Grooming Basics
No matter what your mother said, it's not just what's on the inside that counts--not, at least, when it comes to Yorkie care. Your dog's health and happiness also are dependent upon a well-care-for exterior--coat, ears, mouth and nails. It is imperative to start early with regular grooming, dental care, and nail clipping. trust me. even as a trainer, I have a 5 month old Yorkie that is just a toot when it comes to any of these things. You can give your Yorkie routine every-day care at home. And remember, we are just a phone call away, so never be afraid to call with a question or quick lesson. Also, don’t be afraid of the clippers, with some practice, you’ll be a pro in no time. It is always easier for me to explain grooming in person if possible, so give me a call for a session on grooming.
Regular brushing helps eliminate tangles and mats and helps your dog get accustomed to being handled. It also gives you the opportunity to check for ticks and fleas, lesions, lumps and changes in his skin and coat. Plus, if your puppy is never used to grooming, he’ll really give you or your groomer lots of problems. Pet-supply stores and catalogs sell a wide array of brushes for different coats and conditions. We are always glad to help with selection, etc.
Bath time
Thoroughly brush first. Place your dog in a tub or a basin with a nonskid surface. Hold your dog's collar firmly and slowly pour several pitchers of lukewarm water over his body, being careful to leave the head dry. Think of it like sink bathing your kiddos. They need a gentle hand and a constant eye. You CANNOT leave a dog unattended in the bath or on the grooming table. Soap your dog's body with a TEARLESS dog shampoo, then massage the soap into a lather, talking to your dog and praising him as you work. When his body is lathered, move to his head, being careful to keep shampoo out of his eyes, ears and mouth. Rinse and dry your dog's head, then rinse his body. When the water runs clear, Please rinse one more time just to be sure. Thoroughly dry your dog with towels. If your dog has healthy skin, you can dry him further with a hair dryer set on low or warm temperature. Ears must be dry inside as well, Yeast infections are a nasty business for Yorkies and tend to develop when the inside of the ears are not fully dried.
Small Yorkies need a bath at least every two or three weeks, except in the winter when twice a month probably will do. Larger Yorkies need bathing a bit more often. Of course, always wash when he is dirty or smells, regardless of when it was last bathed. My dogs always look for the biggest pile of yuck to roll around in, yours will do the same. Always bathe after this type of thing as those yuck spots can be harboring deadly bacteria.
Proper foot care will keep your doggie dancing and help prevent unnecessary pain and infection later on. Most dogs don't like to have their feet handled, so go slowly--one paw at a time--and make foot handling a part of playtime. Remove mats of hair from between the toes and pads of dogs with hairy feet; if ignored, the mats can become as hard as rocks. Then, using scissors, trim the hair between the pads and between the toes so it is level with the dog's foot.
Regular exercise on a hard surface may keep a dog's nails worn down. However, most Yorkies will need to have their nails clipped every few weeks. If the nails are allowed to grow, they may curl inward into the skin and cause a painful infection.
Use nail clippers designed specifically for dogs. One type, known as the guillotine style, has a round opening for the dog's nail and a blade that slides across to clip the nail. Another type works like a pair of scissors. This type puts less pressure on the nail and is more comfortable for the dog. Make sure the blades are sharp.
Trim only the "hook" end of the nail. Clipping a nail to short can be painful and may cause bleeding. Frequent trimming of a small amount of nail always is better than waiting until the nail is long. Never trim into the quick -- the live portion of the nail. If the nail bleeds, apply pressure with a napkin and apply a dot of bleed stop.
Ear care generally is the easiest grooming task. Unless your dog has ear problems, ear cleaning needs to be done only every few weeks--at bath time is best. Clean the outermost area of your Yorkie’s ears with a cotton ball or cotton swab dampened with water or baby oil. To clean further inside the ears and soften and remove wax, use an ear-cleaning solution. Warm the bottle of solution between your palms, then squirt the prescribed amount into your dog's ear canal. Gently massage the base of his ear. Remove any dirt or wax with a dry cotton ball. Again, be mindful to dry the ear well…
Yorkies: Socialization/Adjustment
Like children, puppies need a variety of positive experiences in order to become confident, well adjusted adults. As part of their upbringing, puppies should learn to get along with other dogs, children, and other people, and to accept the many strange sights, sounds, and experiences that are part of everyday life.)
Stages of Development:
We use a biosensory program to jump start the training process and improve trainability and development. Puppies pass through several developmental phases. Initial "dog socialization" begins in the litter. At 7 to 8 wks, puppies start to become more independent and ready to explore their environment. Around 8 to 10 wks, your puppy will probably enter a fear period. During this period, you will notice that your puppy sticks close to me when you visit and is easily frightened. Understand this stage does not indicate your dogs overall personality. We take the entire 15 week developmental stage to observe behavior. One visit will not provide an overall indication of personality. Please allow us to help with your selection if personality is important. That said, we are not pushy about this and will only advise if asked.
Once the fear period passes, at around ten weeks of age, your puppy will enter the juvenile phase. He will be more inquisitive and more wide ranging in his explorations. We really introduce the puppies to new experiences during this time! Please let us know early if your puppy will be often exposed to travel, children, other pets, ect as we use this information to specifically prepare YOUR puppy to your situation. The juvenile period will last until your puppy becomes a young adult. Watch your puppy carefully, though; some pups go through a second fear period around their fourth or fifth month.
When socializing your puppy, you must keep his health needs in mind. Until your dog's vaccinations are complete, he is at risk of catching Parvo, a widespread and deadly disease. All puppies leave with at least two rounds of vacs unless the puppy is being shipped. We use a vac schedule of 16 weeks for puppies being shipped and a vac schedule of 22 weeks if the puppy is sold locally. You should be extremely careful not to put your puppy down in public places until his shots are complete. Consult your veterinarian for advice about what else may pose a health risk for your puppy.
Getting Along With Other Dogs:
Yorkies have a language of their own. Using body posture, facial expressions, and vocalization, they communicate fear, anger, aggression, submission, playfulness, and more. A puppy who grows up among other dogs will learn canine language and be able to communicate effectively. A puppy raised in isolation may misinterpret cues from other dogs, or inadvertently send signals that may anger another animal. Please be aware, a 2lb Yorkie will aggressively posture with dogs many times its size. It takes one bite and the “other” dog is not at fault. You are responsible for the signals your puppy sends. Understand, dogs communicate by posturing so it is best to keep your dog on a leash when unfamiliar dogs are present. Also, I have had Yorkie females who will fight to the death when in season. Please be aware females will fight and you cannot be afraid to get in there and pull them apart.
Also, like children, puppies need to learn appropriate social behavior. When puppies play, an overly enthusiastic nip will result in a yelp from another puppy. Persistent jumping on "mom" may result in a growl or snap of rebuke. In these ways, puppies learn the limits of play behavior. You will have to take on the roll of “mom” in teaching your puppy proper conduct.
Getting Along With Other Pets:
For many dogs, interaction with other types of pets can be much more of a problem than dealing with other dogs. This is especially true with small animals that run away (behavior which can trigger "prey instincts" in the dog). It's best to not take a chance on allowing dogs of any breed to play with small animals such as hamsters or rabbits. All of our puppies are raised with kittens as we have a farm and seem to perpetually have a litter of kittens….In fact, I think I have supplied all of the farmers in our area with cats for their barns…. Anyway, we do try to expose the puppies on a regular basis to the kittens since this seems to help with the preditorial instinct Yorkies have. Remember, Yorkies were bred as “Mousers,” so they will find mice and moles or anything else that scurries about and catch them….
Cats and larger pets are usually less at risk. If you have these pets in your home, your Yorkie should be introduced to them at an early age. Supervise the animals when they are together, and use praise or treats to reward your puppy for good behavior. (Don't forget to make the experience pleasant for the other pet as well.)
DUCK / water fowl FECAL MATTER is highly TOXIC to yorkies……