All Yorkie puppies are born black and tan.  These 2 colors will be combined somewhat.  The percentage of the black and tan will vary greatly from pup to pup. Many will have the tan on the points. The points will be the small areas located right above each eye (referred to as the brows), on the under flap of the ears and sometimes on the underside of the tail. 

Can a Puppy be all Black or all Tan?

No.  Even if a Yorkie appears to be a solid black as a newborn, upon close inspection you should be able to see some tan coloring.  This is present, even if it is just a very small patch or a few strands of hair on the dog.  With most Yorkie puppies, there will be a fair amount of both black and tan and both colors will be very evident.

This does very from dog to dog, however in general a Yorkie's hair will begin its color change at the approximate age of 6 months.  This is a gradual process.  You will not wake up one day and see a different dog !  By the age of 1 to 2 years, the adult coloring will be in place. For some, the process can take up to 3 years.  Sometimes a senior will develop extra silver hairs...although he or she will never have a solid gray coat.



What Color Does a Yorkie Change to?

The Yorkie does not have a drastic color change, but the change is official and is an expected aspect to the adult Yorkshire Terrier.

Once a Yorkshire Terrier is an adult, there will be more tan/gold coloring than black coloring. Therefore, an adult is much lighter than a puppy.

The black will turn to a blue.  Now of course, blue in the dog world does not literally mean blue.  Blue will be a diluted black color.  There are many shades of blue in dog breeds; however for the Yorkie this will be a dark steel blue color...or this can be a shiny silver.

Photos of this color change and all explanations are inside the YorkieInfoCenter eBook (Quick to download in about 2 minutes- PDF format, no devices needed!)  It can range from light to dark...And dark will often be mistaken for black, as the tint will only be noticeable in bright sunlight.

The tan of the will slowly change to a tan/gold.  Gold is simply a richer shade of the tan. The tan hair on the dog will be darker at the roots and lighten as it reaches the tips.

As you can see on the photo to the right, depending on the dog's age,  all 4 colors may be present.

The Final Adult Color

As an adult with a full adult coat of hair, the tan or gold on the Yorkie will be of great importance in  AKC conformation dog show events. Most importantly on the dog's head and legs.   An adult Yorkie has a clear distinction of the black/blue and tan/gold coloring with no intermingling.  Now, these are the guidelines for AKC conformation...There are lots of Yorkshire Terriers who do not meet the strict guidelines.

Unique Hues and Combinations

Some purebreds are a solid cream...some will be a parti of tan and gold with nearly no black.  While very interesting, it is highly recommended not to breed these solids or partis. Why?  Because in regard to AKC standards, doing so would begin to eliminate the standard coloring of this breed...And if done enough, by enough breeders, the breed as we know it today would eventually not hold true to the steadfast standards that exist. It is also suggested that an off-color may hold genetic defects that would be passed down; therefore if breeding strict health testing should be done.