PREPARATIVES

Firstly we will prepare the things that we are going to need, and we will keep in mind that we are speaking about a mature yorkie, with a very long coat.  I usually start to put crackers to my yorkies at about 9 or 10 month, according to the hair of each one.  In a big recipient will make a mixture of oil and cream conditioner (I use # 1 All System) dissolved in warm water, in order to sink the dog after the bath.

Then we will cut strips of acid-free tissue paper, of enough long to cover the whole coat tuft we are going to wrap, and we will fold the strips to wrap each tuft of hair.  We will have near us some elastic bands to hold each cracker that we put.  We will need also a fine comb with its handle finished in a long needle, a pin brush and a good quality pair of scissor.

BATH AND DRYED

Now and with all preparation, will take our yorkie and we will put it into the bath, we give him a hand of shampoo (lanolin or proteins shampoo) and we rinse him very well.  If it's necessary we can give him a second hand of shampoo.  Now and with its hair clean and well rinsed, we will put the dog inside the recipient that previously we had prepared with the oil and cream mixture.  We sink him until the neck, being careful not to scare him and with a ladle, we will tossing him water for the head (never sink the head into the water) with the purpose of whole hair is totally impregnated of the oily preparation.

We will take out the dog of the water and we will wrap him in a towel and without rubbing we will drying off, letting the towel goes absorbing the excess of water.  Next we will place him on his legs in a table with a nonskid surface, we apply him the dryer with the hot air, being careful not to burn him the skin and hair.  We will go brushing the hair taking care at the same time that we going drying him.  If we find any tangle we will open it with our finger tips and we will continue brushing until this one be untangled, trying no to pull up him hair.  When all dog is dryied and well brushing, you may see his coat lightly oily,  now we can begin to put crackers.

CRACKERING THE YORKIE

Each one has their own way to make it, but I usually begin with the head, in order to he has the hair in the eyes and mouth so less time than it be possible. With the comb, we will make a line from the external end of the eye until the ear, and from behind of ear to ear, and the resulting tuft will wrap it in one of the paper ribbons that we had prepared.  We bend the wrapped up tuft on itself several times until having a small cracker.  Then we will hold it with an elastic band.  Should be strong, but it must not cause any damage to the dog.  Next, we will take him a tuft of hair to each side of the mouth (the mustaches) and another in the chin, and we hold them at same way.

Now we turn the dog and we make the line to the center, placing the coat well combed to each side of the body.  We separate the tale hair and we place another cracker, holding it with an elastic band at the end of the tale tip (care, never put the band on the tail, because it could be gangrened, and have always clear the anal area).  In this way, we will go separating tuft to each side of the dog's body and wrapping them in crackers.  The sides of the neck in a same way and in the chest we will put him other two, in way that will have  4 crackers in the head, 2 in the chest, 1 in the tail, 5 at each side of the body and 1 in each leg.  Now he is crackered, we put in his back feet two little socks, hold them with an adhesive ribbon, so that when the dog is scratching the head, he doesn't break his hair.  (The nails should be very short).

All of this may seems a little complicated, but according we will go making it we will find it easier and we will go taking the exact point, that will make us to go more quickly.  When the day of exhibition you remove the crackers from the dog, you bath and drying him, you will have a beautiful specimen of Yorkshire Terrier, shining his coat with all its splendour.  This moment is one of more satisfactory for a breeder, showing the results of its work and dedication.  You will be able to check it by yourself, and then you will tell me...