Yorkshire Terrier care calendar

Year-round routine

What a Yorkshire Terrier needs on a repeating cadence, whatever the month.

• GroomingComb through — long coatDaily

  A fine silky coat mats behind the ears, under the legs and where a harness sits. A light conditioning spray reduces breakage while combing.

• GroomingClip — short coat optionEvery 6-8 weeks

  A puppy clip drops daily combing to a weekly brush. Perfectly reasonable for a pet Yorkie and far more comfortable in summer.

• GroomingTrim around the eyes and sanitary areaEvery 2-3 weeks

  Hair falling into the eyes causes irritation; a topknot or a trim both work.

• GroomingBathEvery 2-3 weeks

  More often than most breeds because the coat is hair and picks up oils. Dry and comb out fully.

• GroomingEar check and hair trim in the canal openingWeekly

  Keep the opening clear so air reaches the canal.

• GroomingNail trimEvery 2-3 weeks

  Very little natural wear on a small indoor dog.

• ParasitesHeartworm preventiveMonthly, year-round

  The American Heartworm Society recommends year-round prevention rather than a seasonal course, because a missed shoulder month is how most infections get in. Give it on the same date each month.

• ParasitesFlea and tick preventiveMonthly, year-round

  Peak exposure runs spring through late autumn, but fleas overwinter indoors and ticks stay active above about 4 °C, so most vets now advise dosing through the winter as well.

• DentalBrush teethDaily, or at minimum three times a week

  Only pet toothpaste — xylitol and fluoride in human paste are not safe to swallow. Plaque mineralises into tartar in two to three days, which is why twice a week is the floor rather than the target.

• DentalCheck gums and back teethMonthly

  Lift the lip and look at the upper carnassials and the gum line. Red margins, a brown band, or breath that changed recently are the signs worth a call.

• DentalProfessional dental assessmentAt the annual exam

  Toy breeds need professional assessment yearly from a young age, and often a first scale well before a large breed would. Ask specifically about retained deciduous teeth in dogs under two.

• WellnessAnnual wellness examYearly

  Book it in the same month each year so it does not drift. Twice yearly from about age seven, when changes move faster than a twelve-month gap can catch.

• WellnessCore vaccinations reviewedYearly review, boosters on your vet's schedule

  Rabies interval is set by local law; distemper/parvo combinations are commonly three-yearly after the initial series. Lifestyle vaccines — leptospirosis, Lyme, kennel cough — depend on where you walk and whether you board.

• WellnessWeigh and body-condition scoreMonthly at home

  You should feel the ribs easily under a thin layer, and see a waist from above. Weight creeping up is the single most common thing an owner can fix without a prescription.

• WellnessNail length checkEvery 2 weeks

  If you hear the nails on a hard floor they are long. Overlong nails change how the foot loads and, over years, how the joints above it are loaded too.

• WellnessDaily tooth brushing — non-negotiable in this breedDaily

  Toy breeds accumulate periodontal disease early and lose teeth young. Daily brushing genuinely changes the outcome; weekly does not.

• WellnessHarness rather than collarOngoing

  Pressure on the throat aggravates a collapsing trachea, which the breed is prone to. Use a harness for all lead work.

Month by month

The dates that move. Shedding, parasite season and the annual checks worth booking in a particular month.