Yorkie Grooming
 

Hi All,


I am new and starting my research on adopting/rescuing a yorkie so I may come back with more questions. Right now I have read that yorkies require a lot of grooming.


I wanted to know how often you take your dog to the groomers? I just did a quick search and the average price in my area is $50-60! Ouch. I did see some listed on craigslist for lower amounts that come to the home.


I like the puppy cut where the hair stays short I think that would be easier for me to manage. I don't mind pulling a comb through the hair as my daily routine as I plan on brushing her teeth every evening as well.


I am nervous about giving a dog a bath and nail clipping since I have never done it before. This has me thinking that I may look at the chihuahua/yorkie mix since they have shorter hair and not as much maintenance.


I would love to hear your opinions on grooming needs and the most economical way to go about doing it.


Thanks

Welcome to Yorkie Talk. Yorkies do require quite a bit of grooming. You would be surprised what you can learn to do. I never imagined I would be giving baths once a week and taking care of daily needs.

My 2 boys are in full coat. Originally I intended to keep Max in a puppy cut, but I ended up letting his hair grow.

Professional grooming is expensive, especially when you add in a tip. You could invest in a pair of good clippers and scissors and do the work yourself. Just takes a little practice.

The best advice I can give is to work with your puppy from day one on being accustomed to being touched from ears to paws. All grooming, whether just daily maintenance or full groom, is a learning process. If you make a mistake, the hair grows back. :)

A chorkie is also going to have crazy hair- I have one. She has very soft, long hair that is very high maintenance and mats easily.

Whether you have a purebred or a cross, they require daily brushing. The groomer is usually around every 6 weeks. Nails need to be more often than that.

Good luck!

Thanks all. I just heard back from one of the rescues I applied at and I am being considered for the yorkie. Website said she is a purebred but she looks like she has some shih tzu to me. That doesn't bother me .

I am trying not to get my hopes up but I am getting very excited. I feel much better that I don't need to go to the groomer every week. I did find a reasonably priced one about an hour on the subway from me. So that isn't too bad.

I am sure I will be back with lots of questions.

Thanks for all the advice.

I keep Cody in a puppy cut, he's always in the yard hunting and digging so puppy cut work for me, his hair grows fast so it's once a month in the summer and every 6 weeks in the winter. Grooming in my area is $55. to $65. plus the tip. You can give your puppy a bath in between grooming. Do not fear bathing your dog, I bathe in the shower because I have a hand held shower head, easy for wetting down and rinsing shampoo off. I don't suggest YOU clipping the nails unless you have had a dog before and have done this. Their nails are dark and it's hard to see where the quick (vein) ends, if you cut nails to short they will bleed. If you want you can just snip the tips every two or three weeks. If you walk your dog the cement, asphalt streets, sidewalks act like a nail file and keeps them trimmed. If you pad train and do very little walks his nails grow, you will have to bring to groomer for nail clipping, or if you have a vet visit coming up they usually do it for free.
As a side note, I would stay away from craigs list for in home grooming.

Pet Supplies, Pet Smart, Petco all do grooming, I have never used them I see good and bad reviews here on YT.

I hope things go well for you today and when you come back on YT you will tell us you have a new baby. Good luck.

You can take him to the groomer and they usually do walk in nails for very little, then they will remain short between grooms. If you are comfortable learning, I'd do them yourself though.

As far as finding a groomer, go to a small shop, not a chain. They tend to be better and do higher quality work. Stay away from petco and petsmart. You might ask around or read reviews online.

If you see a dog around with a really nice groom, ask the owner where it was done at. Most groomers earn clients via word of mouth.

I have 2 yorkie puppies and another dog. Between vet visits, food and treats, I can't afford to take my puppies to the groomers every 4 -6 weeks too. The groomers around here are $60 - 70 plus tip. So, I learned how to groom them myself watching videos on YouTube. There are a lot of videos on there on how to groom yorkies. With practice, you can get pretty good at it.

Hi,

I noticed your post, and where you are located, and just wanted to say that we use an excellent groomer in Woodside. He gives our little Cody a puppy cut about every six to seven weeks and he does a great job. He charges about $50. If you are interested, you can send me a private message and I will gladly send you all his info.

Cheers.

We are trying to cut down on how often we take Snoopy and Sally in for "the works". They're in a puppy cut, and I don't mind them looking scruffy. We trim the nose up by the eyes and the tips of their ears on a regular basis and give baths.

Gracie goes to the groomer every 4 to 6 months but I do a lot of her grooming at home. She gets a bath in my kitchen sink once a week and I trim her nails every three weeks. I have someone hold her for me when doing the nails. I would never try that alone. I use cat claw cutters.

I use small round tipped scissors to trim delicate areas and 6" scissors for the rest of the body. She is small and it is not hard to keep her looking good as long as I keep up with it.

Our groomer has a salon and a doggy daycare in her home and charges $45.00 for a bath and a hair cut. I think that is reasonable. She has shown and judged Shih Tzus for over 20 years as well as doing the grooming for several other pure bred breeds. She does a great job and it is a very clean attractive setting.

Bathing really is not that hard at all. I personally will not cut their nails myself just because it scares me a bit but I will use a pedicure tool for dogs that grinds rather then cuts. I have found the mobile groomers cost more but you don't have to leave your dog any where in a cage all day so I prefer it. With a mixed breed dog unless they are an adult your not going to know if their puppies how their hair will turn out. Another thing to keep in mind is generally a reputable breeder will not breed mixes. It's good your doing the research before so you know what your looking at cost wise and stuff.

Hi, and welcome. Nice you are interested in giving a baby a forever home. Was wondering if you heard back.

If money is the object with grooming, bathing is no big deal at all. You can make a shampoo solution and gently smoothe it in in the direction that the hair grows. No need for scrubbing or rubbing, then rinse thoroughly. Conditioner, if you think the hair needs it but always rinse completely. I blow dry my kids, and they are very used to the whole routine now.

If you like puppy cut, take your baby for clipping or learn to puppy cut the baby yourself. If you choose the groomer, but want to save, have the cut shorter in Spring, then let it grow out and just get nails clipped, if you are nervous about doing that yourself.

I keep long coats, trim and round paws and clip ears and bums myself, and get nail clips as needed. I can clip nails, but with three, it takes me longer than the groomer, including the drive...and the groomer rate for nail clips is very reasonable, and she takes walk-ins for nail clips. Plus, it gives my kids a trip out...LOL. Your vet may be an option for nails, too.

I wouldn't worry about the breed/mix but hair could be different in a mix. My kids are silky coated Yorkies but if they matted easily, I would probably clip shorter for their comfort. The great part is you get to choose as often as you like.

If you get a Yorkie/Shih Tzu mix, you could have thicker and slightly different texture hair. It shouldn't be too big a deal, though...you have plenty of options. If a Yorkie/Chi mix, you could end up with a smooth coat and no need for hair clips anyway...wash and wear hair...LOL

God luck...let us know! :D

I'm new to YT so I'm not sure if it's ok to tag on to this, but I have a question on grooming... My little parti yorkie, Haley, will not let my cut her nails no matter what I do. I've had someone try to hold her, but she literally screams and thrashes like we are killing her. I helped her puppy mother bring Haley into this world and kept close tabs on her until I welcomed her into my home so I know there was no trauma that lead to this behavior. It seems like I have tried everything, but I'm hoping this community can give me some ideas. Help!

What type of clipper are you using? Have you tried dremel or nail scissor? Is Haley okay with you just handling her paws or does she not like that either? If she doesn't, you'll probably need to spend time desensitizing her. One method is to give her a treat while touching her paw/pads.

The way you hold their paw also makes a difference.
(Fast forward to 0:25 mark)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGc0cJQT7cc

See how she's holding the paw back? That can make a difference for some pups.

I've used different type of nail clippers and I prefer to use the nail scissor the best. Next up is the dremel. You can get the nail scissor from toplinepet.com. The owner is a member and I believe she offers discounts for YT members. Msg member mimimomo if you have any questions. She has great with customer service!

I keep my little Kimchi trimmed up, etc. every once a month and her cost runs from $35-45-ish not including tip (depending on what needs done), which I tend to give about $10 in tips or more. I do keep in between maintenance/bath but for the major work I have a specific groomer I take her to. I feel as long as she fairly enjoys it and it makes her look great, it's worth it to me :) It's pretty much her spa/treat as she doesn't get out as much during warmer seasons. I keep her face clean and that's helped the groomer when trimming her facial areas too, as she gets used to being handled at her face. Though ironically, she hates for the vet to try and handle anything around her face ^^;;

Thanks for your info. I'll check the video out and also keep trying to desensitize her as well. Haley is such a sweat dog in all but nail cutting. I was trying to use dog nail clippers for her size, but I think I'll try the Drexel. She doesn't even like anyone to touch her paws. I am starting to play with her by touching her paws and making it a game w/ treats you suggested. She is not totally opposed to it so I'll keep trying it.

Lola does not like her bath she won't sit still always tries to climb out as I bathe her in the kitchen sink so I'm all wet when we're finish with scratches all over my arms but she looks and smells grest when we finish

Do you put a towel or something in the sink for Lola to stand on? Sometimes, it helps if you put something that has traction so they don't feel unstable.

Wow! I love how she held the paws! I am so totally going to try that next time :)

We thought we would be super show groomers- I did not understand the depth of need for daily consistent desensitization. I also, in retrospect would have a proper grooming table with a groom loop from the very start. Working with a rescue will be different then desensitizing a puppy though, you will probably need different techniques. As it stands, here we are nearly three years down the road and as I find myself constantly saying- boy we have learned a lot! Lol, slower than I imagined and less grandiose indeed. We mostly groom at home but have been to the groomers 3-4 times and they do a better job than I do. I have clippers, use cat nail trimmers or even human ones, we like the long coat and I will do so good for a while until I don't anymore, sigh. We love dressing up too though and I feel like that influences my preference for a short vs long coat sometimes....the long coat is so beautiful but I realize we are not exactly a show dog like I thought we would be ;) we face wash and when we are good daily face washers out face area is heavenly, well combed, no gunk, beautiful bright eyes and a fresh plum scent- when we don't just put in the opposite descriptive terms, lol. We have to do booty trims, as far as the underbelly I have some serious nipple injury hysteria I am worried about. Lilah is definitely my first and like my oldest daughter, I know I have and will continue to falter in my novice ness but we are bonded and love each other and when she gets a little sister one day she will have paved the way for her sisters life and development like a champ! Like a champ with a few bad haircuts....

I used to have a little Shih Tzu that did much the same when it came to nail clipping. It took 4 of us to hold him and one to do the cutting and I would still get bit from time to time.
He was the family baby and I didn't want to take him to a groomer for fear he would be scared. What a mistake that was! My daughter finally convinced me to take him just to have his nails cut. I was so nervous that I could not make myself go in the room to watch but my daughter did. He stood on the grooming table like a little man and let the lady cut his nails like he was a pro at it. I was so shocked I could not believe it. I was expecting to hear him screaming and fighting the woman. Maybe it was the fact he was in a different environment...I don't know but after that he had his nails done professionally!:)

Awesome. I think I'll try that. Nothing works as of today so I have nothing to lose. Thx. My baby is so precious, with the exception of the nail battle.

My little guy is terrified to have his nails trimmed or touched. Sooooooo, I am just petting his tummy right now with one hand and slowly moving my other down and around his paws, then just rubbing his paws for 5-10 min each giving treats every few minutes and talking calmly. He has gotten vastly better in just a few sessions. He no longer tries to bite or tug his paws away from me.

Next time I actually try to trim his nails I am going to try a nail "grinder" instead of clippers. So, I am letting the grinder run near me during these sessions and occasionally putting the grinder (with no tool in it) to touch his belly so he can feel it vibrate. I will slowly move it to his paws as time goes on. I am going to do this daily, for about 20 or more min a day, for at least two weeks and then see if he will let me do his nails.

My guy is a service dog in training, so I must get him over this fear somehow. I intend for him to take the CGC late October, and letting someone touch his paws is one of the criteria. My guy likely had some trauma leading to his issues since it is clear he was abused before we adopted him.

This has absolutely nothing to do with the post....but I noticed you are in Syracuse! I'm from Montezuma and when people ask me where in NY I'm from I always say "do you know where Syracuse is?" That's where my mom grew up too...and her brothers and one sister still live there! Sorry....it's just not often I see people from Syracuse!

I don't think the grooming is that hard. I keep Pepper in a puppy cut also. I keep it shorter in the summer and let it get a little longer in the winter. I take him to the groomer about every 5-6 weeks and it is around $30-40 in my area. Pepper has a cottony coat so I can't let it get very long or it will mat. But I never wanted the maintenance of the long hair, so no topknot or bows to worry about. I have to admit that I don't brush or comb every day. I usually only brush when he gets a bath - every week to ten days. He gets bathed in the shower with me. I found out it was a lot easier to do it that way. I didn't have to worry about the temperature of the water or me getting wet. I let the groomer trim his nails. I don't do it between grooming. I tried but he is way too wiggly. I have occasionally have had to trim his bum between grooming when things start to get a little sticky. :)

We groom Zeus ourselves. The only thing we don't do is cut his nails. We take him to PetSmart and watch them do it while we are there. Living in Mississippi, we shave him down to a 1/4 inch on the body starting in late April/early May leaving his legs and head longer (I think this is a teddy bear cut). We have just started letting it grow and won't cut him until April/May. We will only trim his legs, head, feet/pads, wing ding, and bum in the winter. The poor baby freezes when it's below 50. I guess he is so used to 95 with a heat index of 110-115 that below 50 is cold. We are first time pet owners; if we can do it, anyone can do it.