Washing the French Bulldog at home: how to do it without mistakes
Washing the French Bulldog at home: how to do it without mistakes
Written by Silvia Capelli
September 8, 2023
Washing a French Bulldog at home is not a difficult task: it's a small-sized dog and is generally quite calm.
The short coat doesn't require much maintenance, it washes quickly, and is easy to dry.
However, this breed is quite delicate when it comes to health, and there are small precautions that can help us carry out grooming in the best possible way.
In this article, we will teach you how to wash your French Bulldog, how to trim its nails without hurting it, and how to clean its ears and teeth properly.
We will also explain how to keep the folds of the face clean to ensure your little one receives all the care it deserves.
Let's try to clarify the subject and give you some useful advice to keep Fido's ears in excellent health.
How to clean the muzzle of a French Bulldog
Cleaning the muzzle of a French Bulldog is one of the most delicate tasks you'll face. The muzzle of a French Bulldog has many folds, and dirt tends to nest deeply within them, as do food residues.
Moreover, the skin within each fold tends to remain constantly moist, creating a fertile ground for the growth of bacteria and infections that can become very problematic for the dog.
These conditions can cause various disorders for your puppy, which might suffer from:
1) Redness of the muzzle:
The sudden appearance of a pink muzzle in your dog can be due to parasites and insect bites or allergies, but primarily it will be due to problems that can concern the poor cleaning of the wrinkles, such as fungi, bacteria, and dermatitis.
2) Skin lesions:
These too are due to the rubbing of the folds, which sometimes can cause small lesions.
Remember that the dog also rubs its face when laying its head down to sleep, so the skin inside is often stressed and tends to get irritated.
3) Ulcers:
Ulcers can be caused both by the rubbing of the folds and by the dog scratching itself: bacterial infections can cause itching, and the dog will tend to scratch to relieve the irritated area.
And obviously, given the constant moisture of the area in question, the wound fails to heal and continues to worsen.
4) Unhealthy smell:
Moisture, dirt, fungi, bacteria, and food residues: a lethal mix for the formation of bad odors.
But beware: if the odor comes from the body and not from the area around the nose, there might be other problems. Smelly skin can be indicative of other diseases.
5) Canine acne:
If the pimples on the muzzle can be due to allergies, from dietary deficiencies, or from the use of cosmetic products, in most cases, they depend on poor hygiene.
You'll recognize them because they appear as white or black points, or as reddish bumps.
6) Dermatitis:
The dermatitis of skin folds, or intertrigo, is an inflammatory condition that occurs during the rubbing of contacting skin areas, in this case, the folds of the muzzle.
The excess moisture caused by poor ventilation and the accumulation of secretions (sebum, tears, saliva, urine) promotes the growth of yeasts such as Malassezia and bacteria.
This skin imbalance leads to the development of erythema, exudation (leakage of fluid from the small capillaries present in the area), suppuration (i.e., the formation of pus), and an unpleasant odor.
To keep the skin of your Frenchie's muzzle healthy, you must try to keep it dry.
You just need to clean the affected area after each meal or at least once a day. Avoid the use of wet wipes, disinfectants, and baby products (the pH is not suitable for dogs).
Dab with a just moist cloth (use only lukewarm water), rubbing as gently as possible the skin inside each wrinkle to avoid redness, and then dry well with a dry cloth, always with the utmost gentleness.
To prevent these problems, the skin of the muzzle must always be kept dry, even when washing the dog. This applies to all Brachycephalic dogs, especially the Frenchie and the Pug.
And if the problem is already present, before starting with any over-the-counter product, it's better to take the dog to the vet and follow their advice.
By the way, wrinkles are not only on the muzzle: there's a fold under the tail that should be cleaned at least once a month to avoid the accumulation of dirt, dust, or dead hairs.
How to care for the coat of a French Bulldog
Grooming a French Bulldog begins with regular maintenance, namely brushing. You may often read that this dog does not shed hair, or does not shed much, but that is not entirely accurate.
The Frenchie has short hair and therefore you might notice it less than you would with a Siberian Husky, but it also has an undercoat, goes through shedding seasons, and loses quite a bit of hair.
The only way to limit this inconvenience is to brush it regularly. It doesn't take much effort; a brush for short-haired dogs (like the very popular Furminator) or a glove brush will do, and the problem of knots and hair will be solved.
A couple of sessions a week will be enough to keep the dogs' coat tidy and thus avoid excessive shedding of hair on clothes and sofas.
Regularly caring for the coat is also necessary to ensure its cleanliness, since bathing should be done no more than once a month to avoid damaging the dog's natural skin oils.
Giving a French Bulldog a bath at home
First, remember that bathing should only be done when necessary, and not more than once a month unless in case of emergency, to keep the skin in perfect health.
And it's important to use the right product, no use of human shampoo or conditioner, as the pH is not suitable for dogs!
Products for cleaning a French Bulldog:
Gentle shampoo
Conditioning conditioner
Towel
Hair dryer or blow dryer
Cotton balls for the ears
The bathroom must be heated or at the right temperature (Frenchies are sensitive to cold), and when the room is ready, proceed as follows:
1) Brush the animal thoroughly
Brush even if it has short hair, because before the bath, all the dead hairs from the coat and undercoat must be removed.
2) Protect the ears from soap
Insert cotton balls in the dog's ears to prevent water and foam from getting inside.
3) Wet with warm water
Thoroughly wet your French Bulldog with warm water, but do not wet the head and muzzle. Make sure all the body hair is well wetted.
4) Apply shampoo
Pour the shampoo and start to massage the body well, then move on to the head, legs, and tail. Make sure to remove dirt even between the toes, the genital area, and the neck.
5) Use conditioning conditioner
Repeat the previous treatment with the conditioning conditioner, you just need to leave it on for a couple of minutes since there are no knots to detangle. There should be no residue of conditioning product left.
6) Pat dry with the towel
Pat the dog thoroughly with a warm and dry towel and remove all the residual water.
7) Dry the coat
Dry the dog with a hair dryer or blow dryer, keeping the temperature low enough not to burn the dog. Since it's a delicate breed, make sure it is well dried before letting it roam free.
To clean your Frenchie's ears, make sure you have:
Cotton pads and gauze cut into pieces
Wet wipes
Ear cleaning solution
Tweezers (for eyebrows)
Dog treats
Take Fido to a quiet place without distractions and proceed as follows:
Have the animal comfortably sit on an elevated surface and ensure it is relaxed.
Pour some cleaner into the ear. To ensure better penetration, place your thumb on the cartilage at the base of the ear and slide your finger from bottom to top.
Gently massage the cartilage until the liquid has settled well at the bottom and has started to dissolve the earwax.
Wrap a piece of gauze (or a wipe) around your index finger and gently enter the ear. Rub the walls gently and repeat the operation until the ear canal is completely clean.
If your French Bulldog's ears are too small, roll a piece of gauze onto itself to form a stick, insert it into the ear and use it as if it were a cleaning stick.
Dab the inside of the ear with cotton and take the animal to a place where it can shake its head to get rid of the residual liquid.
If there is excessive hair in the ears, gently grab the tufts with the tweezers and pull without forcing too much; they should come off and clear the ear canal.
To trim your French Bulldog's nails, you will need:
An electric nail grinder
Nail clippers
A flashlight (to identify the exact spot to cut)
Disinfectant
Healing cream
Then, proceed as follows:
1. Find a quiet place and bring all the necessary tools to a room without distractions.
2. Identify the cutting area and make a small mark with a marker or something that can be easily erased, so you know the exact spot.
3. Sit on the floor with Fido and lift his paw, or have him lie on his side, to easily access the back paws as well.
4. Begin trimming the front paws' nails. Lift the paw, hold it firmly, and cut each nail from top to bottom, making a perpendicular cut (about 45 degrees), without getting too close to the quick (about 2 mm away).
5. Remember to trim the dewclaw, which is the nail found on the inside of the leg; it breaks very easily.
6. Give a treat as a reward.
7. If you accidentally injure the animal, disinfect the wound if necessary, and then cauterize with styptic powder.
Brushing a French Bulldog's teeth is a complicated operation, but a few small precautions can make it easier. It's better to try in the evening when the animal is more relaxed.
First, make sure you have:
A toothbrush (traditional, finger, or double-headed)
Enzymatic toothpaste
Then, proceed as follows:
1. Put a little toothpaste on the brush and let your dog taste it, so it gets familiar with both products.
2. Once the dog relaxes, put some toothpaste on your finger and spread it well on the teeth. Start from the back teeth and move to the canines and then the incisors.
3. Apply the toothpaste to the bristles and start brushing the outer arches very gently, with light pressure and a circular motion.
4. Brush from the top down. The outer arches are the dirtiest, so thoroughly brushing the external teeth is very important.
5. Cleaning the inner arches is more difficult: try to open the dog's mouth with your hand and brush the inside of the teeth, always very gently.
6. If you can't use the toothbrush, wrap a piece of gauze around your finger, put some toothpaste on it, and use that for cleaning. You will still get a good result.
7. Obviously, this refers to daily cleaning, not deep cleaning. Tartar removal should be done by a vet and depends on the teeth's condition.
Is it advisable to wash a French Bulldog at home? If the grooming budget is limited, DIY is definitely a good option.
Regarding baths, there are no problems, as they have a coat that's easy to clean and maintain and doesn't require daily maintenance.
Your Frenchie will look magnificent either way, but what's important is that cleanliness and hygiene are never neglected to avoid harming the little one's health.
However, when it comes to teeth, nails, and ears, the story changes: these operations are delicate and must be done correctly.
Nail trimming, in particular, is very delicate because you could injure the animal, so if in doubt, it's better to turn to experienced groomers.
But even if you don't want to take it to a groomer, your vet might be able to do it, so try asking them as well.
If this post was helpful and you want to learn more about care, well-being, and dog training, we're happy to help. Find here plenty of useful information to better understand your best friend.
Disclaimer
The information on our site is of a general nature and in no way replaces the advice of a vet or industry experts. For any doubts, always turn to your trusted groomer or vet.
