Yorkie Hair Cuts.

The three most common Yorkie Hair Cuts ...


1) The Long Cut or Long Coat Yorkie Hair Cut
The long coat or long cut is the style you typically see in breed books and on many Yorkie Web sites. It's also the standard style at dog shows. The long coat helps define the characteristics of the Yorkshire Terrier breed. Its color, texture, and length are outlined in the breed standard. The single or double top knot is also standard for the breed.

If you like to long coat, please keep in mind that this style takes true dedication, maintenance and care. Daily brushing, weekly bathing (normally bi-weekly), conditioning and protecting will all be required of you. If you neglect any of these duties the long beautiful coat can turn into an ugly, tangled mess. The top knot and bow are musts. You can choose between a single bow right in the middle or two bows on either side of a straight part. Not all Yorkies are suitable for long coat. Yorkies have either soft, or silky hair types. If your Yorkie's coat has a tendancy to be bushy or thick, than you may have to settle for a short coat style of haircut.

2) The Puppy Cut or Teddy Bear Yorkie Hair Cut
The short coat is just that, a short cut. The short cut is often refered to as the puppy cut. This haircut is intened to mimic the look of a young puppy. Soft and bushy are what we are going for here. This effect is achieved through the layering of the hair to give the coat volume, making the Yorkie appear fluffy or puffed up.

3) The Modified Westie Yorkie Hair Cut
A slight variation on the puppy cut is the modified Westie cut, also refered to as the Schnauzer cut. This haircut is similar to the puppy cut, except the face is trimmed shorter to frame the face, giving it a clean round appearance. By leaving a longer mustache this cut can be styled as a modified Schnauzer, with a more squared face.

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Yorkie Grooming.

Your First trip to the Groomer:
The first trip to the groomer should be a feel-out process. Don't be too caught up with a perfect cut the first time around. I would stress to the groomer not to get to involved this first time. Just a quick, light trim should do. No dematting or heavy brushing. The first time at the groomer is sure to be very stressful for the little one, and we don't want to add to that stress. I could take 3-4 trips before your pup feels comfortable. Don't rush this break-in process.


In Between Professional Groomings:

Baths:
A good rule of thumb for baths is once every 2 weeks. If they get dirty outside or are rolling around in the mud, give them a bath as needed. Dirt is no good as it will cause mats, tangles and make for a stinky Yorkie!

First, I would never use human shampoo or conditioner on your Yorkies as the PH levels are different. Human products will dry out you Yorkie’s skin and coat. Puppy or dog shampoo can be bought from your vet or local pet store. Don't go cheap on shampoo, buy the good stuff.

Apply the shampoo and gently work from the body down. Never rub the shampoo into the hair to shampoo it. All that does is cause tangles and your dog isn't any cleaner, just squeeze (don't rub) the shampoo through the coat, let it soak a few minutes, rinse thoroughly and a LOT with a sprayer, always in the direction his coat normally lays. Lift his tail and rinse, lift him up gently by the front legs and rise his belly. I often but not always use a diluted conditioner after the shampoo. Again, be sure to rinse, rinse, rinse and rinse more!

For the face I'd stick to a warm soapy washcloth for the beard, and "rinse" the same way. If you don't "scrub" him, the coat won't get much more tangled than it is now anyway. Be sure to remove the eye goobers! Squeeze out the excess water and then wrap him in a towel for a bit and let it absorb most the water without rubbing or heat.

Drying the Coat:
Apply a no tangle spray to the entire coat and gently run a human plastic hair pick through it to remove any tangles. Dry the coat thoroughly but not completely on the medium heat setting leaving it just very slightly damp as not to dry out the skin and coat from the heat of the dryer. Aim the dryer in the direction of the growth occasionally stopping the dryer, brushing or combing the coat a bit and then starting the drying again.

Brushing:
Gently brush out any matts or knots. Never pull or rip a matt off. A good mat cutter can be found at your local pet shop. Daily brushing is recommended if you want your Yorkie clean and tangle free. A metal comb or soft bristle brush can be used daily.

Ear Cleaning:
Use an ear cleaning solution, any kind with a q-tip to gently clean out thier ears. A baby wipe works well for cleaning off the larger areas of the ear. Any hairs in the ear, it is a good idea to remove them with your fingers or tweezers. Hairs in the ear canal can cause ear infections, so they should be removed. You can ask your groomer or vet to do this if you find it too difficult.

Teeth Cleaning:
Brush your Yorkies teeth before each bath. (twice each month) Never use human toothpaste! Consistant dental care is important, because Yorkies are know for having problems with thier teeth.

Toenail Clipping:
Do this after bathing because the toenails are softer and easier to trim. Keep them wrapped up in the towel for better control. Check the toenails, if they are too long, cut them. There are products called "Kwik-Stop" or “Medi Styp”, be sure you have this on hand prior to attempting any toenail clipping. If they bleed, "don't panic", just dab a little of the powder on the toenail and it stops the bleeding right away. A good guide is the curve in the nail. Hold the clippers flat against the upper part of the nail and whatever curves down into the clippers gets cut off. Again, if this is too much for you to handle, then have your Groomer or Vet do it. However, you need to learn to clip toenails as Yorkie nails grow very fast!