Black Yorkie Guide: Do Solid Black Yorkies Exist?

The Yorkie (AKA Yorkshire Terrier) is a purebred dog originating from the county of Yorkshire in England. Yorkies can come in four official colors including black, tan, blue and gold. While black is one of the official colors, Yorkshire Terrier usually have bi-colored or multi-colored coats that feature black or blue and another color. It raises the question: do purebred solid-black or all-black Yorkies actually exist?

If you are interested in Black Yorkies keep reading this article to find out the all the answers to your questions about this coat color!

Cover Image Credit: @delterroperros via Instagram

Table of Contents

What Is A Black Yorkie?

A true Black Yorkie has an all-black coat however they are not purebred. Yorkies that have a single-colored coat, whether that is a black, white or gold, have been cross-bred with another breed.

In the majority of cases, Yorkies have a mainly black coat with tan or gold patches. However these are technically Black and Tan Yorkies or Black and Gold Yorkies rather than Black Yorkies. The tan or gold patches are usually located on their legs, tail, muzzle, ears and head.

Are Black Yorkies Rare?

Pure black Yorkies are very rare. Pure black is not a naturally occurring coat color and is a sign that another breed has been introduced into the Yorkshire Terrier lineage. This may be a Poodle, Cocker Spaniel, Shih Tzu or Chihuahua as these breeds are often crossed with Yorkshire Terriers.

On the other hand, Black and Tan Yorkies as well as Black and Gold Yorkies are quite common.

Black Yorkie Characteristics

Black Yorkie Characteristics
Height	8 to 9 inches (20.3cm to 22.9cm).
Weight	Approx 7 pounds (3.2kg).
Temperament	Usually affectionate but sometimes feisty and stubborn.
Activity Levels	Low to moderate.
Exercise Requirements	30 to 45 min per day.
Lifespan	13 to 16 years.
Coat	Long, silky black coat.
Eyes	Dark brown or black.
Shedding	Low.
Apartment Adaptability	Can live in an apartment if given enough exercise each day.
Good with Children	Sometimes.

What Is A KB Black Yorkie?

KB is the dominant black gene which is located on the K-locus. The K-locus has three alleles that have a dominance order of KB > KBr > ky. KB (dominant black) is dominant over KBr (brindle) which is dominant over ky (yellow).

The KB gene inhibits the expression of the agouti gene on the A-locus. This allows for solid black pigmentation. If a Yorkie carries KB/KB, KB/kbr or KB/ky they may have black pigmentation however, coat color is also dependent on the E and B genes. Only one KB gene has to be inherited as it is a dominant gene.

Coat Variations

Black and White Yorkie

Most Black and White Yorkies are Parti Yorkies. A Parti Yorkie has a white base coat that covers at least 50% of their body with a secondary color marbled through it. In this case, the secondary color is black.

Parti Yorkies were originally bred by crossing two Yorkies that carry the recessive “piebald gene”. This was done by Mr and Mrs Biewer in the 1970s and 1980s as they were trying to create a black and white Yorkshire Terrier. They became so popular that they were established as a totally separate breed to the Yorkie called the Biewer Terrier.

Black and Tan Yorkie

A Black and Tan Yorkie has a mainly black coat with tan patches on their legs, chest, ears, muzzle and around their eyes.

Black and Brown Yorkie

A Black and Brown Yorkies are the same as Black and Tan Yorkies. “Black and Tan” is the official name for this coat pattern however the tan sections are sometimes colloquially referred to as “brown” as it appears to be a very pale brown color.

Black and Gold Yorkie

Black and Gold Yorkies look a lot like Black and Tan Yorkies however the non-black areas are much lighter. This is because they carry one copy of the graying gene which affects what would’ve been the tan portion of their coat, turning it gold.

Black Yorkie Price

How Much Is A Black Yorkie?

Black Yorkies usually cost between $2500USD and $6000USD depending on size. Teacup Yorkies are generally more expensive than Standard Yorkies as there are so few of them in each litter and the breeding process is much longer.

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Price also depends on the type of Black Yorkie the breeder is selling. Black and Tan Yorkies are very common while Black and Gold Yorkies are a bit rarer which may impact upon price. All-black Yorkies are usually not 100% purebred so their price may reflect that of a mixed breed rather than a purebred dog depending on the breeder.

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Black Yorkie Size

Teacup/Toy/Mini Black Yorkie

Teacup Black Yorkies are the smallest size of Yorkshire Terrier. They are created by taking the runt of two Yorkie litters and breeding them together until they consistently get the teacup size.

Most breeders call the size that is smaller than the Standard Yorkie “teacup” however others call them “micro”, “toy” or “mini”. There is a lot of debate about how ethical teacup breeds as they are often suffer from debilitating health issues due to their small, fragile size.

Standard White Yorkie

Standard Black Yorkies are the largest and most common Yorkshire Terrier size. While they are the largest size, they are still a very compact dog breed. Standard White Yorkies get to 8 to 9 inches (20.3cm to 22.9cm) tall at the shoulder and weigh around 7 pounds (3.2kg) when fully grown.

They usually get to their full height at 8 months of age. From this time until 12 months they will continue gaining weight and muscle mass. They stop growing at the end of 12 months.