GROOMING & MAINTAINING the Yorkshire terrier for show
by Jamie Bennett
I have been exhibiting Yorkshire Terriers and other long coated toy breeds as both an owner/han- dler and a professional handler for the past 19 years. I have had the plea- sure of handling several beautiful top 5 Yorkshire Terriers and all garnering best in specialty show wins. My very first Yorkie special was Ch. Caraneal Laurel Glen Minute Man that won the York- shire Terrier National in 2007. He was bred by Georgette Franzoni and owned by myself and Georgette Franzoni. I have a great love for the Yorkshire Terrier and enjoy every moment spent grooming and handling them. In my opinion, there is nothing more beauti- ful than a Yorkshire Terrier in full coat showing their little heart out. In this article I will attempt to give an insight to one of the many ways to maintain and grow a coat on a York- shire Terrier. I have gleaned my knowl- edge over the years through mentors of the breed and through the trial and error process. This is what works for me. Remember, if you are growing coat on your Yorkie, you must be doing something right! I have found that each Yorkie’s coat is a little different. What works on one coat may not necessarily work on anoth- er. So, keep that in mind when working with your dog’s coat. The first most important thing in maintaining and growing coat on a Yorkie is proper nutrition. Always feed a high quality food. This is extremely important in maintaining both healthy skin and healthy coat. I do not use any supplements. I feel that if their food is of a good quality, supplements are not necessary. On a side note, always be sure that your Yorkie is free from internal parasites! The second most important thing in maintaining and growing coat on a
Yorkie is to maintain healthy skin. The skin should not be flakey, oily or dry. You can achieve this by bathing your Yorkie regularly with a high quality shampoo and conditioner. (See page xx for specific products I use.) If you find you are having skin problems, address those issues immediately! One night of scratching can ruin a coat. Be sure that you inspect you Yorkie for fleas each and every time you come back from an outside trip! There are two types of “bathing” for a show Yorkie: the maintenance bath and the show bath. When you are bath- ing for maintenance, your shampoo/ conditioners should be high quality products that moisturize and condition the coat. Product quality does matter. Don’t skimp, ever! A properly condi- tioned coat grows fast! A maintenance bath should be given as needed. I find that some Yorkies need to be bathed every three or four days, while oth- ers only require once a week bathing. Basically, when a brush will not eas- ily run through the coat, they need to be bathed. Before bathing the dog, brush the coat out completely. Gently and slowly work out any tangles that you may find being careful not to break the coat. Examine the inside of your dog’s ears for excess hair, any waxy discharge or foul smell and examine the ear leathers for signs of leather ear. I have found that leather ear comes from high humidity and a lack of sunshine which causes a waxy build up on the ear which leads to hair loss. If your Yorkie is kept in an area that is bright with sunlight and low in humidity, you should never get leather ear. If you do get leather ear, scrub the ears daily with a shampoo to degrease them and put them in the sunlight! You will see hair start to grow back immediately.
Next you should trim your dog’s nails. Long toenails will not only cause your dog pain, they will screw up your dog’s movement. Your dog’s nails should be short enough to allow the foot to sit flatly on its pads and allow the foot to roll forward naturally when moving. It’s time to bathe. Wet your Yorkie’s coat thoroughly with warm, not hot water. Be cautious not to get water into the ear canal as this can cause ear infec- tions. I always start with the head. I start at the top of the head and work down to the muzzle, facial furnishings, then side “what works on ONE COAT maY not necessarilY work on another.”
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