BRUSHING YOUR YORKIE

Most Yorkie owners are pet owners and don't have the required time it takes to keep a Yorkies coat long and free of tangles. Keeping the Yorkie in a full-length coat requires daily grooming and care and is usually only pursued to someone that is showing the Yorkie.

Even if you keep the Yorkies coat short and trimmed, Grooming is still required, using a brush on your Yorkie will stimulate the oils in the skin and help keep your Yorkie from getting dry itchy skin.  Brushing will remove the dead hair and keep the skin's natural oils flowing and the coat shiny and healthy. Over brushing your Yorkie should be avoided as it will damage the coat and cause split ends. If you have just purchased your Yorkie puppy, working with him/her on brushing when they are young will keep you from having a problem when they get older.

BATHING YOUR YORKIE

WARNING- The use of any human shampoo,soap,bubble bath,etc.. it could be damaging to a dog's coat and their skin. Human products remove the protective oils coating the dogs hair and skin that make him/her water resistant. Please use products that are designed for dogs. When bathing a Yorkie it is wise to use puppy products with tearless features. even on older Yorkies. This will eliminate the chance of getting soap in your Yorkie's eyes and causing a problem. If your Yorkie has mats or tangles try to work them out before you shampoo your Yorkie. If they wont budge, then make sure that after your shampoo, you apply a tangle free conditioner. This will not only make it easier to get the mats and tangles out, but it will prevent you from hurting your Yorkie. Some mats or tangles don't want to come out no matter if you use conditioner or not. A good trick is to cut the middle of the mat or tangle. This will loosen the rest of the mat or tangle and you should be able to get it out without any further problems.

Make sure that you take the time to thoroughly rinse your Yorkie. By not taking the time and leaving some of the residue in the skin, you will cause the residue to irritate your Yorkie causing him/her to scratch which could injure their skin. Make sure that you use a towel to dry your Yorkie. Pat your Yorkie dry. Don't rub your Yorkie dry this will cause the hair to mat and tangle. Brush or comb your Yorkie's hair before letting them down. Odds are they are going to rub all over the floor to try to dry themselves, which will cause mats or tangles even more. Some people will use a brush and a hair dryer. This is fine as long as you keep the setting on low or cool air. Their delicate skin will burn easily.

KEEPING HIS/HER EARS CLEAN

Believe it or not it is very important to keep your Yorkie's ears clean. Any excess hair should be trimmed out of the ear. Sometimes a slight pull will do it. Inside the ear can be cleaned with a cotton ball especially after a bath. If you smell an odor in his/her ears take a good look inside, there might be a mite problem, and he/she should be seen by your vet.

CLIPPING YOUR YORKIE'S NAILS

Your Yorkie should be use to having his nails trimmed at an early age, this is part of the grooming that your breeder should have started long before you bought your Yorkie. Here is a rule of thumb. If you can hear your dogs nails clicking when he/she walks then the nails are too long and need to be cut.

Before you take on the task of cutting your Yorkie's nails you need to look at the nails and you can identify the "quick" in each nail. What is the Quick? the quick is the vessel that runs through the center of each nail and grows rather close to the end or the tip. It will bleed if accidentally cut and could be painful to your Yorkie since it does contain nerve endings. Hold your puppy firmly and talk to him calmly. You don't want him to make any sudden moves that could cause you to cut the quick in his toe. If your Yorkie has the dark nails or black nails then it is best to just clip the tip of the nail (better safe than sorry) If he/she has the white nails, then you can pretty much see the quick in the nail and can avoid it. Remember that you need to be the patient and calm one when trimming the nail. If the puppy squirms then wait till he/she clams down before continuing further.

TAKING YOUR YORKIE TO THE GROOMERS

This is just some information to help you take care of your Yorkie. A lot of people take their Yorkie to the groomers, which is great for you! but make sure that you check your Yorkie's ears and anal gland area. Make sure that the groomer has trimmed around the anal area so that when your Yorkie goes potty he/she does not get anything stuck to their behind! Check their ears.Make sure that they trimmed the hair out of the inside. Check the face, the hair between the eyes should be trimmed short and out of the Yorkie's eyes. Yorkie's tend to get what they call eye boogers because the hair grows long in-between the eyes and causes irritations. Make sure that the nails are trimmed. Make sure that there are no mats or tangles and that the coat is silky. Make sure the puppy smells clean. You want to make sure that you are getting your monies worth when you take your puppy to the groomers.

IMPORTANT: Most groomers make you sign a letter for grooming the puppy or dog. READ the note. Most people don't know that some groomers use a sedative on the puppy or dog so that it is easier for them to handle the puppy or dog. PLEASE be careful.  I have used groomers in the past for my Yorkies and I will NOT use someone who is going to give them a sedative. Yorkies are very small and fragile and if someone (who is not a vet) gives them too much and they have an allergic reaction to the sedative, what next. Did the note say they are not responsible for the puppy or dog if anything happens? Ever notice that some groomers tell you to pick up the puppy or dog a few hours later? Is it because they are busy or they have to wait till the sedative wears off before you pick up your pet? This is not to scare you about groomers, Most groomers are great and do a very good job. This is just to inform you and make you be more aware of where you take your puppy or dog. Look at it like you are dropping your child off at daycare. Take the same precautions that you would for your child. After all your Yorkie is your child too!