Sometimes nicknamed a Frenchie, the French Bulldog originated in Paris in the nineteenth century. Despite its French origin, the French Bulldog is hugely popular in countries outside of its native France as it ranks as the second most popular dog breed in both the United States and Britain and the third most popular dog breed in Australia according to their respective kennel clubs.
If there is anything that makes the French Bulldogs unique as a dog breed, it is that they have large and erect bat ears and large and square heads with heavily wrinkled noses. Even though their ears and heads are large, the French Bulldogs are actually a small group of dogs standing at 11 to 13 inches tall at the shoulder. If you are in need of help with French Bulldog grooming, this post is your go-to place for that.
The French Bulldog Grooming Process
1. Brush Your French Bulldog’s Hair
Your French Bulldog has a simple coating with short hair. So, you don’t really need to worry about matting with your French Bulldog. Also, your French Bulldog only shed a minimal amount of hair thanks largely to the short hair that he/she has.
So, you don’t need to worry about a ton of dog hair falling on your furniture or floor. Even so, it is still a good idea for you to brush your French Bulldog’s hair because doing so will spread out his/her natural oils which will help his/her coating to look its best and to promote a healthy skin for him/her.
Brushing your French Bulldog’s coating will also allow you to get rid of whatever little dead hair that he/she has. That will allow your French Bulldog to have new hair in their place.
Before you start to brush your French Bulldog’s coating, I want to point out that he/she has fine hair which means that the hair will easily break off if you brush his/her coating when it is dry.
So, you will want to make sure that your French Bulldog’s coating is damp first before you brush it. In order to dampen the coating, all you need to do is to grab a spray bottle, fill it with water, and then spray water onto your French Bulldog’s coating.
Once that has been taken care of, you can proceed to brush your French Bulldog’s coating. If you aren’t sure which brush to use, I would just get the Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush as it is popular with dog owners and can be used without scratching your French Bulldog’s skin thanks mainly to its fine bent wire bristles.
The brush also comes with a self-cleaning mechanism that will allow you to easily get rid of any dead hair from the brush with a button press. You will want to brush your French Bulldog’s coating in the direction of hair growth for best results.
2. Brush Your French Bulldog’s Teeth
All dogs need to have their teeth brushed in order to keep their teeth healthy and so does your French Bulldog. Failure to brush a dog’s teeth can lead to tooth decay because of tartar gathering among the dog’s teeth.
So, you will want to make sure and brush your French Bulldog’s teeth regularly, ideally on a daily basis. You will want to get the Virbac toothpaste as that is the one that veterinarians often recommend for a dog’s teeth. You can use a toothbrush to brush your dog’s teeth.
3. Bathe Your French Bulldog
Before you bathe your French Bulldog, there is something that I want to note. French Bulldogs are prone to allergies and skin issues. So, you will want to use a shampoo that is designed with these things in mind. The Rocco and Roxie Soothe Oatmeal Shampoo is one such option.
Now that you have the shampoo, you are now ready to bathe your French Bulldog. Take the dog to the bathtub and use a cup filled with warm water and pour it onto your dog to get him/her all wet.
With your French Bulldog all wet, thoroughly apply the shampoo onto his/her coating, taking care not to get it into his/her eyes. Now, rinse your French Bulldog’s coating until any and all of the lingering shampoo is gone.
With the bath over, use a bathing towel to dry your French Bulldog, but you still want his/her coating to be damp as you will be brushing it again. Now, proceed to re-brush your French Bulldog’s coating. As for how often to bathe your French Bulldog, once a month should do it.
4. Clean Your French Bulldog’s Ears
Cleaning your French Bulldog’s ears is an important part of the grooming routine. Wax can grow inside your French Bulldog’s ears which can lead to ear infection if it is left alone in them.
So, you will want to keep an eye on your French Bulldog’s ears. If they look like they are dirty, that indicates it is time for you to clean them out. You will want to use the Virbac ear cleaner as that is the one that veterinarians often recommend for a dog’s ears.
You can use cotton balls with the ear cleaner on them to clean out your French Bulldog’s ears.
5. Clip Your French Bulldog’s Nails
Nails that are too long can cause pain for your French Bulldog’s paws which can cause discomfort for him/her when walking around. So, you will want to make sure and keep an eye on your French Bulldog’s nails.
If you start to hear the clicking sound when your French Bulldog is walking, that indicates that it is time for you to clip his/her nails short. You can use a nail clipper like Millers Forge Dog Nail Clip to clip your French Bulldog’s nails.
As you are clipping your French Bulldog’s nails, watch out for the quick part of the nails as you don’t want to cut that part as it can easily lead to bleeding.
French Bulldog Grooming – Conclusion
So, there you have it for French Bulldog grooming. As for if you can trim your French Bulldog’s hair, given how short the hair is, there is hardly any hair in need of trimming. So, don’t bother with that at all.
If you are struggling to get your French Bulldog comfortable with the idea of being groomed, this post will help you out with that. So, give it a read if you need help. What are your thoughts? Have you groomed a French Bulldog before? Feel free to leave a comment down below.