How to trim a Yorkie at home

While admiring the luxurious long hair of the Yorkshire Terrier, you need to understand that behind this hairstyle lies the titanic work of the owners and groomers. Even if you are not purchasing a dog for exhibition, you should consider how to care for it so that the animal looks neat and beautiful. In any case, it will be useful to know how to trim your Yorkie at home.

Go to a salon or do it yourself?

The long hairstyle of the Yorkshire Terrier must be kept in order, regardless of the type of haircut - a regular hygienic one or an intricate model one. But who will do this is up to the owner to decide. There are not many options

1. Go to a grooming salon. The downside is that you can get either a good hairdresser or a beginner who has completed a week-long course and can cut hair no better than the inexperienced owner. The advantages are that the owner has no problems and professional instruments that must be disinfected without fail.
2. Host an experienced professional at your home. Not a bad, but expensive option. In-home services are the most expensive because the groomer spends time traveling.
3. Bring your pet to the groomer. Many hairdressers cut their Yorkies at home, but this is not the most convenient option. The owner needs to walk somewhere while waiting for the pet, and the dog itself will most likely be uncomfortable in a strange place. On the plus side, a service from the same specialist at home will cost less than in a salon.
4. Do everything yourself. A wonderful convenient and economical option, but it requires tools and some skills.

If you want to learn grooming yourself, nothing is impossible. To begin with, you can make a couple of visits to the master groomer and ask to be present during the process, get acquainted with the necessary tools and watch all the stages of cutting.

How to accustom an animal to a haircut?

Breeders with many years of experience advise owners of Yorkies to start grooming from puppyhood. By the time the animal reaches 2 years of age, it will get used to the need for such a procedure and will not interfere with you or the groomer making simple compositions on its body. If you are late in taming a haircut as a puppy, then you need to start smoothly. It is best to do this at home. Here are some tips to make your life easier.

1. At first, you should not experiment with complex haircuts. To start, simply remove the length;
2. The dog should be in a spacious room. There should be no irritating objects, other animals, or unfamiliar people around;
3. The dog should feel relaxed. Pamper your animal with dog treats as soon as he begins to behave anxiously;
4. All tools must be selected in such a way that they do not tear the wool, but cut it carefully.
5. And finally, everything needs to be done gradually. Let your “haircut” last for several days, but most importantly, the dog will not get a negative experience from such a process.

Small Yorkies get used to the procedure more easily and do not actively resist

Video - How to trim a Yorkie

What determines the quality of the coat?

What kind of fur your pet will have depends on many factors. And if we have no control over natural data, then it is quite possible to correct other data in order to improve the quality of the pet’s hair.

Much depends on heredity. There is nothing you can do about genetics, so you must initially choose a puppy by looking at its parents. Luxurious fur from your closest relatives is the key to the beauty of your puppy in the future.

Environmental factors - direct sunlight, sea water, dry air - all this negatively affects the quality of the animal's hair. You should not bathe your dog in the sea or let him sleep near the radiator in winter.

Various physiological conditions and general health also directly affect the appearance of the coat: hair growth slows down during pregnancy, lactation, changing teeth, even with a common cold or stress. Along with this, poor nutrition can cause skin allergies, alopecia (baldness), and loss of pigmentation.

A lack or excess of vitamins can lead to various skin reactions, dandruff, inflammation of the sebaceous glands - even baldness. Therefore, it is important to monitor the terrier’s diet and ask the veterinarian for the exact prescription of all dietary supplements.

Haircut frequency

If you have just recently become the owner of a Yorkie, then you are probably interested in the question of how often to trim the animal’s fur. In fact, this question is purely individual. The fact is that the rate of hair growth on a dog’s body directly depends on:

• nutrition;
• age;
• influence of external factors.

For example, if an animal is often sick, does not eat well and is of advanced age, that is, over 8 years old, then the fur will grow back slowly. And if you are the owner of a young animal that eats properly and balancedly, its diet includes meat, vegetables, and vitamins, then you will have to deal with excess vegetation much more often.

The time of year also plays a decisive role. Thus, active hair growth is observed in autumn and spring. But in summer and winter, hair grows slower. You will have to visit the grooming salon once a season. This means about 4 times a year. Some owners of such dogs may visit the salon more often if they experience accelerated hair growth.

Yorkie puppies need to be groomed from an early age.

Types of haircuts and their features

Purebred long-haired dogs require careful grooming and regular haircuts. This is not only a hygienic necessity, but also an opportunity to diversify your looks. With proper imagination, the number of varieties of haircuts tends to infinity. How to trim a Yorkie at home, what hairstyles there are and which one to choose largely depends on the coat, as well as on how accustomed the dog is to grooming procedures.

Exhibition

It would be more correct to call the exhibition option cosmetic. Show hairstyle is done in accordance with American Kennel Club guidelines. The terrier remains at the maximum hair length and is lightly trimmed so that the exterior advantages stand out more clearly, while the shortcomings are hidden. It is better to entrust such a matter to a groomer, because the jury’s assessments largely depend on the appearance of the dog.

Puppy grooming

For the first time, a puppy at about a month old is cut by a breeder. The procedure includes trimming claws and ear hairs, and sometimes trimming the groin for hygienic purposes. The owner already gives the puppy a full haircut when the baby is 4-5 months old. This is a common, simple procedure designed to accustom the puppy to manipulations and tools that are unusual for him.

After six months, closer to junior age (9 months), you can give the terrier a model haircut. It is better to grow the hair up to this point and decide with the grown length whether to trim it short or leave the hair flowing. After the soft puppy fluff is cut off, the puppy begins to grow real hair, elastic and silky, similar to human hair.

Hygienic

It can be carried out very often - every two weeks. The procedure includes thorough combing over the entire body, sorting out tangles if there are any, trimming the growing hair and shaping the head. There are two hygienic options - summer and classic. The summer option involves shaving the dog's fur to a minimum, leaving only small fringes on the dog's paws and tail, and also shaping the head. In the classic version, on the contrary, the coat is trimmed as it grows, leaving length.

A hygienic haircut is the easiest to perform at home. Any dog ​​owner can master it and perform it as often as needed.

Model

Here everything is limited only by the owner’s imagination, the skills of the groomer and the physiological characteristics of the animal. However, there are the most popular and preferred models that are recognized throughout the world.

Kawaii, Asian or Korean style

The muzzle and neck are shaved, leaving the ears and paws with feathering. The body is usually cut short, and the tail can be combed at the owner's request. The trick of the hairstyle is the cuteness that animals acquire.

For other breeds

You can make a small copy of a Miniature Schnauzer, Poodle, Bichon Frize, Welsh Terrier, Chinese Crested... The point is that the hair is cut off or left in the right places, making the Yorkshire Terrier look like another breed.

Like a puppy

An adult Yorkie is cut evenly and quite short, leaving a length of 3-4 cm, and a round head is formed. Thanks to this appearance, a dog of any age looks like a small puppy. There is an option when the head is shaped not round, but square, and therefore is called a “square hairstyle.”

Chinchilla

In fact, this is an ordinary classic. The highlight of it is the pattern on the back. The groomer leaves a short length, no more than 1.5 cm, and shave fine lines on it, like on a chinchilla’s fur coat. After a week, everything grows back and lies in layers. It looks very impressive.

Hair tattoos

It is cut according to the principle of a chinchilla haircut. It can be scales, diamonds, curls and other designs.

French braid

The back is not completely shaved: a length remains along the line of the spine, which is braided into a spikelet or French braid. It can be done both from the back of the head to the tail, and in the opposite direction. It looks beautiful and original, especially on girls.

Coloring

Along with haircuts, various colors are gaining popularity - plain and rainbow. The haircut can be anything.

The appearance of the dog may differ depending on the gender. Even if a girl gets her hair cut short, they usually try to leave her a skirt, and for a boy they give her pants. There are also differences on the head: girls wear bows and elastic bands, and boys have the top of their head cut like a cap.

Types of haircuts

The length of the coat of dogs of this breed usually depends on the time of year - in winter they are warmer if they have a warm “fur coat”, and in summer they are much more comfortable with short fur.

The length of a Yorkie's coat depends directly on the time of year.

There are many different options - cutting a Yorkie puppy can be done according to any of them:

• hygienic Yorkie haircut - the name speaks for itself. This procedure is necessary in order to create more comfortable conditions for your pet and make it easier to care for;
• classic - almost the same as a hygienic Yorkie haircut. The fur is left as long as possible, simply freeing the muzzle, removing tangles and everything unnecessary;
• removal of split ends - practice shows that split ends look very unsightly. Therefore, it is necessary to regularly cut off the damaged ends to make it look smooth and shiny. Most often, the scruff of the neck, paws, tail and back are affected - they have to be tidied up much more often.

If you do not plan to take part in exhibitions, you have a very wide scope for realizing your own creative ideas. There are many ready-made model options - haircuts for Yorkie girls, for boys, Yorkie haircut for a puppy, etc.

For the exhibition, Yorkies get special haircuts

Required Tools

Many owners wonder how to trim their Yorkie themselves using scissors alone. Unfortunately, scissors will not be enough - you will need other equipment to make the procedure pleasant and quick, and most importantly, correct. So, a basic set of tools:

1. Table and rubber mat, ideally this should be a grooming table with a rubberized surface.
2. Scissors, and not alone. At a minimum, you need straight, rounded, thinning scissors and small scissors with rounded tips (like manicure scissors).
3. A machine with different types of attachments. It’s good if it’s battery-powered, without connecting to the network - then there will be no surprises if the light suddenly goes out. Such a machine is mobile: for example, in a private house you can get a haircut in the yard. The attachments, like the body itself, should be metal - they do not accumulate static electricity, metal is easier to clean, and it is less clogged with hairs.
4. Trimmer for treating hard-to-reach places - ears, muzzle, anus.
5. Several combs with different distances between teeth. Combs should also be metal.
6. Massage brush.
7. A mat cutter, since mats fall off even on the most well-groomed dogs, sometimes at record speed – within a day.
8. Nail clipper and medium hard nail file.

This is the equipment you will need directly when cutting your hair. In addition to this, you will need shampoo, conditioner, hair dryer, mousses, sprays and care oils.

Preparing for grooming

Before cutting Yorkie dogs, be sure to watch videos, photographs, and become familiar with the tools. Inexperienced owners are better off consulting a groomer.

Before using scissors and clippers, wash your pet with shampoo and conditioner to make the hair smoother and less tangled. Before washing, only comb the head, without touching the mustache and beard, and remove tangles.

The coat is washed with shampoo twice, the first time to wash away dust and major impurities, and the second time it is washed with care shampoo. After shampoo, apply balm or conditioner; you can add a few drops of broccoli oil, which has a laminating effect. This entire mixture is lightly rubbed into the skin and kept for at least five minutes. After washing, the hair should be slightly slippery. Dry the wet dog with a terry towel and clean the ears, removing any remaining moisture from them.

Dry the dog with a powerful hairdryer that has temperature control. Drying is carried out with a strong air flow until it is slightly damp, after which combing begins. You can spray the animal with antistatic agent. Brush the dog with a massage brush from the tips to the roots; if there are tangled places, they are sorted out using a regular comb with rotating teeth.

When everything is combed, take the hairdryer again and dry it with a warm and cold stream of air alternately. At the same time, the strands are pulled back so that there is no wave. Do not dry against the grain. Gradually switch to only the cold flow of the hairdryer.

The pet must be well dried before cutting, otherwise the hair will become tangled. When everything is ready, you can proceed to the most important thing.

How to cut your Yorkie's hair yourself - step-by-step instructions

The owner needs to prepare (disinfect) the instruments and put on a robe. It’s good if the dog takes all the procedures calmly, doesn’t get nervous, and doesn’t break out. Sometimes an assistant may be needed - preferably, it should be a person familiar to the dog, that is, a member of your family.

1. First of all, the body is decorated. To do this, make an even parting along the spine and comb the hair on both sides. From below, the strands are trimmed to the same length. The chest and neck are cut quite short to the lower jaw.

2. If a dog is being groomed, then you need to start from the tail. Do not shave beyond the ear line. Hair is removed from the front paws above the elbows. From the rear – up from about the middle of the thigh. The front neck is shaved from the shoulders to the throat, and the transition is shaped with scissors. With the summer hygienic option, only the paws remain slightly combed.

3. From the neck they move to the muzzle and shape the head. The most tangled areas - the groin, armpits, paws and fingers - are trimmed very short with a clipper, no longer than 5 mm. In fact, hair grows back quickly. When clipping your armpits, be very careful not to snag the thin skin.

4. Use rounded scissors to remove excess under the tail, around the anus. It is preferable to pluck the hairs in the ears or, as a last resort, remove them with a trimmer.

5. Long hair on the body is either trimmed only from the bottom (“pants”), or, in addition to this, the upper ⅔ of the length (“flares”) is removed.

6. Lastly, the paws are trimmed. The foot must be firmly fixed, otherwise your model may jerk it and get hurt. First, the claws are processed with a special nail clipper, and the sharp tips are filed with a file. It is convenient to trim the nails after washing, when they are softened, easier to cut and do not peel off.

7. When the claws are processed, use small rounded scissors to cut off the excess from the bottom of the paw and between the pads so that nothing gets tangled or interferes with walking. The top of the foot is given a neat rounded shape without protruding tufts.

8. At the end of the haircut, all shaved areas are once again passed over with a clipper.

By following these instructions, you will understand how to trim your Yorkie yourself, and you will see that there is nothing complicated or impossible in a hygienic hairstyle.

Precautionary measures

It is absolutely forbidden to shave the exhibition star. The hair on the back begins to go in waves, which is unacceptable for a breeding individual, whose hair structure should be straight.

You should not shave the hairs on the bridge of your nose with a clipper. Shaved hair becomes much coarser, it grows slowly and, touching the cornea, irritates it. The eye reacts to this with protective, strong tearing, and the owners spend a lot of money: running to doctors in search of the cause, taking tests, switching the dog from one food to another in order to eliminate the unknown allergen.

The hair on the bridge of the nose takes two years to grow back to normal length, so if you cut your pet's hair in a Korean or Chinese Crested style, there's a good chance he'll wear that hairstyle for most of his life.

After shaving, particularly sensitive skin may develop itching and irritation - the groin and the area behind the ears are at risk. In this case, you need to lubricate the irritation with baby cream, and on subsequent visits, warn the groomer about a similar reaction if you cut the dog in a salon. If grooming is carried out at home, you need to take a larger attachment or even use scissors.

If you decide to cut your dog’s hair yourself, then stock up on tools and patience. Grooming the breed has its own characteristics and nuances, but they are quite within the capabilities of a loving owner. True, it is better to leave the care and grooming of a handsome show dog to professionals, because restoring damaged fur is time-consuming and expensive. There are far fewer difficulties with a hygienic hairstyle, and after a few tries your result will be no worse than that of a hairdresser in a fashion salon.

When should I go to the salon?

There are situations when you simply need to give preference to salon haircuts. Consider these cases:

• Your animal is preparing for surgery. In such a situation, it is best to use the services of a groomer.
• If you are doing a haircut for the first time, and the animal is not a puppy, then it is better to trust a professional who will do everything quickly, and most importantly, instruct you in choosing a tool.
• The help of a groomer will also be required if the animal has injuries on its body.
• If your dog suffers from allergic reactions, then you will also need the help of a professional.
• Do not refuse to visit the salon if your dog has matted fur or a lot of uncombed elements.
• If your previous independent haircut was not successful, then it is better to visit the groomer several times in a row, monitor his actions, and ask clarifying questions.

First haircut. Transfiguration