Things You'll Need
- Metal tooth comb
- Pin brush
- Towels
- Rubber mat
- Dog shampoo
- Wash cloth
- Dog conditioner
- Hair dryer
- Blunt-tipped scissors
- Mustache trimmers
Instructions
Washing
Remove any hair bows, collars or clothing from your Yorkie before combing out any obvious tangles or snarls using a metal tooth comb or a pin brush with rounded metal pins. Do not pull or tug as you are untangling the fur.
Place a towel or a rubber mat at the bottom of a sink. The mat will help to prevent your Yorkie from slipping while you are washing it. The sink should be large enough for the dog to stand comfortably in it and should be near a sprayer to make rinsing easy.
Pour water carefully over the dog or use the hand-held sprayer to wet it completely. Your Yorkie should be thoroughly wet, but take care not to spray water in its ears or eyes.
Place a small amount of dog shampoo in your hand. Work it into the dog's fur using your fingers, and gently work it into a lather without roughing up the fur, which causes tangles and matting.
Rinse the shampoo completely from the dog's fur using warm water. Keep the flow of the water going in the same direction that the fur naturally falls and then direct the spray under its belly and beneath its tail to remove any hidden soap.
Wet the Yorkie's face thoroughly with a wet washcloth and apply a small amount of shampoo to the dog's beard. Take care not to get shampoo into its eyes.
Rinse the beard carefully with the sprayer or with the wet cloth. Continue until all of the shampoo has been removed.
Add a small amount of dog conditioner to your hands. Rub your hands together and gently smooth it over its fur without scrubbing or roughing it up.
Rinse the conditioner completely from the dog's fur using warm water.
Wrap the dog in a towel to absorb excess water before drying it with a hand-held hair dryer while using the pin brush.
Trimming
Stand the dry dog on a towel-covered surface so that its feet are flat and easily accessible. Use a pair of blunt-tipped scissors to trim around the paws to give them a rounded appearance. Remove all hair that extends beyond the dog's paws.
Use scissors to remove hair that is around the dog's anus. This will help prevent hair from getting dirty and matted by dog feces. Trim around the dog's genitals to prevent urine from soiling the fur.
Trim the upper one-third of the dog's ears using a mustache trimmer. This portion of the dog's ears should be smooth to help them stand upright. Trim in the direction of the hair's growth for the smoothest cut. Neaten it up by following the curve of the dog's ears using blunt-tipped scissors, taking care not to nip the ears in the process.
Comb the dog's fur straight down at the sides. Cut the fur even with the dog's feet, using your scissors. If desired, cut the steel blue layer of fur slightly longer than the tan fur, and keep it at an angle so that it is slightly longer as you near the rear legs.