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Yorkies are pleasantly easy to own for a broad assortment of pet lovers, partly due to their size and personality and partly because of their flowing low-shedding coats. Yorkshire Terriers are considered low shedders, but also high maintenance; their beautiful coats need regular grooming.
The Yorkie’s evergrowing and silky coat requires a more involved grooming routine. We’ll explore the extent of a Yorkshire Terrier’s shedding and whether they’re hypoallergenic as some people claim.
Yorkshire Terrier Coat Characteristics
The Yorkshire Terrier is instantly recognizable in the show ring thanks to their adorable top knot and glistening, floor-sweeping coat. The coat is similar to human hair. It has long, fine strands and lacks the short, quick-shedding undercoat that defines double-coated breeds.
Double-coated dogs like Huskies or German Shepherds shed constantly and in high volume, covering their homes in fur throughout the year. When the seasons change, they blow their undercoat heavily. Spring is the heaviest coat-blowing period, as dogs lighten their coats to manage the warm weather and make way for new seasonal growth, demanding significant grooming and house-cleaning.
Yorkshire Terrier’s silky hair lacks this undercoat, so owners happily avoid any heavy shedding periods.
Do Yorkshire Terriers Shed?
Yorkshire Terriers may lack an undercoat, but they still shed hair. As dogs develop and maintain their bodies, the regular turnover of dead hairs to make way for new growth is a critical process.
With Yorkies, much of this hair falls back into the coat, and you can remove it in a controlled grooming session. Other hairs fall onto the ground, furniture, and anywhere else your dog frequents, but the buildup tends to be minimal compared to other breeds.
Low-shedding coats are a general hallmark of Terrier breeds. Since Yorkies grow much longer hair than many other dogs (and grow it continuously), the rate at which they must replace dead hair is relatively low.
When Do Yorkies Start Shedding?
Yorkshire Terrier puppies have a unique shedding period beginning at around 4–6 months. They lose their puppy coat, a thick and fuzzy layer, and transition to their silky, human-hair-like adult coat soon after.
At this time, the adult coat often blends with the puppy coat, allowing it to tangle and mat easily. Extra brushing and trimming can help manage the coat during this transition.
Factors Affecting How Much Yorkies Shed
Yorkies are generally a low-shedding breed, but each dog can vary in how much they release. Some of this is due to genetics, a factor owners can’t control, while lifestyle aspects can also have an impact. The following are essential reasons some Yorkies may shed more than others.
Diet
Feeding a Yorkie a balanced, complete diet is critical in ensuring their overall health and, subsequently, coat strength. Food rich in high-quality proteins, antioxidant vitamins and minerals can prevent damage to the skin and hair, while omega fatty acids can nourish, strengthen, and improve the skin’s health, promoting less hair loss.
Dietary intolerances can also affect hair loss in Yorkies. Even though your dog may be eating a nutrient-rich food that meets the AAFCO guidelines, they could have an allergy or intolerance to various components, such as meat or other protein sources including dairy, grains, or soy.
Allergic reactions can cause inflammation in the gut, hampering nutrient absorption and leading to poor body condition and coat quality. If your dog gets dry, scaly, inflamed, and itchy skin, their coat can suffer, and the constant scratching can make them lose an excessive amount of hair.
Disease
Illnesses, particularly those affecting their hormones and immune system, may contribute to abnormal hair loss in Yorkshire Terriers. For example, Yorkshire Terriers are genetically predisposed to developing Cushing’s disease, an illness caused by excessive cortisol production.
Some Yorkies and dogs of other breeds, including Chow Chows, Dachshunds, and Doberman Pinschers, can also suffer a rare condition called color dilution alopecia. The genetically inherited condition affects areas with diluted pigments, causing hair to become brittle and loose. Although the dogs have normal hair at birth, they display abnormal hair loss in the darker coat sections between 6 months and 3 years.
Stress
Stress, nervousness, and anxiety can have physical effects on a Yorkie, including causing unnatural hair loss. When dogs over-produce cortisol and epinephrine (aka adrenaline) when they feel stressed, this can result in hair loss. Reducing exposure to stressful stimuli and separation anxiety will usually resolve the problem.
Pregnancy
Pregnant Yorkies and those in heat experience a host of hormonal changes, with hair loss being one of many physical signs. Hair loss typically resolves after they give birth.
Infections
Parasites, bacteria, and other infectious agents, whether internal or external, can cause hair loss in various ways. Internal infections can cause malnutrition. External parasites damage and aggravate the skin, causing dogs to chew, scratch, and lick excessively and resulting in more shed hair.
Alongside regular vet visits, keeping your dog current on preventative medications for fleas and ticks is crucial in maintaining their overall health.
Grooming
Yorkshire Terriers need significant coat maintenance to ensure lustrous, shiny, and strong hair and prevent undue shedding. Besides preventing mat formation, daily brushing helps to evenly distribute natural oils and improve the coat’s quality. Understimulated and unclean skin can weaken its hold, while the hair can become dull, brittle, and more likely to break off.
How to Groom a Yorkshire Terrier
Even though you won’t have to follow your Yorkie around with a vacuum cleaner, they generally need much more grooming than those that shed all the time. Since the long, single coat doesn’t stop growing, they’ll need trims every 1–1½ months. You can do this at the groomer or in your home with a quality set of clippers.
While show dogs have extra-long coats that reach the floor, owners can make grooming easier by maintaining a shorter puppy cut. Yorkies with longer coats need daily brushing. Meanwhile, those with shorter coats only need it once every 2–3 days.
Fortunately, Yorkshire Terriers don’t have wiry hair like many other Terrier breeds. Handstripping dead hair isn’t necessary. For owners on a budget, many of the grooming tasks, though time-consuming, are straightforward to do at home.
Brushing
Owners should have a pin brush, slicker brush, and combs to manage their Yorkshire Terrier’s coat. Using a conditioning spray before brushing is essential to reduce resistance and prevent breakage, which can cause more hair to come out with each pass.
Frequent brushing will prevent mats and tangles that can damage the coat. Gently work mats out with the pin brush and slicker brush, then use combs to identify any minor tangles you may have missed. Matts and tangles should be worked from the end of the hair slowly making the way up to towards the skin as the mats are untangled. You should not brush an overly dirty coat, so assess whether your dog needs a bath before the grooming session.
Bathing
Yorkshire Terriers on long coats AKA competition coats need frequent baths, while those on pet trim can be bathed every 2- 3 weeks. While a high-quality pet shampoo is non-negotiable, a suitable hydrating conditioner can enhance the coat’s sheen, softness, and stability.
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Are Yorkshire Terriers Hypoallergenic?
A truly hypoallergenic dog is a myth, and many labor under the misconception that Poodles, Doodles, Yorkies, and other “non-shedding” dogs won’t ignite their sensitivities. Shed hair is simply the vessel that spreads allergens around the home. The canine proteins that ignite signs appear in the dog’s dander, saliva, and urine.
Compared to other dogs, Yorkshire Terriers surprisingly produce more of the primary canine allergen, Can F 1. One study found Yorkies and Poodles are among the most allergen-producing dogs. Meanwhile, Labrador Retrievers, a heavy-shedding breed, produce the least. However, the study also concluded that there is great variation within individuals of the same breed. Complete males are also more likely to produce allergenic proteins than females.
Despite this, Yorkshire Terriers are an excellent choice for owners wanting to reduce dog hair in the home. Yorkies shed little hair, limiting the amount of free-floating household dander. Plus, their minimal drooling further keeps the allergens on their bodies and off of household surfaces. However, this does not mean that they are hypoallergenic as the human’s immune system and level of sensitivity will also play a role in the degree of tolerance or intolerance they can have to dogs.
Final Thoughts
Yorkshire Terriers shed to an extent, but hair-covered surfaces are a rare concern with these toy dogs. If you can maintain a consistent grooming routine and support their overall health, they’ll reward you by keeping the household cleaning needs to a minimum.
Yorkies bring energy, excitement, and the endearing Terrier feistiness into the home, and their delightfully low-shedding coat is just one more reason to appreciate all these dogs can offer.
Featured Image Credit: shymar27, Shutterstock
