The Bichon’s coat must be completely brushed out and mat free before you even think about bathing. Water added to a matted coat will “felt,” creating a solid lump of hair that cannot be disentangled or brushed out. Once your Bichon is thoroughly brushed out, get everything ready that you will need. Not all dogs love bath time and the last thing you’ll want to have happen is Pierre deciding he is going to leap out of the tub while you are hunting for the shampoo or a washcloth.

Before you begin to wet the coat, place cotton balls inside your dog’s ears to avoid water running down into the ear canal. Then put a tiny dab of mineral oil or petroleum jelly into each eye to protect the eye from the shampoo.

Ideally, the basin in which you bathe your dog will be at a height that is comfortable for you to work in a standing position. Having to bend down and over a ground-level bathtub is not easy and will make you rush through the bathing and rinsing process, which can lead to skin problems. Using the rubber spray hose, thoroughly soak your Bichon’s coat. The spray hose is an absolutely necessary tool for the rinsing process as well. It is the only way you can be sure that all shampoo residue is removed from the coat.

Once the coat is thoroughly wet, apply the shampoo on the neck directly behind the ears. Work shampoo into the coat all around the neck. Add additional shampoo in a line down the back and work into the coat all around the body and down the legs and tail.

Work the shampoo well down to the skin. Allow the suds to remain in the coat while you attend to the head. This will assist the whitening process. Use a washcloth to lather the head and face, being careful that the suds don’t get into your dog’s eyes, nose, and mouth.

Use the washcloth to rinse the shampoo off the head. You can use the spray hose to assist you in doing this but if you do, turn the water pressure down and allow the water to very gently rinse the soap away. You can then turn the pressure back up a bit to rinse back from the head. Rinse the coat thoroughly at least twice. Allowing shampoo residue to remain in the coat is sure to create dry skin that will make your Bichon scratch.

Once you are certain that you have rinsed away the entire shampoo residue squeeze as much of the water out of the coat as possible. Wrap your Bichon in one of the heavy towels and carry him to the grooming table. Remove the cotton from his ears and pat dry with the towel. Use another towel if the coat still appears too wet. You are not trying to dry the coat, only remove all the excess water.

Essential Tools for Bathing a Bichon

✓    Nonskid rubber mat for bottom of tub or washbasin
✓    Rubber spray hose
✓    Cotton balls for inside your Bichon’s ears
✓    Shampoo formulated especially for white dogs
✓    Mineral oil or petroleum jelly to protect the eye from shampoo irritation.
✓    Heavy towels
✓    Pin brush and electric dryer for brush drying
✓    Washcloth