YORKSHIRE
TERRIER
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EYE SHAPE? |
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You are invited to judge eight Yorkshire Terriers stacked
in profile; however, before you do, please decide which
of these four Toy heads 1, 2, 3 or 4, has correct eye shape?
The Standard only informs that the eyes are "medium
in size and not too prominent; dark in color and sparkling
with a sharp, intelligent expression," and that "the
eye rims are dark." |
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EYE SHAPE ANSWERS |
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Judges looking for answers appreciate published comments
like those made by Richard F. Sedlack in 1985 in The Yorkshire
Terrier that inform, "Round eyes are not correct.
These like tiny pig eyes are not the correct Yorkie expression.
Oval or almond eyes are correct."
Number 1 has tiny, perhaps even pig-like eyes. Number 2 has
almond shaped eyes. Number 3 has oval eyes. Number 4 has
large round eyes. I agree, only almond and oval eyes are
correct for the Yorkie. Both of these eye shapes are found
in top winners. In addition the American (AYTC) Illustrated
Discussion of The Yorkshire Terrier, 1979 describes almond
shaped eyes as correct and oval shaped eyes as preferred,
which confirms they are not one and the same shape.
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CIRCLED QUESTIONS |
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Each of these circled question marks (?)
strategically positioned on this Yorkie silhouette represents
a question not answered in the breed Standard. This large
a number of unanswered questions is not unusual in Toy
breeds having distinctively long and colorful hair cover.
Breeder judges will tell you this is not so. One Yorkie breeder judge writes, "The
Yorkshire Terrier Standard is really quite good, if only judges would judge by
it." True, however you must remember that breeder judges live with the breed.
They do not need a breed Standard to tell them what height is correct for seven
pounds, what length the legs or the body should be, what shape the eyes should
have, what the correct length for the muzzle should be, or if the body has a
degree of tuck-up; they know, studying all these things; but they did not find
these things out from studying the Yorkie Standard.
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TWO CLASSES TO JUDGE |
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Place the first four bitches in
the American Bred class in order of Yorkshire Terrier merit,
then do the same for
the four in the Open Bitch class.
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AMERICAN BRED CLASS A,B,C,D |
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All four bitches in this first class have correct heads,
the differences and the focus is on correct height to body
length proportions, tail carriage, and visible color features.
All are sound and none weigh more than seven pounds (3.2
kg), i.e., "Weight must not exceed seven pounds."
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PROPORTIONS |
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The first
two bitches in line are slightly longer than tall, the second's
top line appearing optically shorter because
of high (12 o'clock) carriage of tail. The last two in
line are square, but not square in the same way. Bitch
C is square because her body is shorter than the other
three. Bitch D is square because she has longer legs than
Bitches A, B and C.
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TAILS |
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As for carriage of tail, the Standard advises "carried
slightly higher than the level of the back." Bitch
B's higher than "slightly" continues to gain
in appeal. The correct slightly above the top line tail
is often wrongly downgraded to: "the dog that does
not show" in the United States.
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The only other obvious judging feature that differs between these first four
is Bitch B's lighter coat color. She is silver blue. In this instance the Standard
advises that the correct color is "Dark steel blue not a silver blue." Color
is fully described in Yorkie Standards and articles, in fact you could walk across
North America on the reams of paper that elaborate on the appearance, condition,
care and grooming of Yorkshire Terrier coat and color but only get across the
room on paper describing in detail what should be found hidden beneath the coat.
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TIME FOR YOUR DECISIONS |
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These then are the features involved in this American Bred
Class judging scenario: height to length proportions, leg
length, tail carriage, and coat color. Place these four
in order of merit before going on to the next class, in
the spaces provided below.
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MY PLACEMENTS |
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I placed these four bitches in the same order that they came
into the show ring. I gave slightly longer than tall Bitch
A first place; Bitch B. with the silver blue color second;
short bodied square Bitch C third; and long legged, square
Bitch D fourth.
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PUSHED FOWARD TAIL |
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The exhibitor's forefinger pushing
this Yorkie's tail forward is a common practice.
The intent of this subterfuge is to optically shorten
the very top line and to make the dog appear more
alert. Some very high set Yorkie tails do not require
assistance to position perpendicular, and some carry
(lift) their tails upright (allowed by AYTC) at the
trot. When the Standard is revised, Yorkshire Terrier
fanciers will probably delete the word "slightly" from "carried
slightly higher than the level of the back".
Fanciers will probably also more closely associate
the advice that "hair on the tail is a darker
blue, especially at the end of the tail" and
include this advice in the paragraph describing the
tail.
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OPEN BITCH CLASS E,F,G,H |
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Heads, height,
weight, top lines and again tails are factors taken into
consideration when judging this class.
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MUZZLE |
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The Standard limits description of the head to: "small
and rather flat on top, the skull not too prominent or round,
the muzzle not too long." I see the muzzle as less than
half the length of skull, about in a ratio of 2 to 3. The
bridge of the fairly broad tapering muzzle is level and parallel
with the top of the skull. The stop is definite. The nose
is black and the nostrils are open.
None of these four muzzles are correct. Bitch E's muzzle
is long; Bitch F's muzzle (in fact the whole head is large
and heavy); Bitch G's muzzle is short and (doll face) and
her eyes large and round; and Bitch H's muzzle is not on
the same plane as skull, producing a down-face effect.
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OVERWEIGHT |
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Bitch F is taller and weighs much more than seven pounds
(3.2 kg). With experience you can tell with your eyes and
your hands if a Yorkie is overweight. Overweight usually
means gross but not always. Sometimes greater soundness
goes hand in hand with greater size. It is then that awareness
that this is a Toy breed and the Standard's demand, "must
not exceed seven pounds," takes on special meaning.
In the USA, a judge has the authority to make a determination
as to whether a Yorkie does not exceed seven pounds, provided
such a determination has not been made previously during
competition at the show. Judges in Canada do not have this
authority. In Canada a scale (or a measure) can only be used
if there is a weight (or height) disqualification.
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TOPLINE |
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High withers for most breeds are a desirable characteristic
but not for the Yorkie according to the Standard, which
reads, "the back line level, with height at the shoulder
the same as at the rump."
Only Bitch H has a poor top line Instead of level, the top
line roaches over the loin and the croup slopes down. You
have
probably consigned her to fourth place. If she was a short-coated
breed like the Min Pin, you would be able to determine by
sight if her loin roached because the body was not well ribbed-up
combined with a long loin, or because the pelvis was steep.
(A hands-on examination determined this roach is due to a
combination of the two).
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TAILS |
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All four tails are different. Bitch E's
body is made to appear longer because the tail is not
carried high enough. Bitch F's tail is carried higher
than "slightly". Bitch G's tail has been docked
longer (a man-made fault) than "medium" length
and is light instead of dark on the end. Bitch H's tail
slopes down.
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TIME FOR YOUR DECISIONS |
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Place these four in order of merit in the spaces provided
below.
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MY PLACEMENTS |
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I placed long-muzzle Bitch E first. Based on what the Standard
says and does not say, I gave baby-face Bitch G second
place. Third place went to large and heavy Bitch F, and
fourth place to unsound Bitch H.
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RESERVE WINNER: B OR E? |
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My Winners Bitch ribbon went to Bitch A. That was easy! The
Reserve Winners Bitch award between silver-blue Bitch B
and long-muzzle Bitch E was a more difficult choice. Both
faults are warned of in the Standard. Which did you select
for Reserve? I selected Bitch B because if bred to steel
blue, she was more likely to produce dark blue color than
Bitch E was likely to produce typey heads, and because
I considered the long muzzle to be a more serious fault
as well as not being a head I would want to take home.
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UNOFFICIAL ILLUSTRATED IDEAL |
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By employing eight competitors, I was able
to open discussion on a number of conformation questions
the 1966 AKC Standard does and does not address; however
there are more, and I have drawn a see-through example
to bring them to your attention. I would remind you that
my uncloaked illustrated ideal is unofficial as are my
comment, and comments are confined to unanswered questions.
The ratio of muzzle to skull is 2 parts to 3 parts. Muzzle
and skull are on parallel planes separated by a definite
stop. The almond-shaped eyes look straight forward (not
slanted on sides of head). The ears join the head closer
to occiput than stop. Ears held erect by tying the hair
into the topknot must be penalized. Ears are trimmed
short at the tips. I have drawn the neck medium in length
and included a slight arch. There is a point of forechest
in front of the point of shoulder. Angled shoulder blade
and angled upper arm appear the same length. Elbow is
level with deepest part of brisket. Elbow positions half
the height from ground to withers (body depth and foreleg
length are equal). Front pastern slopes slightly forward.
Body from point of forechest to buttocks is slightly
longer than height at withers. Tuck-up is moderate.
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There is a shelf below tail and hind toes position directly under the buttocks.
There is moderate angulation at both stifle and hock. Rear pasterns position
vertical. Feet are tight and cat-like in addition to "round." (I am
not in accord with AYTC promotion of the lower forelegs toeing out slightly).
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