Yorkie Grooming
Some Basic Methods of Yorkie Grooming
If you don't teach the basics to your young Yorkie, grooming will be a nightmare. Whether you plan to groom your Yorkie yourself or take her to a professional groomer, be sure she is very used to being handled and brushed. After a dog has been in her new home for a couple weeks, she is ready to learn proper handling for grooming.
Put a heavy towel on top of your dryer, table or a kitchen counter. Something at this level will be more comfortable for you both to work around. Yorkie grooming is time-consuming anyway, and you don't want to injure your back chasing your little pup around. Put a few treats in your pocket as rewards for her when she behaves.
Stand your Yorkie on the towel, and hold her firmly but gently. Give her the first treat right away. Increase her standing time daily until she stands still for a few minutes every time.
While you are working on standing with your Yorkie, grooming should be on your mind, since that's what this training is all about. Work on handling different parts of her body, gently, and massaging her, so she'll relax for you. These sessions should be short, as your Yorkie's attention span isn't all that long. If she fights you, hold on to her gently but firmly and reward her when she settles.
Once she's making progress, try her on the dryer and towel again. Lift one foot after the other, praising her when she stands still for you. Handle her tail and her ears, and end the sessions on a positive note. This may seem like a lot of work, but it will prepare your pet for a visit to a groomer, or for you to groom her.
Yorkie grooming is your goal, as you adjust your pet to everything that you or a professional groomer will do. Keep her happy, and keep the lessons short. Don't pull on matted fur yet, nothing that will ruin the “good” feeling she has during the exercise.
If you take your Yorkie to a professional groomer while she's still a pup, be sure the groomer knows that this is just a “puppy intro to grooming”, not a full grooming. The groomer can clip here and there, but make sure she doesn't stress the dog.
After a few visits, or a few weeks if you're doing your Yorkie grooming at home, your pup should have gotten rid of her mats. Continue the training, adding the brush and comb, until she is more comfortable with them being used on her fur.
Between visits to a groomer, or your grooming sessions at home, take a brush and brush through her entire coat. If you discover knots or mats, gently pick them apart with your fingers, and work them out.
Yorkie grooming should be a positive experience for you and your dog, one that can make your relationship stronger and closer.