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How Can I Get My Yorkie's Hair Thick & Silky?

| Updated October 24, 2017

Creating a thick and silky Yorkie coat takes more than brushing and grooming. A good Yorkie coat happens from the inside out, with high quality nutrition. Then you must decide whether you want your Yorkie to have a long, traditional show coat or an easy-care short cut.

Hair, Not Fur

The Yorkie coat consists of hair, similar to human hair, rather than fur or the double coat carried by other breeds. Depending on the genetics of a Yorkie's breeding, he may have a more dense coat or even a wiry coat. Look at your Yorkie's parents to determine what type of coat your dog will have. A typical Yorkie coat is straight, shiny and silky. It's more difficult to achieve that with a thicker, dense or wiry coat. Most Yorkie owners choose to keep their dogs in a shorter haircut to manage dense or wiry coat types. Yorkie coats with short cuts are easier to maintain, but still require the same care.

Feed for Shine

Start your Yorkie's coat with a high quality food. Avoid foods with by-products, wheat, corn or soy. Read food labels, and look for a food with the protein source listed first. Choose a food that contains fatty acids, which will help enhance the moisture and shine in a Yorkie coat. Omegas 3 and 6 are essential to keeping your dog's skin and coat healthy, and help guard against skin irritants and allergies.

Bathe for Beauty

Bathe your Yorkie at least once a month for optimum coat health. Bathing too often will result in stripping the coat oils and drying the hair out; too infrequently will give you an oily coat that clumps and smells. Brush your dog before bathing to remove any tangles in the coat. Use a good shampoo made for dogs and bathe in lukewarm water, never hot or cold. Follow with a canine conditioner made for Yorkie hair and thoroughly rinse the dog with warm water.

Warnings

  • Never use human shampoo on your Yorkie. Only shampoo made for dogs has the correct pH for canine skin and coats. Human shampoo can dry the coat and irritate the skin.

Grooming Requirements

A Yorkie coat should be groomed daily, although if your dog sports a short cut, every other day is sufficient. Work any tangles out with your hands first, then follow with a natural bristle brush and metal comb. Mist your dog's coat with water before grooming. Brushing a dry coat can break the hair.

Tips

  • Mix a bit of canine conditioner in a spray bottle filled with water to add shine and body to your dog's coat. Use for daily grooming.