Grooming Your Bulldog

Grooming bulldogs is a fairly simple affair since these dogs have a very short coat. Basic grooming will involve brushing, bathing, ear cleaning, nail clipping and cleaning of face creases.

1. Bathing

Bulldogs should not be bathed often. This is because regular bathing will strip their skin off natural oils that are important for keeping the coat glossy and soft.

If the dog develops doggy odour that is not related to a medical condition, then bathing is necessary. When bathing the dog, ensure you have a soft cloth and brush. Wet the dog’s hair with water (preferably warm) and apply a generous amount of shampoo. Using your hand, massage the shampoo into the hair, then use the cloth to clean the face. When you are done, rinse the dog well and towel dry.

Note: To keep water from going into the dog’s ears cover them with cotton balls

2. Brushing

In certain seasons, bulldogs will shed a generous amount of hair. In order to remove any loose hair on the coat, regular brushing is necessary. Use a brush with hard bristles, start from the front and gradually make your way back.

When the dog is shedding, brushing should be done over some newspapers on a grooming table to avoid leaving loose hair on furniture or on the carpet.

After using the brush, you can then use your hands to rub down any loose hair left. If you brush the dog regularly, you also won’t need to bathe the dog as much.

3. Ear cleaning

You should have some q-tips for cleaning the outer ear and a soft wet cloth for cleaning the canal. Q-tips should never be inserted into the ear canal as they pose a danger of penetrating into the ear drum.

For the canal you can also use wet cotton balls.

4. Nail clipping

This is important because if the nails are left to grow too long they will cause the feet to splay and this is uncomfortable to the dog. Long nails may also burrow into the skin causing the dog pain.

You can use a dremel tool to file the nails down or you can buy a nail trimmer from the pet shop. Nails should not be cut at once, rather, cut bit by bit till you reach the quick.

5. Creases

These characteristic wrinkles on the bulldog’s face that are his trademark look are an ideal ground for collection of moisture and dirt.

Cleaning these creases can be done using a wet cloth with or without shampoo. After cleaning, the wrinkles should be wiped dry; you can apply baby powder or corn starch in order to keep these wrinkles dry.

6. Nose

This has a tendency to dry up and become flaky, apply some petroleum jelly on it to keep it moist.

7. Teeth

Depending on diet, bulldogs need to have their teeth brushed after one day intervals. Use a doggy toothbrush and toothpaste. You can also buy your dog treats that will clean his mouth and prevent build up of tartar.

Grooming is an essential part of bulldog care; a well groomed dog will feel clean and will flaunt it to everyone around.

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