The incredible popularity of the Yorkshire Terrier has led to the fact that, along with puppies of standard colors, dogs with unusual colors began to appear in litters.
This is not surprising.
After all, the more numerous the livestock, the higher the likelihood that one day nature will decide to play a joke on the breeders and babies with a non-standard color will be born.
This happened with the chocolate or, as it is also called, choco Yorkie, which is still considered a rather rare variety of the breed.
Where do they come from?
Breeders of the breed tend to agree. Chocolate color is nothing more than a weakened black gene. Therefore, previously such puppies were sold as breeding marriages. Breeders were embarrassed by the appearance of defective offspring among elite parents.
At the moment, the chocolate-colored Yorkshire Terrier (pictured), born from purebred parents, is a real exclusive.
The American Kennel Club recognizes such dogs as rare and valuable. In Russia, unfortunately, they do not yet have sufficient value and are not welcome in the rings. But this does not at all detract from the merits of unusual doggies.
Origin story
Perhaps the first Choco Yorkies appeared back in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, when the breed was just in its infancy.
Considering that the standard had not yet been developed, and dogs were valued primarily for their working qualities, it is possible that brown Yorkies even participated in breeding at that time.
However, after the breed received official recognition and the only color allowed for the Yorkshire Terrier became steel gray with fawn, all other color varieties available at that time were outside the standard.
But heredity is an unpredictable thing; puppies of a brownish color began to appear from time to time in litters of standard dogs.
Modern breeders became interested in these unusual dogs and even began to breed them specifically.
Breed standard
What is the difference between a brown representative of the breed and an ordinary one? According to the description of the breed, the Chocolate Yorkshire Terrier differs from the standard one only in color and coat type.
- The head is small, the skull is flat. The ears are wide set, medium-sized, triangular. The eyes are expressive, oval in shape, dark brown in color. The nose is brown and large. The lower jaw is narrowed.
- The body is straight and long. The withers and croup are on the same line. The back is straight. The stomach is taut.
- Limbs are short. They are positioned correctly - straight. The paws are rounded, the claws are dark brown.
- The tail had been docked before. Nowadays, long tails among representatives of the breed have become fashionable.
- We should also talk about the structure of the coat. In “regular” Yorkies it is wavy. The Chocolate Yorkshire Terrier has exceptionally straight hair. Wavy wool in his case is considered a defect.
- Color ranges from light brown with tan to dark chocolate color.
Types of wool
The breed standard describes the Yorkshire Terrier's coat as straight, shiny, fine hair with a silky texture.
Only this structure of the coat gives the correct dark steel and gold color. This coat grows rather slowly, but when the dog reaches adulthood, its hair has the same length and density.
Types of coat that do not meet the breed standard:
- Cotton wool . This type is easy to identify - to the touch it resembles combed cotton wool or tow. This type of wool lacks elasticity and shine, but has a fine texture and a dark slate color that appears dark blue.
- Coarse wool. This type of coat is difficult to determine from a small puppy. When a dog reaches six months of age, its coat becomes sparse, uneven and faded. This type of coat is hard to the touch, has a dark, almost black color, and does not grow to the required length even with regular care using expensive grooming products, since the ends of the hairs constantly break off.
- Black faded wool . The most undesirable type of coat for a Yorkshire Terrier. This coat is soft to the touch, very thick, grows quickly, has a wavy structure and curled tips, but is completely devoid of shine and looks dull.
Maintenance and care
How to care for a chocolate Yorkshire terrier (pictured)? It requires the same attention and care as its standard counterpart.
- Everyday examination of the eyes, ears and teeth is necessary. Dirt from the ears is carefully removed with a cotton swab or swab soaked in saline solution. The eyes are wiped with a damp cotton pad. If plaque is found on the teeth, they are cleaned with toothpaste for dogs. If tartar is detected, then a visit to the veterinarian is a must.
- Nails are trimmed at a veterinary clinic. This must be done once a month or a month and a half.
- The breed is prone to obesity. Be sure to monitor your pet's weight. It should not exceed 3.2 kilograms.
- The dog should have its own corner. Buy a crate for small breed dogs. This will be a house for your pet, where he can sleep or go there when he wants to be alone.
- If the baby has a bed, it is washed and dried every week.
- It is advisable to walk the dog 3-4 times a day. In the warm season, walks can last up to 1 hour. In winter, you should not be outside for more than 15 minutes at a time.
- For the winter, the chocolate Yorkshire terrier needs to buy warm clothes. These dogs get cold easily.
- Representatives of the breed are combed 3 times a week.
- There is no need to wash regularly. It is enough to wipe the paws and belly after walks.
Distinctive features
An adult Biewer Terrier dog should not exceed 27 cm at the withers, and the weight of the animal should be 2-3.5 kg.
Dogs have a compact build, all parts of the body are harmoniously combined with each other. The body is slightly elongated, the chest is well developed, the stomach is tucked, the back is muscular, the tail can be docked by 1/3 of the length, the shape of the tail resembles a sickle.
The dog's paws are small, parallel, and the hock joints are well defined. The dog's movements are light and wide.
The Biewer's head is small, the skull is flat, and the neck is long. Round eyes are medium in size, with dark brown or black irises.
The dog's lips are adjacent to the teeth. Due to the fact that the dog's lower jaw is shorter than the upper, the animal looks constantly smiling. The triangular, raised ears are set wide apart.
Note! Failure to meet official breed standards does not prevent Bievers from being loyal and cheerful dogs.
Without people, puppies get sad and bored
Feeding
How to feed a baby? Either dry food or natural food. If the advantage goes to the “crackers,” then they must be of the proper quality—super-premium class or holistic.
Natural foods that can be given to your Chocolate Yorkshire Terrier include:
- Boiled lean meat. Beef, veal, turkey. You have to be careful with chicken. It can provoke severe allergies in your pet.
- Dairy products - low-fat cottage cheese and kefir. Low-fat natural yogurt without additives is suitable. Dogs should not be given milk.
- Boiled fish without bones.
- Cereals: rice, buckwheat, oatmeal.
- Vegetables: zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, white cabbage, some potatoes.
- Chicken or quail eggs.
As a treat, special dog biscuits or dry cookies like “Maria” are given.
Mating
The first estrus in Biro Yorkies appears at an early age, especially in males. At 4 months they are ready to do adult things, jumping on their owner’s leg or on their favorite toy. However, it is forbidden to breed dogs until they reach the age of one and a half years. Early matings will have a detrimental effect on both the dog’s health and possible offspring.
The first mating of a Biro Yorkie can be challenging. You may need help from the owner. The second and subsequent matings take place without human intervention.
Character
What can you say about the Yorkshire Terrier? These are cute and friendly pets. They are not aggressive, willingly go into arms and allow themselves to be stroked by strangers. The houses are affectionate, but unobtrusive.
It is not advisable to purchase representatives of the breed for a family with small children. Dogs are fragile, and children do not always understand that they are hurting their pet.
White York: myth or reality
Among terriers, there are no dogs with pure white fur, but there are animals that are partially colored in white shades:
- The most white color in the coat color is found in dogs of the Biewer Terrier breed. The hair of these animals usually has 2-3 shades with a predominance of white (white-black, white-blue-gold, white-black-gold).
- Biewer dogs sometimes produce puppies that are golden-fawn in color with splashes of white. Recently we started creating a breed of dogs with this coat color. She was named Golddust Yorkshire Terrier.
- Animals belonging to the Biro Yorkshire Terrier breed are painted in a chocolate-white color combination with a golden tint.
Purebred Yorkshire Terrier
In addition to the named breeds, there are other artificial breed varieties of Yorkies with white areas of fur, but only the Biewer Terrier breed has received official recognition by some cynological organizations. In 2007, breed standards were registered according to the version of the Public Club of Dog Lovers of Germany (ACH). In 2009, the breed was recognized by the Russian Canine Federation.
Important! The all-white purebred Yorkshire Terrier is a myth.
Dogs of the Biewer Terrier breed
Where to buy a dog?
There are several nurseries in Russia that specialize in breeding chocolates. You can also buy chocolate mini Yorkshire terriers. The photo is presented below.
The price starts from 50,000 rubles. The higher an animal is valued, the more expensive it is. The cost of the baby is not affected by the reluctance of the future owner to engage in breeding or attend exhibitions.
How to choose a puppy
A puppy should not be separated from its mother before the baby is 10 weeks old. By this time, young Biro Yorkies have already received their first scheduled vaccinations, which should be noted on the vaccination card.
There should be no aggression in the behavior of the little biro. Healthy curiosity is encouraged.
When choosing a puppy, pay attention to the health and well-being of the baby. A healthy biro looks well-fed in appearance, has healthy, clear eyes, and a moist nose. The eyes, ears and nose should be free of discharge. The coat is shiny, without tangles, dandruff, or unpleasant odor.
In the photo you can see that the fur of a baby Biro is not the same as that of an adult. With age, it will acquire a more noble appearance.
A dog for the soul
Many breeders do not like it when people ask them for a puppy “for themselves.” The worst thing is, maybe with a flaw. And they motivate this by the lack of money to buy a healthier animal or a gift for a child.
No breeder will sell a small dog as a living toy. The animal deserves love, care and good owners. And not picking out eyes, pulling the tail and twisting the paws.
Also, breeders will be wary of selling their puppies to people who do not have the money to buy a healthy baby. Buying a pet is just the initial expense. He needs quality nutrition, care and examination by a veterinarian. All this requires considerable sums. If a person cannot spend money on a good puppy, then where will he get it for its maintenance?
It is unlikely that a chocolate Yorkshire terrier will be cheap. There are Morkies, a mix of Maltese and Yorkies. Such dogs are similar in appearance to lap dogs, but they are sold as Yorkies.
As for free sites with advertisements for animals, no self-respecting breeder will place a purebred puppy of a rare color into good hands. On such a site you can stumble upon a cute brown mongrel, but not an elite dog.
Color change with age
Standard Yorkshire Terrier puppies are born black and tan on their faces, under their tails, on their legs, and on their chests. The bottom of the dog's body should be bronze. Tan marks can be of different sizes and shades - golden-bronze, golden-yellow. White spots are allowed on the chest and paws, which should disappear with age.
As dogs grow older, the structure and pigmentation of their coat changes, causing the hairs to lighten. For a puppy to be considered a purebred animal, as it grows older, all the black and black-brown hairs on its face, on the top and sides of its head, around the eyes, and on the neck must change color. In these areas of the dog's body, the coat should turn golden brown. The shades of fur on their chest and paws should also change.
The color change occurs over a long period, but individually, usually begins at 3-3.5 months, ends by the age of 1 year. For some dogs, the process of recoloring sometimes lasts a very long time - up to 2 years of age.
The RKF standard for Biewer Terrier establishes that puppies may or may not change coat color. Biewer puppies born black and white may remain that way, or they may become blue and white. Blue shades are a modified black color after recoloring, which can begin in one-year-old dogs or three-year-old dogs.
Biewer Terrier puppies
Let's summarize
In the article we talked about such an unusual dog as the chocolate Yorkshire terrier. Its uniqueness lies in its rare color.
Let's highlight the main aspects:
- A standard Yorkie terrier weighs 3.2 kg. His mini-brother barely reaches 1.2 kg. Chocolate dogs come in both standard and mini.
- The cost of representatives of the rare color breed is high.
- They are no more demanding of care than any other Yorkshire Terrier.
- Pets are fed either dry food or natural food.
- Walk 3-4 times a day.
Non-standard Yorkie colors
One of the distinctive features of the Yorkie is the long flowing coat that falls from the sides, parted from nose to tail, and its color. The structure and shades of the coat, the presence or absence of undercoat are noticeable indicators of the breed or mongrel nature of the animals. The color of the coat changes from the roots (darker) to the ends (lighter). Yorkies have no undercoat, so the dog's coat resembles human hair.
Non-standard colors of dogs include various variations of single-color white, black, golden, caramel, brown (brick) shades evenly distributed over the dog’s body.
Additional Information! There are 3 types of Yorkies: the weight of a standard one should not exceed 3.1 kg, the weight of a mini should be in the range of 1.5-2.5 kg, and the super-mini - 1.0-1.5 kg.
Chocolate Yorkshire Terrier
What to feed
Representatives of this breed, like Yorkshire terriers, have a sensitive digestive system. Not every food is suitable for them. The owner must decide on the type of food (natural or industrial food) even before taking the puppy into the house. It is best to make this choice based on the recommendations of your veterinarian. An incorrectly selected diet can cause many diseases: allergies, pancreatitis, gastrointestinal disorders.
Industrial feed
For small toy dogs, you should select a high-quality commercial food designed specifically for such pets. Food must satisfy the high energy needs of active pets, be balanced and complete, and be well absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract of animals.
The best brands of food for the Biewer Terrier breed:
- Eukanuba Breed Specific (Yorkshire Terrier);
- Grandorf;
- Advance (Yorkshire Terrier);
- Brit Care (Yorkshire Terrier);
- Royal Canin (Yorkshire Terrier).
Important: the transition to a new brand of food is carried out gradually. An incorrectly selected composition can cause allergic reactions and gastrointestinal diseases.
Natural nutrition
The diet for dogs on a natural diet is compiled taking into account their age, weight and physiological condition. The menu is based on lean meats, lean sea fish (fillets), raw tripe, and boiled offal.
In addition, the diet should contain:
- vegetables;
- dairy products;
- quail egg;
- greenery;
- vegetable oil;
- Brewer's yeast;
- vitamin and mineral complexes.
