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How Parti Yorkies Came to Be ...
~ By Sue White ~
Many skeptical Yorkie owners and breeders, absolutely refuse
to believe that the Parti colored Yorkie is anything other than a
recent "behind the kennel bred" mutt. They say: "There is NO
white gene in our Purebred Yorkies" or "There is NO record of
any Yorkie ever breeding to a white or parti colored dog" or "No
show breeder who's been breeding and showing for 30 or 40
years, has ever produced a parti colored Yorkie." I'm going to try
to educate people on color genetics, recessive genes and how the
Parti gene remained hidden in the Yorkshire terrier breed for
years.
We know from our Yorkie history, that early records were not
kept on the foundation breeding stock. I seriously doubt, that
back in the days where spaying and neutering was not done, that
the farmers and working class families didn't have the "occasional"
unplanned pregnancy in their canines. If anything, it happened
more then, than it does today. History also notes that the
Maltese was bred to the Yorkshire terrier to enhance the texture
and length of the Yorkshire terriers coat, since most of the early
dogs thought to have started the breed, were broken haired dogs
with shorter, coarser coats. It's documented in some of the
earliest records that the foundation stock of our breed, were
cross-bred dogs and dogs without pedigrees (who's heritage is
unknown). Even if these dogs didn't look parti colored they could
very well have harbored the recessive Parti gene in their DNA
makeup. Whether their mother/father, grandmother/grandfather
or great grandmother/great grandfather ... Was parti colored, no
one would really know, since record keeping at that time in history,
was little to none.
The Parti gene can only be expressed if a parti gene carrier is
bred to another parti gene carrier. A carrier will look like a
traditional colored Yorkie but is born with maybe some white on
it's chin, chest and/or feet. In this case where a parti carrier is
bred to another parti carrier, 25% of the offspring will be
traditional Yorkies (not carrying the gene), 50% will be traditional
colored Yorkies who do carry the recessive parti gene and 25% of
the offspring will be actual Parti colored dogs. AKC has allowed
Parti colored Yorkies to be eligible for registration since 2000.
Prior to that time, parti colored offspring were normally given away
without papers or destroyed (yes, destroyed). I know of several
breeders who have destroyed a litter of "surprise" parti colored
pups.
The most prolific known line of Parti Yorkies is the "California
line" or Nikko's line. These dogs are all descendants of an AKC
Champion named Nikko's Rolls Royce Ashley. Two dedicated
breeders in California, fought to get this line of Parti colored
Yorkies, registered by AKC. This line of Parti carriers and Parti
colored Yorkies comes from a well known show breeder who's
been breeding and showing for over 40 years. Forty-two litters
and generations of dogs from this line were DNA'd prior to
AKC's approval of registration.
The Yorkshire Terriers breed standards have changed over the
years. The "Standard" color is blue and tan, any other color is
considered to be "Off Standard." Until the new color
disqualification rule went into effect, off standard colored, black
and tan and black and gold yorkies have entered the show ring and
won their champion status. Standards have changed and not only
do we now have smaller sized dogs than in the late 1800's, but
some of our "off standard," darker coated dogs have been allowed
into the show ring.
Hopefully these types of changes along with a better
understanding of color genetics, will open the door for the
continued, growing acceptance of the Parti colored Yorkie. Parti
Yorkies ARE RARE, they are hard to find and as supply and
demand goes, they do cost more than the traditional colored
Yorkie.
Parti colored Yorkies are healthy animals and they are not a
genetic freak of nature as some people, groups or websites
suggest. In this day of scam artists and people looking to make a
fast buck, my suggestion is to buy from reputable breeders who
have their dogs DNA'd and/or their dogs are from known lines of
Parti producing dogs. There are other Yorkie lines of parti
carriers and producers but the California line is the best known.
So do your research, get references and have an open mind. This
gene has been in some of our Yorkie bloodlines for years and
years and years ... And if you think it's not possible, don't be
surprised if one day, your own purebred Yorkie produces a pup
of a different color!
~ By Sue White ~
Many skeptical Yorkie owners and breeders, absolutely refuse
to believe that the Parti colored Yorkie is anything other than a
recent "behind the kennel bred" mutt. They say: "There is NO
white gene in our Purebred Yorkies" or "There is NO record of
any Yorkie ever breeding to a white or parti colored dog" or "No
show breeder who's been breeding and showing for 30 or 40
years, has ever produced a parti colored Yorkie." I'm going to try
to educate people on color genetics, recessive genes and how the
Parti gene remained hidden in the Yorkshire terrier breed for
years.
We know from our Yorkie history, that early records were not
kept on the foundation breeding stock. I seriously doubt, that
back in the days where spaying and neutering was not done, that
the farmers and working class families didn't have the "occasional"
unplanned pregnancy in their canines. If anything, it happened
more then, than it does today. History also notes that the
Maltese was bred to the Yorkshire terrier to enhance the texture
and length of the Yorkshire terriers coat, since most of the early
dogs thought to have started the breed, were broken haired dogs
with shorter, coarser coats. It's documented in some of the
earliest records that the foundation stock of our breed, were
cross-bred dogs and dogs without pedigrees (who's heritage is
unknown). Even if these dogs didn't look parti colored they could
very well have harbored the recessive Parti gene in their DNA
makeup. Whether their mother/father, grandmother/grandfather
or great grandmother/great grandfather ... Was parti colored, no
one would really know, since record keeping at that time in history,
was little to none.
The Parti gene can only be expressed if a parti gene carrier is
bred to another parti gene carrier. A carrier will look like a
traditional colored Yorkie but is born with maybe some white on
it's chin, chest and/or feet. In this case where a parti carrier is
bred to another parti carrier, 25% of the offspring will be
traditional Yorkies (not carrying the gene), 50% will be traditional
colored Yorkies who do carry the recessive parti gene and 25% of
the offspring will be actual Parti colored dogs. AKC has allowed
Parti colored Yorkies to be eligible for registration since 2000.
Prior to that time, parti colored offspring were normally given away
without papers or destroyed (yes, destroyed). I know of several
breeders who have destroyed a litter of "surprise" parti colored
pups.
The most prolific known line of Parti Yorkies is the "California
line" or Nikko's line. These dogs are all descendants of an AKC
Champion named Nikko's Rolls Royce Ashley. Two dedicated
breeders in California, fought to get this line of Parti colored
Yorkies, registered by AKC. This line of Parti carriers and Parti
colored Yorkies comes from a well known show breeder who's
been breeding and showing for over 40 years. Forty-two litters
and generations of dogs from this line were DNA'd prior to
AKC's approval of registration.
The Yorkshire Terriers breed standards have changed over the
years. The "Standard" color is blue and tan, any other color is
considered to be "Off Standard." Until the new color
disqualification rule went into effect, off standard colored, black
and tan and black and gold yorkies have entered the show ring and
won their champion status. Standards have changed and not only
do we now have smaller sized dogs than in the late 1800's, but
some of our "off standard," darker coated dogs have been allowed
into the show ring.
Hopefully these types of changes along with a better
understanding of color genetics, will open the door for the
continued, growing acceptance of the Parti colored Yorkie. Parti
Yorkies ARE RARE, they are hard to find and as supply and
demand goes, they do cost more than the traditional colored
Yorkie.
Parti colored Yorkies are healthy animals and they are not a
genetic freak of nature as some people, groups or websites
suggest. In this day of scam artists and people looking to make a
fast buck, my suggestion is to buy from reputable breeders who
have their dogs DNA'd and/or their dogs are from known lines of
Parti producing dogs. There are other Yorkie lines of parti
carriers and producers but the California line is the best known.
So do your research, get references and have an open mind. This
gene has been in some of our Yorkie bloodlines for years and
years and years ... And if you think it's not possible, don't be
surprised if one day, your own purebred Yorkie produces a pup
of a different color!
Parti Yorkie History
