Despite being a toy dog breed, Yorkshire Terriers have long, flowing hair, which keeps growing. Trimming a Yorkie regularly is important to maintain its coat in order to prevent snarls and matting.
There are different Yorkshire Terrier haircut styles that suit this little cute dog. In this article, I’ll discuss how to cut haircut styles for Yorkshire Terriers.
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Yorkshire Terrier: How to Cut Haircut Styles – Steps to Follow
The hair of Yorkshire Terriers is different from most dogs as they somewhat resemble human hair and it grows long in a single coat. The Yorkie’s hair also doesn’t shed like other dog breeds but they need regular trimming. You can use any of the following methods to give your little furry friend a stylish haircut.
Supplies You’ll Need
You’ll need the following supplies for the haircut styles listed below:
- Dog Clippers
- Dog Comb
- Rounded Scissors
- Dog Shampoo
Teddy Bear Cut: Step by Step Guide
Teddy Bear cut is one of the most popular hairstyles for Yorkshire Terriers and it involves the following steps.
Comb Dog’s Hair
The first step is to comb your dog’s hair to detangle them. It’ll make the cutting process easy as it’ll straighten the hair by removing knots.
Trim Body Hair
Dog clippers have different blades that cut hair at different lengths. The higher the blade number the shorter the hair length. You can refer to the following table to know more about blade numbers and the hair length they offer.
| Blade Number | Hair Length in Inches |
| 3 | 1/2 |
| 4 | 3/8 |
| 5 | 1/4 |
| 7 | 1/8 |
| 9 | 5/64 |
| 10 | 1/16 |
| 15 | 3/64 |
| 30 | 1/50 |
Pick up the #5 blade and start the trimming process. You can use this blade for the entire body except for the ears, tail, and head which need more focused and detailed trimming. I recommend you use the #4 blade if you’re cutting your dog’s hair during cold months.
Cut Hair on Dog’s Head
Now, use the #3 blade to cut hair on your dog’s head. Be very careful while cutting hair from sensitive areas such as the groin and anus.
Cut Facial hair
Once you have trimmed most of your dog’s coat, grab the #10 blade to cut the hair around both eyes and whiskers. Pick the same number blade that you used for the head to trim the hair around the nose, be careful about irritating their nose. After that cut the hair on the ears gently using the #3 blade.
Use Scissors for Adjustments
Use rounded scissors to cut hair that sticks out from the tops and bottoms of your pup’s feet. Use the same approach to cut tail hair. For a Teddy Bear cut the hair on the tail should be at least two inches long.
Now inspect your dog’s coat closely and cut flyaways using scissors and make sure that all the areas of your dog’s body have the same length.
Use the same technique to even out facial hair but be very careful because you don’t want to decrease the hair length during this step. The purpose of using scissors is to achieve a uniform look.
Bathe and Dry Yorkie
Use a dog-specific shampoo to give your dog a gentle bath to get rid of the remaining hair from its body. Use a hairdryer to dry your dog’s coat and that’s about it.
Schnauzer Cut: Step by Step Guide
This haircut style is inspired by the Schnauzer breed and it involves the following steps.
Clip Back Fur
Comb your dog’s hair properly. Use #10 or #8 blade and start that trimming process by placing the clippers at the base of your Yorkie’s head. Run clippers towards the tail and use the same technique to trim areas all around the back.
Continue clipping on both sides of your Yorkie in a downward motion but don’t cut hair from the underbelly. Use the same blade to shave around the tail by following the fur growth direction. Clip down hair slightly above the shoulder bones on your dog’s front legs and just above the joints in the hind legs.
Continue the cutting process to clip hair from the fore-chest and neck but stop just before reaching the chin line. The hair on the legs and underbelly will be significantly longer than the rest of the body. If the hair on these parts is more than two inches long, use scissors to trim them.
Cut Hair on Head and Face
Use the same blade to cut hair on the head and ears very gently. Now pick up the #5 blade to cut the hair around the eyes and whiskers. Use rounded scissors to trim the hair on these areas so that they have 1.5 to 2 inches of length.
Keep in mind that in Schnauzer cut the hair around your dog’s nose including the mustache and chin area is longer than the rest of the body, just like the underbelly and legs.
Cut Hair on Paws
Trim long hair around the nails using rounded scissors. You’ll also need to trim the back of your dog’s paws if there is fur in between the pads.
Bathe and Dry Yorkie
Use a dog-specific shampoo to bathe your dog and dry the fur using a hairdryer.
Westie Cut: Step by Step Guide
The Westie cut is somewhat similar to the Schnauzer hairstyle but in this haircut, your Yorkie will have longer fur throughout the body. You can use the following steps to give your Yorkshire Terrier the Westie cut.
Cut Back Fur
Comb your dog’s hair and use the #5 blade to cut hair from your dog’s back and side. While many groomers use the same blade to cut hair from the underbelly and legs, I recommend you use the #3 blade for this purpose. It’ll provide your cute little Yorkie with a more stylish and beautiful look.
Clip Hair on Head and Face
Use the #5 blade to cut hair on the chin and grab the #3 blade to cut hair on the head and around the eyes. Make sure that you don’t cut eyebrows because they need to be longer just like mustaches and hair around the nose.
Use rounded scissors to adjust eyebrows and mustaches. The length of hair around these areas should be 1 to 1.5 inches long.
Trim Paw Pads and Tail
Use the #10 blade to trim the hair on paw pads. One of the main features of a Westie cut is the carrot-shaped tail. Use rounded scissors to create the carrot shape, which will be thicker at the base and pointy at the tip.
Bathe and Dry Yorkie
Now, bathe and dry your Yorkie using a dog-specific shampoo and hairdryer respectively.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the Best Haircut Style for Yorkshire Terriers?
The best haircut style for a Yorkshire Terrier depends upon your personal preferences. However, the Teddy Bear cut is the most popular haircut style that looks incredible on Yorkies because of their small sized bodies.
What Length Should You Cut Your Yorkie’s Hair?
You’ll need to cut your Yorkies hair at different lengths depending upon the haircut style you choose.
If you live in a place with a cold climate, I recommend you go with the Westie cut as it offers longer hair length as compared to other haircut styles. You can go with the Teddy Bear cut if you live somewhere with high temperatures.
Final Words
Choosing the right haircut style for your Yorkie is important. If you’re looking for a hairstyle with low maintenance, go with a Schnauzer cut. The Teddy Bear cut has medium maintenance requirements but if you don’t mind brushing your dog regularly or live in a colder climate, you can go with the Westie cut.
