The short answer for a Yorkshire Terrier
A Yorkshire Terrier's nails can be trimmed safely at home with small clippers, a settled lap, and a willingness to do a few nails at a time instead of all of them at once. Yorkie nails are tiny and thin, which makes them quick to trim but easy to cut too short, and the quick sits closer to the tip than owners expect on such small feet. Tiny cuts and short, cheerful sessions are the whole secret with this breed.
Why small nails need a lighter touch
Everything about a Yorkshire Terrier is scaled down, including the margin for error: a slice that would be trivial on a large dog can take a Yorkie nail straight into the quick. Yorkie nails also curve as they grow, and on a dog this light, overgrown tips catch on bedding, carpet loops, and the long coat itself, twisting toes that have very little spare room. Because Yorkies spend so much time in laps and arms, their feet are handled often yet rarely trimmed, so nails can quietly grow long between grooms while the dog seems perfectly pampered.
Setting up a very small dog
Sit somewhere comfortable with your Yorkie settled on a towel on your lap, which keeps the dog low, warm, and unable to leap from a table. Choose scissor-style clippers made for small dogs or a grinder on its gentlest setting, and keep styptic powder open and ready before the first cut, since reaching for it mid-bleed with a wriggling small dog is nobody's plan. Watch the dog, not just the nails: yawning, lip licking, and turning the head away are early stress signals in a Yorkie, and pausing at those signs keeps the session friendly.
Trimming a few nails at a time
Support one tiny paw without squeezing it, press the pad lightly to present the nail, and snip only the hooked tip. On pale Yorkie nails you can often see the pink quick and should stop well short of it; on dark ones, shave the tip in slivers and stop when the cut face shows a softer, darker centre. Shape the session to the dog in front of you: four nails and a treat break, or one paw a day across four days, both count as a complete trim. Run a fingertip over each finished nail, and file any edge sharp enough to snag the silky coat or scratch the skin of whoever carries the dog.
When a Yorkie paw needs a professional
A vet should see a nail that has torn, split into the quick, or bled beyond a few minutes of styptic pressure, and any Yorkie limping or licking one foot persistently after a trim. Curled nails pressing into these tiny pads, or dewclaws grown around in a circle, are jobs for a groomer or vet rather than home experiments. A Yorkie who screams or thrashes at the sight of clippers also needs a professional's handling while you rebuild trust slowly with paw touches, treats, and tools that stay put away.
One paw at a time is a complete plan for a dog this size, and KinsLe's Care Teams keep that plan moving by letting the household pass the job around and record each sitting as finished, time-stamped, and visible to everyone.