We thought it was time to update the post that first appeared back in 2015 not only because the Yorkshire Terrier has one of the most distinctive coats in the canine world, but also because it’s critical enough for the breed standard to indicate that its quality, texture and quantity of coat are of prime importance.
A Yorkie coat can have a texture similar to human hair. Its beautiful flowing and silky coat is so similar to human hair, in fact, that it easily tangles into knots if not brushed daily, and can break when brushing against carpeting and upholstery (think split ends).
A correct Yorkie coat doesn’t have an undercoat, so shedding isn’t excessive. In fact, their hair is said not to shed anymore than our hair does, and certainly doesn’t shed the way a “normal” dog would.
This next part is where we defer to breed experts, so input is welcomed!
The breed can have more than one type of adult coat. A silky coat has hair that is fine, long, smooth, straight and glossy. Indeed, the “glossiness” gives the dog an almost metallic sheen. This type of coat grows in a single layer with no undercoat, and when properly groomed, it will hang perfectly straight off the body. It’s what most of us should see in a show ring because the breed standard calls for hair that “is glossy, fine and silky in texture.” Many fanciers feel that any Yorkie that deviates from the standard shouldn’t be considered show quality, let alone breeding quality.
A wooly coat is also known as a wire, wavy, or cottony coat. These coats tend to be thicker and with more texture, and they may have an undercoat. Many Yorkies with this coat type have a lot of coat for their body size, and have had from a very young age. In fact, some people describe a soft coated Yorkie as a dog that looks twice as big as he really is. While some dogs with this type of coat won’t brush out to have long and smooth coated like a silk coat (and in some instances, the coat won’t grow past a few inches) other cotton coated Yorkies can have the correct coat color and length, but these coats will never get the fine human-like appearance of the proper silky coated Yorkie. These coats are also more prone to mats.
Yorkies with “wiry” coats have hair that never grows very long, though there can be a significant difference among them in terms of coat length. Sometimes, these dogs are called “short coated,” and sometimes they’re referred to as “Red Legged Yorkies,” because they have red legs that can be very dark in color with deep tans that look almost reddish in natural light. One source shared that back in the day, veteran breeders used these “red legged Yorkies” to reintroduce correct texture and color back into their lines.
Another source we found notes that there may be a connection between coat color and coat structure. To wit: Dogs that are too dark rarely have a correct silky coat, and have one that is wavy. Dogs that are too light have a correct texture, but it’s likely that their coat will change to a brownish color over time.
Regardless of their coat type, Yorkies make marvelous companions for the person who did their homework and learned that these spunky little dogs have personalities that far outweigh their size.
Image: “A Yorkies’s Gaze” by Debra Sisson
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