 Some Help for Hair
If your Yorkie has "soft" hair it will tangle all the time. Anything will tangle it, collars, sweaters, walking around....you get the point. These mats can go clear to the skin and be very hard to remove. However, there is hope without shaving.
I put a towel on my lap in the evening while sitting with the family or watching TV. Put your baby on your lap and give some affection. Then with your fingers, locate the matts and work slowly with a metal comb (a brush won't do this much work). Start at the end of the tangle away from the skin and gently work the matt until you get close to the skin and can get all of it out.
Take breaks for affection, and work on a different area if your baby is getting too tired or upset.
Before you start, on the dry hair, rub Biosilk Silk Therapy into the hair. Rub it into each mat if necessary. Be patient, take your time. Then use a good quality shampoo and conditioner, with more Silk Therapy if necessary. I recommend the John Paul Pet products. You can also try your own Salon Quality Shampoo and Conditioner. Make sure it doesn't irritate your baby's skin -- and avoid getting any in the eyes.
Conditioner is crucial with this type of hair. Also, I always use the metal grooming comb before the bath to get out all tangles and mats. After shampooing and conditioning, I use a brush to fluff the hair while I dry it with a hair dryer.
I only have to do this about once a week now that we have our Bizzy Bee's coat in good condition. But she will always mat if I don't follow this regime.
One final note - this first time if there is a really bad mat at the skin, you could probably snip it out after doing your best to untangle it first. This usually doesn't ruin the whole coat, and it does grow back. This works especially well in the under arm and groin areas.
Good luck!!
Katelin and Bizzy Bee
Everyone else (Coco, Ruby, and Jersey) are lucky enough to have "hard" coats. |