Things You'll Need
- Rubber mat
- Jug
- Dog or baby shampoo
- Soft cloth
- Wide slicker brush
- Towel
- Blow-dryer
- Hair shears
- Cotton balls
- Dog ear cleaner
- Dog nail clippers
Instructions
Bathing
Place a rubber mat on the bottom of the bathtub to prevent the dog from slipping. Fill a jug with water and add 1/3 cup per gallon of dog or baby shampoo to make a diluted shampoo mix. A diluted shampoo is much easier to rinse off and won't leave behind any residue.
Fill the bath with warm -- not hot or cold -- water. Confirm the water isn't too deep for your pet. Wash the dog by gently massaging the diluted shampoo through its coat with a soft cloth.
Wash the dog's body and move to its head and face. Take extra care when washing the dog's face because you must avoid getting shampoo in its eyes or ears.
Rinse your maltipom with warm water to remove any shampoo. Take your dog out of the bath and dry it with a towel. Dry its ears thoroughly. Use a blow-dryer on a low setting and blow-dry your dog's fur. As maltipoms have a long coat, they must be bathed frequently to avoid dirt buildup in their fur. Bathe your maltipom once a week.
Brushing
Brush your maltipom with a wide slicker brush, brushing against the natural direction of the fur and covering all areas. Maltipoms have long coats that are prone to matting, so you must brush them at least every other day.
Comb a section of your maltipom's fur. Hold it between your first two fingers at the length you would like your dog's coat to be. Trim the fur that's sticking up out of your fingers with a pair of hair shears.
Trim the fur all over, including areas around the feet and ears. Take care when trimming around your maltipom's ears and face.
Maintaining Healthy Ears and Nails
Clean the ears with a cotton ball and a pet ear cleaner. Gently rub the ear inside but do not clean down the ear canal. Remove the excess cleaner with a wet cotton ball. Never use Q-tips as these are both painful and damaging to your dog's ears. Maltipoms are prone to developing ear infections, so their ears must be properly cleaned once per week.
Cut the dog's nails at the nails' ends using dog nail clippers. Do not cut the quick, which is the area of the dog's nail that contains blood, because it will cause pain for the dog.
Trim your dog's nails in a well-lit place. You need to be able to see the white area that is being cut, and the dark area of the quick, which you must avoid. The ideal time to trim your dog's nails is after it's been bathed, as its nails are softer. Nails should be trimmed every three months.