How to Groom & Clip a Yorkie

Yorkshire terriers are a toy breed of dog, small in size and known for their extravagant coat. Bred in England as a ratting terrier, over time the breed developed these two notable features that turned the breed into a highly prized companion animal and show dog. The long coats that Yorkies grow, which generally extend just past floor length, require daily grooming to maintain the healthy sheen and straight hairs the breed is known for. In addition, the low exercise requirements of Yorkshire terriers assists in preserving grooming and clipping jobs.

Things You'll Need

  • Pin brush
  • Electric trimmer
  • Dog grooming scissors
  • Boar brush
  • Dog shampoo
  • Dog conditioner
  • Towel
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Instructions

    • 1

      Brush your Yorkie's coat every day to keep out knots, since their long coats tangle up easily. Before brushing your dog, it is best to spray the coat with a spray-on coat conditioner. When brushed, the hair in dry coats tends to snap and break, so conditioning the coat first is an important step in keeping the coat looking its best. Use a pin brush designed for dogs to brush the hair, starting at the ends of the hairs farthest from the body and working up.

    • 2

      Detangle knots in the hair with your fingers instead of a brush, working from the tip end of the hair upwards as you would with brushing.

    • 3

      Check underneath the dog where the legs connect with the body, an area that commonly develops matted hair, and brush there as well.

    • 4

      Clip the ear hairs of Yorkies, especially when they are still puppies. This removal of the weighty ear hair encourages the ears to stick up in the air, as is desirable for the breed. Use a small electric trimmer, and hold the edge of the ear leather between your thumb and pointer finger. Trim the hair in the shape of an upside-down 'V' following the shape of the ear, only cutting the last 1/4th of the ear hair from the ends of the ears. If you wish to preserve more of the ear hair, trim the ear tips with small scissors instead of shaving it shorter with the trimmer.

    • 5

      Bathe your dog on a weekly basis, or every other week if using chemical-based shampoos. Place the dog in a bathtub with a non-slip mat and turn on the bath's faucet or showerhead to a low level. Get the fur wet from the shower and begin to lather shampoo gently throughout the fur, lifting the front paws one at a time to get shampoo under the dog. Rinse out the shampoo and repeat the process for conditioner. Only use shampoos and conditioners formulated for dogs. After the bath, use a towel to dry off your dog.

    • 6

      Clip the long hairs under the dog's tail with an electric trimmer or scissors to keep the area clean. The technique for clipping these hairs is up to the owner or groomer, but the essential idea is hygiene for the dog.

    • 7

      Clip the fur hanging off the body of the dog with scissors by sitting the dog on a table and trimming the fur all around. It should be just 1 to 2 inches past the ground level. If you wish to clip the Yorkie's body fur with trimmers, always use the trimmer in the direction of the fur instead of against it.