Most dogs need some degree of grooming, but Yorkshire Terriers are considered to be high maintenance dogs. This means that they require more grooming than most other breeds. In fact, a Yorkshire Terrier requires daily grooming.
Daily grooming entails brushing and combing your Yorkshire Terrier daily. You should start doing this daily from the day that you bring him home, so that it becomes a part of his regular routine. Also, if your Yorkie is male, once he starts lifting his leg to urinate, you will need to wipe the inside of his leg daily, as urine will get in the hair there. This can easily be done with a warm damp cloth, or with a pet wipe.
The dog should be brushed thoroughly first. As you brush him, you will find knots in his hair. Gently rub these knots between your fingers to loosen them up. Never jerk through the knots with a comb or brush, as this is not only painful, but it also causes the hair to break. After brushing, follow up with a combing. The comb will find knots and tangles that the brush did not find, and again, work these loose gently. Never leave a knot unattended, as it will only get worse ?not better.
Your Yorkshire Terrier will need to be bathed weekly. He may not like this at first, but he will become accustomed to it after a while. Use warm water, and a good pet shampoo, or a tearless baby shampoo. Follow up with a good pet conditioner. His hair may feel like a human's hair, but it does have a different PH balance, and therefore pet shampoo and conditioner is better for him than products designed for human hair.
His nails will need to be trimmed about every six to eight weeks. Those little nails can become very sharp, and they will scratch you and your furniture to bits. They can also cause the dog to inadvertently injure himself. Yorkshire Terriers are prone to skin irritations, and he will try to scratch those irritations with those sharp nails. Keep them well trimmed, using a nail trimmer designed for small dogs. If you don't know how to trim his nails, have a professional groomer, a breeder, or a veterinarian to teach you how.
Use a cotton swab and wipe out the parts of his ears that you can actually see. Do not stick the swab down into the canal of his ear, as this could cause serious injury to his eardrum. His teeth also need weekly attention. You can actually buy toothbrushes and toothpaste designed for dogs, and you should definitely do so. Train your dog to open his mouth on your command, and he will get used to having his teeth brushed as well. Be aware of any pain that he may be experiencing when you brush his teeth, and also visually check his teeth for any signs of a problem. Your veterinarian can treat your Yorkshire Terriers teeth.
Yorkshire Terriers may be high maintenance, and they may require some time when it comes to grooming, but these special little dogs are absolutely beautiful and a joy to be with when they are properly cared for.