Red Yorkies, alternately called the red-legged Yorkies, aren’t a part of the breed’s standard coloration. Yet, it is registered by the American Kennel Club but considered a major fault at the show ring. The red or, rather, the dark bronze coloration is an outcome of the phaeomelanin gene responsible for producing different shades of red.
Yorkies with a red coat are a combination of black and red. Their back is primarily black, while their face, chest, and leg appear red. Moreover, their facial hair is longer, wirier, and stiffer than the hair on their body.
Many purebred Yorkies lost the thickness and color of their coat over the years. So, the red-legged variety has been used in the Yorkshire terrier’s bloodlines to improve the texture and color of their coat.