Breed and Health information
Breed Standard
Taken from AKC.org
Official Standard of the Yorkshire Terrier
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 backline 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.
Disqualifications:
Any solid color or combination of colors other than blue and tan as described above. Any white markings other than a small white spot on the forechest that does not exceed 1 inch at its longest dimension.
Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia is a medical emergency. Without treatment, hypoglycemia can lead to death. This occurs in puppies more often than adults. Hypoglycemia can occur when puppies or dogs do not eat, or they don't eat enough to sustain a blood glucose level that is acceptable for their health . A puppy's glucose level may also drop because the puppy is using more energy than it produces or consumes. The demand is greater than production, causing a deficit. This could result from the puppy playing for too long and using up all stored glucose. Hypoglycemia could be a result of stress, shivering;, or it could even be from another dog preventing your puppy from eating enough. Your puppy may display symptoms of hypoglycemia and start shaking, stagger, become wobbly, or lethargic (tired). If not treated, the puppy can die- and this can happen quickly. You need to treat the puppy/dog immediately. Treatment can include giving the puppy/dog Nutrical, or Karo syrup to bring their sugar up immediately. Rub it on their gums. After giving a glucose source- you will need to give the puppy/dog some protein to keep their sugar at an acceptable level. This protein could be some beef baby food, or some canned puppy food. THEIR GLUCOSE LEVEL CAN STILL DROP SO YOU WILL HAVE TO MONITOR IT CLOSELY.
There are steps you can take to prevent a puppy from becoming hypoglycemic. First- only allow a puppy to play with children or other dogs for 20 minutes- then they need to go into their play area so they can nap. They need their rest.
When a puppy first arrives home with you, it is vital you ensure they are eating enough. It is hard to determine how much your puppy is eating when you have a bowl of food out. I recommend either only having enough kibble to cover the bottom of the bowl- so you can visualize how much they have eaten. You can also count the number of kibble in a bowl. (I choose to just cover bottom of bowl).
I also recommend giving a teaspoon of beef baby food twice a day to your new puppy.- in the morning and before you go to bed for the night/day.
Plants that are deadly to puppies
Health concerns in Yorkies
Liver shunt-
https://vetmed.tennessee.edu/vmc/SmallAnimalHospital/Documents/Shunts/MVD-Brochure.pdf
Legg Perthes
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/legg-calve-perthes-disease-in-dogs
Trachea collapse
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/tracheal-collapse-in-dogs
Luxating Patella
The term luxating means 'out of place' or 'dislocated'. Therefore, a luxating patella is a kneecap that moves out of its normal location. There are 4 grades (degrees) of luxation. We recommend not allowing your Yorkie to jump up and down on furniture. Please pick them up and put them in your lap. DO NOT ALLOW YOUR YORKIE TO BE UNSUPERVISED ON A RAISED AREA SUCH AS YOUR BED. Many puppies/dogs have fallen and broken a leg from this. One of the best methods to help your Yorkie from having knee issues- is to keep them within a healthy body weight. Your veterinarian will help you determine what is healthy for your Yorkies body frame.
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/luxating-patella-in-dogs