What Kind of Grooming Is for a Yorkie?

Known for their small size and long shiny hair, Yorkshire terriers, or Yorkies, require attentive owners familiar with the processes of proper care. Appropriate grooming is important to the dog's health and happiness. It may take some time for you and the dog to get used to the dog's bath time, trimming and cleaning, but if you provide the dog with treats and praise throughout the process, then this should help make it easier.

  1. Bathing

    • Give your Yorkie a bath every one to two weeks. Perform a thorough combing before bathing to remove all knots and tangles. Use a metal comb or mat rake. Wet the dog using warm water. Place a quarter-size amount of dog shampoo on the back of the dog's head. Gently squeeze the shampoo through the hair. Work the shampoo down the back toward the tail and down the legs. Rinse the dog off two or three times. Use a washcloth with a gently baby shampoo to clean the dog's face. Rinse with a cup of fresh water. Use a wet washcloth without soap to clean the eye mucous. Apply dog conditioner to the coat, then rinse thoroughly. Dry the dog with a thick towel and brush the coat thoroughly while the hair is still damp.

    Nails

    • Cut your Yorkie's nails every two weeks. The best time is after a bath when the nails are soft. Using a dog nail clipper, gently trim the nails at the curve and cut at an angle. Trim away slowly at the nail to avoid cutting the quick, the dog's nail bed. Check after each trim that you are not cutting the quick. You will see a black circle in the middle of the nail, and it may start to bleed. Stop as soon as you see the quick. Continue cutting all nails.

    Ears and Teeth

    • Clean the dog's ears at bath time. Remove any excess hair around the ear canal with tweezers or your fingers. Gently clean the outside of the ear with pet cleaner and a cotton-tipped swab, gauze or wet wipe. Do not push the cotton-tip swab far into the dog's ear canal.

      Brush a Yorkie's teeth every day to keep its teeth healthy and strong. Never use human toothpaste. Rub all the teeth from top to bottom and where the teeth meet the gum. Do not neglect the gums as dogs can suffer from gum disease and tooth loss.

    Hair Trimming

    • Hair grows in between the toes of a Yorkie and needs trimming about once a month. Cut the long hair in between the toes and pads of the feet using small scissors. Brush the coat down the front of the paw, and trim in a circle around the paw. The hair around the Yorkie's anus also needs trimming to keep the area clean. Trim the area around the anus about 1/2 inch using small scissors.