Yorkshire Terriers are loved for many reasons: their spunky personalities, their small size, and their fun, confident attitudes. However, one of the main reasons people consider adopting a Yorkie is due to their reputation for low-shedding coats. Of course, a reputation is one thing; facts are another. So, do Yorkies shed? We’ll talk about that and more in the article to follow.
Do Yorkies Shed?
Anyone who owns a Yorkie will probably tell you that their precious pup does not shed, which ultimately categorizes them under the “hypoallergenic” breeds.
However, all dogs shed. So does a Yorkie truly never shed? Well, no. All dogs lose fur, including Yorkies, but this breed sheds far less than other dogs.
Instead of going through a shedding season of heavy fur loss, Yorkies shed hair lightly throughout the year. Oftentimes, when a Yorkie loses hair, it gets caught in its coat. You will rarely find clumps of fur around your home with this breed.
Why Is My Yorkie Shedding More?
Although a normal, healthy Yorkie shouldn’t shed very often at all, you may notice that your pup is losing more hair than usual. There are a few things that can impact your Yorkie’s coat.
Malnutrition is one of the main factors in unnatural Yorkie shedding. If your dog isn’t getting its basic nutrients in his diet—water, vitamins, minerals, protein, and carbohydrates—he could experience hair loss.
Yorkies are also prone to skin allergies, which can lead to hair loss. Dermatitis can develop from environmental and external factors, including everything from fleas to the shampoo you use.
Your veterinarian can help you with both of these issues by recommending the ideal dog food and performing some allergy testing.
5 Fun Facts About Yorkies Coats
Yorkies have unique coats, which is why they are hypoallergenic and classified as non-shedding breeds. We can learn a little more about their coats through some fun facts that we’ve put together.
Yorkies Have Hair, Not Fur
While many dogs have coats of fur covering their bodies, Yorkies do not. Instead, this breed grows hair instead of fur. That’s why there is such a huge difference in the texture and feel of a Yorkie’s coat versus a lab or another common breed.
Hair is much smoother, longer, and finer when compared to fur. Fur coats are usually thicker and denser, while hair stays thin. We can attribute many traits about the Yorkie to its hair, such as coat density, shedding, and appearance.
Yorkies Have One Coat
The majority of dog breeds have double coats, meaning they have an upper layer and an under layer. The purpose of the double coat is to keep a dog warm throughout the winter and cooler in the summer. It’s nature’s way of protecting a dog who would have originally lived outdoors in the wild.
The under layer of a double coat sheds all year round, but it sheds heavily during shedding season. This heavy shedding keeps a dog cooler during the hotter months while preparing for a new layer for the cold to come.
Yorkies, however, do not have a double coat—they only have one coat. Instantly, we can recognize that less hair automatically means less shedding. The Yorkie wasn’t built to withstand cold and hot seasons naturally, so it doesn’t have an undercoat to swap out every year.
Instead, a Yorkie’s hair will fall out lightly throughout the year, much like a human’s hair does.
Yorkies Need Additional Grooming
You may think that, as a single-coated dog, your Yorkie doesn’t require any grooming. And while he doesn’t need as much attention as long-haired, double coated dogs do, he does still need some pampering.
The most critical component to grooming a Yorkie is brushing its hair. Since Yorkies grow hair and not fur, their hair can grow to great lengths. Some owners keep the hair shorts in a teddy bear cut, while others keep it long.
If you have a Yorkie with a long coat, you will need to brush it every single day. This hair can quickly and easily become a tangled mess, much like a human’s hair, so it’s essential to avoid painful matting.
Your Yorkie does not need a de-shedding tool since he won’t frequently be shedding like other dogs. Rather, opt for a single brush like a bubble-tipped pin brush. Your Yorkie doesn’t have an undercoat, so the bubble tips are better for its sensitive skin.
And because your Yorkie’s skin is more exposed than other dogs, you’ll have to bathe him more often. Use a delicate shampoo and give him a bath once every two to four weeks.
Yorkie Coats Come in Many Colors
Yorkies can be bred to have four different colors:
- Blue
- Black
- Gold
- Tan
In the average Yorkie, a puppy is born with black and tan coloring. As a Yorkie grows into an adult, its coat will change to reflect a blue and gold pattern. Traditionally, a Yorkie will have blue from the neck up to the tail.
But some puppies are born a little different, with coats of bronze or gray with black spots. These puppies likely won’t end up with the traditional Yorkie coloring as they grow and are therefore not ideal for breeding.
Yorkies Are Hypoallergenic
While no dog breed is 100% hypoallergenic, the Yorkie does fall into that category of dogs. This means that Yorkies, like other hypoallergenic dogs, are better for pet owners who have allergies than other breeds.
The main cause of dog allergies is their dander, which is attached to dog hair. Yorkies do not have much dander compared to other dogs, which makes them easier for those with allergies to live with.
Additionally, since Yorkies don’t shed as much as other breeds, their dander isn’t spread as easily. While your Yorkie may not be completely allergy-free, they do make a better choice for anyone who has pet allergies.
