The Official Breed Standard for the Yorkshire Terrier



General Appearance
That of a long-haired toy terrier whose blue & tan coat is parted on the face & from the base of the skull to the end of the tail & hangs evenly & quite straight down each side of body. The body is neat, compact & well proportioned. The dog's head carriage & confident manner should give the appearance of vigor & self-importance. 
Head
Small & rather flat on top, the skull not too prominent or round, the muzzle not too long, with the bite neither undershot nor overshot & teeth sound. Either scissors bite or level bite is acceptable. The nose is black. Eyes are medium in size & not too prominent; dark in color & sparkling with a sharp, intelligent expression. Eye rims are dark. Ears are small, V-shaped, carried erect & set not too far apart. 
Body
Well proportioned & very compact. The back is rather short, the back line level, with height at shoulder the same as the rump. 
Legs & 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 & quantity of coat are of prime importance. Hair is glossy, fine & silky in texture. Coat on the body is moderately long & perfectly straight (not wavy). It may be trimmed to floor length to give ease of movement & 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 & tied with two bows. Hair on muzzle is very long. Hair should be trimmed short on tips of ears & may be trimmed on feet to give them a neat appearance. 
Colors
Puppies are born black & tan & are normally darker in body color, showing an intermingling of black hair in the tan until they are matured. Color of hair on body & richness of tan on head & 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 & 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 & on the muzzle, with ears a deep rich tan. Tan color should not extend down on back of neck. Chest & 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.
Approved April 12, 1966

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