Tips On Grooming A Maltese
Pet Grooming
The maltese is among the toy breeds that are becoming increasingly popular today. Who could resist them? These adorable little dogs are lively and affectionate. They love attention and are great apartment dogs. Although they can be a bit yappy and wary of children, early socialization will limit this behavior. All in all, the perfect little “pocketbook dog.” We’ve all seen the cute little carrying purses to put them in. With their silky white coats, they do need a lot of grooming. Whether you do it yourself or use a professional groomer, it’s something to consider before making them a part of your family.
Maltese have no undercoat so shedding is minimal as long as they are brushed regularly. You should start when they are young to get them used to daily combing and brushing. It will be a part of their lives forever. Many puppies get a shorter puppy cut, but a lot of adult dogs have their full, long coat. Even if you use a groomer regularly, daily maintenance is needed. You will need a pin brush, combs, scissors, a nail trimmer, slicker brush and a conditioning spray. The spray will lessen tangling and hair breakage. You will need small hair elastics or barrettes to keep the hair off the face. Tear staining is common and there are many good products to help correct it, but keeping the hair away from the eyes is a good start.
Brush your dog at least every other day. Start on the underside and work up using long flat strokes to minimize hair damage. If you find a mat or tangle, work it with your fingers and use a detangling spray to gently comb it out. This must be done before bathing or the mat will be much worse after it’s wet. A bath should be done every seven to ten days, more often if your dog goes outdoors. Be sure to wet the coat completely before applying shampoo. Use a pet shampoo because human shampoos have a different ph. There are whitening shampoos on the market, but avoid over use of these. They are drying to the coat. Rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear and shampoo again.
After the final rinse, towel and blow dry your dog. Once the dog is dry, you can trim the hair between the pads and round the feet using scissors. Nail clippers can be guillotine style or scissor style. Maltese have light colored nails so the quick is easy to see and avoid. Have some quick stop powder handy just in case the little wiggle worm causes you to cut the quick. Maltese have excess hair inside the ears and ear powder makes plucking so much easier. Apply the powder and when it’s dry use your fingers or a hemostat to pluck the hair. Part the hair down the middle of the back and allow it to fall on either side if the dog. Perfect! Your grooming is done and you can accessorize to your heart’s content.
It sounds like a lot of work, but owners of these little dogs say that it’s well worth the time. Not only are they beautiful, they want nothing more than to sit on your lap at the end of a long day and give you unconditional love. What more can you ask?
