# Yorkie Coat care



## melgrj7 (Sep 21, 2007)

What is the proper way to maintain a yorkie's coat? His coat seems pretty wirey to me, so I didn't know if you are supposed clip it or not? My sister got a yorkie, turns out her apartment complex doesn't allow dogs so the pup is staying with us until she gets a new place. He is pretty scruffy looking at the moment. He is a year old, he has been shaved before in his previous home once or twice, but I didn't know if this was appropriate for their coat?


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## melgrj7 (Sep 21, 2007)

I was doing some reading . . . I guess yorkies are supposed to have a silky coat? His is pretty wirey, but not as much as like a westie or a cairn. I guess I'm wondering if having him shaved will make him end up looking like older ones I have seen that have ugly sparse coats that curl.


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## blenderpie (Oct 5, 2012)

Poor diet and poor breeding could make his coat feel "nonstandard." 

My first place to look is YouTube. They have a TON of great grooming videos (I jut spent about an hour yesterday looking how to do a schnauzer cut.


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## Jacksons Mom (Mar 12, 2010)

Yeah, a Yorkie's hair is supposed to be soft and silky feeling. It's perfectly fine to shave it, it will always grow back correctly (if your dog has the correct coat to begin with). But definitely not supposed to be wirey. Maybe he is mixed? Do you have a picture? Sometimes Yorkie/Chi mixes can get a wirey-ish coat, or Dachshund/Yorkie mixes.

Wired coat breeds like Westies and Borders can be hand stripped. But I'm not sure if your Yorkie's coat is THAT wirey or not.


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## melgrj7 (Sep 21, 2007)

He is originally from a pet store, so definitely not well bred. "We" are his . . . 3rd home I believe. He is a year old, weighs 10 pounds, very sweet, but man house training him is not going that well. He had a UTI, got that taken care of, he has a liver shunt but not bad enough that he needs surgery. He just can't have any high protein or high fat foods/treats. He is super sweet and very smart  His coat is not nearly as wirey as a westie, just a little bit coarse I guess you would say.


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## Gogoclips (Apr 27, 2013)

No advice, I've never dealt with similar coats, sorry. But oh such cute pictures!! Especially the last two in the snow!


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## Jacksons Mom (Mar 12, 2010)

Oh my he's SUPER adorable. 

I wonder if he's got Australian Terrier in him. All very closely related (Silky's, Aussies and Yorkies).

Me personally, I would just keep it clipped down/shaved down if that's what you prefer. It looks like it already has been, so you wouldn't be able to strip it, plus his hair doesn't look quite wirey enough to BE hand-stripped anyway. 

Aussie terrier


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## Growwhite (May 16, 2013)

it's very true buddy...


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## saimgee123 (May 18, 2013)

melgrj7 said:


> He is originally from a pet store, so definitely not well bred. "We" are his . . . 3rd home I believe. He is a year old, weighs 10 pounds, very sweet, but man house training him is not going that well. He had a UTI, got that taken care of, he has a liver shunt but not bad enough that he needs surgery. He just can't have any high protein or high fat foods/treats. He is super sweet and very smart  His coat is not nearly as wirey as a westie, just a little bit coarse I guess you would say.
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## MinnieMoo (May 28, 2013)

Some Yorkies have a silky coat and some have a cottony coat. But all Yorkies have a wirey coat when they are puppies until they are about 6 months old, then their adult coat starts to grow in. Thats when u would be able to see what kind of coat they will have as an adult.. Idk how old ur pup is but if its still young then the wirey ness is normal. Some ppl choose to bathe them more often, some use products like detangler spray, or some ppl trim down the fur. The puppy cut is a popular cut for all ages, very cute and short. Finding a good shampoo that's particularly for Yorkies fur is a good idea too. Good luck


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## Jacksons Mom (Mar 12, 2010)

MinnieMoo said:


> Some Yorkies have a silky coat and some have a cottony coat. *But all Yorkies have a wirey coat when they are puppies until they are about 6 months old, *then their adult coat starts to grow in. Thats when u would be able to see what kind of coat they will have as an adult.. Idk how old ur pup is but if its still young then the wirey ness is normal. Some ppl choose to bathe them more often, some use products like detangler spray, or some ppl trim down the fur. The puppy cut is a popular cut for all ages, very cute and short. Finding a good shampoo that's particularly for Yorkies fur is a good idea too. Good luck


I have never seen a yorkie with a wirey coat as a puppy. Maybe wirey is not the word you're looking for? Jackson was a bit... stringier looking as a pup, lol. But yorkies are not supposed to have wirey hair. Some do have a cottony coat, which is not standard but I see it quite a bit with yorkies.


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## MinnieMoo (May 28, 2013)

Jacksons Mom said:


> I have never seen a yorkie with a wirey coat as a puppy. Maybe wirey is not the word you're looking for? Jackson was a bit... stringier looking as a pup, lol. But yorkies are not supposed to have wirey hair. Some do have a cottony coat, which is not standard but I see it quite a bit with yorkies.


Yea some yorkies do have wirey coats, it's not the standard though. This article on this site explains it best, it also says to keep wirey hair cut short in a puppy cut. My yorkie puppy right now has a cottony wirey coat.. I'm patiently waiting for her adult coat to start coming in lol. Both of her parents were silky, so I can't wait. I've read about how they all have cottony, wirey coats before the changeover to the silky coat. When I say wirey though, I don't mean coarse and I'm not sure if that's what the original poster meant. Definitely not course, just cottony/stringy tangles easily. If a yorkie has extremely rough coarse fur then it's prolly not purebred. Btw, ur pup is adorable! I love the cut! I'm new to this forum & I'm so happy to see another yorkie mom!  

Here's a great site, very informative for yorkie moms. This page is on their coats 
http://www.yorkieinfocenter.com/Yorkie_Hair.html


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