how to trim a Yorkies face and ears at home
Yorkies are adorable breeds of dogs but require frequent grooming sessions due to their long fur. While completely grooming the Yorkies the most difficult part is to trim their face and ears. This is why many Yorkie owners are often curious to know how to trim a Yorkies face and ears at home. It is fun to groom your Yorkies at home if you know the basics and the exact technique.
Gather the Tools:
The first step to how to trim a Yorkies face and ears is to gather all the essential supplies that your Yorkie will need throughout the grooming process. It includes
- Pin and bristle brush
- Cotton balls
- Slicker type brush
- Eye wipes for dogs
- Ear cleaning solution
- Electric clippers
- Shampoos and conditioners
- Scissors
- Toothpaste and toothbrush
Powder and treats for your Yorkie
The Initial Step:
Before learning how to groom Yorkie ears, you should first condition the coat of your Yorkie. You can use a spritzer bottle in which you have to keep the ratio of 5:1 ratio of the water and the conditioner. During spraying, also pay attention to the skin and hair conditions of your Yorkie. If you feel that your Yorkie possesses dry skin, then condition your Yorkie first and then brush them. By this, you can avoid spitting the hairs while brushing your Yorkie. In case your Yorkie possesses oily skin, then it is advisable not to use conditioners as it will assimilate too much oil into their skin.
The Second Step:
The second step is to brush your Yorkie. Take care that you use the best brush for maximum results, as some brushes are better than others. Brushes that contains metal tip or metal bristles can tear the coat of your Yorkie. If you have conditioned your Yorkie before, it will be helpful as the conditioner will penetrate and distribute nicely into the skin and hairs of your dog. There is a certain type of brush that is specially designed as per the needs of Yorkie. You can select them. It is also good that if you divide the coat of Yorkie into two sections based on the sensitivity. Always begin brushing your Yorkie from shoulders as, by this, your dog will be more relaxed and thus will be easier for you to groom your Yorkie.
Removing Knots and Tangles:
Grooming a Yorkie at home is not a difficult task if you follow the right procedure. AS you are brushing the hairs of your Yorkie it is best if you begin with the root of the hairs till the tip in the direction of their hair growth. If you brush opposite to the hair growth, you may develop tangles in their hair. There are two solutions to tackle, knots in the hair of the Yorkies. The first one is to use your fingers, and the second one is through a comb. But make sure that knots that are present in sensitive areas such as under the armpit of Yorkie should be handle with care.
You should be patient while dealing with such knots and keep observing the reaction of your dog. You can also take a pause for a few minutes to relax your dog. If you think that knot is quite complicated, you can use scissors to eliminate it. If there are some remains of the conditioner around their anus, wash it away or cut the dirty knots and excess hairs with the help of scissors.
Grooming the Face of Yorkie:
Now the next step is to how to groom a Yorkie’s face. It is the most delicate part of the dog’s body, and so you have to be extra cautious while dealing with it as you do not want their eyes to get hurt from the scissors and comb. You can use wipes to clear deposition on their nose and eyes but make sure that you do not put wipes into their eyes. For extra hair’s on their face, you can use scissors and a comb.
Bathing:
Now remove any clothing and collar from your Yorkie and wet them with warm water except their eyes. Start shampooing your dog right from its head to its back. Pick only mild shampoos that are specially made for dogs, and never use human shampoo as it has several harsh chemicals. Massage your Yorkie with shampoo covering their legs, belly, anus, paws, etc. Now rinse your Yorkie with moderately warm water.
Make sure that too hot and too cold water can affect their health, so ensure you use such water in which you can put your fingers easily. Using too cold water can create the conditions of hypothermia in your Yorkie, which you can detect if your Yorkie is shaking.
Conditioning Your Yorkie:
Once you have bathed the Yorkie with the help of shampoo, the next step is to condition the hairs of your Yorkie. For this, squeeze the conditioner on your Yorkie and start rubbing their coat in a circular pattern. Make sure that the conditioner reaches every part of the body except the eyes. You can let the conditioner stay for about 5 minutes and then rinse it. Now your Yorkie will be ready for some vigorous shaking. Allow them to shake before you wipe them as it will allow the excess water off their body. Now dry your dog with the help of towels or blow dry them, keeping the temperature of the dryer at the lowest setting. Now comb the hairs of your Yorkie again and as mentioned earlier, use a pin brush and comb in the direction of the hair for effective results.
Taking Care of Nails, Teeth, and Ears:
To brush the teeth of your Yorkie use only dog toothpaste as human toothpaste can be dangerous for them. Use a brush of perfect size that reaches every corner of their mouth or a finger brush. Make sure that the toothpaste does not contain Fluoride as it will make your Yorkie sick. You should brush the teeth of your Yorkie daily so that there is no possibility of plague built-up on their teeth. If you do not take care of brushing your Yorkie’s teeth, he may witness swollen gums and toothache problems.
Clipping the nails of your Yorkie is quite a delicate process. You may need two people out of which one will hold the paws of the Yorkie while the other will concentrate on trimming their nails. The sensitive part is where the blood vessels end, and the nail begins, so trim the nail before that part.
The Ears:
Now how to groom Yorkie ears? Giving attention to the ears of your Yorkie is not always necessary. But if your Yorkie is often prone to ear infections, then plucking the hairs near the ears is a good idea. Yorkie breeds of dogs rarely suffer from ear infections,
and plucking their hairs too near the ears can cause inflammation in their ears. In such cases, it is advisable to take them to the vet in such conditions. You can clean Yorkie ears with the help of an ear cleaner and cotton balls by moving them in a circular motion. You should not be afraid as there is no possibility that your cotton ball will reach the eardrum of your Yorkie as they are very deep.
Trimming:
Finally, how to trim a Yorkies face and ears is the last phase of grooming a Yorkie. You can start trimming them from their feet. Make sure to proceed slowly and patiently as you do not want to harm your Yorkie. Firmly hold the dog and clip them between their paws. You should check this area regularly as an excess of hairs in this area makes Yorkies uncomfortable to walk.
Now come to their ears. There are several possible ways by which you can trim the ears of a Yorkie. These are generally based on your personal interest. Methods of the possible style are nearly the same. At first, flip one of the ears on its back and start trimming the hairs both outside and inside. Make sure that you have to maintain a thumb’s width so that there is the visibility of a small triangle of the shaved ear. This will help the Yorkies to keep their ear in an upright position.
Now fold the ear in half and trim the ear along its edges. Start trimming from the bottom till you reach the top. While the rest of the body of the Yorkie is simple to trim. You should provide hair cut to your Yorkie once every 8 weeks. You can give several styles to your Yorkie based on your choice or that relates with your dog’s personality such as-
- Shaved
- Teddy Bear
- Puppy or short cut
- Medium
- Long
- Very long or floor length dog cut
- Flared cut, etc
If you feel that you do not have much experience in giving proper hair cut to your Yorkie you can take them to a professional groomer who will set the hairs of your Yorkie as per your desire.
Some Common FAQs:
QUE: How do you clip a Yorkie’s ears
ANS: At first, you have to remove all the excess and irregular hair around the ear of your Yorkie and then set them even.
QUE: Should I trim my Yorkies ear hair?
ANS: Yes, trimming of Yorkie’s hair is essential as an excess of hairs around their face can be consumed by them during their meals.
QUE: How to cut a Teddy bear’s face on a Yorkie?
ANS: To give a teddy bear cut to your Yorkie you have to cut their entire fur to a length of 2 to 3 inches. The face hairs of the Yorkie should also be adjusted in such a fluffy way so as to give an appearance of a teddy bear. Such hair cuts are best for people living in a moderate environment, and this cut does not need frequent grooming.
QUE: How can I cut my Yorkie’s hair at home
ANS: With the help of scissors and a grooming brush, you can carefully cut Yorkie’s hair at home.
QUE: How can I groom my Yorkie myself?
ANS: You can groom your Yorkie at home by buying all the grooming stuff such as brushes, scissors, shampoos, etc. At first, trim and clip their excess nails and hair carefully, brush them, and bathe them.
QUE: How do I trim the hair near my Yorkie’s eyes?
ANS: You should be confident enough to trim the hairs that are present near their eyes. If you feel that your dog is shaking much, you can put him on a leash and then perform their hair trimming near their eyes.
I hope that now you know the answer to how to trim a Yorkies face and ears at home. Make sure that you use the right gadgets and perform the whole grooming session with calmness. If you feel that your dog is uncomfortable, you can take an appointment with a professional groomer too.