In this article, we are going to discuss how to bathe a Pug dog.

If you use water to clean your pug (no matter the parts of the body), don’t forget to dry it. Water, contrary to what one might think, dries the skin. It may cause irritation that can lead to infections in the folds of the pug’s face.

Without further ado, let’s get your Pug clean already.

Read Also: Best Brush for a Pug

How to Bathe a Pug Dog

Bathing Supplies    

• A brush/ pre-bathing groom- This will help remove loose hair before bathing the Pug especially on breeds with a high shedding rate.
• Shampoo- This is aimed to cleanse away oils. Use dog shampoos especially plant-based cleaners. I will recommend Earthbath All Natural Scented Shampoo for your Pug.
• Wash-out conditioner- It helps your Pugs’ hair cuticles to open up during bath. One of the best products is Earthbath Oatmeal and aloe conditioner. It helps smoothen the hair cuticles and keeps the skin and hair moisturized.
• Cotton- This will help you to loosely place a small ball of cotton in the Pug ears. The cotton ball will keep out water from entering the ears which may lead to infections.
• A washing cloth and towel- The washing cloth will be used when bathing the Pug and then use the towel after bathing to dry him.
• Non-slip mat– Some Pugs are super jumpy hence will slide inside the bath tab making the bathing difficult. A Non-slip mat will come in handy to help you ease the cleaning process.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1

Before you start the bathing process, I always recommend you get your pug warmed up with some exercise.

Once the pug is ready, now it’s time for brushing the coat with your preferred grooming tool to remove loose fur.

Meanwhile, fill the tub or sink with 2 inches of luke-warm water before you deep your Pug inside it.

Step 2

Lift up your Pugs ears and gently place small cotton balls inside the ear opening. Make sure you don’t push the cotton too deep. The cotton balls will prevent water from accessing your Pugs’ ear canal.

Step 3

Start rinsing the Pugs’ hair preferably using a spray nozzle but in case you don’t have it you can just use a small bowl. Rinse the coat starting from the back going up until it’s thoroughly wet. Avoid getting his face wet.

Step 4

Apply a small amount of shampoo on his hair coat and gently massage the Pug to spread the foam.

Step 5

Use the washing cloth and begin to scrub the dog down the skin and repeat the process l from head to toes.

Step 6

Pick one of your thin washing clothes and rub the Pugs’ face including the folds. Nest, use the same cloth to clean the genital area and underbelly.

Step 7

Once you are done scrubbing the dog, it’s time to start rising him. I always find a nozzle working so perfectly in rinsing and making sure there isn’t any residue of shampoo left out.

Step 8

Next, apply just the right amount of conditioner on the wet hair coat. This will add that extra glossy look to your Pug. Massage the dog for 2-3 minutes and rinse the conditioner with a nozzle or bowl.

Step 9

And you are done with the bath. Remove the Pug and pat his coat to allow him to shake to get rid of excess water.

Lastly use a dry towel to wrap around your Pug and rub gently. Dry the inner and outer parts of the ears with a clean dry cloth.

Other Parts to Give a Bathe

The folds

Once a week, you can clean the folds of your pug’s face with a damp tissue or a piece of cotton wool (use a small slice to prevent cotton wool filaments from getting stuck in the fold).

You can moisten it with clear water (if you don’t have too much limestone in your running water) or with saline.

Don’t forget to dry well after that with a soft, dry handkerchief. Moisture in a skin fold can be responsible for irritation or, worse, infection.

Check out this video on how to custom clean your Pug if you don’t have a bath tab. 

The eyes

The eyes can also be cleaned once (see twice) a week with a handkerchief or a round of wet wadding to take off all the dirt that the tears could have gathered around the eye and towards the eyelids.

Act carefully so as not to irritate the eye of your pug. Ensure you don’t pass very close to the edge of the eyelid.

Take the opportunity to check if the growth of the eyelashes around the eyes is normal and does not touch the cornea of the eye.

There are also natural products available on the market that allow for the proper cleaning of tear flow and minimize the traces that tears can leave on your dog’s hair and around the eyes.

Use a small portion of the cleaning product on soft tissue and rub gently around the Pugs’ eyelids. Normally, if the eyes are healthy and the grooming is regular, there is no reason that it is not enough.

Ears

Also be sure to clean your dog’s ears about once a week, as needed. Check that this is really useful. If the ears are not very dirty, you can just rub gently with a soft, dry tissue.

Most lotions are used in the same way:

• Pour the product in the ear
• Gently massage the base of the ear 
• Allow the Pug to shake his head (he does it often before he lets you massage)
• Wipe the product and dirt with a soft, dry tissue

Complete cleaning with clear water

You can wash your dog regularly just with a brush to remove the bulk of the dirt. SI treatment it is very dirty, a simple wet towel or possibly a warm shower (37 C – 38 C) without shampoo or soap on the body (be careful not to pour water directly on the dog’s face) can help clean the bulk of dirt.

Brushstroke

Suffice to say it’s important to brush your Pug since does not hurt and it’s good for the hair. Also, it can remove the surplus of hair during molting.

I always recommend you can give him a brushstroke as soon as it is a little dirty or just for fun if he loves it.

The real problem is not washing your dog too frequently or not. The fact is that most people do not use a shampoo adapted to the skin of the dog, nor to his hair.

It should be known that the skin of the dog is much more fragile and thin compared to humans (3 to 5 layers of cells for the dog, while 10 to 15 layers for humans). Our PH is 5.5 while that of the dog is 7.

How frequently you use shampoo depends a lot on your dog’s lifestyle and the size of the coat.

If notice your Pug keeps on scratching himself you can scrub him with a little mild shampoo in these cases.

Also, remember that a dog that smells bad is not necessarily a dog that is dirty and/or deserves to go underwater! 

It is therefore useless to wash his dog just because it smells bad, check that it is dirty before passing it in the bath.

Do not forget to thoroughly rinse the shampoo, even if you cannot fight with the little pug. Failure to thoroughly rinse the product can have a very irritating effect, especially on Pugs with delicate skin.

Dry your dog after getting wet, to prevent it from getting cold. Do not hesitate to brush it, it helps the hair to dry.

Allow your little fur friend to shake after cleaning. This will help remove most of the moisture and so that you can easily dry the Pug.

If necessary, you can use a hairdryer to dry.

Caution:

• Don’t Point directly on the Pug’s face 
• Do not keep it fixed on the same spot of the Pugs’ body to avoid burning it
• Do not use the Maximum power of your hairdryer

Regularly monitor the ears, eyes, folds, skin … but also:

Claws

The claws of the pug wear out from the moment when he walks regularly on grounds that allow this natural wear. You must keep an eye on his claws when he is small and that he starts walking.

It is possible to cut the claws of your dog yourself, all it takes is patience especially when the Pug is not cooperative, which is common especially at the beginning.

You ought to equip yourself pair of scissors specially designed to cut the claws. I will recommend Pet Nail Clippers

Inside the claw of the dog are veins and nerves so using a traditional nail cutter might be very painful for the Pug.

You must, therefore, have a claw cutter with a notch to cut the claw. Hold the dog’s paw firmly while holding his paw and claw with one hand and slide it into the notch of the claw cutter, then cut.

Conclusion

Bathing your Pug should be fun especially if you do it the right way.

While some Pugs enjoy the bathe feeling some can be jittery hance pose a challenge to wash them.

The best way to wash your Pug is to set up a bathing space and equip yourself with the right washing supplies.