If you are a fresh Yorkie owner, you might be wondering how much they shed over the year if they shed at all. It’s a question that’s being asked numerous times on the Internet, and if you look it up, you’ll see that there doesn’t seem to be an apparent answer. Even if you’re an experienced Yorkie owner and you’ve had your dog for quite some time, it can be challenging to determine whether this breeds always shed, periodically, or doesn’t shed at all.
In this article, we’ll dive a bit deeper into this topic. Yorkies are one of the most popular breeds nowadays, and if it has to be us to give an answer to the question do Yorkies shed, then so be it. But, first and foremost, let’s see why Yorkies are so popular nowadays and what makes people pick this breed over other ones.
Facts about Yorkies
American Kennel Club, one of the essential organizations in the US when it comes to dog breeds, says that Yorkies sit on the 9th place of the most popular dog ladder in the US. That’s a high ranking if you ask us. You should keep in mind that the first three spots are occupied by labradors, golden retrievers, and Frenchies, which you can see whenever you go out on the street.
Yorkies, however, are a bit different. People pick Yorkies because of their small size, their sweet looks, and generally because they don’t want to be like the rest of the people who own a Golden Retriever. Now, we don’t have anything against this dog breed. It’s just that it’s so popular that when you imagine a random family with a dog – it’s likely to be a Golden Retriever.
Yorkies also have some traits that make them great life companions. They are easily adaptable, which means they won’t have issues adapting to modern, busy city life. They are also very good with kids, so people pick them if they want their kid to have a friend at home. Their personality is also reliable. Yorkies aren’t nervous dogs, they usually don’t bark too much, and they are loving and passionate towards other dogs. All these things make Yorkies an excellent pet to have if you’re looking for a small dog that won’t get into a lot of trouble.
Yorkies are also tiny, which means you can carry them pretty much in a backpack—being small means that they are portable, and thus, you can take your Yorkie on a trip with you to share some time.
Now that we covered some of the basic Yorkie facts let’s see why dogs generally shed.
Are Yorkies High Maintenance?
Shedding is typical for almost every dog. Some dogs don’t shed at all, such as Chiwava. But, generally speaking, dogs do shed regularly, and you shouldn’t be too worried about it. When it comes to shedding, it’s usually a common thing, but it can turn out to be a clear indicator that there’s something wrong with your dog. Especially if your dog sheds too much or if it doesn’t shed at all and it’s a type of breed which should shed. So, what are the factors that go into the equation and tell us if the dog will shed or not? There are three of them:
- Dog’s health
- Breed
- Season and Environment
Generally speaking, dogs shed because their hair serves as a protective layer during the year. When it’s cold outside, they build up their hair and have a thick protective layer, which makes them warm. During spring and fall, when the weather changes, they start to shed. This is perfectly normal as, during the summer, they don’t need so much hair, and it would be exhausting for them to tolerate so much heat. This type of shedding is often called seasonal shedding, and it’s completely normal for every breed. As we said, this shed occurs during fall and spring when the seasonal switch occurs.
The environment can also play a huge role when it comes to shedding. For example, if you live in a cold place such as Norway, let’s say, then your dog might shed a bit less than it’s supposed to. This is also perfectly normal as your dog needs an extra protective layer of hair since the temperature in Norway doesn’t go past 20 degrees Celsius even during the summer. On the other hand, if you live in a tropical destination where it’s usually scorching (Miami), then your dog will probably shed a bit often. Just to get the weight off their shoulders.
Shedding also depends on the breed. Some breeds are notorious for extreme shedding such as border collie, and some kinds have minimal shedding, such as previously mentioned Chiwava. When you opt for a dog, check online how much does that specific breed shed so that you know what to expect.
Shedding is also related to your dog’s health. As we said, it’s normal for your dog to shed occasionally during the year. But, if you don’t live in an extremely hot or cold environment and your dog sheds too much or too little, then that’s maybe a sign that it has some skin or other underlying issues. If that’s the case, you should take your dog to the vet just to be sure that there’s nothing you should worry about.
Now that we covered the basics of shedding let’s see what is the situation when it comes to Yorkies. Do they shed?
How bad do Yorkies shed?
To answer the question of whether Yorkies shed, we first need to look at what type of coat they have. If you look at other dogs, you’ll notice that their fur consists of thick, coarse, and short strands. As the strands grow, they stop at a certain length. Then, they are pushed out by the new strands, which will make new fur. As we said, this happens on occasions during the year, so what you’re left is a nightmare for furniture. You’ll need to do some vacuum cleaning.
Yorkies are a bit different. Their fur consists of hair that’s beautiful, silky, and longer than you would find in an average dog. What this means is that their hair grows longer, and it doesn’t cycle through shedding as with other dogs. If we compared Yorkie’s coat with something else, we would say that it’s similar to human hair as their hair grows at the same rate, much like humans.
This means that Yorkies won’t have big sheds throughout the year. You might notice some hair strands here and there, especially when you brush their coat. So, in other words, Yorkies are dogs that don’t shed too much, which is something we can’t say for other kinds.
Do Yorkies Shed? How to take care of their hair?
Now that you know that your Yorkie won’t be shedding a lot, you might feel relief. But, it’s all in vain if you don’t take care of their fur so that it’s in a good state. First things first, you need to brush it. Brush it a lot. If you aren’t precisely a brushing type of person and don’t like to brush your dog every few days, maybe Yorkie isn’t for you. Brushing is essential to take the extra hair off, so you aren’t left with a bunch of gray hairs every once in a while.
Another thing you should consider here is that you need to get a proper brush. Not every brush will work for Yorkie as it has silky fur. There are different types of brushes, all depending on how coarse your dog’s coat is and if their hair is healthy or not. For example, German Shepherds will need more forceful brushing, and they can tolerate that as their coating is very thick. On the other hand, Yorkies are sensitive, and you need to get a gentle brush and slowly brush their fur.
Yorkies’ hair can also get tangled, and if that’s the situation, don’t apply too much force to untangle it. As with humans, it will hurt, and the last thing you would want is to make your fluffy friend go through pain.
Lastly, buy proper food for your Yorkie. If you want it to be healthy and have luxurious fur, then you should get quality meals for it. Daily intake of vitamins is essential for dogs, and as with humans, if they lack something in their body, they might manifest it in some way – extra shedding for an example.
READ ALSO: 7 Best Yorkie Harnesses You Must Have
Love Your Yorkie
Hopefully, after reading this article, you know if Yorkies shed and how much do they shed. We made some excellent points that you should follow if you wish that your Yorkie has luxurious fur. But, just to be clear, your Yorkie might shed a bit more than an average Yorkie would. All we stated above is related to the Yorkies as a breed, but we don’t exclude any option that every individual dog is different. This means that it’s possible that your Yorkie sheds a bit more than the average one, but on the other hand, it could even shed less. Whatever the case might be, you should love your dog the way it is, give it quality food and just spend as much time as you can with it.
Photo credit: @ayorkienamedava / @kramervsla / @lea_yorkiee
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