Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Happy & Healthy Grooming for Yorkshire Terriers and You

Grooming does not just involve the brushing & combing of your canine friend it should include checking your dog's ears, eyes, teeth, paws & their nails.

Their hair is incredibly soft & silky and is often referred to as being very similar to human hair. This fact is wonderful for people that are perhaps allergic to normal animal fur.

Most shampoo made for people can actually irritate the skin of Yorkshire Terriers. Yorkie skin has a lower tolerance to cleaning solutions than human skin does. One of the causes of irritation is that Yorkie skin has different PH needs; so using a human's shampoo can dry your dogs skin out causing annoyance to you and him.

Before starting, make sure women's coats that you have everything you will need close at hand. There's nothing more frustrating than discovering that you are missing something while holding a soggy dog in the middle of a bath.

Don't scrub your dog's coat excessively. When washing your sweet pet the cleaning solution of the shampoo will lift the dirt by itself. No extreme scrubbing required. Rubbing lightly with your hand lessens the risk of tangling the coat. Using tearless puppy or dog shampoo can greatly enhance the experience for you and your Yorkie. You need only use puppy tearless shampoo around the eyes.

Rinse thoroughly; leftover shampoo can irritate the skin. After shampooing, condition the coat with a light conditioner. Let it sit for a while, as directed, then rinse it out.

One of the best things about giving your dog a bath can be drying him off. Because his hair can easily be tangled into an aggravated mess at this point, you may try bundling him up with a soft absorbent towel and doing some one on one cuddle time. Taking advantage of his awesome snuggly goodness can be rewarding to both of you.

When your dog is no longer dripping, it is time to get his coat into tip-top shape.

A light spray of water or conditioner makes it much easier to work out any snares.

Blow-dry him as you brush. A table stand for your blow-dryer is a particularly useful tool. Be careful not to overheat your dog, his skin is sensitive and can easily burn.

Using a long tined metal comb, go over the now clean and silky smooth Yorkie coat. The idea is to remove the snags and tangles still existing even after a proper brushing.

The next step is to assess or reassess you hair style strategy for your pet. Consider length, age of your dog, and specific needs it may have developed recently due to environment, age, and medical issues before trimming any hair.

Their hair grows permanently & can become very easily matted, thus requiring regular trimming.

It is equally important to care for your Yorkie's feet. The hair between the pads should be trimmed so that it is level with the pads. While you can shape the hair around the feet at this time, it is easier to wait until after you finish his bath.

Some dogs get what has been known as "dingle berries". This is excrement handing from the dog's hair around his anus. Sometimes the excrement can actually cover the anus so extensively the dog cannot relieve himself. Thus trimming the hair around the anus opening can and will effectively prevent the condition known as "dingle berries".

To keep your Yorkie's ears upright, it is important to keep them well trimmed. Excess hair will in fact weigh them down. Using clippers, trim the upper 1/3 of the ear, both on the inside and outside. The back of the ear should be trimmed in a downward-pointing triangle.

Never attempt to stick anything into your dog's ears, simply just wipe around the outer ear & very gently around the inner ear. Look at your dog's ears regularly & become accustomed to their normal appearance, this way you will be instantly aware if anything alters.

Many people use a bow to tie up the hair between the dog's ears. A lot of people mistake the band or bow placed so perfectly in the dog's fur as just a decorative piece, in truth without it the dog's hair would be constantly in its eyes.

You should also give his nails a quick trim.

It is important to clean your Yorkshire Terrier's teeth regularly with a special dog toothbrush & paste, encouraging your dog to chew at hide based treats is also a good idea as this will help to reduce tartar building up.

The two main reasons for regular grooming are: If your Yorkshire Terrier looks great he/she will feel great. As you are grooming you can check for any sores, lumps or cuts on your dog.

Help to keep your Yorkshire Terrier happy & healthy by grooming him/her regularly, after all if your dog is happy you are happy!

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