How to Keep Your Puppy's Hair Soft

Keeping your puppy's coat soft requires regular grooming sessions. Brushing and bathing your puppy keeps its coat healthy, free of odors and removes dander and bacteria. Insufficient grooming of your puppy can make it smell, and its hair can get tangled and matted. Grooming a dog from a young age makes it easier to groom it as an adult; the dog grows accustomed to it. Your puppy ends up with a healthy coat and enjoys the quality time it spends with its pet parent.

Things You'll Need

  • Brush
  • Cotton balls
  • Handheld water sprayer, cup or bowl
  • Water
  • Puppy shampoo
  • Washcloth
  • Puppy conditioner
  • Towels
  • Hair dryer
  • Dog treats
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Instructions

    • 1

      Brush your puppy's coat on a daily basis, and before baths. Brushing distributes oils and eliminates dead hair, burrs, mats and dirt. Use a dog brush with short bristles on short-haired puppies, or use a grooming glove with rubber teeth. Brush the coat with a slicker brush if your puppy's coat is medium to long in length. Use a brush that fully rakes through the hair.

    • 2

      Position your puppy in the bathtub, shower or in a tub outdoors. Smaller puppy breeds can easily get a bath in the sink.

    • 3

      Plug up your puppy's ears with cotton balls to keep water from getting in them.

    • 4

      Saturate your pup's coat with warm water. Use a handheld water sprayer, a cup or bowl. Start behind the dog's ears and work your way across its back, to its tail. Go back to the front end of the dog and soak its neck, chest, tummy and legs.

    • 5

      Lather tear-free puppy shampoo between your hands and apply it to your dog's coat. Avoid using human shampoo on your puppy because these have a different pH level, and the substances and fragrance may irritate your pup. Massage the shampoo into your puppy's coat using circular motions, covering the dog's entire body. Leave the shampoo on your pup for five minutes.

    • 6

      Wet a washcloth with warm water and wipe it over your dog's face. Avoid using shampoo on your dog's face, because it may get in its eyes.

    • 7

      Rinse the shampoo with warm water and repeat the shampooing process one more time to get your dog's hair really clean. Give your dog a thorough final rinse. Take your time rinsing your dog, because any product left behind can cause itching and irritate the dog.

    • 8

      Apply puppy hair conditioner to your dog's coat. Conditioner provides a pleasant smell and makes your puppy's hair soft and shiny. Rinse the conditioner off with warm water, or leave it on if you use a leave-in conditioner.

    • 9

      Pat your puppy's coat with towels to remove excess moisture. Avoid rubbing the coat, because this may tangle it if your dog has long hair.

    • 10

      Use a hair dryer on a cool setting to dry your dog's coat. Brush the coat while you dry it.

    • 11

      Reward your puppy with a dog treat after grooming sessions and praise it for behaving.