Yorkie Hair Cuts

The major dilemma that any owner of a yorkshire terrier goes through is deciding on a haircut for their hairy baby. When the pups are newly born, they have short coats. As time passes and they reach the twelfth month, the coat starts to get visibly longer and by the 2 year mark if you don’t cut your fur baby’s hair their coat will be practically touching the ground.

We’ll talk about the various haircuts that you can give (or an expert!) to your furry friend. And believe it, as there is more than one way where a haircut can be a fun experience and where your little one can look cute with personality at the same time!

Yorkshire Terrier Hairstyles FAQ’s:

What are the most popular haircuts for Yorkshire Terriers?

Most owners of Yorkshire Terriers choose to keep the coats short to medium length as it is easier to manage. This question was asked to 2,146 owners of Yorkshire Terriers and 52% of them relented on keeping the coat short and 35% of them liked to keep the coat of their furry babies to a medium length. While the rest of the 11% risked keeping the coat long, a small percentage of 2% shaved the coats of their pets.

While it is evident that short coats are preferable by most owners, there is a reason for it to be a common choice. Short coats are easier to groom, and they won’t get tangled easily. The dog looks neater without having the need for constant brushes through it. An average of two to three times per week is more than enough. There really is no downside other than your dog won’t be show quality necessarily. Which isn’t a downside for 99.9% of yorkie owners!

How often does a yorkshire terrier need a trim?

Yorkshire terriers need a trim or a haircut every 6 to 8 weeks, depending on how fast the coat grows on your dog. If a trim is skipped, it means that something awful would happen to the dog, but you would need to pay more attention to brushing and removing the tangles from the coat.

At what age must a yorkie get its first haircut?

As mentioned earlier, a yorkie grows it’s coat to a visibly long length by the twelfth month. So in a way, your pup is ready for it’s first haircut by the time its between 9 months to 12 months old, depending on your hair length preference of course. At that point, your dog would have grown its coat to a length where it can be snipped to reveal that cute face.

Some yorkies need more time to grow their coats and therefore, would need to wait for a few more months before it can be taken for its first haircut. This is natural as all Terriers are not the same.

Of course its very important that your dog has received all of its shots before venturing outside for it’s first time.

How long does it take for the coat to reach floor length?

All pups have their own time span on growing their coats and reaching the floor length. But strictly speaking from the general point of view, a Yorkshire Terrier takes about 1.5 years to 2 years for its coat to reach floor length regarding the fact that there has been no trims or cuts over that period of time. So, if that is what an owner is aiming for its furry pup, a lot of patience is definitely on the menu.

Different Types Of Coat Lengths For Yorkshire Terriers:

Before deciding on the shape of the coat shape for your Yorkshire Terrier, it is important to decide on the coat length first. As there are different types of coat lengths, lets have a look before we decide first! Owners can experiment on different haircuts before deciding on one as long as it is not shaved because that would mean that the owner has to wait before the coat grows back! An owner can choose from five coat lengths and they are:

1. Shaved:

Of course, this does not take the literal meaning of shaving off all the hair, but when a Yorkshire Terrier is given the shaved haircut, it means that the hair is closely clipped to the body, but the hair on the head are long and neatly shaped. But some owners clip the hair on the head keeping it short like on the rest of the body as well. There are no rules really and it is up to the owner to make a preference.

2. Short (Puppy cut):

This is the most popular haircut for yorkshire terriers and most owners prefer to keep this length. The length of the hair is slightly longer when compared to the hair for shaved haircuts, but it is still comparably short. This haircut is easy to maintain and needs only two to three brushes in a day to keep your pet looking neat and tidy. It is also advisable to put some leave-in hair product for your pets to keep dirt and debris out of their hair.

3. Medium:

This is the second most popular haircut for yorkie. This length of the coat gives the soft and fluffy appearance to the hair and some owners take the liberty of accessorizing the hair with ribbons which is always cute. It is obviously longer than the short cut, but the length is not hard to maintain and brushes can be kept to a minimum as long as there are no tangles. Forehead hair can be trimmed from time to time to help your little one keep the hair out of their eyes.

4. Long:

With a long length, a yorkshire terrier can really show off its vibrant coat with its full color placing. There is no doubt that maintaining this length will not be easy as constant care is required in keeping the tangles away and maintaining its sheen with the right amount of washing and products. Nevertheless, this is a great length for owners who don’t mind the extra work that comes with it.

5. Floor Length (Very Long):

This is what most owners prefer for their yorkshire terriers especially if they are meant for the show ring. The hair touches the floor obviously and it needs a top knot. Although it is not for everyone since everyone doesn’t have the time to check for tangles and brush it all the time, it is what most people think of when they hear the words “yorkshire terrier”.

Different types of shaping of haircuts for yorkies:

Shaping a yorkshire terrier’s haircut is a fun way to add some flair to your furry friend’s personality. Although some people do not opt for this, as it requires touch-ups every 6 to 8 weeks, there is no denying that those pups look adorable and you just want to cuddle them.

It is important that shaping must be done by an expert as they can provide tips of getting the right shape for your pet. The ideas of shaping are limitless as they can range from a square shape to a rounded shape and anything in between and beyond. But some of them are discussed below as to reveal some ideas and inspirations.

1. Flared Hair Cut, Short:

With this shaping, the yorkie basically looks like it is wearing a pair of bell bottom jeans. Basically, the hair on the body is clipped close but the hair on the legs are kept long, which gives the illusion of flared pants. The hair on the face can be shaped according to the preference of the owner, but most of the time, the face is given a trim as well. This a stylish cut and yet one that requires very low maintenance.

2. Flared Hair Cut, Shaved:

This shaping is similar to the flared short hair cut but the only difference is that, not only is the body clipped to a very short length, the hair on the upper legs is short clipped as well while the hair from the mid-legs to the lower legs are dramatically flared. The hair on the head can be trimmed, but in some cases, the hair is made to tumble over the ears and the hair on the forehead is kept on a cute top knot!

3. Teddy Bear Haircut:

This shaping makes a Yorkie look adorable as it basically makes it look like a teddy bear or a mini Chewbacca. The hair around the whole body and face are trimmed and kept at equal lengths while the hairs around the paws are rounded off. If an owner chooses to give this adorable shaping, he/she must be prepared for a lot of trips to the stylist as this must be trimmed quite often to keep its shape.

4. Westie Cut:

This cut can be given to Yorkshire Terriers that have medium to long hair. Here, the hair is stacked from the base of the ears to the whole side of the face. Both the sides of the section of hair meet beneath the chin which somehow reminds the mane of a regal lion. The hairs on the forehead are either kept short or kept in a top knot to help your dog see well.

5. Squared Puppy Cut:

The squared puppy cut is an excellent cut for your yorkie during the summer months. The entire body is clipped and the hair is kept short. While the hair on the face is given a proper trim to enact the shape of a square, the forehead hairs are kept at least an inch long. The owners can choose to make the forehead hair stand with some gel so that the face looks fully square. This haircut needs uber low maintenance and helps the skin breath during the hot weather as well. Some owners may try to revamp this shape by keeping the forehead hair in a top knot. And some can just get simply creative!

6. Layer Stack:

All Yorkshire Terriers have different color placements and the owners will have to rely on their power of creativity. But this shaping is basically just stacks of hair that is layered in three tiers. With Yorkies that have multiple color placements, the hair can be cut in such a way that each layer has different colors.

Different Hair Cut Options For The Face Of Yorkshire Terriers:

As discussed earlier, a Yorkshire Terrier can have any length of hair on the face. Of course, everyone would agree that it would be weird for a Yorkie to have short facial hair while the body sports long length hair. The most common option is for your furry friend to get a short haircut for the body while the hair on the face can be generous.

Some haircuts for the face are:

1. Closely shaved Face and Hair:

For those owners who would like to keep their pets neat and tidy, shaving the head along with the body is also a common option. The hair on the head are clipped closely which makes it much easier for the owners to maintain without much upkeep.

2. Medium Length Head and Face:

The hair on the whole body and the face are kept at a medium length. Some people prefer to keep the hair on the forehead in a top knot while some prefer to let it fall on the sides with a middle section.

3. Long Length Head and Face:

For a posh look, the yorkies have long length hair on the face as well as the body. Here, the hair on the forehead is kept on a topknot naturally as the long length hair can obstruct vision.

Some Helpful Tips Before Sending In Your Pet For A Haircut:

1. If you are going to take your yorkie for a first time haircut, always make sure that you take it to a professional dog groomer that has references. It may seem trivial but a bad dog groomer can really traumatize a dog.

2. There have been instances when the groomer gets carried away and cuts the hair of your dog too short. This happens usually during the first visit, so it is important to carry a picture of the particular haircut that you want the groomer to cut for your dog so that there are no mishaps at the end of the day.

3. Dogs can feel attached to their regular groomers and may feel more comfortable with a known groomer as opposed to a stranger cutting their hair. Therefore, even though an appointment has been made, there may be instances where the regular groomer may leave for some errands and a different groomer may take the place of the usual one. If you as an owner know that your pet might be uncomfortable with this, it is important to instruct your groomer of your preferences.

4. While choosing a hairstyle, it is important to consider ease and convenience for you the owner in grooming in between hair trimmings.