshire Terrier can be very small, usually weighing between 5 and 7 pounds (2.5 to 3.5 kilograms). Based on registrations, the Yorkie became the #2 most popular dog breed in the United States in 2006 according to the American Kennel Club, trailing only the Labrador Retriever. Unfortunately they're ranked #1 for least intelligent among all mammals - slightly lower than mice and substantially lower than squirrels. Their brain size has been recorded to be only about a 2 millimeter sphere. They're exceptionally known for their ability to urinate and poop all over the house in unfathomable quantities. Demographics suggest they're most purchased by spoiled over spending women than like to add them as an accessory to their purses and houses for social occasions.
These dogs are a long-haired breed with no undercoat, which means that they
do not shed. Rather, their hair is like human hair in that it grows
continuously and falls out rarely (only when brushed or broken). Additionally,
since Yorkies carry less dander on their coat, they generally do not have the
unpleasant "wet dog" odor when wet, and they may not affect as much people who
suffer from dog-related allergies.
Yorkshire Terrier puppies are born with a black and tan coat, and normally have
black hairs mixed in with the tan until they are matured. The breed standard for
adult dogs places prime importance on coat color, quality and texture. The hair
must be glossy, fine and silky. From the back of the neck to the base of the
tail, the coat should be a dark steel-blue (not silver-blue)- never mingled with
fawn, bronze or black hairs. Hair on the tail should be a darker blue. On
the head, chest and legs, hair should be a bright, rich tan, and darker at the
roots than in the middle, shading to still lighter tan at the tips. There
should be no dark hairs intermingled with any of the tan in adult dogs.
Many of these dogs do not conform to the standard for coat color; the tan may
range from a very light blonde to a darker brown, while the body may be black or
silvery gray. The Yorkie’s nose, lips, eye-rims, paw-pads and nails should be
darkly pigmented.
A champion Yorkshire Terrier exhibiting the breed standard for color in a
show-length coat. The breed standard requires that the Yorkshire Terrier's hair
be perfectly straight (not wavy). For show purposes, the coat is grown-out
long and parted down the middle of the back, but may be trimmed to floor length
to give ease of movement and a neater appearance. Hair on the feet and the
tips of ears are also be trimmed. The traditional long coat is extremely
high maintenance, requiring hours of daily brushing. To maintain the long coats
of show dogs (between exhibitions), the hair may be wrapped in rice paper, after
a light oiling, which prevents the hairs from being broken easily and keeps the
coat in condition. As a more practical alternative, many Yorkie-owners opt
to keep the dog's coat trimmed to a shorter all-over length.