How to Bathe a Pekingese

The Pekingese first left China with British soldiers in 1860.
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Hailing from the ancient city of Peking, the Pekingese were once so coveted by Chinese royalty that punishment for stealing one was certain death. With a glamorous, long coat and cute-as-a-button face, they will melt your heart. Nevertheless, you need to bathe your Pekingese properly to maintain her beauty.

Step 1

Place a cotton ball gently in each of your Pekingese's ears before starting the bathing process. Saturate her coat from head to tail with lukewarm water. A spray nozzle attached to the water faucet is the perfect method for distribution.

Step 2

Rub a small dollop of shampoo between your hands and apply to her coat starting from the top of her head and work toward her rear. Work the shampoo into a rich lather. Be certain to clean her underbelly, paws and genital areas.

Step 3

Rinse the shampoo completely and repeat with a second cleaning. After rinsing the second time, squeeze the excess moisture with your hands and apply enough crème rinse to cover her hair strands from root to tips. Allow it to remain for the amount of time recommended by the manufacturer and rinse thoroughly to avoid leaving the coat lackluster.

Step 4

Remove the cotton balls from her ears and discard. Squeeze as much excess water out of her coat with your hands. Be gentle with your Pekingese as you work and talk in soft, sweet tones to make her realize bathing is a positive experience. Gather small sections of her hair with your fingers and smooth from root to tip with a dry towel.

Step 5

Wipe her sweet face with a warm, moist washcloth while praising her for being such a trooper during her bath. Be sure to remove any under eye discharge remaining. Insert ear cleaner following the manufacturer’s instructions. Let your Pekingese give herself a good shake. By now she will be eager to do so and it will help loosen ear debris. Gently wipe out the ears with clean, dry cotton balls.

Step 6

Finish the bathing process by gently blow drying her coat while simultaneously brushing, much the same way you do with your own hair. Use a high velocity blow dryer or a regular one at the lowest temperature setting. It may take practice to get your technique down, so be patient with yourself and your Pekingese.

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