6 Best Dog Shampoos For Yorkshire Terriers (Yorkies) in 2024

Researched & Written by

Sean Green

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At Pawster, we are committed to presenting the most accurate and up-to-date information to assist you in your pet care journey. When appropriate, we consult licensed and practicing veterinarians to fact-check our professionally written articles.

Yorkshire Terriers are one of the most popular breeds in the world thanks to their pint-sized stature and their playful nature. However, they can also quickly become one of the stinkiest breeds in the world due to their way of life – which is why today we are going to be looking at the best shampoos for Yorkshire Terriers in 2024.

We’re going to start off by introducing you to some of the different categories of shampoo that are the most popular among Yorkshire Terrier owners and give you a few bathing and grooming tips. We’ll conclude this guide with a review section that lists our overall best Yorkshire Terrier shampoo recommendation, a few runners up, and a few products that are good in certain circumstances.

Let’s get started.

Popular Types Of Yorkshire Terrier Shampoos

To begin this article, we’re going to look at a few different types of shampoo (not specific brands) that are popular with the breed. The stunning coat of the Yorkshire Terrier combined with their increased susceptibility to dry skin means that there are a few categories of products that you should be keeping an eye out for.

Shampoo And Conditioner Combos

Just like with human shampoo, many of the best dog shampoos are 2 in 1 products that combine a conditioner with shampoo. Applying conditioner to your Yorkshire Terrier’s coat is super important – it’s a silky smooth fine hair that’s prone to tangling and knotting. Shampoos that contain conditioner prevent this, and they also contain nutrients that will keep that beautiful glossy shine that the breed is known for.

Just like with human shampoos, 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner products don’t condition your dog’s hair as well as a dedicated conditioner (without shampoo) will. However, most people (i.e people who are not entering their dog into dog shows) will do just fine with 2 in 1 products – and the difference is very obvious compared to shampoos that don’t contain conditioner.

Sensitive Skin

There are several breeds of dog that suffer from skin issues more than average, and unfortunately for our little bundles of joy – Yorkshire Terriers are one of them. However, due to the reasonably common nature of canine skin conditions a wide range of products that are specifically designed for sensitive skin have been created. They’re not much more expensive than traditional products, and they can make the world of difference to the comfort of your pooch.

Look out for formulas that specifically state that they are made for dry, itchy, or damaged skin – as these are going to provide the most protection. However, any natural shampoo without artificial chemicals (and soap) will be better than the standard stuff.

2 Tips On Maintaining The Perfect Yorkshire Terrier Coat

Owning a Yorkie is a full-time job (almost). Regular bathing with a good shampoo and conditioner is only half of the solution – you also need to maintain their coat in-between bathing sessions. Here are a few things that should be part of any Yorkshire Terrier owner’s routine.

Grooming

One of the most popular things about the Yorkshire Terrier breed is the adorable silky smooth long hair that gives them their characteristic look. Ask any Yorkie owner about the amount of time they spend brushing their pooch and they’ll tell you it’s a regular part of their lives – and for a good reason too.

The coat on a Yorkshire Terrier is arguably one of the most attractive in the entire canine kingdom, but it can very easily tangle, become knotted, and look terrible without proper care. Ensure you’re grooming your Yorkie regularly, it’s much easier to do several quick 5-minute grooming sessions than it is to do a huge grooming session once in a blue moon.

Look After The Eye Hair

The hair around your Yorkshire Terrier’s eyes gets just as long as the hair on the rest of its body – which can cause issues if it’s not properly maintained. Yorkshire Terriers are well known for suffering from runny eyes (yellow deposits) which are irritating, and can potentially cause more serious issues if left unchecked.

There are many different reasons that can cause runny eyes in Yorkshire Terriers, but arguably the most common is improperly trimmed eye hair. When the hair gets in your dog’s eyes it obviously irritates it, which promotes the creation of the yellow substance that causes the issues. Simply get a comb and brush out the hair around your Yorkshire Terrier’s eyes when you bathe them and clip off the hair that is likely to get in the way. Dog groomers will often tell you that this needs to be done by a professional, but that’s not the case as long as you’re careful – it can easily be done at home.

Overall Best Shampoo for Yorkshire Terriers

Our 2024 Picks: Best Shampoo for Yorkies
	Buddy Wash Refreshing Rosemary & Mint Dog Shampoo Soap-free shampoo and conditioner Made with pure botanical extracts Price: $0.43/oz	CHECK PRICE
	4-Legger’s Organic, Hypo-Allergenic, Lemongrass Holistic, essential oil blend gently cleans Eco-friendly, non-toxic shampoo Price:  $0.93/oz	CHECK PRICE
	Nature’s Miracle Supreme Odor Control Natural Shampoo Gentle, tearless, no dyes or perfumes Made in the USA Price:  $0.33/oz	CHECK PRICE
	Burt’s Bees Oatmeal Shampoo With Colloidal Oat Flour & Honey pH-balanced, soap-free shampoo Controls excessive shedding Price:  $0.31/oz	CHECK PRICE
	Earthbath Oatmeal & Aloe Dog & Cat Shampoo Soap-free shampoo with oatmeal Vanilla and almond scent Price:  $0.53/oz	CHECK PRICE
	Zesty Paws Oatmeal Anti-Itch Dog Shampoo With Aloe Vera Gentle, anti-itch shampoo features Quinoa and sweet almond extract Price:  $0.77/oz	CHECK PRICE

Buddy Wash Refreshing Rosemary & Mint Dog Shampoo & Conditioner

At this point in the article we’ve covered a few common issues the breed suffers from, the kinds of shampoos and conditioners you should be looking out for, and we’ve talked a little about grooming requirements.

It’s now time for us to put all that new knowledge to use in our product review section.

Yorkshire Terriers have a few specific needs due to their long hair and their increased risk of suffering from dry skin – but they are not alone in this. There are many breeds that have similar needs, and as such, there’s no shortage of excellent Yorkshire Terrier shampoos on the market. We’ve done a huge amount of research into doggy shampoos over the years (for this breed and many others) and we found it hard to pick an overall recommendation today.

But we managed it.

In our opinion, the Buddy Wash Refreshing Rosemary & Mint Dog Shampoo & Conditioner is the best shampoo for Yorkshire Terriers on the market right now. When reading the specifications on the bottle and the compounds inside the formula, it reads like it was custom made for Yorkies (but it wasn’t).

Let’s start with the most important part of the product – it’s all natural. This is a shampoo and conditioner that has been designed to be as gentle as possible to be suitable for use with dogs that have super sensitive skin. It’s a soap-free formula, and it’s entirely alcohol-free too. The product gets its cleaning power from botanical extracts that lather well and destroy any bacteria that might currently be calling your pooch home (and stinking up the place).

The long hair of our Yorkshire Terriers needs a lot of care and attention (as we’ve mentioned several times already), which is why the conditioner in this product is another huge plus point for us. Many other cheaper conditioners on the market rely on reasonably harsh chemicals to provide their conditioning power. While these chemicals are safe for use on dogs that have normal skin – they’re not great for Yorkshire Terriers.

The awesome conditioning power provided in this relies on natural botanical extracts to condition your dog’s coat – and it’s just as good as chemical based products. The infusions of sage, rosemary, and chamomile work in perfect harmony with one another to leave your Yorkshire Terrier’s coat looking smoother, silkier, and shinier than ever (with less matting and tangling too).

The awesome cleaning power combined with the gentle formula and the natural conditioner would already be more than enough to put this product at the top of your shortlist – but there’s one super important feature left.

Aloe vera.

The dry and itchy skin that we’ve mentioned several times already is going to be a thing of the past if you use this shampoo (unless your pooch has a very serious condition). While cleaning and conditioning your Yorkshire Terrier with this product, you’re also going to be rubbing one of nature’s best skin soothers into their skin at the same time. The cooling relief it provides your pooch will last for days after their bath, the benefits of which are obvious.

When you combine all of this awesomeness with the fact that you’re only going to roughly be paying $8 for a 16oz bottle – it’s easy to see why it’s our overall recommendation. It’s a long lasting super concentrated formula too, so you need to use less for each bathing session.

It’s a great product, from a great brand, with excellent performance at a very reasonable price point.

Quite honestly, we’re not sure why you’d want anything else.

4-Legger Hypo-Allergenic, Lemongrass & Aloe Dog Shampoo

Runner Up – We stand by our last statement, the Buddy Wash product we’ve talked about above is easily the best shampoo for Yorkshire Terriers on the market right now. But variety is the spice of life, and there are other excellent options for Yorkshire Terrier owners out there.

The runner up in our Yorkshire Terrier shampoo review today is the excellent Hypo-Allergenic, Lemongrass & Aloe Dog Shampoo from 4-Legger.

4-Legger is a brand that’s well known (and respected) in the dog grooming industry. They are a company that only creates products from entirely natural compounds. There’s not a single artificial chemical in the entire bottle – which makes it extremely gentle on your dog’s skin.

The soap-free formula has been designed from the ground up specifically with breeds like the Yorkshire Terrier in mind. The cleaning power comes from lemongrass, which is well known as one of nature’s best antiseptics and antibacterial agents. It will annihilate any bacteria that are living on your dog’s fur as it easily creates a thick lather from its super concentrated formula.

Again, this product has soothing capabilities from the generous amount of aloe vera infused into the formula. We can’t say for sure, but we suspect the amount of aloe vera in this product is greater than the amount you’d find in the Buddy Wash product above (which is to be expected as it’s more expensive too).

The aloe vera is complemented by a range of natural and essential oil infusions that serve two purposes. Firstly, they further nourish, moisturize, and soothe your dog’s skin – but the main reason they have been included is as a conditioner. The quality of the ingredients combined with the way they have been expertly formulated to harmonize with each other makes them a formidable alternative that can rival the conditioning performance of even the most impressive non-natural products.

The only downside to this product is that it is almost twice as expensive as the offering from Buddy Wash above (which is the main reason it’s the runner up and not our overall pick). If you didn’t like the sound of our overall recommendation and you’ve got the budget for this shampoo – it’s a great choice and it’s more than worthy of your consideration.

Nature’s Miracle Supreme Odor Control Natural Puppy Shampoo & Conditioner

Best Yorkshire Terrier Puppy Shampoo – The only thing smaller than a Yorkshire terrier is a Yorkshire terrier puppy. These little bundles of joy are as delicate as you’d imagine, and as such, they have even more specific needs than their “larger” mothers and fathers.

There’s no shortage of puppy shampoos on the market, and as they are all designed to be gentle on the skin, they’re all suitable for puppy Yorkshire Terriers. However, there are a few products that stand out in this category, and we think that one of the best shampoos for puppy Yorkshire Terriers on the market right now is the Nature’s Miracle Supreme Odor Control Natural Puppy Shampoo & Conditioner.

It’s got everything you’d expect from a puppy shampoo and more. It’s a super gentle formula that’s been designed to be a “no tear” product (which is going to make washing the long facial hair of your puppy Yorkie a little bit easier). It’s a 4 in 1 product that cleans, conditions, protects, and soothes your pups’ skin all at the same time.

The conditioner in the product isn’t as good as some of the adult conditioners on the market, but in all honesty, unless you’re willing to pay big bucks – this is true of all puppy conditioners (due to their more delicate skin). Despite this, it’s still going to give your pup’s coat a lovely glossy shine and prevent it from matting and tangling as they play and explore their new world.

It’s a completely soap-free formula that has been designed to work hand in hand with most flea and tick medication without washing it off (but always read the label). The lovely fresh spring scent doesn’t soothe like some other shampoos do, but it does leave your pooch smelling better than ever.

It’s a US made product that uses extremely high-quality ingredients, and the formula is reasonably concentrated – so you don’t need to use much shampoo per wash. At only around $5 per bottle it’s great value for money, and if you’re the proud owner of a new Yorkie pup – it’s more than worthy of being added to the very top of your shortlist.

3 More Top Rated Dog Shampoos For Yorkshire Terriers

To conclude our review section, we’re going to quickly mention 3 other dog shampoos for Yorkshire Terriers that we came across during our research that are worthy of a special mention.

Burt’s Bees Oatmeal Shampoo with Colloidal Oat Flour & Honey

Burt’s Bees are well known for being one of the best natural shampoo producers on the market, and this excellent shampoo lives up to their formidable reputation. It’s a perfectly PH balanced shampoo that uses the power of oat flour to clean and moisturize your dog’s skin. The honey infusion is an excellent natural conditioner which will prevent tangles and give your dog’s coat a lovely silky shine at the same time.

Earthbath Oatmeal & Aloe Dog & Cat Shampoo

This is a completely natural shampoo that has been made for dogs with dry and itchy skin. It’s one of the gentlest formulas on the market but it still retains a huge amount of cleaning power thanks to the huge oatmeal infusion. It has aloe vera inside the formula and the lovely vanilla scent it leaves behind is one of the nicest scents you’re going to find in any shampoo at any price bracket.

Zesty Paws Oatmeal Anti-Itch Dog Shampoo with Aloe Vera

We loved this product from Zesty Paws because it’s perfect if your Yorkshire Terrier is suffering from dry skin. The irritation that dry skin causes can make your little pooch very itchy, which damages the skin further and makes the problem worse. This shampoo has been designed with an anti-itch formula which will stop them from scratching, allowing them to heal from the condition faster than they otherwise would. This formula works hand in hand with huge amounts of aloe vera that are inside the product – which soothes the skin and promotes recovery.

6 Tips On Bathing Your Yorkshire Terrier

Here’s a handful of useful hints and tips that will work well with any of the excellent products that we have recommended in the section above. We strongly recommend you incorporate all of them into your bathing routine.

Wash Them In The Sink

There’s no getting around the fact that the vast majority of dogs in the world hate bath time. It’s an unnatural experience for them, and from the moment they get in the bath the only thing they can think about is getting out again. Making bath time more enjoyable for your pooch is all about making them as comfortable as possible – and one of the best ways you can do that for a pint-sized pooch like the Yorkshire Terrier is by washing them in the sink.

For a dog as small as a Yorkie, being placed in a large cavernous bathtub can cause anxiety and a sense of claustrophobia. They know instinctively that they are trapped in there, and there’s no way that they can get out without your help. By washing your pooch in the sink you’re essentially using a Yorkshire Terrier sized bathtub that will make them feel much more relaxed and comfortable with the whole process.

Place A Towel In The Sink

Once you’ve decided to wash your Yorkie in the sink, the next best thing you can do to calm them down even further is to place a towel on the bottom. Dogs claws and paws are well suited to running in fields and playing in forests, but they’re not so well adapted to standing on metal or ceramic. This means that it’s going to be harder for them to stay stable without slipping and sliding around on the smooth surface, which adds another source of stress to an already stressful situation for them.

Simply adding a towel to the bottom of the sink removes all of this additional discomfort easily and instantly. Their little paws have much more grip, and the entire process becomes a little more “enjoyable” for them.

Groom Them Before Bathing

The long silky coat of a Yorkshire Terrier requires quite a bit of maintenance (looking good is never easy), and as we mentioned earlier in the coat maintenance section – you should be grooming them regularly. However, many Yorkie owners don’t know that it’s super important to give them a good grooming session before you put them in the bath.

The reason for this is that tangled and matted hair holds a huge amount of water compared to silky smooth properly groomed hair. This means that when they get out the bath, you’re going to struggle to completely dry them if they haven’t been groomed. As you probably already know, moisture combined with body heat is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria – and those bacteria are almost entirely responsible for the unpleasant “dog smell” that we’re sure you’ve smelt before.

Give them a very good brushing before putting them in the bath, and you’re going to have a happier, healthier, and better smelling Yorkie.

Rinse Them Very Well

Yorkshire Terriers are known to suffer from skin issues (mainly dry skin) more so than other breeds. Because of this, it’s very important to ensure that you have completely removed all the shampoo that has been applied with a good rinse at the end of the bathing session. If any shampoo remains on your Yorkie it will irritate and dry out their skin which can cause itchy rashes that are very unpleasant.

Groom Them After Bathing

Life as a Yorkshire Terrier owner consists of 3 things, grooming, grooming, and more grooming. This is perhaps a little bit too obvious to point out, but we’re going to include it just in case – you should be grooming your Yorkie after bathing.

Doing this will straighten their hair out and keep it beautiful. The good news about this tip is that if you’ve taken our advice in the tip above it should be a reasonably quick process, there will be minimal matting and knotting – all you’ll be doing is straightening the hair out (more or less).

Dry Them Well

The small stature of Yorkshire Terriers and the fine thin nature of their fur means that they are a breed that can get cold easily. It’s for this reason that it’s super important to properly dry your pooch when they get out of the bath. Give them a very good rubbing with a towel then quickly brush their hair (which moves moisture around), then dry them again. Dog’s have a surprisingly good memory for things like bath time, and if they know they’re not going to be left cold and wet after the experience – they’re going to be much more relaxed (and more comfortable) when it comes to the next time they need a bath.

Many people like to go one step father than simply towel drying by investing in a dedicated doggy hair drier. These products are specifically designed to be used with dogs and are an excellent investment if you want your pooch to be as warm and comfortable as possible after their bath. As you can imagine, the reaction dogs have to hair driers is often “excitable” to say the least (imagine how they react to a vacuum cleaner, but worse). Unless you’re introducing a doggy hair drier to your pooch while they are still a puppy, it’s probably going to be more hassle than it’s worth.

Note: Never use a human hair drier on a dog. Dogs have very different skin to us humans and it burns at a much lower temperature. If you’re going to invest in a hair drier for your Yorkshire Terrier – make sure it’s one specifically designed for dogs (they’re not that expensive).

FAQ Regarding Bathing a Yorkshire Terrier

To finish this article we’re going to answer a couple of frequently asked questions that we get sent from our readers most often.

Why Is It Important To Place Cotton Wool In My Yorkshire Terrier’s Ears?

One of the oldest tricks in the book to making bath time as safe and enjoyable for dogs of any breed is to put a little cotton wool in their ears. This has two benefits, firstly it muffles the sound of the running water (which can cause anxiety), but the main reason it’s recommended is that it prevents water from getting into the ear canal.

With long-haired dogs like Yorkshire Terriers this is especially important, as the water will get trapped by the hair and remain in the ear longer. Ear infections can easily be caused this way (which are very painful for your pooch) but more serious issues like hearing loss can also be present in the worst of cases.

Be very careful when putting cotton wool in your dog’s ears, never push it in far or force it in. If you’re unsure about this, it’s always better to err on the side of caution – it’s better for the cotton wool to fall out than for you to damage the delicate ears of your pooch.

Does The Length Of My Yorkshire Terrier’s Hair Effect Bathing?

This is a common question we get asked, and the answer is yes – kind of.

Unless you’ve got a Yorkie with super short or super long hair, there is no difference to the actual bathing routine you need to undertake. It’s the same cycle of groom, wash, groom that we’ve outlined earlier in this article. The main difference you’re going to notice with a longer haired breed is the frequency of bathing that’s required.

Because Yorkies with longer hair obviously have more hair, it means there’s a whole lot more space for bacteria to grow and dirt to hide in. This essentially translates into a pooch that’s going to get smellier faster – and you’re going to have to bathe them more regularly to avoid the dreaded dog smell from taking over your home.

Why Should I Only Use Downward Strokes When Washing?

For many short-haired dogs (and some long-haired dogs) the recommended way of washing their coat is to either scrub up and down or use a circular motion. This is not the way you should be washing your Yorkie.

The fine nature of their long hair means that it is extremely susceptible to tangling, and by rubbing in circles (or up and down) you’re introducing a whole heap of knots and tangles into their coat (which will be a pain to remove with brushing). Instead, the recommended way to bathe your Yorkie is to do continuous downward strokes, restarting from the top each time instead of rubbing back upwards.

Conclusion

So there you have it, that’s all there is to know about bathing your Yorkshire Terrier. All of the shampoos we have listed here today are winners to have made it into this article, regardless of which one you choose we can pretty much guarantee that you and your pooch are going to be pleased with their performance.

They’re all more than worthy of your consideration.