How to Groom a Boston Terrier

Having a dog comes with responsibilities. One of the things that you will be responsible for is grooming your furry friend. A Boston Terrier’s grooming is not high maintenance. This means you do not have to put in a lot of work, often for it to become clean and look good. In this article, I look at how to groom a Boston Terrier.

How to Groom a Boston Terrier

There are a few aspects that come in when grooming a Boston Terrier. You should focus on all of them to ensure your dog is clean.

Brushing Its Coat

This breed’s short, smooth coat has a fine texture. When the coat is well cared for, it does not shed as much as when it is not properly cared for. Brushing removes dirt, mud, and debris, so you do not have to bathe it often. However, you should be gentle when brushing as its coat is thin and rough brushing may cause the skin to tear.

When brushing, ensure that you use a brush with natural bristles. You should also get a brush with dense bristles as they make removing hair that is loose much easier. There are different types of brushes for Boston Terriers for different purposes. Some of the brushes or tools you may need to use when brushing your furry friend include the following:

• Grooming gloves: These gloves can be used on dry and wet coats. They are also great for massaging your dog’s body and removing dead hair.
• Rubber curry brush: This brush is good for this breed’s coat. You can use it on dry and wet coats, which work well in circular motions. When using it on a wet coat, you can add conditioner to ensure that the coat’s clean. Ensure you avoid your dog’s sensitive parts.
• Flea comb: It has teeth that are very close together and can be made from either plastic or metal. The gaps between the teeth are designed to let the hair pass through, not fleas. Brush the hair in sections using a flea comb to cover every spot.

One of the benefits of brushing your dog’s coat is to help bring its body’s natural oil through its coat. These oils make its coat shiny and its hair softer. You can also apply essential oils on your dog’s coat to keep its skin hydrated and shiny.

Some of the oils you can apply to include coconut oil, chamomile oil, jojoba oil, and avocado oil.

Bathing

It is ideal for bathing your dog after you have brushed it. This way, you have already removed the dirt and debris in its skin. You will also prevent the bathtub from being covered in dog hair. You can give it baths once every four to six weeks when you brush it regularly.

You can bathe it much sooner when necessary, like your furry friend rolls in the mud.

There are things you have to consider to ensure you give your dog a good experience during baths. You do not want to have a dog that loathes bath days. Some of the things you can do include the following:

• Use products that are specially formulated for dog use. This includes shampoos, conditioners, and brushes.
• Use warm water.
• Protect your dog’s eyes so the shampoo does not get in. In case it does, rinse the eyes with lots of water.
• Do not let water get into its ears.

When you do it right, your dog will enjoy baths. Remember to clean its facial wrinkles daily, as they are a great spot for dirt and debris to hide. You can use moist cotton balls to clean the area and apply baby powder or dog moisturizing lotion to form an extra layer of protection and prevent the skin from becoming chapped.

Brushing Its Teeth

Ensure you brush your Boston Terrier’s teeth at least twice a week, especially if you feed it a lot of wet food. This ensures its breath remains fresh and that there is no build-up of tartar or plaque. Brush using a dog toothbrush and dog toothpaste.

If your dog does not like getting its teeth brushed, there are alternatives you can try. This includes the following:

• Dog dental wipes
• Dog chews
• Dog teeth gels and sprays
• Chew toys
• Dental treats

Your dog may prefer one of the above methods instead of using a toothbrush and toothpaste. Use trial and error to find what it prefers, don’t give up, as it may lead to its teeth rotting and having bad breath.

Clipping Its Nails

Filing your dog’s nails can be challenging. This is why many people use a dog groomer for this activity. However, if you are determined, you can still do it at home. Set a slow speed on your rotary-type sander and gently tap the tips to remove small sections at a time.

If you decide to use clippers, ensure you are very careful and gentle so you do not injure your dog. Your furry friend can start bleeding when you cut close to the quick. This may cause it to be fearful of this process. In case it starts bleeding, use cornstarch or a styptic pencil.

Clip the nails once every two weeks to give them time to grow. Give it another week if the nails have yet to grow enough to be cut by the end of the two weeks. Ensure you clip the dew claws so they do not curl and embed themselves into the skin. You will have to take your dog to the vet if this happens.

Cleaning Its Ears and Eyes

Regularly clean your dog’s inner ear flaps using a moist cloth or cotton balls soaked in a dog ear-cleaning solution. Ensure you do not get water or the cleaning solution into the ear canal. You should also check for ticks or ear mites every few days.

Their ears are very sensitive and prone to infection. If you detect a smell coming from the ears, take it to the vet as soon as possible.

This breed has large eyes that are prone to infections and scratches. Ensure you examine them daily and look for discharge that may cause the fur under their eyes to become discolored.

Wipe below the eyes using a damp, warm cloth to wipe the area below the eyes in a downward motion to prevent bacteria or dirt from getting into the eye.

Your vet can also prescribe an eye cleaning solution that comes in the form of eye drops that you can put into your dog’s eyes to clean them.

Conclusion

Grooming this breed is easier than it seems. The more you do it, the easier it becomes as you learn what your dog likes and does not like and adjust accordingly. You can hire a pet groomer if you cannot groom it yourself.

You can also ask a professional groomer to teach you how to groom it properly so you can provide the best services for it at home.