Chihuahuas come in two main coat types: short-haired and long-haired. Both of these types require some grooming, but long-haired Chihuahuas will require more than others. Luckily, how you should groom your Chihuahua is about the same no matter their fur type.
We’ll go over the exact steps you should follow below, as well as explain the slight differences between both types of Chihuahuas.
1. Brush Your Chihuahua
The correct brush is vital to making your grooming sessions with your Chihuahua productive and pain-free.
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Both short-haired and long-haired Chihuahuas need some regular brushing. However, long-haired Chihuahuas need extra brushing.
Plan on brushing your short-haired Chihuahua about once a week. The main point of brushing is to keep your Chihuahua clean to elongate the time between bathing. A quick brushing session with a bristle brush can get an amazing amount of dust out of a dog’s coat.
Long-haired Chihuahuas need brushing several times a week. Three times a week is recommended for the average long-haired Chihuahua, but you may need to increase this during shedding season.
Brushing a dog with longer fur is also more involved. You’ll need to brush your Chihuahua with a quality slicker brush and comb through trouble areas with a comb. Pay extra attention to the fur under their arms and around their collar, as mats tend to form particularly common in these areas.
2. Bathe Little
Chihuahuas don’t need baths very often. In fact, we recommend avoiding bathing them if you can.
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We do not recommend bathing your Chihuahua very much. When they’re younger, these dogs can be prone to hypothermia, so you’ll need to heat up the room when bathing and ensure you dry them completely. Luckily, older dogs don’t have the same problem.
Still, bathing them too often can strip the natural oils from their coat and cause skin issues. We recommend using a gentle shampoo like one made from oatmeal that is designed for dogs. Dog skin and human skin are at different pH levels, so you cannot use human shampoo on a dog with much success.
Be sure to rinse your dog completely. The chance of skin issues increases the longer the shampoo sits on your dog’s skin.
3. Regular Nail Trimming
If you’ve never trimmed a dog’s nails, have your groomer show you how it’s done.
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Just like any dog, you’ll need to trim your Chihuahua’s nails regularly. As you might guess, a Chihuahua’s fur length doesn’t affect how often you need to trim your dog’s nails.
Your dog’s nails will wear down naturally to some extent. The flooring they walk on has a major effect on this, though. If yoru Chihuahua spends a lot of time outside, they may need their nails trimmed less often than a dog that spends a lot of time inside.
As soon as you can hear your dog’s nails “click” on a hard surface, it’s time to trim them. Overgrown nails can affect your dog’s gait, causing joint issues. They’re also more likely to split, leading to infections and pain.
Use nail clippers or a grinder and avoid cutting too close to the quick, which can be painful. You can also have your vet or groomer trim your dog’s nails for you if you don’t feel comfortable doing it.
4. Brush Those Teeth!
Even with proper teeth brushing, your Chihuahua may need professional teeth cleanings at your vet.
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If you don’t do anything else, brush your dog’s teeth. It’s exceptionally easy to overlook dental care, and many dog owners don’t brush their dog’s teeth nearly enough. This lack of care has led to over 80% of dogs over three having some form of dental disease. Due to their smaller mouths, Chihuahuas are often more prone to dental disease than other dogs.
Dental disease is rarely serious in itself. However, it increases the odds of other conditions by providing bacteria easy access to your dog’s bloodstream. Even conditions like heart disease increase when your dog has dental health problems.
Preventing dental disease is pretty straightforward. You only need to brush your dog’s teeth a few times a week. Daily is best, but even every other day can be beneficial. Use toothpaste and a toothbrush designed specifically for dogs.
5. Ear Cleaning (Sometimes)
Long-haired Chihuahuas have the biggest problem with ear infections, as the fur in their ears can trap moisture and dirt.
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Long-haired Chihuahuas tend to have at least some fur in their ears, and this fur can trap moisture and debris. If left uncleaned, this dirt can lead to ear infections. Many breeders will recommend trimming the fur in your dog’s ears to prevent infections.
Both types of Chihuahuas may need their ears cleaned occasionally with an ear wipe or cotton ball. Don’t push anything into your dog’s ear. Instead, gently wipe the outside of your dog’s ear if you see debris.
Some Chihuahuas may not need their ears cleaned at all, while others may need them cleaned every week!
