Learn how to trim your Yorkie's face and ears at home

In addition, overgrown claws simply look ugly, and the dog gives the impression of being unkempt.

Nail trimming tools

To trim your Yorkshire Terrier's nails, you need to prepare everything you need in advance:

• The nail clipper is the main tool. It is sold in pet stores. It is better not to skimp on its quality, since it is purchased for many years.
• File - it is necessary to smooth out unevenness. It is convenient to use a non-traumatic glass file. You cannot use the same file to trim human nails and animal claws.
• A means to stop bleeding.

It is necessary to stop the bleeding when the “living part” of the claw is cut off and the vessel bleeds. This can be a hemostatic pencil or sponge, baking soda, corn starch, potassium permanganate. The pencil should be moistened with water and applied to the bleeding claw. A piece is cut off from the sponge and glued to the claw. These are the most convenient means to stop bleeding. If they are absent, the claw should be dipped in soda or starch for a couple of minutes until a lump forms. The lump will disintegrate on its own after the bleeding stops. Manganese must be used very carefully so as not to burn the dog. In general, this remedy is no longer popular due to the danger of poisoning.

If the owner does not know how to trim a Yorkie’s nails at home, he should contact a specialist in canine cosmetology – a groomer. The groomer will easily and quickly cope with the task and teach the dog’s owner to perform this simple manipulation.

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.

What will you need?

• Nail clipper , sold at any pet store, preferably “Guillotine” and always in NORMAL size. The idea that everything should be small for a small dog does not hold true in this case. Trying to cut the nails of a squirming Yorkshire terrier with a microscopic nail clipper will make you tired of it in exactly 3 seconds.
• Cotton buds
• Dry potassium permanganate , so that if something irreparable happens (ha-ha) and you touch the living part of the nail (oh-horror!), cauterize the vessel and the claw will not bleed.

Now about how to trim “correct” and “incorrect” claws

“Irregular” claws should be cut either close to the living layer, or slightly gripping it, fig. 2 . Don't be afraid of slight bleeding, just cauterize the nail with dry potassium permanganate using a cotton swab. If you trim the claws in this way often enough, the living part will begin to shrink and gradually return to normal, Fig. 4

If the “wrong” claws are very long, you need to cut the nail to normal length without paying attention to the living part. Immediately burn each nail with potassium permanganate so that it does not bleed, fig. 3 It is often mentally difficult for owners to do this, and the first few times, until the living part becomes shorter, it is worth contacting a veterinarian or groomer. As in the previous case, the living part will return to normal over time, and cutting your nails will not cause any problems.

Normal Yorkshire Terrier nails are easy to trim and are absolutely painless for the dog. Using a nail cutter, cut off the tip of the claw, flush with the paw pad, at an angle of 45 degrees, Fig. 5 . If the nail is light-colored and the living part is visible in the light, the remaining nails are cut off in the same way. A Yorkshire Terrier needs to trim its nails 1-2 times a month . Don't forget to cut your fingernails too.

The nail is of normal length - short, does not reach the floor, the dog does not “click” its claws, Fig. 6

Ear cleaning

Regular cleaning of the ears of all dog breeds is a necessary prevention of contagious infections and ear diseases. Therefore, the ear needs to be processed next. To do this, you can use ear lotion and hygienic drops. You instill the product and rub the ear with massaging movements. After this, clean your ear with cotton swabs.

Long-haired dogs, particularly Yorkies, have hair growing in their ears, which can clog the ear canals. Hair must be removed to allow air to enter the ear canal. This reduces the risk of infection. Before cleaning your ears, you should wash your hands thoroughly, as infection or ear mites may be under your fingernails.

It is best to use a special ear powder. Gently lift the ear flap with your hand, turning it back slightly to expose the fur. A small amount of powder is distributed into the hair (be careful not to get the powder inside the ear). Massage your hair to distribute the powder evenly. The powder hairs become brittle and can be pulled out with a sharp movement, grabbing a small amount of hair in the direction of growth. Deep-growing hairs can be pulled out using special tweezers. Do not try to get the tweezers too deep inside the ear. If the powder is not available to you, you can do without it. Just massage your ear and remove them with your hands. If you do this carefully, the procedure will be completely painless.

How to cut a Yorkshire Terrier's nails

In order to trim the nails of a Yorkshire Terrier correctly and fearlessly, you need to understand how this claw works. Figure 2 shows the structure of the “wrong” nail - the thin living part has grown along the entire length of the nail, the claw is very long and the paw pads reach the floor only with the back part, the dog’s center of gravity is shifted and the joints do not work correctly.

How to litter train a Yorkshire Terrier puppy.

Everyone knows that a baby Yorkshire terrier who has not been vaccinated cannot walk on the street, and he has to be toilet trained at home in a diaper or in a litter tray. All veterinarians and breeders constantly hear the question: “ How to toilet train a puppy?” ". There is nothing complicated about this, all you need is your patience and perseverance!

Removing split ends

You can experiment a lot with the Yorkshire Terrier's coat. First, we always remove split ends - this procedure looks like this:

• comb your pet with a mat cutter to remove any matted fur;
• separate the fur with a long-toothed comb;
• take a small curl, twist it and cut off everything that sticks out;
• do this wherever you do not plan to trim the dog.

Remember that damaged ends slow down hair growth, so their removal is necessary.

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

When purchasing a Yorkshire Terrier for a home, the future owner must be aware that the long, well-groomed coat requires complex, regular care. Finding a groomer who will tidy up your pet's guard hair is not difficult, but regular care for a Yorkshire Terrier requires regular visits to the salon, which cost a lot of money.

It is necessary to accustom a Yorkie to grooming manipulations and constant care from puppyhood - in the future, it will be much easier to cope with an adult dog if the dog knows and is not afraid of the procedures.

Usually a puppy appears in a new home at about 1.5 - 2 months. By this age, the breeder must show the puppy what washing and combing its fur means. After the baby arrives in a new place, he needs to be given time to get used to it - you can’t even carry out hygienic care right away. At least 2-3 weeks after the dog appears in the family, you can accustom the puppy to hygiene procedures - trimming nails, combing hair, cleaning ears and face. A small dog quickly gets accustomed to new things and easily tolerates procedures.

First time

The very first time the scissors touch the puppy's hair is quite early. Already at 3 months, before moving to a new home, the breeder carries out the first haircut procedure, removing excess hair in areas where it can cause harm:

• On the ears.
• Under the tail.
• Between the paw pads.

Then the young animal moves to live in a new home. He has about a month before the next procedure to get used to his surroundings and his owner. At 4 – 4.5 months the first adult haircut is performed. If the dog is a show dog, then it is hygienic. If the Yorkie is kept as a pet, then from now on you can experiment with its appearance.

Source of the article: https://pet-master.ru/shchenki/strizhka-jorka.html

Types and frequency of haircuts

The Yorkshire Terrier's long, soft coat grows constantly and does not shed. These dogs require careful attention and professional guard hair care.

Even if the owner is sure that he can cut the Yorkie’s hair on his own, it is better to turn to a professional, observe how to properly restrain the dog, how to properly work with tools, and directly cut the dog’s hair. It is also recommended to study the educational material on caring for the Yorkshire Terrier's coat.

Most grooming salons offer a home service - to reduce stress for the pet, all procedures are carried out in the familiar territory. Having a groomer come to your home will cost the owner a pretty penny, but a specialist will help the owner decide on the tools and various cutting methods.

Of course, if the dog has an exhibition career, it is better to entrust the care of the pet to a professional - even for a sloppy “hairstyle” or not meeting the standard, the judges will reduce points at the exhibition. The breed appearance of the show Yorkie is long, well-groomed hair; it is almost impossible to cope with a task of this magnitude on your own.

Grooming salon service options:

• Hygienic haircut. It consists of processing the length, without shaping hairstyles. Excess fur is removed from the paws, face and ears, armpits, groin, and anal area. Hygienic dog care includes trimming or trimming nails, cleaning ears, and washing eyes. The frequency of hygiene procedures is approximately once every 2 weeks.
• Standard haircut. Suitable for dogs participating in exhibitions. The breed standard provides for a strict appearance - only one type of “hairstyle”. Standard coat treatment is carried out before each exhibition or once every 2-3 months.
• Fantasy haircuts. The appearance of a pet depends only on the wishes or imagination of the owner. The coat can be long or completely short, you can make drawings on the animal’s body (the so-called hair tattoo), tie various braids or ponytails. Such “hairstyles” are done as the animal grows overgrown. The patterns on the body are overgrown in 2-3 weeks, after which new ones can be made again. Also, groomers offer a service for dyeing dog hair in different colors - it looks funny.
• Summer haircut. This type is absolutely not suitable for dogs participating in exhibitions. If the pet does not have breeding value or is not engaged in a show career, to increase comfort in the summer, the dogs are cut almost bald, leaving a little hair in the area of ​​the muzzle, paws, and tail (but often cutting off the hair from the entire body except the head). Usually the dog is cut this way by the beginning of summer, and closer to autumn the dog grows hair to a standard length.

Features of haircuts for boys and girls

Haircuts differ depending on the gender of the dog. Girls are often left with a “skirt” and long bangs, which are collected in a ponytail (braided), tied with hairpins or elastic bands.

To design a “skirt,” the top of the body—the back and sides—is cut very short with a clipper, leaving hair on the tail and belly, which is formed like a skirt. The bangs should remain long, and the rest of the fur on the face should be cut short.

A haircut for boys is done in the shape of panties. The entire body of a Yorkie boy is clipped short, leaving “pants” on the paws and tail. At the owner's request, the groomer leaves an elongated beard - the hairs on the face are 2 - 3 centimeters longer than the main coat.

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.

Haircutting tools

For high-quality hair processing, like in a salon, you will need a set of tools and devices. Buying all the necessary grooming supplies to care for your pet will not be cheap, but regular grooming of your dog will quickly pay for the cost of the equipment.

The minimum kit for home grooming includes:

• Rubber mat. An ordinary bath mat will do - it is needed for the dog’s comfort so that the paws do not slip during the procedure. If possible, it is better to purchase a special table for grooming, with a stand for securing the animal with a leash.
• An electric machine with attachments, and a trimmer is also a must. The clipper, as well as the set of attachments, must be metal - the plastic becomes electrified, knocks off the hair, and the haircut will turn out sloppy. Plastic attachments clog quickly - the equipment will not last long. A trimmer is needed to treat especially delicate areas on the face, ears, and anus.
• Metal combs.
• Scissors of various shapes and lengths: straight, curved, with rounded tips for cutting on the muzzle or under the tail.
• A special device for untangling matted wool is a tangle cutter.
• Nippers (guillotine) for cutting claws, a file for trimming the sharp tips of the claw.

Dog ear problems

Allergic ear scabies. Allergies can cause skin redness and itching. The dog constantly scratches its ears, damaging the skin (damaged, scratched ears are very susceptible to pathogenic bacteria). In this case, you need to contact your veterinarian to determine the cause of the allergy.

Ear Mite. An animal infected with ear mites shakes its head and constantly scratches its ears. Scabies is caused by the movements of microscopic mites that live in the ear plaque. To determine the presence of mites, take a small amount of ear plaque, place it on paper and examine it under a bright lamp. Tiny white spots that seem to move are ear mites. To rid an animal of ear mites, you need to know their life cycle. The insecticide kills only adult ticks. Ticks mature in 10 days, and the cycle is constantly repeated. Treat ears for 7 days, then break for 10 days, and treat again for 7 days. Ear mites are highly contagious, so preventative treatment is necessary for all animals in the house.

Ear Hematoma. Blood vessels in the ear burst, causing all or part of the ear to swell. A hematoma usually forms when an infection gets into a scratched or wounded ear. Contact your veterinarian for treatment of the hematoma.

Source

Step-by-step instructions: cutting hair at home

Before trimming a Yorkie at home, the animal owner needs to prepare himself: clothes should not be made of synthetic fabrics. The thin fur of a Yorkie quickly becomes electrified, so for hygiene procedures you need to choose a cotton suit.

Before cutting, it is recommended to wash the dog, and after all the procedures, rinse the fur again to wash off the remnants of the cut hair.

After the dog is washed and the coat is dried, you need to thoroughly comb the pet. If there is stray hair or tangles, they must be removed with a tangle cutter.

You need to make an even parting along the dog’s back and comb the fur on both sides. The ends are aligned to the same length, the chest and throat are cut to the lower jaw.

After the body shape is formed, the muzzle and ears are trimmed. The ears should have the shape of a triangle with sharp corners and protrude evenly and clearly on the head.

The length is removed under the tail using small scissors. The groin, paws and armpits are trimmed with a machine or trimmer, leaving a length of no more than 5 mm.

Hygienic haircut for Yorkie

A hygienic haircut is done approximately once every 2 weeks, as the fur and claws grow.

The fur is carefully trimmed with scissors along the edges of the ears, on top, around the eyes and in the groin. The anus and the area around it are trimmed with small scissors with rounded tips. The hairs in the ears are trimmed with a trimmer.

Standard haircut

The Yorkshire Terrier's "hairstyle" must meet a certain standard; this is a mandatory procedure for dogs taking part in exhibitions or having breeding value. This haircut emphasizes all the advantages of the dog. This is usually done in addition to hygienic, and can be of two types:

1. Pants - a haircut that evens out the length.
2. Flare – not only the length of the coat is straightened, but in addition the upper 2/3 of the entire length is cut.

To perform these haircuts, start working with the machine, processing the back and tail. The muzzle is cut fairly short with scissors with rounded ends. The result should be the shape of a hat. The tail is cut with a brush, or like a broom.

Trim paws

Paw trimming is a mandatory procedure, both for hygienic care and for other types of care for the Yorkshire Terrier.

Before you start processing the fur on the paws, you need to trim the claws. The nail plate is cut with a nail clipper at a natural grinding angle. The sharp edge, if there is one, the cut ends of the claw must be filed off with a file. It is best to trim the nails after bathing the dog, when the plate is softened - it will not flake.

After trimming the nails, you need to trim the hair between the toes and paw pads. This procedure is done with a machine or trimmer to a length of 5 mm. When grooming, you need to securely hold the dog so as not to damage the delicate skin of the paw pads.

Useful tips

As for haircuts at home, the owner should remember some aspects:

• It is recommended to restrain the dog so that it does not accidentally get hurt during haircuts. For the first time (if you can’t do it alone), you should ask someone to help. The animal must be washed before and after grooming. Using a machine on dirty wool leads to damage to the instrument;
• When using a hair dryer, you should turn it on at the lowest power and do not bring it close to your Yorkie, so as not to burn your pet;
• the first time, when cutting your hair yourself, it is not always possible to do everything evenly and perfectly, and if the face turns out to be very short, then it is not recommended to cut everything to zero. The terrier's coat grows quickly, and very soon the necessary adjustments can be made;
• when training a dog for hygiene procedures, the owner is advised to talk kindly to the pet, encourage calm behavior with treats, so that the dog remembers that the person will not do anything terrible;
• Before cutting, your Yorkie should be placed on a special bedding that will prevent the paws from slipping on the smooth surface on which the procedure is being carried out. You can purchase such a useful item in a specialized store or use an existing rubber bathroom mat;
• It is best to organize a haircut in cotton clothes to prevent electronization of the coat.