Yorkies are born black and tan and start changing their coat color by the time they reach six months of age. In fact, by one or two years of age, they get their adult coat. The color of their coat depends on the graying gene. According to the AKC, there are four distinct coat colors of this breed, namely black and tan, black, and gold, blue and tan, and blue and gold.
The black and tan Yorkies lack the graying gene and don’t change their coat color even in adulthood.
In the case of the blue and tan Yorkie, the graying gene affects the black coloration that eventually dilutes to blue. Initially, the coat appears grayish-blue, mostly visible under direct sunlight. However, as the dog grows, the color gets more prominent.
The Yorkies having a black and gold coat, experiences a change in their tan coloration, that transitions to gold.
For the blue and gold-colored Yorkies, the presence of two graying genes affects both the black and tan color.
