Here’s a few bathing tips for your Brussels Griffon, if you own one. There’s nothing as sweet smelling and happy as a clean Griffon, but they are not big fans of baths so make sure you hold him securely so he can’t jump out.
Wet him down in a sink or bathtub, using a sprayer or cup to splash water all over his body. There is a wide range of shampoo products you can use. Choose a dog shampoo with a herbal scent you like, or use a baby shampoo or oatmeal shampoo.
A dog’s skin has a pH of 7.5 as opposed to a person’s 5.5, but Griffons are not prone to skin rashes and allergies, so you can experiment. If your dog scratches and itches after a bath, that was the wrong shampoo, and you’ll need to bathe him again with a different kind.
Work the shampoo into the coat, being careful to avoid the eyes. Use your fingers to shampoo his beard, which is the dirtiest part of the Griff. After rinsing, towel dry. In cold weather you can use your blow-dryer to get him dried off much more quickly.
You can bathe your Brussels Griffon as often as you need to keep him clean and smelling good, but if you are brushing him regularly, he will stay clean and not need a bath more than twice a year.
Griffons being shown have their beards and legs washed every day to keep the coat in those areas from breaking, but their bodies are not bathed to maintain the coat’s proper wiry texture.
Cutting the Nails After Bath Time
It is always a good idea, to cut the nails of your Brussels Griffon right after bath time, since the nails are much softer, making the cutting process much easier. There are four toes with nails on each foot, and sometimes another nail called a dewclaw a little way up the inside of the front leg.
The dewclaws are usually removed when the puppy is three days old.
Keep nails short by using dog nail clippers. Be careful not to cut into the quick, the vein present in the center of the nail. If you do, it will bleed.
But everyone nips the quick accidentally sometimes, especially on dark nails. If you keep the nail trimmed, it keeps the quick back.
If you do happen to make the toenail bleed, press it with a pinch of styptic powder and hold it for three seconds and the bleeding will stop. Brussels Griffons make a terrible fuss over getting their nails cut, trying to convince you that you are hurting them terribly.
You will never get him to like having his nails cut, so just do it as quickly as you can and get it over with. If you take off the tips every week or so, the nail will stay short, and it is easier on the dog than having to cut a long nail.
A dog’s nails should not click on the floor. They should not be sharp enough to scratch and gouge you. As a finishing touch, a little petroleum jelly adds a nice black gloss to the nails.
