While Yorkshire Terriers have a relatively simple grooming regimen for a long-haired breed, preparing their coat for show can be quite a task. You will need to learn several new skills and purchase a few more grooming tools if you plan to show your Yorkie in the ring.
Prior to your Yorkie's pre-show bath, comb through their coat with your fingers to look for any signs of matting or tangles. When possible, pull these apart with your fingers. If there are stubborn knots, mist your dog lightly with diluted conditioner and comb them out with a long-toothed metal comb. If you have lots of problems with matting, it is pretty likely that you are not grooming and brushing your Yorkie often enough. After bathing and drying your dog, brush out his or her coat with a pin brush until it is smooth.
You will need to do some moderate trimming in order to keep your Yorkshire Terrier's coat in show-quality condition. You will have to trim the hair inside their ears until it is shorter and even, as well as clipping the fur between the digits on their paws until they are level with or shorter than their toe pads.
Yorkshire Terriers are prone to lots of tartar build-up. Feeding a quality food and dental-aid treats can help correct this problem, but it also a good idea to brush your dog's teeth before he or she enters the ring, for health and aesthetic reasons. It also can't hurt your chances if your dog has nice, fresh doggie breath!
You should already know to trim your Yorkie's nails regularly, but it is also important to do so right before a show. When trimming your dog's nails, you absolutely must use only nail clippers intended for dogs. Other clippers, such as human nail clippers or bird nail clippers, can cause splintering and result in infection or pain for your pup. If your Yorkie has lighter nails, you will be able to see the quick, which will make nail trimming easier. If he or she has black nails, it may be more difficult. It is best to trim just a little off the edges at a time to avoid clipping the quick and causing bleeding. In the even that your dog's nails begin to bleed, you can stop up the nail and promote coagulation using a product called Quick Stop or regular household flour.
The final touch of grooming your Yorkshire Terrier to be shown in the ring is tying their little doggie bangs into a ponytail on top of his or her head, often called a "topknot". Most groomers like to add a little bow to the topknot as an accent.
While many of these grooming tasks can be successfully performed by the Yorkie's owner, if you are interested in having your pup groomed to show-quality, it is best to schedule a learning session with your groomer so that you can understand all the specific ins and outs of grooming your Yorkie for the ring.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
tweet this!