While Yorkshire Terriers do require daily basic grooming, as well as a good weekly grooming, you may be surprised to find that those who show their Yorkshire Terriers go to great lengths when grooming their dogs for shows. Show grooming is different than regular grooming.Good show grooming starts with good daily grooming. Make sure that you are brushing and combing your Yorkshire Terrier each and everyday. This aids in keeping his coat healthy and shinny, so that a great deal of show preparation isn't actually necessary. He needs to be shampooed and conditioned weekly, and the day of this should coincide with the show that he will attend.
Because Yorkshire Terriers who attend shows must have long hair, you will have to learn to wrap his coat in order to protect it. This is done by parting the Yorkies hair into sections that are about an inch wide. Put each section using one of the modern ponytail holders. Avoid using rubber bands, as this can cause hair breakage. Make sure that the ponytails' are not too tight, and make sure that you are not restricting any of the dogs natural movements.
Once you've divided all of the hair, each section will be let loose, and will then be wrapped with hair tissue, which can be found in any hair care store. Fold the wraps into three sections, placing the hair in the center of the paper. Then fold the tissue up towards the dog's body, and secure it about two inches from the body with a ponytail holder. Do this for each section. When you brush the hair out, there shouldn't be any waves, but if there are, you can easily remove these with a comb and spray bottle.
Trim the hair at the tips of the ears. If the hair here becomes too long, it will be impossible for your Yorkshire Terrier to hold his ears erect. The hair can easily be trimmed with clippers using a #40 blade. After trimming his ears, do the topknot with a bow on top of his head. The parts should start at the outer corners of the eyes for the topknot, and should be secured at the top center of the head. Use a latex band that will not break the hair to secure the topknot, and finish it off with a bow.
Trim your Yorkshire Terriers nails as well. The best time to do this is immediately after his bath. Use nail clippers designed for small dogs, and be sure that you are not cutting into the nail bed. Make sure that the hair in the rectal area is also trimmed. You should cut the hair short for a diameter of one inch around the rectum at least once every four weeks.
Some owners use special conditioners and oils on the Yorkshire Terriers coat to make it extra shiny for shows. However you should use caution with these products as they actually have the potential to dry the dog's skin out and cause irritation.