Description
The Yorkshire Terrier has an
ultra long, fine, silky coat that parts along the spine and falls
straight down on either side. Owners that do not show the dog will
usually go for the shaggy look. It has a flat head, medium-sized
muzzle, a black nose and regular teeth. It has extremely vivacious
eyes and the v-shaped ears are erect or semi-erect. Its tail is
docked to medium-length and carried level with its back. Its limbs
are straight with round feet and black nails. Because the hair on
the head is so abundant, it is almost always necessary to gather it
in a band to keep from going into the dog's food bowl and give the
dog maximum visibility. Some owners may choose to trim the hair on
top of the head.
Weight
7 lbs. or under. Colors are
Black/Gold, Black/Tan, Blue/Gold and Blue/Tan.
Basic Requirements
Yorkies require bi-weekly to daily
brushing to keep coat free of tangles. Occasional bathing and
trimming is needed.
Yorkies are a great choice for smaller
homes or apartments.
Temperament
Yorkies are courageous,
devoted, small dogs that bond closely with their owner. They do best
with children. They will alert their owner with a protective bark on
the approach of strangers.
Health
Average lifespan is 13 years.
Watch for legg-perthes, lukated patellar and liver shunt.
Housebreaking Tips
Puppy housebreaking may be
accomplished by different methods. Keep in mind that pups are unable
to fully control their bowels until they're a few months old.
Success is experienced during the early months; however, expect
accidents.
Avoid difficult clean-ups by
keeping puppies supervised until you're certain that the pup is
housebroken.
Once you allow a pup to
urinated in the house, he will usually return to the same spot the
next time he relieves himself.
Take your pup outside before
retiring for the night. Also do the same when he wakes in the
morning.
Pups may need to relieve
themselves shortly after a meal and will need to urinate more often
during the summer when his water intake is higher. Immediately after
eating, take your pup outside until he potties. You may notice him
sniffing the floor which may indicate a need to relieve himself.
Housebreaking may be hastened
if you pup sleeps in his crate. Your pup will learn to wait until
you let him out of his crate to do his business. It may take a
couple of months before your pup is able to control himself. As he
gets older, there will be fewer accidents.
Expect problems and never
scold him for accidentally soiling his area at night.
Grooming
The type
of coat that your dog has will affect what Shampoos and Conditioners
you will be using. Just as the type of water you have, hard or soft,
will affect the performance of the different products. Some feel
that you shouldn't use human products; they are too drying. I
haven't experienced this at all. I'm not including inexpensive
products with this statement but good Salon type. All you can do is
to try them. If you notice the skin looks dry, or if there is an
excess amount of itching change products.
Pre-Bath
You are
going to need to go through the coat to check for snarls and mats.
Snarls can be pulled apart with your fingers; then using a pin-type
brush go though the coat before bathing. If the coat is matted, you
are not grooming often enough or the coat is a soft type. A soft
coat is much more difficult to maintain than the proper silk coat.
It will take daily care to keep from matting, so you may need to
have the dog trimmed in a puppy cut or another style. There is no
sense in struggling with a coat that will constantly mat, causing
you and the dog to be upset at grooming time. Mats hurt coming out
regardless how careful and gentle you are. Soft coats also collect
dirt and absorb moisture much quicker than a true silk coat. You'll
need to add a slicker brush to your list if you're working with this
type of coat. Be careful using this type of brush, they can actually
burn the skin. Place your fingers at the base of coat next to the
skin as you are brushing. Start brushing at the ends of the hair and
gradually work up toward your fingers. Before the bath is the best
time for brushing the teeth. Many Yorkies are prone to excessive
Tartar that causes premature tooth loss. They make a number of
products now to help keep the teeth clean. If you do not brush the
teeth, this will mean additional professional cleanings at the
Vet's, and it can also lead to Bacterial Infections to develop
causing additional expense to you, and pain to your friend.
Ears
Check
the Ear Channel first, if there is any offensive odors, redness, or
a reddish brown discharge, have your Vet look at them. All could be
signs of infection, and need to be treated if so. If there is hair
in the channel, remove it by pulling it out with your fingers.
Whether the hair is oily or not, using a plucking powder lightly
will make it much easier to do. Note: Pull quickly, not slow. Now
for the outer ear you will use clippers. Clip the excess hair on the
inside of the ear leathers about 1/3rd way down. Then you'll clip
the same amount on the backside but trimming the hair off in the
shape of a V. With the Wahl clippers, it is even safe to go along
the outer edge of the ear to finish it off neatly.
 
Taping Ears
(For Down Ears)
The most
important thing to encourage ears to stand upright is keeping the
excess hair trimmed. But, if they are not up by 6-7 weeks of age
they should be supported. This method will work even with older
pups, it may just take a longer period of time. If you purchased
your puppy, the ears should have been up prior. Cut three pieces of
2-inch masking tape in triangles, and lay them on top of one
another. Use better quality tape, because the less expensive brands
do not adhere as well. Place this so the adhesive side is next to
the skin on the inter-ear leather. Next, cut a strip of tape
approximately 3-4 inches long. This is centered on the "back side"
of the ear, and the remainder is folded over the front, on top of
your tape inserts. You may need to repeat this step, using two
strips depending on ear length and weakness.
Leave
these in place, checking or replacing them every 2-3 days. Sometimes
the ears will be up in the first 2-3 days, others can take weeks,
and some may never stand correctly depending on the breeding and ear
type.
  
 
Pads Nails
Again
the small clippers will be used to trim the pads of the feet. Hair
grows from between them and it should be trimmed to at least where
the hair is level with the pads. You can go between the pads if you
are comfortable with this, if not, at least check between them.
Trimming Nails should be done with almost each bath, if you are
diligent about this, all you will need to do is remove the tips.
Yes, they can bleed if too much is removed, so you should have Quick
Stop on hand. The center of the nail changes color and texture as
you clip, if the nail is dry and white you may want to take
additional nail off. They also have Nail Files available for dogs.
If you wish, file the end of each Nail for a smoother finish.
Some
prefer to trim the hair around the foot at this time, before
bathing. If you have a lot of excess coat it wouldn't hurt, but
you'll find that after bathing it will need to be done again.
Bathing
One of
the biggest mistakes in shampooing is rubbing the coat in circles.
With the products today, the dirt is lifted off. There is no reason
to scrub back and forth. Make sure the coat is entirely wet, apply
your shampoo, and distribute it by running your fingers though the
coat. It's important to rinse and rinse and rinse. Shampoo left in a
coat can do more damage to the coat and skin than anything else.
Follow with a light Conditioner per instructions, or use a Mist
Bottle with a light Conditioner during the drying process. I say a
light conditioner because a very fine silky coat will get weighed
down easily and appear dirty. Also if you are brushing the coat
during the week, you'll want to Mist it lightly. Do not brush a dry
coat, nor one that is getting dirty. You are much better off
re-bathing quickly if you are trying to grow coat.
Drying
After
the bathing is done, wrap the dog in a towel. Again, do not rub the
coat. If you hold him for just a couple of minutes wrapped it will
cut down on drying time. If you are trying to grow coat, let him
just stand in front of the dryer until the coat is damp before you
start to brush. Otherwise you can begin to brush starting at the
ends, not the base of the coat next to the skin. Brush it in
sections as you go along, it's much easier than to skip around.
Don't forget the belly area, under the legs, and behind the ears.
Trimming
By now
you are seeing the results of your work, and your dog has been
patient with you. All you need to do now is trim around the feet and
anal area. The Anal area should be only slightly trimmed using
scissors; do not use clippers for this area. Usually about 1/2 inch
around is enough. The feet should be rounded following the outline
of the foot itself. You'll first brush the coat down straight around
the foot, stand your dog holding the leg hair up and out of the way.
Then trim the excess coat off around the foot that hits the table
you're grooming on. It isn't easy to obtain a neat rounded foot at
first, but each time you groom you'll improve getting that rounded
look. Just take your time.
Finishing Touch
Now that
the Grooming is done, you can finish off by putting in the Top Knot
with your favorite Bow. Collect the hair starting at the outer
corner of the eye, going back at an angle toward the center of head,
then back down to the outer corner of other eye. Brush this hair up
and place your Bow. You may even have a favorite dog cologne, but
don't forget the "Hug"! He deserves it. |
