When Should A Yorkie Puppy Get Their First Haircut?

You’ve had your adorable Yorkie puppy for a while.

But you notice that its hair keeps getting longer.

I mean, of course it does!

You know you’re going to need to cut it.

But you’ve heard that you can’t give puppies a hair cut too soon.

If they are too young, it can result in some problems.

So when should a Yorkie puppy get their first hair cut?

It turns out, there is an official recommendation from the American Kennel Club. Keep reading to learn exactly when you can give your puppy that first cut.

 

When Should A Yorkie Puppy Get Their First Haircut?

The AKC recommends that a Yorkie puppy only get its first haircut once it is 16 to 20 weeks old. This is the age when Yorkies develop human-like hair that is prone to matting.

In addition, by this age your puppy should have received all of its vaccinations and can safely visit a professional groomer. Puppies this age are also likely to be better behaved.

 

Why A Yorkie Puppy Should Get Its First Haircut At 16 To 20 Weeks

A Yorkie puppy’s first haircut is a major milestone for the pupper and its human parents alike. Here are the main reasons 16 to 20 weeks is the right age to get the haircut for your pet.

 

Its Coat Undergoes Changes

A Yorkie puppy undergoes ‘felting’ at around 16 weeks. Felting is when your Yorkie starts losing its thick fuzzy puppy coat and begins developing the characteristic silky, smooth, human-like hair.

This type of coat is highly prone to matting and tangling. You need to brush your Yorkie daily to remove those knots, but it is also a good idea to trim the hair a bit to avoid those stubborn tangles.

Shorter hair is also better for those warmer months and for hassle-free upkeep and maintenance.

 

It Should Have Received All Major Vaccinations

By the time your Yorkie is 12 to 16 weeks old, it should have received all of its vaccinations and several boosters.

Why do these matter? Well, many professional dog groomers require puppies to be vaccinated, before they can enter their facility.

It is also important for your dog’s safety: professional groomers receive a lot of dog traffic and the last thing you want is for your puppy to catch some deadly canine disease from the grooming facility.

 

Your Puppy Is Likely To Be Better Behaved

Another major reason why 16 weeks and above is the right time for your Yorkie puppy to get a haircut is that it should have undergone some basic obedience training.

Obedience commands like sit, stay, etc. can come in handy in getting your pet to behave while it gets its hair trimmed.

You also might have gotten your puppy used to some basic grooming at home like teeth brushing, ear and eye care, and daily brushing of its coat. This will prepare it for professional grooming as well.

Even if your Yorkie is well-behaved and used to grooming it is still a good idea to keep the first grooming appointment short and sweet.

 

How Often Should You Groom A Yorkie Puppy?

To answer this question, let us divide a Yorkie’s grooming process into different parts.

 

Haircut

A silky-haired Yorkie will need a haircut every 6 to 8 weeks. So, if your puppy’s first haircut was around the age of 18 weeks, you could give it its next one at 24 to 26 weeks, and so on.

 

Brushing

It is important that you brush your Yorkie daily. Regular (daily) brushing has many advantages for your pet:

• It removes mats and tangles before they worsen.
• During shedding season (Yorkies shed very little), it can help you catch loose, stray hairs and prevent them from getting all over your furniture, clothes, etc.
• Regular brushing stimulates the natural skin oils and makes your Yorkie’s skin softer and healthier.
• It helps you inspect your pet for lumps, bumps, ticks, fleas, or any other irregularities.
• Grooming strengthens the bond between you and your puppy.

 

Bathing

The AKC recommends bathing dogs once a month. However, the frequency of bathing depends on the activities your Yorkie participates in.

For example, if your puppy hikes daily through grassy or muddy areas, or swims regularly in chlorinated pools or salty seawater, or simply enjoys splashing in muddy puddles every now and then, you might want to bathe it more frequently.

Remember that overbathing is bad for your dog’s coat, because it can strip off its natural oils, leaving the coat dry and brittle.

You can use dog wipes or dry shampoo instead of giving a complete bath to your Yorkie. Most of these products are pH-balanced for your dog’s skin and retain the natural oils that dogs tend to lose while bathing.

 

Nail Trimming

Most Yorkie pups need nail trimming every 3 to 4 weeks. However, if your puppy walks a lot on tarred roads or rough surfaces, its nails will automatically wear down. If you keep your puppy indoors most of the time, it will need more frequent nail care.

Overgrown nails can get chipped or ingrown, causing a lot of pain to your little friend. Furthermore, they can make it difficult for your pet to walk and might even exert pressure on its joints.

Therefore, nail trimming is a must. As a thumb rule: trim your pet’s nails when you can see them touching the ground.

 

Oral Care

Like humans, Yorkies need daily tooth brushing. Like all small dogs, Yorkies have small jaws with overcrowded teeth. Food remains trapped in the small spaces between their teeth making them susceptible to dental cavities.

Regular tooth brushing can prevent these dental issues. Dental health is also linked to several other aspects of your pet’s overall health.

Therefore, daily oral care is a must. And the sooner you get your Yorkie puppy used to tooth brushing, the better it is for you both.

It is also a good practice to get your Yorkie a professional dental exam once every 6 to 8 months.

 

Ear And Eye Care

A Yorkie’s eye care should also be a daily process. Use pet wipes or special dog eye wipes to wipe off boogers that accumulate in your pet’s eyes. If your Yorkie has light-colored fur around its eyes, it could develop tear stains.

In such a case, daily eye wiping is important. You must also trim the fur around your pet’s eyes to prevent tear stains.

Special eye wipes can eliminate tear-staining. Additionally, you should only feed your dog spring or bottled water (since the minerals in tap water can lead to tear stains).

Yorkie ear care can be done monthly (during bath time) for most Yorkie puppies.

If your pet swims regularly, then you might want to clean and dry its ears after each swim. This is important to prevent moisture from getting trapped inside, because it could result in ear infections.

Use special pet ear wipes for cleaning your pet’s ears. Avoid inserting the wipes too deeply inside the ear canal.

 

What Is A Typical Yorkie Haircut?

A typical Yorkie haircut style for an adult Yorkie is the “show cut”. It entails leaving the Yorkie’s body hair long – all the way to floor length.

You can tie a top knot on its head to prevent the hair from getting into its eyes. Needless to say, this style needs a lot of care and attention to prevent mats and tangles.

A typical or traditional Yorkie cut for puppies is the teddy bear cut. This entails leaving the hair neatly trimmed to a uniform length all over the body. The hair on the face is rounded or circular, giving your Yorkie a teddy-bear-like look.

This is also a popular haircut style for teacup Yorkies. Given their tiny size, many owners like to make them look like teddy bears.

 

What Is The Best Haircut For A Yorkie?

The short puppy cut is considered the best style for a Yorkie, since it is very neat and tidy, fairly easy to maintain, and reduces the hassle of daily brushing for busy owners.

The puppy cut’s short length can also keep matting to a minimum. Here are the steps for giving your Yorkie a puppy cut at home (this article details the entire hair cut process):

• Gather all your supplies and tools
• Place your pet on a grooming table or in the bathtub. Ensure it is safe.
• Brush your dog to remove tangles. If needed, bathe it since a wet coat is easier to trim.
• Use the #5 blade for trimming the body hair (although you can go down to #3 if you want to keep your Yorkie’s fur longer). If you opt for the #5 blade for the body, then use the #3 for the face. Trim the fur to around 2 inches long starting from your Yorkie’s neck and going backward.
• There should not be any uneven clipper marks. If needed, go over the area again.
• Shave the anal area short.
• Do detailed work on the ears, paws, and tail.

 

How Much Does It Cost To Cut A Yorkie’s Hair?

Different groomers charge differently for Yorkie haircuts. Places like PetSmart charge $40 for a bath and $75 for a bath plus nails, ears, teeth, and haircut.

On the other hand, places like PetCo charge $26 for a bath and $40 for basic grooming, which includes haircut, nail trimming, ear cleaning, oral care, etc.

Prices will differ based on your pet’s age, coat condition, and also the city where you live.

 

When To Give Yorkie Puppy Its First Haircut: Final Thoughts

You do not want to give your Yorkie puppy its first hair cut until it is old enough and has gone through the Yorkie puppy coat stages. And now you know that means waiting until it is 16 to 20 weeks old.

At that age, your pup will already have developed its adult coat. Moreover, it should have received all of its vaccinations and it will be better behaved than it was at a younger age.