Wow! It looks like your little Yorkie needs a bath…
If you want to know some tips on how to properly bathe your Yorkshire Terrier, just keep reading. Get the shampoo and sponge ready, and let’s go!
Tips for bathing your Yorkie
As we all know, a Yorkshire’s greatest appeal is its coat: long, soft, and silky. That’s why you must keep it clean and take great care of its hygiene so it doesn’t lose a bit of the splendor of that iconic fur that makes them so recognizable.
Bathing your dog should become a routine they get used to from a young age, to prevent it from being uncomfortable or difficult. Let’s look at some tips to carry out this task:
- Your puppy’s first bath should be after completing its vaccination schedule. Until then, you can clean it a bit with wet wipes that don’t contain creams or perfumes.
- A Yorkshire Terrier should be bathed almost weekly, every 7 to 10 days, to avoid odors and maintain good hygiene.
- During the bath, be careful not to get water in their ears, and keep the water at a lukewarm temperature.
- Use special dog shampoo, as their pH is different from ours. Gently lather all the fur and do two passes to ensure it’s thoroughly clean.
- After the bath, it’s time to dry. Use a towel to remove excess moisture and water, and then you can use a detangling product to make brushing easier.
- Finish the process by drying the coat with a hair dryer while brushing it in the direction of hair growth, from the back to the legs. Don’t use air that’s too hot.
Remember: your Yorkshire Terrier’s first bath should be after completing the initial vaccination schedule. Check with your trusted veterinarian to confirm when to give the first bath.
With these tips, you’ll see how your little Yorkshire will look beautiful, and by maintaining the routine, you’ll make bath time no longer bother them.
Step-by-step guide to bathing your dog
Now that you know some tips for bathing your dog, here are a series of steps you can follow to make the task easier:
- First, thoroughly wet your dog’s entire body. This will make the lathering process easier.
- Apply the shampoo and gently massage each part of your dog’s body.
- Rinse the entire body well.
- Repeat the shampooing. This way, you’ll remove any remaining traces of oils or other products.
- If you massage thoroughly, your dog will enjoy the bath and make it easier for you.
- Rinse everything again thoroughly to remove all the shampoo.
- You can now apply a conditioning cream to the coat, letting it sit for the time indicated. To maintain warmth, you can wrap your dog in a thin plastic sheet.
- Once the recommended time has passed, rinse the product out thoroughly.
- Time to dry your dog with a towel, paying special (and gentle) attention to the eyes, ears, and paws.
- Take this opportunity to trim your dog’s nails if needed.
- Start brushing the coat gently to detangle it. Don’t pull the knots—doing so could hurt your dog or break the hair. It’s recommended to use a brush with long, flexible bristles.
- After the first brushing, go over the coat again with a metal comb to remove any remaining knots.
- You can now use a hairdryer to finish drying the coat, always following the natural direction of the hair, from top to bottom.
- Once dry, repeat the brushing process: first with the flexible bristle brush, followed by the metal comb.
- Lastly, focus on the head area. You can tie the top hair into a small ponytail to keep the eyes clear, and comb around the nose for the same purpose.
Important Recommendation: Don’t overdo bathing your Yorkshire. One or two baths per month are more than enough, depending on how much contact your dog has with the outdoors, dirt, etc. If you need to clean your Yorkie more often, you can use dog-friendly wet wipes or dry shampoo for dogs.
With these tips and steps for bathing your Yorkie, your pup will be clean and looking elegant. They’ll surely thank you for it!