Grooming
If you’re a wannabe hair stylist, the Yorkshire Terrier is the breed for you. A Yorkie’s hair is fine and delicate, almost like a human’s. Whether you let your Yorkie’s hair grow long or keep it in a short haircut, aka a “puppy cut” (one to two inches all over), you’ll need to brush it every day with a pin brush to avoid breakage and matting. While you’re brushing your pup, check their eyes for discharge and clean it away with a soft, damp cloth.
Plan on bathing your dog about once a month. After you shampoo your Yorkie, apply a conditioner—yes, this breed needs to be pampered—and then rinse. Many Yorkie parents spritz their dogs with a leave-in conditioner afterwards, too.
As you bond over a grooming session with your Yorkshire Terrier, check for signs of inflammation or infection (sores, redness, flaking, bumps, etc.) on their skin, paws and ears. Give those ears a good sniff, too; a foul odor can be a sign of infection. Call your vet if you notice any of these signs.
Be sure to keep their nails trimmed. You may need to trim them every two to four weeks—you’ll know it’s time when you hear them clicking as they walk across hard surfaces.
And don’t forget to brush their teeth daily to help keep their teeth and gums healthy and reduce the risk of dental disease down the road. You’ll want to make sure your vet professionally cleans your Yorkshire Terrier’s teeth once a year too.
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Training
With high intelligence, Yorkies are quick-learning students who master commands and tricks easily through positive reinforcement, including praise, cuddles and treats. This breed is eager to please—Yorkies love soaking up accolades—so take advantage of this trait and throw in a party trick or two like twirling on their hind legs (why not?) along with the basic safety commands including sit, stay and come. In fact, Yorkshire Terriers excel at agility and obedience competitions. So if you’re an aspiring Yorkshire Terrier Best in Show–type pet parent, start them young and get out that puppy training 101 manual!
An important part of training your Yorkie will be socializing them with other dogs and humans from an early age. It’s tempting to pick these little cuties up and carry them everywhere instead of letting them interact with the world, but this can make them anxious—and anxious dogs are harder to train. Talk to your vet about when it’s safe to take your Yorkshire Terrier puppy out on walks, and maybe even start puppy school, so they can learn some obedience at an early age and how to socialize around other dogs.
Yorkshire Terriers tend to be highly vocal so it’s also worth investing time in working with them to curb excessive barking. You don’t want that off-the-charts cuteness to be overshadowed by their noise levels.
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Diet
Yorkshire Terriers typically do well on a high-quality commercial dog food. Make sure the food you choose meets the nutritional standards of the Association of American Feed Control Officials. (Look for the AAFCO statement on the package.) When selecting a food, factor in your dog’s age and choose a formula that fits their stage in life (puppy, adult, senior).
Since Yorkies are small in size, they don’t need nearly as much food each day as, say, a Mastiff. But they do have very fast metabolisms, which might leave them feeling hungrier faster. Talk to your vet about possibly serving your Yorkie puppy three or four smaller meals per day instead of the classic morning and evening feedings. Your vet is in the best position to help you nail down a diet and feeding plan for your individual dog.
The Yorkshire Terrier also loves a heavy dose of appreciation, especially in treat form. But while training treats are great for training, you don’t want to overdo it. Remember that those little morsels of praise amount to calories, and even an extra pound can make a big impact on your dog’s overall health. Treats should only constitute a small percentage (10 percent) of your pet’s daily food.
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Exercise
Yorkshire Terriers don’t need a ton of exercise needs to meet their energy level—unlike, say, Golden Retrievers—but they do need frequent and regular opportunities for movement and play, as much for their minds as for their bodies. Without exercise, this smart breed can get bored. Even a dog of this tiny size can make a mess of your neatly placed cushions… and possibly even just as guests arrive at the door. Two 15-minute daily walks is sufficient, but also keep puzzle toys at home to keep your Yorkie engaged and moving during the day. A living-room game of fetch or gentle tug-of-war is great, too. They also love the challenge of dog sports, like agility or conformation (dog shows), so feel free to get creative with how you exercise your little pooch.
When you do go out and about together, remember not to speed walk—your Yorkshire Terrier’s little legs can’t keep up! Instead, be patient, and try to avoid resorting to picking up your pup, which deprives them of the exercise they need.
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Environment
You don’t need a ton of space or even a yard to make a Yorkie happy. Of course they need to run and play, like any dog, but they can have a ball playing tug-of-war right in your apartment living room. As loving companions, they’ll also appreciate a comfy couch and a welcoming lap, and you can use these up-close-and-personal moments to give your pooch a lengthy grooming sesh, which is so important for this breed.
Yorkies can tolerate other dogs and cats if they are raised together, and they can do well with children as long as both dog and child are taught how to behave around each other. Work long hours outside the home? A Yorkshire Terrier may not be the best fit for you, unless you can bring your Yorkie with you. This breed bonds closely with their human and likes to be by their side (or better yet, on their lap).
Yorkshire Terriers don’t love extreme heat or cold, but who does, really? As long as you’ve got a good dog sweater in the winter and carry plenty of water in the summer, your Yorkie should be fine during your short walks.
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