ATTN: For those here who groom their Yorkies by themselves

[apple718]

For those who groom theirs at home I like your feedback on this. I've mentioned here before that when I first got mine I had zero experience with grooming & had to bring him to the groomers and get hit for $50 each time plus I didn't like the fact I had to leave it with them for hours god knows what they do to your babies.

And lastly, I really thought the way they do it which is shampoo 1st then cut is kinda backward cause as you know Yorkie's hair is dirty & smelly after they're shaved so I wanted to wash them after the cut. Then after going through a few expensive brand name Clippers like Andis & Wahl which were loud, heavy, and just couldn't do the job.

So I watched some You tube videos and began to do it myself and with luck I tried them with my cheap $20 cordless Remington men's beard trimmer from Amazon. To find out it cuts like butter through even my Maltese thick heavy matted coat. And I use it for areas around ears, eyes no problem.

Now I can groom both Yorkie & Maltese with my eyes closed, and bath them afterwards so that they'll be clean & smell fresh much longer, save money, and feel safe than bringing them to the groomers. So if you have a Yorkie, which is even much easier than a Maltese coat you don't have to spend an arm & leg for a expensive dog clipper.

Ok so my question is this, now that we're getting close to the warm season I plan on shaving mine really close to the skin like last summer. Does yours yip & cry then run all over the place after you shave him/her really close? Mine went a little bonkers even though the beard trimmer never touched his skin so there was no heat burns of any sort that I can see but it took me a good 15 min of coaxing him until he settle down. And I'm not sure was it because he was pissed off at me for shaving all his hair or his skin was indeed hurting him in some way? This time I'll be better prepared with some Noxzema face cream to sooth his skin & put him in a small tub filled with cold water. Any advice or comments as to why he reacts that way after I gave him a buzz cut? Does it really hurt him or is he just being a big baby after losing most of his hair?

[rubymoon2072]

yes mine freak when I groom the sanitary areas real close. Lola hides in the closest for a few hours on and off and looks her bum like what did you do to me. I dont know that Noxzema would be a good tough that might sting.

[Wylie's Mom]

Hmm...I don't know...could be just fear, but do you think the shaver is pulling the hair or knots? Bc that would def hurt.

[DvlshAngel985]

Mine doesn't. I keep him pretty short year round so it must not phase him anymore. I tried cheap clippers like you did. It definitely didn't work for us! After 6 months of use, Kaji's soft coat broke the clippers. Oops! I have dog clippers now that Mimimomo recommended with a sale link and they're amazing! I don't have to stop every 5 mins like I use to. I'm glad the beard trimmer works for you! It would have been nice to not have to spend $30-$50 more than you did on good trimmers. At least now, I'm not paying anyone else to do a hack job on Kaji. I can do it myself.

[sasha2334829]

I groom my yorkie because I don't want to spend that much money on something I can do myself. I don't use clippers, I actually use the scaredy cut grooming kit which is just scissors with guides. They work really well too. But every time I cut his hair, he likes to run around like a crazy dog. He doesn't whine or anything, but he'll do it every time.

[TeresaM]

I do my kids, they have never cried or whined, but they do "twitch" their skin sometimes like it tickles. They are never happy during the process but run around like crazy afterwards. But it's a happy crazy, not a spaz crazy. I'm not sure if they are showing off their new cuts to the other kids, or if they are just celebrating 'surviving' the shearing.

I've always washed them first as I understand from professional groomers that it helps the hair to "stand up" and gives a more even cut.

I'm not sure I'd use Noxzema though. I'd be concerned about how it might effect them if they licked themself or each other and ingested it.

My plans are to wash and do summer cuts tonight. Yogi is especially woolly...he looks like a Yak. I'll let you know if they cry or act differently then usual.

Yogi


Yak

[Maximo]

The beard trimmer is probably pulling hair, especially tangles and mats, as others suggested above. I use a beard trimmer for ears, but it is not strong enough for in between paw pads. Razor burn is also risk with any clipper and it takes practice to avoid it. Maybe one of the professionals here can explain the best ways to avoid it.

I would definitely skip the Noxema. Be careful what you put on your dogs because they will lick themselves and ingest it.

[rubymoon2072]

sorry I misread...i use Andis professional clippers. they were like 200 bucks but so worth it. i did pull keylo's hair with the guard on but once I took that off and did it free hand it didnt pull her fur again so I know it was the guard. yes those clippers may not be sharp enough and be pulling as suggested above.

ps I should keep them groomed so they are used to their sanitary areas being short....need to be better about that.

[kjc]

I imagine if you're clipping him really short, he's getting poked by all the hairs in any folds of skin or where skin touches skin (ask a guy how it feels when they start to grow a beard or skip a day or two of shaving). I suggest you clip him a tad longer, so the hair doesn't irritate him.

Also, the bath before clipping will help your blades last longer, bc you'll only be clipping hair, instead of hair and dirt, oils, and whatever else gets in their coats.

[ChibiLuv]

I like to bathe after grooming because I don't want little hairs all over and if you do it the 'groomers' way they have to be completely dry or you'll rust your clippers but I am not looking for show quality cuts either so I guess it just depends. molli hates her arms done and will whine and wiggle but I know I'm not hurting her, she's just trying to see if she can get me to stop by being pitiful. I got Andis clippers on super sale so I got lucky, I've not tried beard trimmers, if your sure it's not pulling on the hair they may just need more time to get used to it. I highly recommend learning to groom yourself, I have heard way to many groomer horror stories

[Magnus]

How close are you talking? I use the #1 guard and that's pretty short. Never had either cry during/after though. On any sensitive area, I only use scissors. For the back of the ears and pad hairs, I take the guard off to shave.

Noxzema? I've never heard of anyone use that... Or.. were you joking? Sorry, being Monday, not quite awake.

[AngelFae]

I keep Blazer relatively short. I use my husband's Wahl hair clippers with a variety of blade guard sizes. I do go a little shorter during the summer- a #2 if it is really hot out, but usually a #3-he has never reacted the way you mentioned. I use my husband's beard trimmer on Blazer's ears only, it seems to pull any longer hair than that.

[toemi]

I haven't done a full grooming on Yoda, but I have trimmed up his face, ears, sanitary areas, and nail clips. Now that I have a better feel for what looks good on him, I wouldn't be averse to giving it a try. I'll keep an eye on this thread for tips.

Also, it seems I have a yak at home this winter too! He is super ready for his spring cut, if only spring would actually arrive! The yard is still completely covered with snow. UGH!!

[crystalsmom]

My breeder the late Roberta Rothenbach has a wonderful grooming video that I think is still available at The Yorkshire Terrier Club of America. Crystal was a champion before I got her at 3yrs old and used to being groomed so I had no problem. I kept her long and groomed her myself until I had to have her put to sleep at the age of 14. The grooming video was a great help for grooming but not for a broken heart.

[mimimomo]

Andis & Wahl are excellent clippers...I have both & they're very quiet, but they were over $100/ea. I find human clippers to be noisier & it vibrates more.
What kind of blade are you using? It sounds like clipper burn. That's when the skin gets irritated from being cut too short & it can cause serious burns & red skin. They do have safe sprays to soothe the skin, made especially for dogs, like this: https://www.espree.com/productcat.asp?sc=1&s=23&p=295

Any blade under 7F (1/8" blade cut) will leave a very close shave & likely cause irritation, esp on a thinner haired silky dog. They can get sunburn too.