Yorkshire terriers are known for their flowing silken tresses, but long hair on a dog can be difficult to manage. It's easier when they're puppies and their long adult hair hasn't grown in yet. If you won't be showing your Yorkie, consider keeping his hair short as an adult.
The Puppy Cut
If you thought your Yorkie was such a doll as a pup with his shorter hair, there's nothing wrong with having your groomer give him a puppy cut as an adult. There's no shaving involved; the groomer will simply trim the hair on his entire body, leaving it one uniform length all around.
A Schnauzer Cut
Changing up your Yorkie's hairstyle lets him be someone else for awhile. If your Yorkie wants to exercise his inner schnauzer, ask your groomer to give him a schnauzer cut. His shoulders and back will be shaved to his tail, close to his body but not entirely cropped off. The hair on his legs will be left long and he'll have some fringe on his tail, too. The hair on your Yorkie's head and face will also remain long, but the groomer will trim it to give shape to his "beard."
Cut it Like a Westie
West highland terriers sport cute, short cuts that are flattering on Yorkies, too. The hair on the face is typically left long for a Westie cut, although the groomer can do a little creative trimming to make your Yorkie's face look more round and puppy-ish. The rest of the body is shaved or trimmed down to just a few inches for an attractive and easy-to-care-for style.
The Long and Short of It
Yorkshire terriers who are show dogs must have their hair done in the traditional Yorkie style, leaving the hair long all over the body and creating a "skirt" of fringe hanging from the body and a long beard and moustache that drape from the face. Long coats are certainly attractive, and if you have the time to brush your Yorkie daily, keep food and other things cleaned out of his hair and brush and dry him if he gets wet to discourage matting and tangling, then you should definitely let your Yorkie's hair grow long. The truth is, though, that other than for sanctioned shows, there's no reason your baby can't sport any haircut and style that you (and he, of course) like. Cut it short, let it grow to a medium length or get creative with your groomer and have her cut it into varying lengths to give him a look and style all his own.
