Chihuahuas are a tremendous breed, famous for being recognized because of the smallest breed of dog, with puppies ready to be laid within the palm of a hand. As a former dog groomer, I do have some knowledge within the pet grooming arena.
DO CHIHUAHUAS NEED GROOMING?
Compared to another breeds, Chihuahuas don’t need the maximum amount grooming.
But they still got to be groomed. All dogs do. Chihuahuas are tiny and low to the bottom. Because of that, they’re more vulnerable to learning dirt, dust, and dirt which will collect in their fur alongside being more susceptible to fleas.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD CHIHUAHUAS BE GROOMED?
It can depend upon several things including:
- Their environment
- How much time they spend outside
- The weather
- Whether they are long-haired or short-haired chis
- If they need skin issues
- If they need flea issues
I groom my dogs once a month. we’ve what I call a spa day where I groom all 3 of them.
Not their favorite thing within the world to try to to , but they tolerate it.
IS GROOMING an equivalent AS BATHING?
No, not necessarily. Grooming your dog will include a shower but it also may include clipping their hair, trimming their nails and cleaning their ears out. Most dogs only need grooming once a month but may have a shower more often, like every other week.
WHAT SUPPLIES you would like TO GROOM YOUR CHIHUAHUA
- Dog Shampoo
- Dog Conditioner (optional)
- Squeeze bottle (optional)
- wash cloth
- Several large towels
- Several small towels
- Silicone baking mat for bottom of sink (optional)
- Nail Clippers or Nail Grinder
- Styptic powder
- Dog Clippers
- A few Cotton Balls
- Ear Cleaner
- Hair Cutting Scissors (for long hair chis)
- Dog Hair Clippers (for long hair chis)
- Dog Brush
STEPS TO GROOMING A CHIHUAHUA
If you’ve got an extended hair chihuahua, there are some further steps lower down during this post but below are the essential steps to groom a dog.
First, get all of your supplies out.
Put the washing supplies by the sink (or wherever you propose to wash your dog) and therefore the remainder of the supplies where you’ll do the opposite grooming tasks.
Speaking of bath supplies (I learned this from my grooming days), this trick will help control where the shampoo goes on your dog:
Use a clean plastic squirt bottle (you can purchase one or recycle a second hand dish detergent bottle) and pour a few teaspoon’s worth of dog shampoo into the bottle. Add some warm water to the bottle and shake well.
When I groom one among my dogs, I place a fluffy towel down on one among my kitchen counters to try to to the work before the bathtub .
The towel keeps the dog from sliding, it’s easier for them and catches the hair and therefore the clipped nail parts.
Kitchen counters aren’t nearly as good as having an actual grooming table (I wont to have knowledgeable grooming table but sold it as I didn’t have the space to store it) but the counter is high enough to figure comfortably without stooping over.
HAIR
Do just a fast brushing to loosen any dead skin and loose hair.
NAILS
Cute chihuahua getting nails clipped
Regarding the feet, it’s important to stay your Chihuahua’s nails trimmed once a month a minimum of .
When their nails get too long your Chi will have trouble staying out of its own way and inhibit their ability to steer .
Eventually it could cause bone deformities and also cause tons of pain so please don’t ignore their nails.
Chihuahuas are often a touch ornery when it involves their paws so you’ll have trouble with getting them to calm down enough to trim their nails correctly.
Thus, it’d be an honest idea to require your pet to knowledgeable groomer or a veterinarian instead of skip clipping their nails.
Or have someone assist you to carry them.
Clip your dogs nails or use a nail grinder.
If you employ nail clips, confirm they’re sharp.
Have some styptic powder available just in case you narrow the nail too close and it starts to bleed.
Just dip the nail within the powder and it’ll stop the bleeding.
While doing all of your dog’s nails, check for infections of the foot and dirt and rocks which will collect in between their paws.
EARS
Hand wiping chihuahua’s ear with a white cloth
Fortunately for chihuahuas, since most of them have erect ears, they don’t affect ear infections as often as floppy eared breeds do.
But they still can get them. So use this chance to see for a foul smell, redness, puffiness, greasiness or brown specks.
All of this might be a symbol of an ear infection.
Even if the ears look fine they still need a touch care. you’ll click the link to find out more about the way to clean your dog’s ears.
BATH
Fawn chihuahua getting a shower
I use my sink to wash my pups. That’s one among the good things about having small dogs. It’s very easy to wash them.
Make sure the sink is clean and beyond anything close that your dog can overturn like dish soap or dirty dishes or whatever.
If you’ve got a silicone baking mat, place it within the bottom to stay your dog from sliding. If you don’t have a mat, you’ll place alittle towel there.
Fill the sink with a couple of inches of warm water. confirm the water isn’t too hot or too cool before you set your fur kid in it.
The face is typically the toughest to scrub , so start there first. Pour a touch of your shampoo mixture on a wet washcloth and gently wipe your dog’s face with it.
Rinse out your washcloth and re-evaluate the face again with just the wet washcloth to get rid of any of the shampoo residue.
Using your squirt bottle, squirt your shampoo mixture starting at the rear of the top and squirt all the thanks to the tail.
Work up a lather then squirt the shampoo on your dogs legs and feet. Lather them up too.
Now, squirt and lather your dog’s chest, tummy, genitals and anal area and lather those areas.
Now rinse your dog thoroughly with warm water until the there are not any suds left.
Try to not get water in your dog’s ears as this will cause an ear infection.
You can add a conditioner if you would like and leave it on a couple of minutes before rinsing off.
After they’re through with the bathtub , wrap them during a thick towel and towel dry.
HOW TO GROOM an extended HAIR CHIHUAHUA
Grooming an extended hair chihuahua is essentially an equivalent as grooming a brief hair chihuahua with a couple of added steps.
Give your dog a radical brushing and obtain as many mats out as possible.
You have 2 choices if your dog’s hair is matted:You can shave them otherwise you can de-mat them.
If the hair is severely matted, you’ll want to let a groomer lookout of it.
After clipping your dog’s nails, check her foot pads to ascertain if there’s hair in them.
If there’s tons of hair growing between them, use your hair clippers to urge it out.
Below may be a video showing you ways to try to to it.
There is a caveat though.
The dog within the video is perhaps a English Cocker spaniel and has some severe mats happening in their foot pads.
Chihuahua hair doesn’t grow an equivalent way so it’s more likely to be long and stringy instead of matted.
Just use the blade that comes together with your clippers. If you are doing have several sized blades, search for size 10.
Next shave around their genitals and their anus. This will help keep the pee and poo off their fur.
Use a light-weight touch when shaving in these areas as they’re extra sensitive and you don’t want them to urge a razor burn.
Now, just do the remainder of the grooming steps listed above.
With long haired chis, i might use an honest conditioner on their hair after shampooing.
Once they’re dry, brush them again.
SHOULD YOU SHAVE YOUR CHIHUAHUA?
If your chi is basically matted, it’s going to be an honest idea.
And some people wish to keep them shorter for the summer or for simply because it’s easier to stay them clean.
But really, long hair chis are alleged to have long hair.
WHAT to try to to BETWEEN BATHS AND GROOMINGS
Daily brushings or brush a minimum of a couple of times every week .Some dogs don’t wish to be brushed but most do or will after it becomes a habit.
Mine get so relaxed they’re going to nod off once I brush them.Daily brushings will keep the shedding down too.
If your dog really hates to be brushed otherwise you don’t like doing it, try some grooming gloves.All you are doing is pet your dog with the glove on.
Keep some baby wipes available to wipe their feet or face when a they get a touch messy.
