How Often To Bathe A Pug? An Easy 5-Step Guide To The Best Wrinkle-Faced Hygiene

Nobody likes a stinky, smelly pooch, right? Just like humans need regular clean-up, so do canines, no matter what the breed is. Ever since Medieval times, people and animals have learned the hard way what non-bathing can potentially lead to. Almost the whole European continent fell to the “Black Death’s” sword in the 14th century, leading to almost 50 million fatalities. It started with the impoverished population succumbing to the plague’s claws since they did not keep up with their hygiene that much.

Now, even if your pooch has everything it wishes, getting fed regularly, and has a warm bed to sleep at night on, it can get bad skin infections if not cleaned regularly. A Pug is one of the worst breeds when it comes to dermatitis. So, how often to bathe a pug to keep it infection-free? Let’s find out!

Pug’s Personal Hygiene: How To Keep A Pug Squeaky Clean?

• Brush out a Pug’s Coat Every Other Day: Pugs are known to have a massive shedding problem. Hence, each owner should invest in a good de-shedding brush to help him/her keep up with the amount of hair falling off a Pug pal. No matter if it’s spring, summer, or fall, Pugs shed year-round. What you do is take your bud for a walk and start brushing it out, applying slight pressure for the comb to get deep into the first coat layer. But don’t overdo it! If you hear a Pug baby squeak, that means you hurting it. So you should go gentler and slower.
• Clean Its Ears Weekly: Our flat-faced pals are very susceptible to all kinds of infections, including the auricle ones. The reason is that a Pug’s floppy ears don’t give much chance for air to circulate in and out of the ear canal, leading to bacteria collection. Notice how your pooch continuously scratches its lobes and/or rolls on the floor, rubbing the head up against it? This behavior could be a clear sign that an infection is harboring near the lobes and/or going deeper through the canal. Put your wrinkled bundle of joy on your lap and carefully inspect its ears. Try not to pull too hard, this may be very unpleasant for your fur baby.
• Wipe Facial Folds Regularly: it is important to come up with a routine when it comes to cleaning your Pug’s abundant wrinkles. Of course, it is a no-fun activity neither for you nor for your fluffy companion. However, negligence in folds-wiping can trigger skin infections like dermatitis, psoriasis, and mange. If you have a smartphone, it will be easy to just set a reminder and try to do it every day around the same time. Pretty soon it will become a habit, like brushing your hair. It is better to use disposable wipes and just throw them away after each use, so no bacteria gets transferred back to your mutt’s skin. Gently wipe your pal’s folds concentrating on the forehead as well as its nose. Try to go a little deeper, all the way to where the crease starts to pick up all the gunk collected over time.
• Clip Its Nails: a very daunting perspective for any four-legged friend. But it is a necessity if you want your Pug to be well-groomed all around. Try to motivate it with treats: for every clipped nail a wrinkled pal gets a piece of bacon or a peanut butter snack. These two will do magic when it comes to getting a job done! While cutting, take off only the very tip of each nail, avoiding going into the pink flesh area. That’s where the nerve starts and if you hurt your hound, it will be very hard to motivate it for clippings in the future.
• Brush a Pug’s Teeth a Few Times a Week: yep, those fangs need to be clean too! You don’t have to brush your dog’s teeth twice a day as you do yours, but at least a few times a week will do. If you don’t make it a habit, pretty soon you will see the plaque and/or gingivitis developing swiftly, causing tooth decay as well as numerous health problems. Invest in a good toothbrush and rinse it after each brushing session.
• Regular Pug Bathing: just as important as those aforementioned steps are. The difference is that you don’t have to bathe a Pug as often as you perform other cleaning rituals. It is not the favorite way to spend time for any furball. Hence you have to introduce a little treat, “bribing” your reluctant mischief before and after bathtime. If it behaved like a true lady/gentleman throughout the whole experience, then a high-value treat may be given out. But what is the right bathing frequency? How often should Pugs be bathed?

How Often To Bathe A Pug

To feel and smell good, any canine should be bathed regularly. As far as wrinkled creatures, it is a good idea to keep a Pug’s bath schedule to once every 2-4 months. If you try to clean it more often, it can develop a bad skin allergy.

Why? Because by more than frequent bathing, you will be stripping a flat-faced bud’s derma of natural oils.  These act as lubricants and barriers against harmful environmental elements. 

Let’s take a look at the steps to follow for a proper bathing experience.

Steps To A Proper Bathing Ritual

• Use Warm, Not Cold, or Hot Water: be careful, do not burn your bud’s sensitive skin! Make sure the water is lukewarm and comfortable for a four-legged.
• Get a Mild Shampoo: try to get the tearless, preservative-free shampoo to make bath time fun. The Burt’s Bees is a well-established and natural brand for worry-free clean-up. 
• Work up the Suds, Spreading Them All Over a Pug’s coat: cover the entire Pug’s coat with foam, and, using gentle circular motions, rub it to the skin. Pay special attention to easily-soiled areas like paws, butt crack, tail, and ears. 
• Rinse Well: again, using warm water, rinse a pooch well. Check that all the shampoo is washed off by running your hands through the coat. No slippery, soapy feeling? Then you did the job right! 
• Dry Thoroughly: get a well-absorbent towel and dry your hound in the bathtub before it hits the floor.  

Curl-Up

How often to bathe a Pug? We tried to fully answer this question here and give a full breakdown of the main cleaning steps to keep your Pug smelling its best! It is important to keep a consistent schedule when it comes to wrinkle-faced hygiene and set daily reminders so you won’t forget to take care of your furry creature. And remember: positive reinforcement goes a long way!

Related Reading: Why Do Pugs Have Wrinkles? Learn About Their Origin and 5 Essential Cleaning Steps