Pekingese Hair Care

The Pekingese's majestic coat requires regular, thorough care. The best way to take care of his coat is to make sure you have the right tools for the job. Use a metal comb or slicker brush to penetrate your pup's dense outer coat and his thick undercoat. You need to get down to the skin when you brush, or your dog's coat will develop mats.

You are going to spend a good bit of time grooming your Pekingese, so you want to make the task as painless for both of you as possible. The easiest way to groom your dog is to have him lie on his side, so you can brush one side, including his legs and stomach, then have him stand up and lie down on the other side. If you take a few minutes each day, putting him into position, brushing through his coat, readjusting him to the other side and finishing the grooming, he will quickly learn to lie quietly while you're grooming him.

If you spend time every day grooming your pup, you should be able to complete the job in 10 or 15 minutes. If you try to get by with grooming him once a week, you may find that after an hour's work, you still haven't gotten him tangle-free, and you may even need to resort to using scissors to remove some mats. The Pekingese's dense coat mats easily, particularly in friction spots such as between the legs and where the collar rubs.Brushing your Pekingese daily also removes loose hair before it finds its way onto your furniture and clothes.

Brushing isn't enough to keep your Pekingese's face in good shape. The skin on his face has many folds, which can accumulate dirt, food and saliva. This, in turn, can irritate the skin. Make face washing part of every grooming session. It only takes a few minutes, and your Pekingese will quickly become accustomed to the process. Use a damp washcloth to wipe off his face, paying special attention to the area around his eyes and the folds in the skin around his muzzle.