Talk about a ball of fur and the Bichon poodle comes to mind. The fuzzy white coat is signature of the cross breed between the Bichon Frise and poodle. Keeping your pup fluffy and white requires regular grooming that you can do at home.
Step 1
Brush your Bichon with a pin brush weekly. Pay special attention to his hind legs and rear, since mats are common there.
Step 2
Spray any mats with a detangler mist or spray and use a comb to work them out. Start from the end of the hair and work towards his skin.
Step 3
Wash your Bichon with a whitening shampoo formulated for dogs about every two weeks. Generally, the shampoo is purple. Rinse your pooch until the water runs clear. Follow-up with a light coat conditioner and rinse thoroughly. Dry your pup with a towel or hairdryer.
Step 4
Scissor down the nape of the Bichon’s neck towards his tail if you have experience with scissors and trimming dogs. Take off about 1/4 inch at a time until you reach the desired length. Just remember, you can’t put it back on so take off a small amount at first.
Step 5
Trim down each leg towards the ground. You can cut it even with the body or leave the hair slightly longer on his legs than on his body. It gives the look of a skirt.
Step 6
Cut your Bichon poodle’s topnotch and ears. Only remove a small amount of hair at a time. The topnotch, or poof on top of his head, should be longer than the body as well so it stands up properly.
Step 7
Trim your fur ball’s face with blunt-end scissors. Blunt-end scissors help keep your from cutting yourself or your dog but should only be used if you are comfortable and have experience grooming. Clip the hair around his eyes, where tears often form in this particular breed. Cut the hair on the nose and under his eyes close to the skin but leave his mustache and beard a little longer for the classic Bichon poodle look.
Step 8
Clean under his eyes with a warm cloth. If tear stains or dark red marks remain, use an over-the-counter product formulated for tear stain removal.
Step 9
Brush your Bichon poodle’s teeth at least once a week with a toothpaste and toothbrush made for dogs. This helps remove tartar and keep his breath fresh.
References
Warnings
- Exercise caution when using scissors. If your pup won't stand for grooming, have a handler help hold him, especially if you are just staring out or lack experience.
Writer Bio
Amanda Maddox began writing professionally in 2007. Her work appears on various websites focusing on topics about medical billing, coding, real estate, insurance, accounting and business. Maddox has her insurance and real estate licenses and holds an Associate of Applied Science in accounting and business administration from Wallace State Community College.