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Yorkshire Terrier Information
Chocolate Yorkies, Red Yorkies, Fawn or
Golden Yorkies and Blue Born Yorkies
Puppies in the Yorkshire Terrier
The Yorkshire Terrier is genetically a Black/Tan (B/T) dog that turns blue later in life. The blue color is created at another loci by the GG or Gg genes. Whenever you have a dog born one color that turns blue later in life, it is the GG or Gg genes that cause this to happen.
Recently I received a call from someone asking about the blue born puppies. That was a real blast from the past. Hadn’t heard of anyone having blue born puppies in some years. When a dog is born blue it is different genes that effects that then the GG genes. The dd gene is what causes this at birth and the Yorkshire Terrier should only be carrying the DD. A blue born puppy will also have self colored pigment, such as blue nose. The DD gene is what allows them to be born Black/Tan. The upper case always means dominant and the lower case always means recessive. This is obviously a deep buried recessive that the animals are carrying that they have passed onto the resulting puppies. The breeds that are born blue are born with the dd gene, but in Yorkshire Terriers this should not be the situation to cause the blue coloring.
Unfortunately with blue born puppies the situation is usually fatal. Very few live beyond the 1st few days. The ones that do survive almost always at the time they would normally break blue, lose all their blue body coat and get a very leathery skin that is like an elephant hide and causes the dog to be in extreme pain. At that time the dog has to be humanely put down. I have heard of a couple that have lived a normal life, but I think there are very few that do. Do not be tempted to raise one of these as you are opening yourself to heartbreak, let alone what the dog will go through later in life.
The red or chocolate born are affected by the bb genes. The red or chocolate born, referred to as liver in some breeds will also have self colored pigment, such as red, chocolate or liver nose. The Yorkshire Terrier should only be carrying the dominant BB genes. I have not heard of health problems with the red/chocolate born puppies, like with the blue born puppies. Yet most of these situations occur with backyard breeders and puppy mills and they are not likely to share the history of problems with the show breeders. Once again this is a recessive being passed on to the puppies from the parents. This breeding should definitely not be repeated.
Blue born puppies and red/chocolate born puppies are not acceptable colors of the Yorkshire Terrier. The Yorkshire Terrier should only be born Black/Tan and later turn to a dark steel blue. The blue born puppies & red/chocolate born puppies are recessive colors being passed to the progeny and a repeat breeding should never occur. Puppies of these colors should not be sold as rare colors. Yes hopefully it is very rare to get them, but these are totally unacceptable colors and it’s not so much that they are rare, as that they are not true representatives of the breed. Do not be misled by unscrupulous breeders about these dogs. Makes one wonder if there is more in the background of these dogs then just Yorkshire Terriers. There is a backyard breeder in my area that has produced red born puppies & solid black born puppies in one litter. I have to assume that she does not really have a purebred Yorkie to have this happen. Another backyard breeder South of me sells her solid black ones as rare teddy bear Yorkies. One new owner was sent to me by her Vet because he told her the dog was definitely part black Poodle. When I saw the dog, there was no question that it was atleast half Poodle. Actually it looked nothing like a Yorkshire Terrier but entirely like a Poodle. She had all intentions of breeding this dog itself & had enough sense not to give me the AKC registration number for me to report it.
As concerned breeders we would only want to breed dogs that are producing the only acceptable color of the Yorkshire Terrier which is a Black/Tan puppy that as an adult dog will be blue and gold. As an owner or potential owner of the Yorkshire Terrier you should only want the blue and gold, because that is the Yorkshire Terrier. Any other color really makes it something other than a Yorkshire Terrier. As a breeder, you should not knowingly breed a dog that is producing such a known defect. The breed could shortly become other than what it is. For instance, the tri color Yorkies that are produced in some of Europe. This is not what a Yorkie should be. If you want a tri color dog then get a breed that should produce tri colors.
The standard layed down by the YTCA is very specific about the Yorkshire Terrier. It states the puppy should be born Black/Tan and change color to a Blue/Tan dog later in life. No where is it written that the dog should be born any other color than Black/Tan. Standards are written to protect our breeds. The blue born is a perfect example of why. The health problems associated with this color make it critical that we stick to the color the breed is suspose to be, which means being born Black/Tan and later changing to a Blue/Tan dog.
Article printed in TYT Magazine
© 1998 by Cher Hildebrand
Color Dilution Alopecia - CDA
Alopecia is where there is hair loss is related to dilute coat color and is a recognized genetic condition in dogs. The currently accepted medical terminology for this condition is Color Dilution Alopecia (CDA). The condition may affect any dilutely pigmented dog, regardless of coat color. This condition was previously known as Blue Balding Syndrome, Blue Doberman Syndrome, Color Mutant Alopecia, Congenital Alopecia, etc.
Alopecia (CDA) has been recognized in dilute individuals of many breeds of dogs including Chow Chows, Dachshunds, Doberman Pinschers, Great Danes, Irish Setters, Italian Greyhounds, Standard Poodles, Salukis, Whippets, and Yorkshire Terriers. Dilute
individuals carry a recessive genotype of dd and are characterized by blue, bluish-grey, lavender or flesh-colored noses, lips and eye rims. The coat colors may include blue, fawn, blue-fawn, bronze, taupe or some variation of these.
Pictured here a blue born Yorkie puppy.
Would I buy a blue born one myself and take the chance, NO. Nor should the breeding take place again that produced it. If a breeder were giving away the puppy and you wanted to take a chance on it that is fine, but do not buy one. As for the chocolates, this is nothing like a Yorkie should be and is not something as a reputable breeder we want to see. Only disreputable breeders would breed these deliberately.
The other colors are very chancy also. You can find other information about the Color Dilution Alopecia and it being associated with all these different colors.
There is a reason for a breed standard and the above health issues is one of them. These colors would never be bred from by a reputable breeder. The backyard breeder and puppymiller breed these dogs for the money and could care less about a standard. Shows their total lack of knowledge and why some should not be breeding dogs.
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