Some Chihuahuas will get dirtier and smellier than others, but however clean they are they will still need to be bathed at least once a month. The majority of owners give their indoor Chihuahuas a bath once every one or two weeks. If your dog, goes outdoors you can almost guarantee that it will get into all kinds of stuff that you will really want to wash off.
Bathing a Chihuahua is quite a simple task. The most important thing is to only use a shampoo that is designed for dogs. The shampoo you use – even if it’s baby shampoo – will dehydrate his skin. Chihuahuas also have delicate eyes, so find a tearless dog shampoo, and even then, try not to get soap or water into your Chihuahua’s eyes when you bathe him.
Use a sink or dishpan to bathe your Chihuahua. These are tiny dogs, and because of this, it is much easier and less hazardous to bathe them in smaller containers. You don’t need a lot of water in the sink or dishpan, and using a water sprayer is the best way to wet and rinse the dog.
Bathing your Chihuahua
When you wet the dog, prevent water entering its ears. You can do this by putting cotton balls inside the ear canal. Once he is wet, apply the shampoo and lather him up well. Check his skin as you do so. Keep an eye out for any dry skin or wounds and any evidence of ticks or fleas. Should a tick and flea shampoo be required, get one your vet recommends.
After you finish with the shampooing make sure you rinse him well. It is extremely important that you rinse away all signs of the shampoo, otherwise it could cause your dog’s skin to dry out.
Your Chihuahua will be cold after his bath, so have some towels ready. Wrap him up well and dry him to get him warm again. You can use a hair dryer on your Chihuahua, but ensure that you set it to put out low heat, and that it doesn’t get too close to the Chihuahua, so that you don’t unintentionally burn his skin.
Give your Chihuahua a brush before and after its bath. If you want to trim his nails, a good time to do this is immediately after his bath, while the nail is soft. Dry the ear canal, check the pads on his feet, and brush his teeth – using a toothpaste designed for dogs.
One good tip is to start bathing your Chihuahua at an early age so that he becomes accustomed to it. This will also save you the expense of taking him to a groomer to get this done, unless, of course, you prefer professional grooming.