Socialising your pet when it's young will make the whole experience of Yorkie nail care a lot easier for you and your pet. Once your puppy gets used to being handled by you, it makes it easier to move on to grooming and nail clipping.

Getting your Yorkie used to nail trimming

Nail trimming is probably the most difficult grooming activity for your dog to get used to. It's an activity you need your dog to become comfortable with as a puppy because it is an unnatural experience at first. As your Yorkshire Terrier grows older, they become set in their ways. This makes it almost impossible to trim your pet's nails when they are older.

Yorkie nail trimming tips

The following tips can help you to familiarise your Yorkie with nail trimming:

1. Feel your Yorkie puppy's paw. Once you have a clicker, click it as you give him or her a treat. If your young dog pulls back its paw nervously, repeat these actions at a slower pace. The aim of this exercise is to simply be able to touch your pets paw, without him or her pulling it away from you.

2. When you get to the point where your Yorkshire Terrier is comfortable with you touching his or her paw, develop this further by lifting the paw and moving it about. Once your pet is comfortable with this, click and give your dog a treat again.

3. To advance this process further, fondle your dogs toes and separate them, and move them around. Then press on the paw pads slowly to gain even more trust.

4. The next step is to bring out the nail clipper and show it to your puppy. However, do not click the clicker yet. Let your Yorkie become familiar with the clipper until he or she is not afraid of it. Then click and give him or her another treat.

5. It is still not time to start clipping your Yorkie's nails. The next small step is to place the clipper over each of your Yorkshire Terrier's nails. Add some pressure, but don't clip the nail. Once again, when your pup is comfortable with this, click and give him or her another treat.

6. Finally, you're at the stage where you can cut a nail. Clip one nail and then click the clicker. Once again, give your young Yorkshire Terrier a treat. Emphasise the fact that you're happy your dog has let you do this. Slowly move onto the next nail. When this nail is cut, reassure your Yorkshire Terrier again, and repeat the process until all nails have been clipped.

These Yorkie nail care and nail clipping tips are based around building trust between you and your pet, and once this trust is established, this element of grooming will no longer be an issue.

If you're a Yorkie owner, or would like to know more about these cute and popular pets, visit this Yorkshire Terrier Website today!