Before bathing your Maltese, you need to brush him first. Because an unbrushed Maltese is almost inevitably a matted Maltese, and once you get a mat wet, it’s all over but the cutting. Besides, with a good brushing you have eliminated a bunch of dead hair that you now won’t have to bathe – very efficient, all the way around. Most Maltese dogs should be bathed every seven to ten days, but of course a lot depends on how much he goes outside and how carefully you brush him in between baths.

Gather your supplies before you get your Maltese wet – you can’t leave your Maltese in the sink unattended, and you don’t want to be running around the house looking for a towel with a wet dog under your arm. You’ll need: cotton balls, mineral oil, shampoo, conditioner, non-skid mat, towels, blow dryer, pin brush, slicker brush, comb, scissors, and a rattail comb.

How to Bathe Your Maltese

Luckily the Maltese is so small you can usually wash him
right in the sink (no heavy lifting). Clean his ears first (see Ear
Care, below) and pop a cotton ball into each ear to help keep them dry. You may also use a little sterile mineral oil in each eye to protect them and reduce the possibility of excessive tearing, which produces the dreaded tear stain. Put a non skid mat on the bottom of the sink. Obviously you don’t want your Maltese slipping and drowning.

Using the hand-held sprayer on your sink, soak the dog thoroughly and then apply the shampoo, preferably one designed for white dogs. I like Ultra White Shampoo, which is specifically designed for the Maltese coat. It not only cleans but also brightens and helps remove stains. However, in some cases, repeated use of a whitening shampoo over a period of time can damage and dry out the coat, so you may want to alternate with a more traditional canine shampoo. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different kinds of shampoos and conditioners. Each dog responds differently.

Lather the dog down to the skin and wash from the back to the front. Don’t forget the feet and private area. Rinse and repeat if necessary. Don’t scrub in circles and damage the coat; modern products are quite capable of releasing dirt without a lot of “elbow grease” from you. Wash the face last, using a washcloth and tearless shampoo. Rinse. It should take twice as long to rinse the dog as to wash him. If you leave any shampoo in the coat, it will dull the dazzle. You may decide to add a “coat-handler,” which stays in the coat and helps keep it mat free, nice smelling, and free of static. If you use a traditional conditioner, let it stay in for the recommended length of time before you wash it out. In either case, use a light conditioner that is not going weigh the coat down.

Drying the Coat

After the bath, use your hands to remove extra water from the coat and then towel dry. Just hold the dog and press; don’t try to rub him dry. Finish with a blow dryer. It might be nice to invest in a free standing canine blow dryer. The beauty of this is that it leaves your hands free to work on the coat. Set the temperature to warm, not hot, if you have a choice. High heat can result in coat breakage. Use the pin brush and brush the coat out in the direction the hair grows. Do only small sections at a time. Then follow by brushing the legs with a slicker brush. Do the face with a small metallic comb. Scissor trim the anal area about half an inch.

Now don’t forget the “part.” To get a straight part, you will have to get the dog to stand straight, not always easy to achieve. Stand behind the dog and use the tail of a rattail comb. Start at the base of the dog’s neck and run it straight down the spine. You will end up with a very handsome Maltese!