How Often Should You Bathe A Yorkie?

When you get a new Yorkie puppy, you are going to have to learn how to care for it properly.

This includes giving it a bath.

Unfortunately, you may not even know how to give your Yorkie a bath.

Pro tip: Give your Yorkie a bath every two to four weeks.

However, there are some tips to keep in mind when giving your Yorkie a proper bath. 

These include items like having the water at the right temperature and using the right shampoo.

You have to be careful because once your puppy is lathered, it will find a way to slip away from you. 

When To Bathe A Yorkie 

If your Yorkie has a short haircut, you should bathe it every two to four weeks.

If your dog has a longer haircut, you should bathe it once a week to once every three weeks.

When your puppy has a longer coat, it needs to be bathed more often because its hair collects dirt. 

You want to be careful not to bathe your puppy too often.

It may dry out their skin and cause skin conditions.

However, if they are not bathed enough, the coat becomes matted, gathers dust, and begins to stink.

You also want to find a good leave-in conditioner to moisturize the coat and skin of your dog. 

How To Bathe A Yorkie

There are some steps you should take to bathe your Yorkie properly.

Brush Your Yorkie

Before you give your Yorkie a bath, you want to brush out any knots in your dog’s hair.

Yorkies have fine, long hair which can tangle easily.

If you do not address the knots, they will become mats.

You can use a detangling spray to make the brushing easier. 

Water Temperature 

Your puppy is not going to like hot water.

This is because they are small and are not able to regulate their body temperature well.

Therefore, it is essential that the temperature is just right, which is between 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. 

If the water feels warm to you, then it is probably too hot for your puppy.

You want the water to not feel cold or hot or cool to your touch.

It would be best if you used the inside of your wrist or forearm to test the temperature. 

Reduce Anxiety

Your Yorkie may have some anxiety at the mention of the word bath.

However, there are some steps you can take to reduce your dog’s anxiety.

First, you can give your pup a treat when entering the room where it is going to be bathed. 

You want to lower your voice to talk to your dog in a calm and encouraging voice.

You can also use a treat mat or some other toy to distract your puppy while giving it a bath.

Then, at the end of the bath, give your dog another treat.

Protect Your Yorkie Puppy From Water

You want to make sure that you protect the ears of your Yorkie.

If water gets trapped in its ears, it creates a place where bacteria and yeast grow.

This leads to an ear infection for your puppy.

To keep water from getting in your puppy’s ears, you can use a shower cap for dogs to protect their ears.

You can also gently place cotton balls in the outer ear canal of your Yorkie.

You do not want to pour large amounts of water over your dog’s head. 

You can use a sponge to clean your puppy’s head being sure to keep its ears folded down gently.

You want to dry your dog’s ears after the bath thoroughly. 

Use the Right Shampoo and Conditioner

You want to use a high quality shampoo and apply it to your thoroughly wet Yorkie.

You want to create a thick lather.

You can start at the neck and work down the backs, legs, and chest. 

You should lift each leg gently and work some lather into the top and bottom of each paw.

There are many irritants, like pollen, that collect in the pads of the paw, which can be irritating or cause an infection. 

You want to use a sponge with a small amount of lather and wash the top of the head.

You then want to work down the cheeks and muzzle.

Time For Rinse Off 

You want to carefully rinse off the head and face of your dog with a wet sponge.

You want to be sure to protect your dog’s ears while keeping shampoo out of your puppy’s eyes. 

If you get suds in the eye of your dog and they are irritated, you want to flush the eyes with fresh, lukewarm water.

Next, you want to rinse off the rest of your dog by starting your way down the body from the scruff.

Finally, you want to make sure you get all of the shampoo out of your Yorkie’s hair. 

Drying Time

It is essential that you dry off your Yorkie as quickly as possible.

You will find that your Yorkie gets cold quickly when wet.

It would be best if you wrapped your pup in a towel and gently massage excess water out of the coat. 

Once your dog is no longer dripping wet, you want to allow it to run around after the bath.

If you are going to use a hairdryer, now is the time.

You want to ensure that your hairdryer is on low or the coolest setting.

You should keep it about two feet away from your dog. 

Your Yorkie may be bothered by the noise from the hairdryer in the beginning.

However, they will get used to it eventually and get over its nervousness.

You can praise your dog and provide treats during the hair drying session. 

Do Yorkies Like Baths?

In general, Yorkies love the water.

They enjoy being in the water and playing in it.

However, when it comes to bath time, they may not be as excited to get in the water.

The thought of getting a bath may cause a large amount of anxiety in your dog.

This may cause your dog to run away at the first chance it gets during bath time.

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