Shorkie Grooming
Grooming Your Shorkie
Bathe no more than every other week. You do not want to dry out your shorkies skin. Use pet wipes in-between bathing. The short muzzle of a Shorkie causes them to place their face very close to things in order to smell them causing their face to frequently get dirty. This is where pet wipes work wonders! Use a soft toothbrush to wash under the eye area and rinse well. If your Shorkie gets their feet dirty outside everyday, again pet wipes are perfect. Wet paper towel will do the trick too! Bathing too often will remove the natural oils necessary for a shiny, healthy coat.
Brush them before AND after you bathe them. Brushing before makes the brushing afterward part much easier. Place some cotton balls in their ears before the bath. Water in the ears is one of the most common causes of ear infections. Please remember to remove these once you are done with the bath!
Keep the shampoo out of their eyes. If you do get soap in the eyes, simply wash with warm water or saline such as you would use if you wear contact lenses.
Rinse thoroughly. It is easy to leave some shampoo residue, especially between their toes. This will cause them to lick and irritate their skin.
Be sure to blow dry thoroughly. Shorkies love to run and roll after a bath. If they are still wet, they will pick up all kinds of things from the ground and ruin all the work you have just completed. Invest in a table doggy drier to free both your hands. Hold a brush in one hand and the other on your dog where the hot air is blowing on them. This way you will always know the temperature of the air. It can sometimes get too hot very quickly. Dry a puppy's chest first to prevent them catching a chill. Be careful blowing hot air into their face. They have a very short muzzle so the air they breath doesn't have much time to cool before it reaches their lungs. Do not directly blow hot air in the face of a puppy under 4 months of age.
If you choose not to bathe them yourself, try to find a groomer that will groom by individual appointment so that your puppy does not have to spend the entire day in a crate, that can be very stressful on a dog at any age. Make sure you find a reputable groomer. Holding down a wiggling puppy can be very stressful for them. You should bathe them yourself the first 4 months or so. That will help them get used to the bath and blow drier. They will not be as frightened during their first trip to the groomer.
Brushing
The Shorkie coat needs to be brushed every few days. Soft coat textures tangle and mat quicker than hard coats so unless you are keeping them in a puppy cut... run the brush through them every few days. Buy a wire brush9SLICKER BRUSH) Start brushing at the extreme ends like the feet, legs, belly and then upwards on the back. Brush gently all the way down to the skin to get rid of tangles and mats.
Change to a comb when grooming your SHORKIES FACE face, feet and under its ears. Pay special attention to the hairs in-between the feet pads. You should remove excess hair from its ear canal. Apply an ear powder to the hair in the ear canal and gently pull.
Teeth
Your Shorkies(ALL TOY BREEDS) teeth are prone to plaque, calculus, gingivitis and other periodontal disease. Brush its teeth twice weekly with pet toothbrush and doggie toothpaste. Its jaw is small and teeth are often overcrowded; leading to higher probability of teeth disease.
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