Taking care of a Yorkshire Terrier is by all means not so harsh or tough. However, there are some parts in the overall cares of a Yorkie that need from you to be very careful and what is more important fully aware as to what and how to do. Grooming is one of these cares. And because this, is indeed, quite long and important topic, today we are going to give you the entire significant information about Yorkie grooming. Below, you will read everything you need to know from the very first days you start grooming your lovely little puppy…

Yorkie’s having a bath

Yorkshire terriers need to have a Bath occasionally. There are, though, two important details about Yorkie’s bath, specifically. First of all, you need to fully handle the bathing process, because unlike bigger dogs that can jump into the river and discharge you from this week’s bathing procedure, the Yorkie will need you at a full value. Second of all, timing is a crucial. You need to know exactly when and how often to take the puppy to the bath. Of course, if there are any “dirty circumstances” with the Yorkie, take it to the bath. In other cases or normally, you need to follow a certain schedule for the bath, which means not too often and not too rare. In both cases you would cause some serious problems to your little friend. Experts and the experienced Yorkie owners claim that this dog breed needs a bath per 3 weeks. This is completely enough to keep it nice-smelling and hygienic.
Attention: keep the rule of a 1 bath per each 3 weeks, because the following might happen:
* If you bath your Yorkie too often, the excess of sebum will be so reduced that eventually the puppy’s skin will get quite dry. This might cause unpleasant irritation and even allergic reactions. Attention: it does not matter how mild the Yorkie shampoo is and it does not matter if it is written on its label “For everyday use”, the Yorkie cannot stand too often baths. Also, if you scrub the Yorkie too harsh, some inflammation process is also possible. Plus: this can cause weakening of both: Yorkie’s hair and its skin.
* If you bath the Yorkie too rarely, then you can expect some serious problems, too. First of all, the skin pores will clog so much that eventually dermatology issues and diseases might occur. The long hairs will tangle and even high quality conditioner won’t help. Last, but not least, the poor hygiene will lead to nasty smell and too oily coat.

Super important Yorkie grooming tips to take under consideration

Grooming a Yorkie is about following concrete rules and principles. If you do so, you’ll have no problems with this task. Moreover: we will give you all the important grooming tips to take under consideration and to make fine parts of your personal grooming process at home, too. So check them out right away:
1. Avoid any experiments with your own shampoo on your Yorkie’s head and body. No matter how dry your hair and skin is, your ultra luxurious shampoo for this case won’t be useful for a dog. Dogs have their own pH level and any human’s shampoo will make their skin irritate, while their hair – fall. Better invest in a high quality conditioner and shampoo (or 2 in 1 product) and you will use it for a really long time. Check out our article about best yorkie shampoos.
2. Brushing and combing is recommended to be done before and after the bath. In both cases, you will make the Yorkie’s hair shiny and strong. Besides, the tangles will be gone and the combing, itself, will be easier later on a wet coat.
3. On mandatory, rinse thoroughly during the bath. Even a little bit leftover of the shampoo or the conditioner can cause your Yorkie serious problems. For instance, the wax elements can cause allergic reactions and other ingredients will dry and make it harder to comb the Yorkie’s hair.
4. Invest in a canine bath brush. It is a very suitable grooming tool for a Yorkie, because it has ultra stimulating taste to the skin. The hair will grow faster and the skin will be healthy.
5. If your Yorkie is male, then on mandatory have a canine cleansing wipe to remove the urine excess out of the coat after the urination. Besides the poor hygiene that can be caused, if your grooming ritual lacks of this procedure, doing so after last bathroom trip and just before going to bed will help your dog to be clean during the whole night. In case you own a female Yorkie, it is important to check out for feces stuck around the anus area. Males can suffer from a bacteria or infection, too, but females are more threatened about it. It is also very good to wipe out the Yorkie (male or female) after bowel movement, too.
6. Also, have canine facial wipe for daily needs. The most important purpose for this wipe is to clean the eye zone. Eyes are very delicate and Yorkies usually get some serious diseases, if the hygiene level is low.

More details about brushing and combing

It is essential to find the proper way to brush and comb your yorkie. The better you become, the bigger the chance to maintain its coat and skin healthy, glowing and beautiful. Moreover: the right brushing and combing techniques are key to the faster hair growth, so if you have already chosen a long and stylish haircut for your dog, begin with these little steps:
1. Comb and brush the Yorkie at least 1 time per day. Of course, if your dog’s hair is still short, you can do it only once per two days.
2. Do not worry about those tangles, but gently remove them before bathing. Every girl has this problem, if the hair is long, right? What is very important is to use your own hands to get rid of the tangles, but don’t do it when you hurry or when you are nervous, because you might ruin your dog’s coat.
3. It is not ok to brush your dog’s coat, while it is 100% dry. This is why before bathing you can apply some leave-in conditioner to soften the hair and to avoid breakages and damages.
4. The ideal combing is by splitting into pieces hair zones and comb them one by one.
5. Attention: grooming cannot be perfect without the perfect tools. So we believe that investing in a proper rubber tipped pin brush is completely normal and you will see how better it is to work with such a tool. For the final touches, you can also use boar bristle brush. Brushing with the right tools is very important part of the grooming process, because it distributes the body oils correctly, without breaking any hairs.

What about Yorkie trimming

This is another grooming procedure you need to be very careful about, when performing. Also, take under considerations our tips, because we have gathered for you some. For instance, know that there are zones you need to trim on a regular basis and it is in the sake of the good hygiene and health for your Yorkie. However, the rest of the coat can be trimmed upon your desire, if you want to achieve a specific hairstyle.
As to the important zones for trimming, please, keep in mind to regularly check the underside of the paw, where there should be left no long hair. Trim the hairs, so they can become as short as the paw.

Also, it is recommended for you to trim a third of the hairs around the ears. If you skip this trimming task,the Yorkie’s ears will fall down, but will not be straight. As to the rectum area, keep it as trimmed as possible in the sake of the good hygiene.

It is an idea to check out our yorkie haircuts page with different yorkie hairstyles to see what is your favorite one or maybe more than one .
Last, but not least, don’t underestimate the professional grooming services that are offered specially for Yorkies. But if you want to do it yourself, don’t forget that the right tools are the first key important elements for the right grooming. Also, do not exceed with trimming. If the hairs are too short, in summer your dog might be seriously damaged because of the summer that can burn out its gentle skin. In winter, on the other side, such a short haircut might cause the puppy too many gold nights and getting a cough becomes quite possible and concerning.

Everything you need to know about Yorkie’s nails

They should be trimmed on a regular basis, no doubt, too. Do it at least once per three months. However, the optimal frequency according to the experts is once per two months. On the other side, as humans, dogs are individual creatures and your Yorkie might have nails that are growing too fast, which is why it is essential for you to check out their length once in a while. It might turn out that you will need to trim the nails more often or even less often. To do the nail trimming really well, you need to fine specially tailored nail trimming tools. Make sure you do the trimming fast and without so many preparations for the puppy.

No dog loves to have its nails trimmed, so be expeditious. Use styptic pencil or silver nitrate for disinfection in case you make a mistake and the nail start bleeding. Relax! This is not uncommon and you should not panic, if you see a few blood drops. As a matter of fact, to avoid bleeding the best thing you can do is to make the nails softer and more flexible to be cut. You don’t have to use any special products, but only to do the trimming after bath, when they are much more adjusted to trimming procedure.

About top knots and bows

A top knot is a specially tailored Yorkie’s hairstyle that is a must, if the dog has long hair and it has not been shaved for a long time. On the other side, recently, it has become very popular for Yorkie owners to shave the whole body, but leave only few zones like tail, legs, and head to make upper top knot. It is indeed original and practical as to the faster and easier maintenance. Though, stick to the top knots, because otherwise, this long hair will fall inside the dog’s eyes and you already know how sensitive these eyes are.

And how about the ears?

This is also very significant, when it comes to Yorkie grooming. To be 100% sure that your dog’s ears are fine, examine them on a regular basis. Look for rashes, bad odor or any strange thing. On mandatory, go straight to the vet cabinet, in case you see redness or something else that concerns you. There might be some tiny hairs inside the Yorkie’s ears. Make sure you remove them no matter how hard it would be to act quickly at this zone. You can skip the trimming process, but quickly to pull the hairs out. Use forceps ear tools that are specially made for dog grooming.

Last, but not least, let’s say few words about dewclaws

To be more specific, these are some additional claws that are placed highly, directly on the paw of the dog. The location is that high that to some Yorkie owners, they are not actually standing on the dogs’s paws, but on the lower legs. On the other side, your Yorkie might have used to have the dewclaws, but today it is with removed ones. Know that this removal is very early after birth and you cannot do it after the 6th day of its birth. However, no one says that it is on mandatory. There are even vets, who will tell you that if born with them, a Yorkie actually will eventually learn not only to leave with the dewclaws, but will also use them as extra tools for catching or holding things. However, whatever your decision will be, make sure you don’t trip the dewclaws on your own. This is supposed to be done by Vets.

Yorkie grooming, of course, is a longer subject than ours today, but at least, we have succeeded to give you the first and most important instructions about how to take care of your Yorkie’s coat, nails, ears, eyes and hairstyle. Please, read the information once again and make sure you have understood everything until you start doing anything like trimming or bathing. These are very special and delicate procedures. They cannot only cause healthy issues, in case of a mistake or omission, but they also can be considered as early trauma for a little puppy. Of course, the idea to visit a professional Yorkie grooming expert always sounds nice, but it is definitely not on mandatory. Actually, you can deal with the tasks on your own. Just be confident to have understood the procedures and make sure you act quickly, but gently and attentively! Don’t forget to make all this a positive experience for your Yorkie and give him lots of treats and prizes!