So you brought home a Yorkie puppy, let him play, and now he needs his first bath or maybe you are wondering if you should do it the correct way. You probably haven’t realized until now that you have no idea how to bathe a Yorkie!
Bathing a Yorkie can be more difficult than it looks—and not just because your dog will turn into an accomplished runner as soon as he sees the bath. You need to make sure you don’t damage your Yorkie’s skin with hot water or the wrong kind of shampoo, and you need to keep their lively ears dry throughout the process.
Don’t worry. We’ll walk you through the process of bathing your Yorkies, keeping them happy and safe.
Table of Contents
How to bathe a Yorkie
Regular bath time is an important part of managing an energetic Yorkshire Terrier. Bathing a Yorkie is not as easy as throwing them in the tub. There are a few important things to keep in mind when you’re planning on rubbing your dirty little buddy.
We’ll break down the seven steps of bathing a Yorkie below, but before we get started, here’s everything you’ll need:
Bathing steps
Start water manipulations and prepare the place. The room must be protected from drafts. Most often, dogs are bathed in the bathroom, where you can use the shower. When washing a Yorkie puppy, a basin of water is sometimes placed in the kitchen.
If the room is not warm enough, it is recommended to raise the temperature in the room first by turning on the heater for a few minutes. Then the device must be removed.
A rubber mat is placed on the bottom of the tub. Separately prepare soft large towels and washing accessories. Set a low pressure shower and control the temperature of the water. On average, it should be 33-36˚С. The bath is not filled with water.
Bathing steps:
- Concentrated shampoo is pre-diluted in a small plastic bottle with warm water in equal volumes.
- Put the dog on the mat.
- Yorkie’s ears are covered with cotton swabs.
- Plentifully moisten the entire skin of the dog.
- Start washing from the head of the Yorkie. Spread a little shampoo with the palm of your hand and smooth the dog’s coat along the hair growth. Carefully rinse off, making sure that soapy streams do not get into the eyes and nostrils of the Yorkie.
- Then you should thoroughly clean the body and tail of the dog. Hand movements are directed from the middle of the back to the stomach. You need to try not to tangle the hairs. After rinsing, repeat lathering the Yorkie. Water the dog abundantly from the shower, while stroking the dog’s body, achieving a sensation of creaking under the fingers.
- The conditioner is distributed over the entire volume of the hairline, which is previously diluted with water. Wash it off after five minutes.
You should develop a clear schedule for cleaning your pet, setting a specific day and hour. This is convenient for the household and disciplines the terrier, which is not always willing to go into the water.
The whole bathing procedure should not exceed 10-15 minutes, so you need to act quickly, but without sudden movements.
Since you know all the steps, let`s see some hints
Clear any clubs
Before you start taking a bath, you should clean all the knots and tangles in the dog’s coat. This is especially important for Yorkies, as their long, thin hair tangles easily. If left uncombed, these knots will turn into a ball that will be difficult and painful to remove.
A good unwinding spray can help you develop these knots without tearing out your Yorkie’s coat.
Make sure the water supply is correct
While you may like hot showers, your Yorkie probably won’t. Because Yorkies are so small and prone to rapid fluctuations in body temperature, it is important to accurately set the bath water temperature. Room temperature—between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius—is ideal for a Yorkie’s bath.
The human has a body temperature of 36.6 degrees, so if the bath water feels warm to you, it may be too warm for your Yorkie. You want to achieve a water temperature that feels neutral, if not slightly cool, to the touch.
Do not use your hand to test the water temperature. Test the water with the inside of your wrist or forearm, where your skin is a little sensitive. If you think the water might be too warm, let the tub cool down a bit before testing again.
Set the mood
No, not with candles – with a treat!
Up to this point, your Yorkie may blissfully suspect that it’s bath time. Unfortunately, it’s time to change.
The very mention of the bathroom leads many dogs to run and hide, and while bath time may not be your little friend’s favorite activity, there are a few simple things you can do to reduce their anxiety.
A simple technique is to associate bath time with something positive. Give your Yorkie a treat when they enter the bathing area by telling them in a calm, reassuring voice, “Bath time!”
When bathing, consider using a distraction to get your Yorkie to focus on something other than the bath. This enhances the positive aspects of the bath.
Again, make sure you use a positive tone with plenty of praise to keep your Yorkie calm and focused on your presence and not on the scary sponge monster heading towards their face.
At the end of your bath session, give your Yorkie another treat for a little extra refreshment. This can make bath time much easier next time.
Waterproof hat
When water gets into your Yorkie’s ears, it can create an environment where yeast and other bacteria can grow. Ear infections often follow, and no one cares.
To protect your puppy’s ears while bathing, consider gently inserting cotton balls into their ear canals, or try a dog shower cap to protect their ears from water.
It’s also a good idea to avoid pouring water on a dog’s head or pointing a spray bottle at their muzzle or ears; both are a sure recipe for ear infections.
Instead, use a sponge to wet and clean your head, keeping your ears gently folded and pinched with your fingers.
After a bath, dry thoroughly around the ears and make sure you give the Yorkie room to shake after the bath, as this helps flush out any excess water that may have gotten into the ears.
Wash off the (proper!) shampoo and conditioner
Now it’s time to foam. With a good quality shampoo in hand, thoroughly wet your Yorkie’s hair. Next, apply shampoo and work into a thick lather.
Starting with shingles at the neck, work the lather over the dog’s back, legs, and chest, paying special attention to areas where mess accumulates, such as sanitary areas, and the belly.
Gently lift each leg and pack a little foam into the top and bottom of each paw. A lot of irritants, such as pollen, tend to collect here, which can cause irritation or infection.
Next, using a sponge and a small amount of foam, wash the top of the dog’s head, moving down the cheeks and muzzle. Gently and gently rub some lather around the eyes to remove tear stains left by your Yorkie’s eye discharge. Just be careful not to get shampoo in their eyes or they may never let you bathe them again.
Wash the Yorkie
Now it’s time to wash the dog!
Dampen a sponge and squeeze out half of the water before thoroughly rinsing your head and face. Again, make sure the ears are covered or protected from excess water. And do everything so that the shampoo does not get into the eyes of the Yorkie.
If the foam gets into your dog’s eyes and they express irritation, rinse the eyes as best you can with fresh, warm water.
Using a hand nozzle or a dampened sponge, once again go down the body of dirt, thoroughly washing off the soap residue from your Yorkie’s coat.
Dry your Yorkie as soon as possible
Yorkies cool very easily, so wrap your puppy in a towel as soon as possible, carefully wiping excess water out of the coat. After you dry the puppy, let them run around the bathroom.
Now is a great time to pull out the hair dryer if you decide to use it. But be careful to keep the heat on low (or cool if possible) and keep the dryer at least 50cm from your puppy to avoid drying out the skin.
The noise of the hair dryer will take some getting used to, and your Yorkie will be nervous at first. Inject it slowly over several baths and always reward them with treats and praise during each session.
Spray on and remove any leftover tangles
When your Yorkie’s coat is almost dry but still slightly damp, it’s time for some conditioner. Avoiding the eyes and face, spray evenly on the Yorkie and rub it into the coat. Using a wide-toothed comb, gently remove any tangles.
The spray that remains doesn’t just protect your Yorkie’s coat; it helps develop a beautiful sheen by moisturizing the skin underneath. It will also help keep the puppy’s fur from getting tangled up again as it dries out.
If you are using a natural conditioner that does not contain oil, keep your puppy away from furniture and other fabrics that may be soiled before the conditioner dries.
Yorkshire terriers are known for their long hair, which makes them stand out. Because of this, they need to be washed more often than other dogs. It is important to follow a number of useful recommendations and tips when carrying out the bathing procedure.
As a rule, for the acquisition of a future pet, they turn to nurseries. Experienced breeders pre-prepare Yorkies for sale. In addition to the necessary vaccinations, they create a presentable appearance in dogs.
Since it’s best to wash a Yorkshire Terrier puppy for the first time when it’s 2 months old, this is usually done in the kennel.
After the baby is at home, you need to give the Yorkie time to adapt and not bathe for seven days. In order to gradually accustom the puppy to future water procedures, you need to put the dog in a dry bath for a while and give it the opportunity to frolic there with your favorite toys.
The first cleaning of the Yorkie coat is gentle by wiping it with a damp sponge and towel. After two weeks, apply a special shampoo and gently wash it off with a weak stream of warm water from the shower. It is advisable to distract the puppy with toys and soothing strokes so as not to scare the Yorkie.
Up to five months old, bathe a Yorkie puppy, observing an interval of two to four weeks. This way, you won’t hurt the dog’s sensitive skin and can keep the natural oils in the coat.
Starting at the age of six months, bathing the Yorkshire terrier is recommended with a break between procedures of 10–12 days.
It should be borne in mind that for show dogs, coat cleaning is carried out quite often—on average, every week. If the pet is trimmed and has short hair, then bathe it at least once every two months.
After treating the hairline of a Yorkie for fleas or other parasitic insects, water procedures are performed no earlier than 3 days later.
An extraordinary cleaning of the Yorkshire Terrier is required when, in the course of active play, the dog manages to lie in a muddy puddle. If the stains on the Yorkie have not had time to dry, you can wash them without detergents.
The final stage of walking with a dog is putting the paws in order, which are washed immediately after returning home. Using a damp sponge, wipe off possible traces of dirt from the tips of the Yorkie’s coat. Pay special attention to the tail of the dog.
For pets with different skin diseases, a schedule is made for when they need to see a vet.
Yorkie care bath products
In order to properly organize at home procedures aimed at cleaning Yorkie wool from dirt, it is necessary to study the range of special detergents.
It is advisable to distribute a small amount of shampoo on the inner side of the thigh at the first application, rinse gently and check the condition of the dog’s skin after an hour. If there is no redness, rash or swelling, then bathing the Yorkie with this remedy is not prohibited in the future.
Some Yorkie owners use human shampoo, but experts do not recommend such formulations. It is necessary to turn to professional washing varieties without a pungent odor and rich color, which are selected based on the condition of the dog’s coat and skin.
Drying – you should know this
After bathing, the Yorkie is wrapped in a towel made of microfiber with high moisture-absorbing properties. When it gets very wet, they immediately remove it and put on dry clothes, not allowing the dog to freeze. Rubbing the Yorkie’s coat should not be, so as not to confuse it. Remove the swabs from the ears and gently wipe them with cotton pads.
When excess moisture is absorbed, remove the towel and allow the pet to dry naturally. The dog must be in a room with closed windows and a temperature of at least 22 ° C.
If the Yorkie is accustomed to the noise of a running hair dryer and is not afraid of this device, warm air is directed along the length of the coat. At the same time, the dog is combed.
It is important not to cause inconvenience. First, the Yorkie’s fur is untangled with fingers, and only then a rare-toothed comb and a massage brush are used. Trim the ends, if necessary, with sharp scissors. If you want to get a curly cascade, separate strands are wound on soft papillots.
Do not use a hot stream that dries out the dog’s skin. This causes dandruff in the Yorkie and causes a dull coat.
If a walk with the dog is planned, then it is carried out in two hours. It is more convenient to perform cleansing sessions in the evening, getting ready for bed. This will allow the dog to stay in a warm room for longer without being exposed to cool air that can cause a cold.
Features of washing before and after vaccination
Vaccination of Yorkies involves following a certain schedule, which allows you to calculate the periods of bathing.
It is recommended to take water procedures four days before the planned trip to the veterinary clinic. This will avoid unwanted consequences, given that freshly washed dogs are more susceptible to infections.
After vaccination, it is necessary to wait at least a week before the next bath. This is especially important for puppies, who need time to recover due to stress.
The body of dogs of any age after vaccination begins to produce antibodies that serve as a prophylaxis against a specific disease. During this period, Yorkies are weakened, so there is a danger of developing catarrhal pathologies.
A long-haired Yorkshire terrier will always look good if proper bathing is done regularly from the first days of the pet’s appearance in the house.
Yorkshire terriers are long-haired breeds of decorative dogs. The coat of Yorkies should be well-groomed, shiny, elastic, and beautiful. In addition, the coat of any dog is an indicator of the general health of the animal. Owners of Yorkshire terriers, like owners of any other dog breed, must systematically and properly care for the coat. To take care of a Yorkshire terrier’s hair, you need to comb it with special brushes that you have to buy in advance from a pet store. Pets also need to know how to handle water, so in this section, we’ll talk about how to bathe a Yorkshire terrier so that it looks beautiful and well-kept.
How often to wash and properly bathe Yorkies
As a rule, the first time a Yorkshire Terrier puppy is bathed in the breeders’ house. If it so happened that you brought the baby into the house and the coat is dirty, do not rush to immediately bathe the dog. It is important to avoid possible psychological problems for the Yorkie in the future. The puppy must adapt, get used to the new living conditions and members of his family. Nevertheless, a sharp change of scenery and separation from the mother for puppies is quite a big stress. In addition, bathing, like any other hygiene procedures, the dog will not immediately perceive adequately and calmly. Over time, if you gradually accustom your pet to water, the dog will be happy to take bath procedures, or at least treat them calmly.
Before you bathe a Yorkie, you need to purchase special shampoos for animals, conditioners and balms for wool. If the dog is going to have a show career, purchase special comprehensive professional lines for the care of the dog’s coat. Make sure the room is warm and there are no drafts. Prepare two towels. The first is to wipe the pet’s wet fur, and the second is to wrap the baby. Too small puppies need to be bathed very quickly so that the baby does not freeze and does not catch a cold.
Fill a bowl with warm water (room temperature – 36-40 degrees). Gently, calming the dog, lower the baby into a bowl of water. When bathing a dog in the bathroom, to make the animal feel confident, put a rubber mat. Wet the animal’s coat evenly with slow movements. It is better not to use the shower during the first bathing. A ladle, a plastic bottle or a shower head is enough. You can immediately dilute the shampoo with water in a bottle or jug. Apply a small amount of puppy shampoo to the neck, spread the shampoo evenly over the entire surface of the dog’s body.
In order not to tangle the coat, direct the movements from the parting on the back to the tummy. That is, in the direction of hair growth. The shampoo is applied twice, after which it must be thoroughly washed off the body of the animal until you feel a characteristic creak under your fingers. It is very important that when bathing, water does not get into the dog’s ears. To do this, you can put a cotton-gauze disk in the ears or fill them with a special powder. After washing off the shampoo, you should put a small amount of balm on the clean coat and spread it out evenly along the length of the coat. It is best to dilute the conditioner balm with a small amount of water. After a few minutes, the balm is washed off. The washed coat should be slightly squeezed out, and the dog should be wiped well with a terry towel. Be sure to inspect the dog’s ears and, if necessary, wipe them dry with ear sticks.
After a while, you can start drying the coat with a hair dryer and combing. Make sure that the room is warm enough and there are no drafts. At first, the dog may be afraid of the sound of a hair dryer, so gradually accustom your baby to a working device. When drying, use a brush with soft bristles, preferably a massage brush, so that the teeth cannot damage the delicate skin of the baby. Bath procedures should not cause fear, discomfort or stress in the dog. For show yorkies, after bathing, the hair is wound on curlers.
How often should a Yorkshire Terrier be bathed
Long-haired Yorkshire terriers should be bathed once every seven to twelve days, but at least once every two to three months. Note that the drier the pet’s coat, the more often it is necessary to arrange bath procedures. Short-haired, shorn yoriks can be bathed less often—once a month. It is strictly forbidden to bathe puppies or adult dogs for a week after vaccinations if the pet is weak or ill. After an illness, you can wash the dog no earlier than ten to fifteen days after the end of the treatment.
Yorkie care includes such an important and obligatory procedure as bathing. The coat of this breed is similar in structure to human hair. When dirty, it looks ugly and untidy. It is important for a pet owner to know how often to bathe a Yorkshire Terrier and to do it correctly at home. The health of the dog’s skin and coat depends on this.
From what age can you wash
For the first time, a Yorkie is bathed at 2 months. This is usually done by the breeder before selling the puppy. If for some reason this has not been done in the nursery, you should not immediately rush to bath procedures. The baby needs time to adapt to a new habitat. When separated from the mother, the puppy experiences severe stress, and the bathing procedure will only aggravate it.
After the baby got into the house, it can be bathed after 10-14 days. This time is enough for the Yorkie to get used to the new conditions.
The owner of the pet needs to be prepared that at first the puppy will not adequately and calmly respond to bathing. The kid gradually begins to accustom to water procedures: they put him in a basin with his favorite toys and pour some water into it. It is not recommended to use a shower, it can scare the dog and discourage the desire to swim in the future.
For the first time, you need to bathe a small pet as soon as possible so that he does not have time to get cold.
It is not advisable to wash a Yorkie puppy with shampoo and any cosmetics before 6 months. Enough warm water.
How often can you wash a Yorkshire Terrier
There is no consensus on how often to wash a Yorkie. The frequency of bathing largely depends on how quickly the animal’s coat gets dirty and its length. Therefore, how many times a month to bathe a pet, the owner determines the condition of the fur.
Puppies are washed less frequently than adult dogs. Up to 5 months, it is advisable to carry out the procedure no more than 1 time in 4 weeks.
If the baby gets dirty after feeding or turns the bowl over, do not rush to bathe and wash off food residues with water. The contaminated places are wiped with a dry terry cloth, and then the hair is combed out with a comb.
If the Yorkie is not a show one, it is washed no more than 1 time in 10-14 days. Short-haired pets should be bathed once a month. Sometimes, due to the physiological characteristics of the hair follicles, the hair gets dirty faster and the procedure has to be done every week.
It is desirable to use bathing cosmetics as little as possible. Use a deep cleaning shampoo no more than once a month.
Frequent washing with aggressive hygiene products can lead to increased dryness and dandruff in the dog.
Every day you need to wash the intimate areas and paws of the Yorkie with plain warm water after each walk. In inclement weather, it is also necessary to wash or simply wipe the tummy and chest with a damp cloth.
Bath cosmetics
To maintain the beauty and silkiness of the long hair of Yorkies, not only specialized shampoos are needed, but also balms and masks after bathing.
Before buying a puppy, you should ask the breeder what products he uses to wash the Yorkie. Nurseries with a good reputation do not save on cosmetics and use only high-quality products. Such a breeder will recommend hygiene products that are ideal for a pet.
If the Yorkie is planned to participate in exhibitions in the future, then from the very beginning you need to properly care for the coat and select high-quality cosmetics for bathing. It should stimulate the growth of the dog’s hairline and make it silky.
A high quality shampoo that does not have an obsessive odor, thoroughly rinses the coat, rinses off easily and does not cause skin irritation.
Buying washing cosmetics with a strong smell and unusual colors should be avoided. Such shampoos, conditioners, or balms can easily irritate a Yorkie’s sensitive skin.
It is best to use specialized cosmetics marked “for Yorkshire terriers” or “long-haired dogs.”
It is not recommended to buy bathing products marked “2 in 1”. For Yorkies up to a year old, it is better to use special shampoos for puppies.
Economy class cosmetics are not suitable for a Yorkie, especially if the dog is long-haired or shows. Professional shampoos not only clean well, but also contain special substances that reduce the aggressiveness of the detergent component.
Products containing tea tree extracts, aloe vera, and citrus oils are well suited for Yorkies. They have hypoallergenic and soothing properties, well moisturize the skin and coat.
How not to wash a dog
Yorkshire terriers are absolutely not suitable for bathing with human shampoos, whether they are for children or for adults. Dogs and humans have different skin pH.
Washing Yorkies with cosmetics that are not suitable for them provokes irritation, peeling and itching of the skin. After some time after such bathing, the dog’s coat begins to look untidy, dandruff appears.
The use of soap to wash a Yorkie is also prohibited. The product contains aggressive substances that greatly dry the skin and worsen the condition of the coat.
Preparation for bathing
Before washing a Yorkie, the owner needs to prepare two terry towels. One is used for wiping immediately after bathing, and the second is for wrapping the pet. After the procedure, you will need a comb, hair dryer and hair tie.
If the dog will be washed in the bathroom, you need to spread a rubber mat so that the pet’s paws do not slip. In the first bathing of the puppy, it is recommended to use a basin.
The water temperature for bath procedures should be at the level of 36-40 degrees. To measure it, the owner of the pet needs to get a special thermometer.
Before bathing, it is recommended to thoroughly comb the Yorkie’s coat and untangle all tangles.
The owner should also have shampoo and balm on hand after washing. It is recommended to dilute the shampoo with a little water before application.
In the room where water procedures will be carried out, it must be warm and without drafts.
How to properly bathe a Yorkie
Yorkie is slowly and carefully placed in a bath or basin of water. If the dog is worried and resists, they calm her down by talking to her and stroking her fur.
It is advisable to start washing the animal from the head. Detergents on the face is better not to apply.
Care must be taken to ensure that water does not get into the ears of the Yorkie during bathing; this can provoke the development of otitis media in the dog. Some owners prefer to immediately lay cotton-gauze swabs in the auricle.
It is also not desirable for the shampoo to get into the pet’s eyes. Dogs should not be allowed to lick detergent off themselves, as this can lead to gastrointestinal upset.
After washing the head and muzzle, proceed to the body. To prevent tangles in the hair, the movements of the hands during bathing should correspond to the direction of hair growth: from the parting on the back to the stomach.
To thoroughly wash the coat, shampoo is applied 2 times in one bath. After the product is thoroughly washed off.
The next step is to apply a balm or conditioner. The product is evenly distributed over the entire length of the coat and left for a couple of minutes. Until the end of the balm rinse can not be washed off.
For show dogs, special oils are used after bathing, which add shine and silkiness to the coat, and prevent the formation of tangles. They do not need to be washed off.
After that, the dog is allowed to shake itself off and carefully squeeze the water from the ears, tail and paws. Wipe the pet in the direction of hair growth and wrap it in a dry towel prepared in advance.
After bathing, be sure to inspect the ears of a Yorkie. In case of accidental ingress of moisture, the auricles are gently wiped with cotton swabs or discs.
How to properly dry your pet’s hair
Do not start drying with a hair dryer immediately after bathing. The dog is allowed to dry slightly naturally. The room should not be drafty and cold, otherwise the Yorkie may catch a cold and get sick.
After the wool dries a little, start drying it with a hair dryer. Allow the dog to become accustomed to using the device gradually so that she does not fear him in the future.
The air flow must not be cold or too hot. During the procedure, the hair is either lightly teased by hand, or a soft-bristled brush is used, which moves from parting the back to the tummy. The air flow is also directed along the growth of hairs.
The wool is not completely dried, it should remain a little damp and hang like icicles.
The next step after bathing and drying is combing the Yorkshire Terrier.
Combing after drying
Carefully comb the hair from the roots, first against the growth of the hair to comb out the undercoat. Use a special brush made of natural bristles.
Then take a metal comb. Comb the hair in the direction of its growth, making an even parting.
On the head of a Yorkie, hair is collected from both sides and a ponytail is made using an elastic band.
After washing, show dogs are wound with hair on curlers.
Important recommendations
After vaccinations, puppies and adult Yorkies do not need to be bathed for 7 days. This can negatively affect the dog’s health. After an illness, you can not wash the dog for two weeks.
Bathing should not cause a Yorkie to feel fear and discomfort, so the pet is gradually accustomed to water procedures.
A shiny, flowing coat like a waterfall is the hallmark of the Yorkshire Terrier. But in order for it to be beautiful for a dog and not fall into tangles or even be felt, it needs proper care, including washing. Considering that the hairline of the Yorkshire Terrier is very different from the wool of representatives of other breeds, when bathing these dogs, it is necessary to take into account many nuances, without which it is impossible to provide high-quality care for the pet’s coat.
