The most noticeable characteristic about the Yorkie is its coat. And the coats that you've probably seen are naturally long, but they aren't naturally beautiful. That shiny silk look and feel is achieved through constant grooming only. Without this grooming, you might see something that resembles a matted mess instead! If you're curious about how to achieve that striking look, the following Yorkshire terrier care tips will help.

Know What You're Dealing With

Believe it or not, Yorkie hair is a lot like human hair. It grows, it gets tangled, and it needs daily combing and brushing, just like your hair does.

Washing

Wash your Yorkie's hair dog shampoo when you bathe her. Here's how:

STEP 1: If you notice any matted hair, remove it with a mat rake before bathing. Matted hair worsens in water.

STEP 2: Wet the Yorkie down and gently work in the shampoo from tail to neck. Rinse with a warm gentle spray after the shampoo has set in for a few minutes.

STEP 3: Lightly lather your hands with a few drops of shampoo and then clean the pup's face, ears, and muzzle. Instead of rinsing the face with the sprayer, rinse it from a cup of fresh warm water.

STEP 4: Follow up with doggie conditioner and rinse again. When finished, drain the bath while squeezing water from the dog's hair.

STEP 5: Wrap the dog on an absorbent towel and then let the towel soak up most of the water for you. Then let nature take its course and allow the dog to shake off the rest. She'll most likely run away -- stopping here and there to give herself a couple of more thorough shakes -- but upon her return, you can gently brush her coat the same way you would brush your own hair.

Brushing

You don't need to bathe your dog everyday, but you certainly need to brush its hair everyday. Daily brushing will prevent matting. Just be sure to brush it while it's damp. If you don't, the hair will break off. So spray it with a 3:1 ratio of conditioner and warm water first, then proceed to brush. Grab a small section of the hair and brush from the tip of the section up toward the dog's skin.

If you notice any mats, you can remove them with the mat rake we mentioned earlier, or you can simply cut them out.

Follow up the brushing with combing. You'll need a fine-toothed comb for this last step so that you can locate additional but smaller mats (tangles, knots, etc).

Drying

Blow drying your dog's hair will straighten it, smooth it, and give a "finished" salon look. You'll want to set the dryer on a low setting, and work from the back of the dog up to the front. Move the dryer in a circular motion as you comb through the hair since this will lift each strand and ensure that each one gets the warmth it needs to dry. Don't forget to dry the entire dog. That includes 'arm' pits, private areas, under the tail, and all!

Wrapping

If your Yorkie is a show dog, you'll want to protect its coat with a wrap. A wrap is made with wax-paper and rubber bands, and it protects a dog's hair section-by-section. To wrap your dog's hair, part it into sections and then place each section inside a piece of folded wax-paper. Try not to twist the hair. Then roll the wrapped sections toward the dog's body and secure them with rubber bands.