2. What are your “must have” traits in this breed? CH: Sound, balanced, not exaggerated in any manner, specifics in coat color, quality, texture and quantity, able to hold level topline without being hard stacked and moving. KK: An elegant, sound, long-coated Toy Terrier, identified by his straight silky steel blue and clear shaded gold coat, with a beautiful head. RO: I want a level top line, high head carriage and correct movement. 3. Are there any traits in this breed you fear are becoming exaggerated? CH: Length of leg and neck resulting is a body without substance losing compactness. Too much angulation in rear and too straight in the shoulder. Artificial coloring as a result of short cuts due too. No mastery in breeding as the specificity of coat colors are one of the most difficult to achieve naturally resulting in the breed beginning to lose the correct blue and gold shadings as called for in the standard from the genetic pool. KK: In the past few years, the body coat is getting blacker and blacker. This coat color lacks the silky texture that is cool to the touch and which is the essence of the breed. As breeders we should remember the proper steel blue coat color carries the black gene. However, the reverse is not true. Black coat does not carry the desired steel blue gene. Breeders who ignore this fact could cause the Yorkie of the future to end up as a black and tan Terrier, rather than the dark steel blue and shaded gold Terrier that our standard requires. RO: Although it’s not a trait of the breed, over grooming can give an exaggerated, or unnatural, appearance. 4. Do you think the dogs you see in this breed are better now than they were when you first started judging? Why or why not? CH: I believe they are worse. As we are losing many of the old time breeders and exhibitors, the breed does not “we musT also rememBer ThaT our dogs may Build our fame BuT using Top qualiTy BiTChes in our Breeding programs BUILD OUR LINES.” t4 )08 4 *()5 . "(";*/& " 13*-
appear to be attracting a lot of newcomers and real men- tors for them. KK: In February of 2016 I judged the Yorkshire Terrier Club of Greater New York Specialty. We had an entry of 136 dogs. I was very impressed with the overall quality of the entry. Top lines have improved greatly. Size and propor- tions were excellent. Presentation and condition of the coats were outstanding. I did notice one thing which concerned me. Throughout my career, both as a breeder/ exhibitor and a judge, we have always had large bitch entries in the Best of Breed class at our Specialties. I have always believed that this was a very good thing. Unhappi- ly, this year the Best of Breed bitch entry was very small. Is this a reflection of the fact that over the past seven to ten years we have seen very few new breeders/exhibitors join our ranks? We must also remember that our dogs may build our fame but using top quality bitches in our breeding programs build our lines. RO: Yes, I believe top lines and color are getting better. 5. What do you think new judges misunderstand about the breed? CH: Not expecting soundness as “they are only a toy”, mis- reading and misinterpretation of the standard as written. KK: Both new and older judges of the Yorkshire Terrier have a definite problem with the definition of a Yorkshire. If they would just remember the following on General Appearance: “Many adjectives can be used to describe the Yorkshire Terrier as they are well balanced, neat, small, sound, square appearing, elegant long coated Toy Terrier. The breed is readily identified by its straight, flowing silky body coat of bright, shiny, lustrous steel blue and clear shaded golds. He has a straight level back and carries himself in a self confident sparkling and vigorous manner.” RO: The change a puppy goes through becoming a mature adult—a Yorkie is not mature, color wise, at one year of age. 6. Is there anything else you’d like to share about the breed? CH: To begin to judge the Yorkshire Terrier, one must keep in mind the original function, which was of a Toy-sized Terrier, a ratter, that covers all the small prey of similar size. Despite which opinion of the antiquity origination of the breed you choose to believe, the one common thread is that the breed was founded on Terriers with all that word entails to judges. You will do the breed and yourself a favor if you challenge those exhibiting to you to present the same soundness in body and movement along with alert personality in this Toy breed as you would want to see in any of the Terrier breeds. But keep in mind, it is a Toy Terrier which means it is middle- ranged Toy, not as tall or large as the Cavalier or Crested,
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