Yorkie Ears

Question
Hello,

My friend has a yorkie and I took my yorkie over to play however I realized that her yorkie had ears that stand up.  I then began to look at other pictures of yorkies and their ears were standing up as well.  I began to get nervous thinking that my puppy is a yorkie mix not a full blood.  Are yorkie's ears supposed to stand up?

Answer
Hi Latoya, and thank you for giving me the opportunity to assist you with your question concerning your Yorkshire Terrier.  

According the the American Kennel Club, the breed standard for the ears of a Yorkshire is as follow:  "Ears are small, V-shaped, carried erect and set not too far apart."  You can visit the AKC website by cutting and pasting the following address in our internet browser  http://www.akc.org/breeds/yorkshire_terrier/

However, I would like to point out that the "Breed Standards" posted on the AKC website is for "Show" quality.  A lot of dogs that are "Purebred" do not meet with AKC show quality standards.

I have seen purebred Yorkies that have simi-erect ears, meaning that they do not stand fully erect, like some Yorkies, but they also do not lay flat on the side of the dogs head either.

I hope I have been helpful, and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have additional questions.  Sincerely, Penny D.