A yorkie is one of the greatest companions, but with all the love and affection a yorkshire terriers can provide a family or individual comes responsibility for their owners. Yorkie grooming is one of these responsibilities that must be done on a regular basis. Grooming should consist of maintaining a Yorkshire Terrier’s coat, nails and teeth.
A Yorkshire Terrier is a “single” coated breed, meaning that they do not have an undercoat. One great thing about the Yorkie's coat is that is does not shed. In fact, the hair found on a Yorkshire Terrier is almost identical to human hair. This is great for people with allergies and for people who can't stand to have dog hair around the home. The downside is that the hair can become extremely long and needs an occasional clipping. The Yorkie coat can also become easily matted, and just as you comb your hair everyday, so will you have to comb your dog.
The length of coat and the quality of coat will influence how often your yorkie will need to be groomed. A soft coat or cottony coat is much more difficult to maintain than the proper silk coat. If your puppy has a cottony coat we suggest that you consider having the dog trimmed in a puppy cut or another style. A dog with a long coat requires daily grooming which consists of brushing out it's coat, bi-weekly baths and regular hair cuts.
If your dog gets dirty then we suggest bathing once a week and that will help keep them nice and clean except the side of the body where urine collects on a male. Wash this daily with a damp cloth and warm water.
Never brush your pets coat while it is totally dry. It is best if their coat is misted with a mixture of water and conditioner prior to brushing . Abstain from using natural bristle brushes, as they will break the fine hairs of the Yorkshire Terrier's coat. A good pin brush with a rubber back that is soft should be used to brush the yorkies coat. Do not buy a brush that has small balls on the end of the pins as they tend to pull at the coat and break it. After brushing their coat we like to use a wide-toothed grooming comb and comb their coat. You would be surprised how many snarls you will still find.
Another area that requires daily attention is the tendency of the hair surrounding the anus to become matted with feces. If you take your dog to the groomers regularly, this should not be much of a problem because he or she will clip the hair in this area very short and clean it thoroughly. But if left long, it can become matted and result in soreness, compacted stools and more serious health problems. In addition to regular grooming, you should check this area daily and clean or clip any mattes.
A good routine to get into is to trim the nails after bathing. The water will soften the nail making it easier to trim and by trimming the nails frequently only the tips need to be trimmed reducing the risk of the nails breeding. It is a good idea to have some liquid bandage on hand just in case the nails do breed.
Yorkies have a tendency to get tarter buildup on their teeth so brushing their teeth each time they are bathed will reduce the tarter buildup. It is a good idea to have their teeth cleaned by your Vet. Every 12 – 18 months.
After your dog has been groomed, use an ear cleaning solution (any brand) and gently clean the ears with a q-tip and a baby wipe. Do NOT stick the q-tip do too far down the ear canal! If there is any hair in them, it should be removed, as they can be a source for ear infection. If you prefer, this can be done by your groomer or Vet..
Yorkshire Terrier Grooming is important for two reasons:
For those of you who prefer grooming your dog yourself we have some videos on “How to Groom Your Yorkie” and an article on “Yorkie Grooming Supplies”.
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