Properly grooming your pet goes beyond mere aesthetics and good looks; routine grooming care also affects your dog’s health and personal behavior. Ongoing health issues can stem from dirt or matted hair tangles, while general grooming makes your dog feel better and healthier and helps to develop a bond with you, its owner.

When to Start Grooming

It’s best to start grooming your dog at an early age. You want him to become accustomed to the routine and all the activity that goes along with grooming. The younger you start, the more accepting he will be of the brush, comb, bath, and nail clippers. If you plan to use a professional, try to find one whom you like, and stick with him or her as long as is practical. You want your dog to know, trust, and be comfortable with the grooming professional you choose.

Daily Grooming

There’s usually no need to groom your dog on a daily basis, but it is a good idea to at least give him a daily inspection. Give your dog a “once over” every day, checking for bumps, sores, irritation, and nasty fleas or ticks. Ticks can be squeezed off with tweezers and fleas can be scraped out using a fine-toothed comb.

Check your dog’s ears for any potential infections or dirt that can cause infection. Also, examine their paws for dirt, pebbles, splinters, or chemicals that can cause irritations or sores. Finally, clean out their eyes tenderly and gently with a soft, warm washcloth. Your dog may initially resist you washing around his eyes and face, so you will need to hold him steady until there is a general comfort with the process.

Weekly Grooming

It’s a good idea to brush your dog at least once a week. Brushing will not only work out tangles and mats, but also remove dead hair and reduce shedding around the house. If you’re sick of seeing dog hair everywhere, try brushing your dog on a regular basis with a wet brush. When you encounter a difficult tangle or mat, be gentle with your dog and try to be as soothing as possible. Just like in humans, tangled hair pulled with a brush can be painful.

Don’t forget to also brush your dog’s teeth. Dog toothpaste and special toothbrushes are available at most pet stores. Though this step may seem trivial for a dog, dental health is very important and dental issues are one of the most common veterinarian procedures, so keep your dog’s teeth healthy.

Monthly Grooming

Your dog’s nails should be trimmed roughly every month or every other month. If you’re not comfortable doing this, consider bringing your dog to a professional. Avoid cutting the nails too low as dogs have blood vessels in their nails; cutting them too close to the paw can hurt the dog and cause it to bleed.

When it comes to overall cleanliness, the basic formula for bathing your dog is to do so as the need arises. Use a gentle soap or special dog shampoo and bathe your furry friend on an as-needed basis. If you dog smells bad, don’t blame him - he’s only being a dog. Give him a bath.

Maltese dogs are not only beautiful but are lovable and kind natured dogs. As a member of the toy breed, they are small in stature and don’t get much bigger than 6 pounds. Most of their bulk comes in the form of thick white hair. Their coats hang long, flat and silky over the sides of the body and skim the ground.

Taking care of the Maltese coat is the most important part of grooming the breed. Maltese should be brushed and combed a minimum of every other day. Daily brushing, however, is recommended if you want to keep their coat healthy.

The best brush to use is an open-spaced pin brush. Avoid brushes with “balls” on the pins. Start by lifting up the top layer of hair, spray a light coat of water or a leave in conditioner and brush the bottom half of the coat free. Continue until that layer is tangle-free all the way to the skin and then work up to the top layer of hair. Always make sure to brush the dog’s underbelly to prevent matting.

If your Maltese does develop mats, try to work it out gently at first with your fingers. Trying to brush it out first may result in hair loss. You can also try spraying the mat with de-tangler or a coat conditioning oil to loosen the hair.

Gently pull apart the mat with your fingers and the end tooth of a comb as necessary. The most important thing to remember is to go slowly because if you try to remove the mat too hastily, you may end up needing to cut the mat out.

Another important part of taking care of the Maltese coat is regular bathing. Before beginning the bathing process, brush and comb your dog thoroughly to get rid of any dead hair and knots. If there are any mats present, they must be taken care of first because water will only tighten the knot.

Once you’ve prepared your dog, clean the dog’s ears and then place a small ball of cotton inside. This will help prevent any water from entering the ear canal and causing an infection. Make sure to have all of your necessary equipment ready before beginning the bath and have plenty of towels within reach.

Begin the bathing by getting your dog wet to the skin and then applying a quality, tear-free shampoo along the back, each leg and under the tail of your Maltese. Start lathering your dog and work from the back to front. Rinse the coat and then shampoo again.

After you’ve rinsed the second time, make sure to wash your Maltese’s face carefully with a washcloth. Rise a third time over the dog’s face and body to make sure all traces of soap are gone. Any leftover residue will irritate the dog’s skin so this is a very important step.

Many Maltese owners like to use conditioner on their dog’s coat. A special type of conditioner called a “coat handler” works as a leave in conditioner, detangler and fragrance all in one.

Work the conditioner or coat handler through the dog’s hair and then squeeze excess water from the coat. Pay close attention to the ears, tail and legs when removing water. Then you can start drying with towels. Once your dog is at the damp-dry state you can begin to blow-dry. After blow-drying, you can comb out the dog’s hair to make it smooth. Wash your Maltese no more than once a week for a healthy coat.