Are you hesitant to try dog grooming at home? Don’t be — it’s easier than you think! And it’s a great chance to keep an eye on your Morkie’s health, while you bond.
Dog grooming at home includes these 5 different steps:
- combing and brushing,
- cleaning your Morkie’s ears,
- clipping his nails,
- bathing him and
- a clean up trim.
(We won’t go into full haircuts here, such as the puppy cut.)
When you groom and handle your dog every day, you can keep a close eye on his health. You can spot bumps, lumps and fleas or ticks.
Combing
With daily or every-the-day combing, you can cut back on bathing and enjoy fresh, well-groomed Morkie. A steel comb with medium teeth and a comfortable, rubber handle works best.
Start at the ends of the hair, and comb through the hair. (More on removing mats below)
Brushing
Brushes are great too for grooming. Pick a pin style brush, not the slicker style and don’t use the Furmintor kind of brush. They are meant for dogs with a heavy undercoat of fur, and will just break off a Morkie’s hair. Here’s a pin brush:
Ear cleaning
Check your Morkie’s ears. Are they waxy, brownish or dirty looking? If so, use a dog ear cleaning solution to clean them out. Pour the solution into your dog’s ear, holding his head to the side. Then gently massage the base of his ear. Use a tissue or cotton ball to get the excess liquid out; don’t worry, your Morkie will shake his head to empty his ear. NEVER use a Q-tip or anything similar in your dog’s ear.
Nail cutting
If you cut your Morkie’s nails yourself, good for you! Select a pair of clippers like the ones below, (not the ‘guillotine’ style which is for bigger dogs and will crush a Morkie’s nail.) Keep some styptic powder or cornstarch handy in case you cut into your dog’s quick; it will bleed quite a bit. Good directions on this Youtube video.
Bathing
The moment of truth – the bath! Gather up everything you need in advance, and then run half a sinkful of warm, not hot, water (dogs feel hot more than we do). Gently wet your Morkie all over, leaving his head dry for now. Work in the Organic Shampoo you’ve bought specially, then gently rinse him all over. Now, take a face cloth and gently wipe down his face with warm water. Dogs don’t really need conditioner, so just lift him out, pat him dry (don’t rub) and use a hair dryer on low heat for a few minutes to finish drying.
Light trim
You can make your Morkie look neater and well groomed by trimming the hair around his feet, in a round circle, following the shape of the foot. You might want to trim some of the hair around your dog’s private parts, for hygiene’s sake. Try to avoid cutting any hair on his head or face.
Don't forget the final touch: brushing your Morkie's teeth
Vital – the right dog shampoo!
Your Morkie’s skin is sensitive and it’s much thinner than ours, so you can’t use people shampoo on pets. It is too harsh. Instead, look for a product made specifically for dogs, and marked Certified Organic. Otherwise, the shampoo can be filled with poisonous additives, preservatives and worse.
How often should you bathe your dog? No more than every 6 to 8 weeks at the most. Less often is even better.
Bathing your dog too often is a common mistake among new dog owners, and it leads to dry skin and a dull coat. A good combing can do wonders to clean and freshen up your dog without a bath.
A tip from Rover.com about mats
Never wash your Morkie with mats in his hair – no conditioner in the world can help untangle them once the hair is wet!
Instead, apply a little cornstarch to the matted hair, and start gently pulling the mat apart with your fingers, then brushing, starting at the end of the hair. Work from the edges in, and keep pulling the mat apart with your fingers.
Make dog grooming at home even easier with this instant-download e-book
Groom Your Morkie at Home:
Keep his coat long and luxurious in just minutes a day
Why settle for a puppy cut? Instead you can enjoy your Morkie’s beautiful long coat, a combination of colours from the parents, the Maltese dog and the Yorkshire Terrier.
By persevering with your Morkie for just a few minutes every day, you can easily groom him yourself, and keep his hair long, flowing and luxurious. That’s the way the Morkie is meant to be. No more puppy cuts for you!
Groom Your Morkie at Home takes you through the steps you need to know.
Plus you’ll learn:
- the truth about shampoos (and how to make your own)
- how to safely clean your Morkie’s ears and under his eyes
- how and why to brush your dog’s teeth
- what equipment you need for grooming at home
- removing mats and tangles
- how to do the top knot …and lots more
- Complete with illustrations.
All these tips about grooming our Morkies are great , just one big problem , how do we keep them still especially like my 5 month old puppy ?
Hi Beverly,
One way to keep them less squirmy, is a big long walk before grooming. You know what I always say, “a tired dog is a good dog.” 🙂
Anyone else got some tips for Beverly?
Deb