How to Groom a Bichon's Tail

The bichon frise is a small, fluffy white dog with a plumed tail that curves over its back. The bichon's body is trimmed and scissored to keep it fairly short, but the tail is left long and natural. The bichon tail is sensitive, so care must be taken when grooming it. Bichons are a double-coated breed, with a thick, curly outer coat and soft undercoat that tends to mat. This breed should be brushed daily.

Things You'll Need

  • 5-inch grooming scissors
  • Slicker brush
  • Pin brush
  • Greyhound or mat comb
  • Spray conditioner
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Instructions

    • 1

      Brush the tail gently with the slicker brush in the direction the hair grows. Check for mats as you do this -- but don't pull at mats with the brush -- they need to be removed separately.

    • 2

      Comb through the tail with your fingers to loosen any mats. Start from the outside of the mat, not close to the skin. Pull the mat apart as much as possible: Then use the wide-tooth end of a greyhound comb or mat comb to finish untangling the hair.

    • 3
      The bichon tail is long and natural.

      Lightly spray the tail with conditioner for dogs. This will help to remove the last of any tangles and keep the tail smooth and mat-free. Brush through the tail again with the slicker brush.

    • 4

      Trim around the base of the tail with the scissors in a circular pattern. Keep the hair at the croup -- the area above the tail -- even with that on the back. Then lightly scissor the underside of the bottom of the tail to remove any long or straggly hairs. Trim the fur underneath the tail on the body. This area should be trimmed shorter than the rest, as the hair tends to clump there.

    • 5
      Groom your bichon daily to keep it looking good.

      Use the pin brush to go over the croup and tail and the top of the legs. Brush in the direction that the hair grows, to clean out any remaining pieces of hair leftover from scissoring.