A Little About Shedding and Yorkie Poos
The Yorkie Poo is a cross breed which comes from mixing a Yorkshire Terrier and a toy Poodle. It is also often referred to as a designer breed.
The breed has inherited the best from both parents, namely healthy genetics, a calm temper and a small pooch.
Yorkie Poos have been around for over ten years which means that they are one of the ‘newest’ breeds to come into our lives.
Originally Yorkie Poos were designed to be small dogs which were hypoallergenic and easy to take care of because of their size. They also inherited the other characteristics such as cuteness!
Yorkie Poos are great family pets. They love to play games of fetch just as much as they enjoy a cuddle on the sofa.
Although they are small, Yorkie Poos make great watchdogs and will bark at the first sign of anything untoward.
Owners of Yorkie Poos know the breed as affectionate and lively, and even a little sassy. Of course, individual characteristics depend on the number of different genes in each pup.
The Yorkie Poo is happiest when there are people around to play with them and fuss them. They do not enjoy being left on their own for long periods. In fact, the breed thrives from interacting with humans.
Short History of the Yorkie Poo
You may also have heard the Yorkie Poo called a Yorkapoo or a Yoodle. This is a hybrid breed which originated in the USA by crossing a Yorkshire Terrier and a toy Poodle.
The typical Yorkie Poo will grow to a height of between 6-15 inches and weigh anywhere between 4 and 14 pounds.
The coat tends to be wavy and silky depending on the gene which has been passed down.
What is a Yorkie Poos Coat Like?
The Yorkie Poo coat can either be wavy and curly or straight haired like the Terrier side of the breed.
The coat of the pups can vary from pup to pup even in the same litter. You may find one pup with curly hair while his sibling has wavy or straight hair.
Yorkie Poos are considered non-shedding which makes them a good choice for anyone who suffers from allergies.
The colours of the coat can vary from apricot, red, white, black, black and white, tan, and even tri-coloured.
Whatever the colour and style of the coat it will always be soft and silky to the touch. The coat will grow quite long and therefore needs grooming often to keep it looking at its best.
Bathing once a month will also keep the coat in tip-top condition and make sure that the pooch looks its best.
Do Yorkie Poos Shed?
Yorkie Poos are classed as non-shedding dogs, but this does not make them hypoallergenic.
In reality, no dog is truly hypoallergenic, some dogs simply shed far more than others, which makes them better choices for people who suffer from allergies.
So, in answer to the question – yes, Yorkie Poos do shed, but not a lot compared with other breeds like Labradors and Retrievers.
How Much do Yorkie Poos Shed?
If you brush your Yorkie Poo twice a week you may just about get a brushful of hair.
The groomer will possibly trim more hair off the dog to keep the style you want than what you would sweep up after a grooming session.
Unlike some other breeds you won’t find a layer of hair on the floor and neither will the sofa be covered with dog fur.
They simply do not drop that much hair. There may be medical reasons why your Yorkie Poo loses hair, but in a normal healthy dog, shedding will be minimal.
When do Yorkie Poos Shed the Most?
Yorkie Poos do not have a season where they shed more than at other times of the year. This is because the Yorkie hair grows throughout the year as opposed to other breeds where there is a hair growth cycle.
Dogs with seasonal bursts of hair growth go through a phase of intense shedding. The Yorkie Poo does not have these seasons, so the shedding is far less than other breeds.
The Yorkie Poo has a coat which is finer than other breeds and each individual strand grows out long and thin, while other breeds shed their hair and replace it.
Additionally, because the hairs are long and fine, they often get caught up in the coat and do not end up on the floor. So, yes, they do shed, but it just does not cover your furniture and floors.
One time when you will notice the shed hair is during bath time.
Yorkies are small enough to bath in a small basin and after the bath you may see shed hair in the water. You will also gather the shed hair in the comb as you brush them out afterwards.
It is important to groom the Yorkie Poo because if the hairs are left, they will entangle with the others and form knots and tangles.
How to Combat Yorkie Poos Shedding
Yorkie Poos are possibly one of the easiest dog breeds to keep shedding under control, simply because they do not shed anywhere near as much as most other breeds.
The best way to keep shedding under control is to brush your Yorkie.
If you can devote two or three days a week to giving the pooch a good brush you will find that you have a house with very little dog hair anywhere.
Naturally, if there are medical issues then you may see extra hair, but in a Yorkie Poo who is in good health and has a good diet, there may be hardly any hair, even after brushing.
Equipment Help to Combat Yorkie Poos Shedding
To groom your Yorkie Poo at home you will need some basic items in your basket. These include a good-quality dog shampoo. Don’t be tempted to use your own shampoo as this may irritate the skin.
Apart from nail clippers, you will need a dog brush and a set of trimmers. A pair of scissors will also come in handy for trimming the hair round the eyes and ears, as well as between the toes.
The most common type of brush for a Yorkie Poo is a slicker brush.
These come with wire as well as plastic teeth and thy work very week for removing the excess hair which has got caught up in the new hair. The slicker brush also helps eliminate tangles and mats.
As with all small dogs you need to brush carefully so as not to scratch the delicate skin underneath. Gentle brushing will also remove all the excess hair, and not harm the skin.
The small size of the Yorkie Poo you will notice that they feel the cold more than other dogs. So, you need to make sure that where you bath them is worm and cosy, with several dry towels to keep them warm once they are out of the bath.
If you plan to bath your pooch outside, make sure it is a sunny day otherwise you will have a very unhappy Yorkie on your hands!
Are Yorkie Poos Considered to be Hypoallergenic?
No dog is truly hypoallergenic, so the answer to the question is simply ‘no.’
They are not hypoallergenic. However, they may be the closest breed to actually being hypoallergenic due to the fact that they hardly shed at all.
What they do shed is mostly caught up in the other hair and not dropped on the floor, leaving some people to believe that their pooch is a non-shedder.
Some breeds shed more and others less, and unfortunately if you are allergic to one dog, it is likely that you will allergic to all dogs.
Do Some Yorkie Poos Shed More Than Others?
The amount that your Yorkie Poo sheds will depend on the genes that he has inherited from the parents. Some Yorkie Poos carry more of the Terrier gene while others have more of the Poodle gene.
It is impossible to predict which genes will show up in which pup. Even in the same litter there can be pups with different fur types.
Because Poodles do not shed very much, any pup who inherits more of these genes will have tight curly hair and shed less. On the other hand, pups who are born with wavy hair may shed marginally more than their siblings.
What is important to note is that no Yorkie Poo pup or adult dog sheds very much. So, whether you have one with curly hair or wavy hair they will shed about the same.
Health Reasons for Increased Shedding in Yorkie Poos
There are some health reasons why a Yorkie Poos may shed a little more.
Generally, the breed is very healthy and is not troubled by many generic illnesses. This means that there are only a few health reasons for a Yorkie to lose its fur.
If it does, you should look into the matter right away simply because it is so ‘out of character’ for the breed to do this.
When in heat
Your female may shed more hair at this time, and also right before her season starts.
There is nothing to worry about here as this is a normal part of her life.
Pregnancy
This can affect the hormones and lead to more shedding than you might expect.
Normally after the mother has finished feeding her pups, her hair will return to normal.
Over heating
Yorkie Poos can suffer in extreme heat and too much of it may make them lose their hair, or at least some of it.
Seasonal allergies also play a part on a Yorkie shedding a little more than normal.
Parasites
Internal and external parasites will cause your pooch to shed more. Alternately, you may find that there are areas where the hair is sparse rather than all of it shedding.
Illness
Yorkie Poos may contract Cushing’s Disease in adulthood and this can cause them to shed more hair.
Lack of grooming
Even though they are low shedders, Yorkie Poos still need to be brushed regularly. This is in order to prevent the old hair becoming tangled in the new growth and forming knots and tangles.
Obviously if you think your Yorkie Poo is shedding more than you expect, then you should take the dog to the vet right away.
Never try to self-diagnose as this may only make things worse. Neither should you resort to your own medication to put things right as the converse may happen and your pooch may become worse.
Final Thoughts: Do Yorkie Poos Shed?
With a normal healthy Yorkie Poo, you may never even see any shed hair. You certainly won’t be sweeping up piles of it from the floor as with other breeds.
If you do notice shedding that is more than you expect, get your pooch checked out by the vet.
Yorkie Poos are delightful dogs, family centered and affectionate and love nothing more than human company.
They do not like being left alone so you may want two dogs if you need to go out often.
As far as shedding is concerned, the breed is one of the closest to hypoallergenic that you can get.
Although no dog is ever truly hypoallergenic, the Yorkie Poo sheds far less than most other breeds.
They are, therefore, ideal pets for people who don’t want to be sweeping up mountains of hair daily.
Even though the Yorkie Poo does not seem to shed, it is still important to brush them regularly.
If not, the old hair which has fallen out will tangle with the new growth and form knots and mats, sometimes even causing skin infections.
So, this is a breed which suits apartments as well as house accommodation. There are an all-round delightful dog, and sheds less than most.
Yorkie Poos may be the perfect choice for anyone who does suffer from pet allergies.