Maltipoos & Shedding
Maltipoos were bred to be hypoallergenic dogs, so they don’t shed. However, this doesn’t mean they stay neat all the time. While they don’t shed hair, they still shed dander, which can cause allergies in some humans.
Over time a Maltipoo’s coat can also get tangled and matted. It will become more and more uncomfortable for your dog. This is another reason why it’s important to bathe and groom them.
Grooming should begin immediately as soon as you get a puppy, but not bathing. As soon as it is born, it’s the puppy’s mother who assumes the role of cleaning the puppy.
This role passes on to you as its owner. However, it’s not advisable to start traditionally bathing your Maltipoo, until it is 8 weeks old.
This is because, up until this age, puppies are still developing the natural oils that keep their skin moisturized. During this time, they are also still unable to regulate their body temperature, and as a result, they can feel chilly easily.
“Bathe” puppies at this age by wiping them with a damp cloth. After your puppy has reached eight weeks, it should be ready for its first traditional bath.
Bathing Your Maltipoo
Be sure you are ready for the bath before you give it; otherwise, it will become quite the experience for you and your Maltipoo.
1. Prepare the things you need
Before you even start the bath, have the things you need ready. You don’t want to have a wet dog on the loose while you rush around to grab the things you should have prepared in the first place.
- Shampoo and conditioner – Be sure to choose the kind of shampoo that’s good for the type of hair your Maltipoo has.
- Cotton balls or cotton gauze – Stuff these into the ear of the dog to prevent shampoo or water from entering.
- Mineral oil – This protects dogs with sensitive eyes against the shampoo.
- Towels – To dry the dog off, and yourself too if things get too exciting.
- Treats – These will help the dog associate bath time with treat time, and they won’t think about bath time negatively. Note that treats can also be used to keep dogs calm or distracted during a bath. Some companies sell pads that can be stuck to the wall. You can apply a spread of peanut butter or anything the dog likes, to the pad. Bathe the dog while it is happily eating the treat.
- Brush – Give your dog a quick brushing after the bath.
- Large basin – You will only need this to rinse your dog off if you don’t have a flexible shower hose. It’s ideal to bathe your dog in the bathroom tub or sink. Never do this in the kitchen sink, even if you have a flexible hose. You don’t want a wet dog running all over the kitchen. You also don’t want dog hair down the kitchen drain.
2. Prepare yourself
While the Maltipoo isn’t a big dog, its splashing might still get you wet, so you better dress in clothes you don’t mind getting wet in. Keep in mind that you are going to get hairy and dirty, so wear clothes appropriate for this occasion.
3. Prepare your Maltipoo
Before bathing your Maltipoo, ensure that its nails have been trimmed to prevent any injuries to either of you. Bring your Maltipoo into the bathroom and shut the door to prevent escape. Give the dog treats and talk to it to help make it feel comfortable. Stuff the cotton into the dog’s ears gently.
4. Fill up the sink or tub with warm water
Do this before you put the dog in. Many dog owners make the mistake of putting the dog in the sink or the bathtub before they fill it up. Then the animal gets excited, thrashes about, and makes a mess wetter than it ought to be.
Another mistake is putting the dog in when the water is still too hot, as this may scald the dog and give it a bad impression about bath time.
5. Begin the bath
Put the dog in as soon as you are sure the temperature is right. Begin by wetting the dog’s coat with water.
Leave the head for last to keep it calm. After it is wet all over, start applying shampoo at the shoulders then move on from there.
Take care when applying shampoo on the head; this is where they are likely to get uneasy.
Be careful when using shampoo around the eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. As you rinse the dog, use your fingers to feel if all the shampoo has been washed away.
Follow up the shampoo with conditioner. As many conditioners require some time to pass before rinsing off, use this time to clean the dog’s ears with the cotton balls stuffed inside them. Replace them with new ones for the rest of the bath.
6. End the bath
Rinse off the conditioner. Again, use your fingers to make sure no trace of it is left on your Maltipoo.
7. Dry it off
After the bath is done, immediately take out the dog from the sink or tub, then dry it off with a towel. Dogs usually shake themselves off after a bath, but
this isn’t enough to totally dry it off, so you have to help. Brush your Maltipoo; this will get rid of any loose hair. Don’t forget to take out the cotton balls out of its ears. Remember also to dry the dog’s feet thoroughly.
It will be running around the house when you let it out from the bathroom, and you don’t want wet pawprints all over the house! Take the effort to make the first bath as nice and uneventful as possible, and your Maltipoo should have no trouble cooperating in future baths.
Giving your Maltipoo a bath every three weeks is ideal. Remember that Maltipoos aren’t outside dogs, so they shouldn’t get that much dirt on them.
They are also the kind that doesn’t shed, so three weeks between baths should be sufficient. If you give them more frequent baths, you risk drying their skin because you are washing out their natural oils.
Grooming Your Maltipoo
Going to a professional groomer to get this done is always an option. However, why not do the grooming yourself? Grooming is one of the things that you can do that will deepen the bond between you and your dog even more. And you can save the money otherwise spent on professional grooming.
How you groom your Maltipoo depends on what kind of hair they have.
Straight and silky hair
If they have this kind of hair, the good news is that this type of coat isn’t prone to tangling. You can have a Maltipoo with this kind of hair groomed every six to eight weeks.
Thick and curly hair
This kind of coat will be prone to tangling and matting. It will need regular trimming to keep it from growing out of control. The recommended time between grooming is four weeks.
Wavy and wiry
This is a lot like thick and curly hair, but even harder to keep clean. Dog owners with a Maltipoo of this type of hair tend to keep the coat short to save them the trouble.
Like thick, and curly hair, the recommended time between grooming is also four weeks. As earlier mentioned, begin grooming your puppy as soon as you get it. Before its first grooming session, show it the brush. Get the puppy used to its feel,
appearance, and smell. After it has become familiar with the brush, start brushing the dog lightly for about a minute.
Indicate that you want it to sit still while it is being brushed. Praise the dog, then give it a treat for doing so.
Do the same thing over the next few days to establish a routine with the brush. Never use the brush to spank the dog, or threaten it. For the grooming to be a pleasant experience, you both have to be in the right mindset.
If you happen to be upset and start grooming your dog, your mood might affect how you stroke your dog, and it will have an adverse effect. In this case, wait until your mood improves before you groom the dog.
If your dog happens to be the one fidgety during grooming, you can either use more positive reinforcement like treats or encouragement. You can also keep the grooming session shorter.
As with bathing, take the effort to make your first grooming session as routine and uneventful as possible. If the dog finds its first experience with grooming unpleasant, it will likely be uneasy during future grooming sessions. Or it may even try to avoid one altogether.
Professional Grooming
While you may be able to do an excellent job grooming your dog, it really wouldn’t hurt to bring it for a trim from expert hands every once in a while. A groomer will also be able to give your dog a professional haircut that you may not be able to replicate.
Don’t Use Your Shampoo on Your Maltipoo
Shampoo formulated for human hair isn’t ideal for dog hair. Dog shampoo will be different when it comes to thickness and consistency, among other things, because dogs are different from humans when it comes to hair, skin, pH level, and even the glands in their skin.
Using your shampoo on a dog will not only have any beneficial effects for your dog, but it could also cause the dog’s sky to dry and flake off.
