Next week we give the pups their first shots and first groom. The bigger pups usually don’t notice the shots but the little ones hate it. It isn’t the puncture that bothers them; the icy cold liquid rushing through their body is what freaks them out. They squeal like little pigs for a minute or two as I try to comfort them. Poor pups, we’re doing this for your own good.

Grooming is one of the most important parts of caring for your Yorkie. Most Yorkie coats will become matted if not cared for properly or if the dogs spend a lot of time outside. I would send Layla to the groomer every four months for a haircut because she has a “soft coat” – a softer, less shiny coat with somewhat of an undercoat that becomes easily matted behind the ears, on the legs, etc.

I like to groom Simon myself. He has a long, silky coat that requires daily brushing, just like human hair. If I neglect to brush Simon, sometimes his claws will become entangled in his fur and he is rendered unable to move. He will make little noises with his breathing, not with his vocal cords, to tell me he is stuck. I just walk up to him and untangle his claws, usually remembering to brush him shortly thereafter. This happens to Layla too, but it is rare. She will actually bark out loud at you until you come un-stick her.

Because Yorkie fur mats so easily, they must be blown dry and brushed out after a bath. This helps locate matted fur that needs to be removed, and drying against the direction of the hair growth prevents further matting in vulnerable areas.

Apparently Yorkies have notoriously bad teeth, although I am pretty sure Layla and Simon have perfectly healthy teeth. I bought a canine toothbrush that slips onto the finger and chicken-flavored toothpaste, but I haven’t tried it out yet. I prefer to give them rawhide chews, and the dogs love them, although they do not help Simon’s terrible breath.

I bought a hand-held cordless Dremel tool for upkeep of their claws; I got the idea from reading reviews for the Pedi-Paws on Amazon.com. People seemed way happier with the Dremel and I like it as well. I don’t feel comfortable clipping their nails because I’m afraid I will hurt them, but with the Dremel, you just file it down a little at a time.

The hair on the ears grows heavy and weighs their ears down; this can be seen in Layla’s ear as it flops up and down while she runs through the yard. In order to make them cute and perky again, I just shave the tops with my Peanut trimmer in a diamond shape. This frees up the top of the ear from the heavy hair while leaving hair on the sides. It kind of makes Layla look like a lion.

Yorkie eyes need a lot of upkeep; they get all sorts of goop in there. To get them clean you just need to shampoo the area with tear-free shampoo, them comb the face hair with a fine-tooth comb, and then trim down the eye hair with some haircutting scissors. You must form a relationship of deep trust and mutual respect with the dog before you go cutting the hair around his eyes.

I already had a lot of the supplies I needed for grooming from my Cosmetology kit that I purchased while attending beauty school. This was good; Yorkies don’t shed and thus, require a lot of hair removal. I try to give them a sanitary clip every four months or so; that’s where you shave their bellies and genital area with a trimmer to keep it nice and clean.

I started making doggie hair clips to go in their hair and keep the top knot out of their faces. So far I like the designs I have tried, I mostly just watch YouTube videos and practice with ribbon and glue. Someone saw my bows and bought one from me --- I got three dollars for it! It is a lot of fun to create your own accessories for your pet. I want to utilize a Velcro component so that the charms on the bows can be interchangeable to match the outfit or occasion.

I have always loved dressing up my Yorkies – they have clothes from summer dresses to winter jackets. I often find some of Layla’s puppy clothes and include the hand-me-downs in my “puppy kit” that comes with a pup. Now I can make any accessory I want to match Layla’s entire wardrobe! And she looks so darling with her hair up in a bow! I wish she wouldn’t shake them out as soon as I turn away.