Bulldogs enjoy being groomed (except for the nail trimming), and most love taking a bath. The Bulldog has a smooth, short coat and is naturally a reasonably clean dog. Because of his short fine coat, many people think that grooming is not important, or seldom needed. This is not true! To keep a Bulldogs coat shiny and beautiful it must be groomed about 4 times a week. The cost of having a professional groomer clip, pluck, trim or shape is an expense you will not have, but there is more to grooming than elaborate coat care. Grooming should be routine and common, just as it is for you! Start when your puppy is young, get her use to a table or stand to be groomed on, it will make things so much easier for you both. You will also be checking for bare spots, skin lesions, scabs, infection, flaky skin, rough skin and other problems. If anything is not normal you will notice it right away, which is the best time to catch a problem. This may seem like a lot of work but in fact it will only take 5 to 10 minutes a day. Don't forget to check between her toes for cysts or inflamed areas, look over her wrinkles and tail area while examining her.

BRUSHING

Your dog's coat is a good indicator of problems, it is the first sign for you when something is wrong. Is the shedding minimal or is it excessive? If it is not a seasonal change then it must be another reason- Stress? Worms? Fleas? Diet Change? All these and more can cause shedding, have your vet examine her if you feel this is a non seasonal excessive change is shedding. As a rule bulldogs don't shed much. Daily care would be starting to brush her from the shoulder area and going back toward the tail. Always follow the natural lay of the hair. Use a quality brush, a slicker brush, hand brush, grooming glove or a tight rubber pronged brush. Any pet store has these for a few dollars. If you find that there is a doggie odor and its not related to a health condition or the smell is just slight and its not coming from the wrinkles, tail pocket or ears then you may spray a few squirts of a deodorizer made for dogs on the coat after brushing or a coat enhancer. Bulldog hair seems to be hard to remove from furniture and clothes as its fine and small.

EARS

Check the inside of the ears good, if you smell a odor then you should have your pet examined by a vet. Clean the ears out with a warm water cloth and remove any debris and dirt. A cotton Q-tip may be used at the edge of the ear canal, A WORD OF CAUTION, don't insert the Q-tip into the canal, if you can't see the end of the Q-tip then its in to far and could cause some serious damage to the ears. You may also use some peroxide instead of water to help in the removal of debris. If the canal is swollen, red or inflamed you should have her examined by your vet. Ear infections often take a long time to clear up if they are not caught early. Warm mineral oil will help in keeping the ear folds from drying out, only do this once a week and then just a drop. If your dogs nose is dry and rough then use some mineral oil on it.

WRINKLES

A bulldogs face is covered with wrinkles and is his trademark for sure. That trademark requires cleaning, use a mild soap and water solution to clean. If your dog has a heavy nose wrinkle, lift it and clean, rinse and dry it well, the tail pocket should also be cleaned the same way. Many owners will also put some corn starch, medicated powder or baby powder in there when finished. You can use this to keep things looking good, if it is dry and flaky you may want to put a small amount of a diaper rash ointment in there like Desitan ointment instead of the powder or if the rash is severe. Remember to keep her vulva area cleaned (not inside, only the exterior part) with warm water as bulldogs need some help with that. Keep the male Bulldog clean as well. This is the last thing you should wipe and clean before your done.

EYES AND TEAR STAINS

Check the eyes to see that they are clean and normal. They should be well formed and bright. You will notice any changes if they occur. If there is excess drainage, yellow, green or a foul smell draining from the eyes see your vet. Tear stains is a debated issue that has many possible causes and cures. The methods used to rid the stains varies from breeder to breeder and vet to vet. This is the price we pay for those beautiful sourmug faces, TEAR STAINS. Here is one formula that has been proven to work well. To prevent this from happening wash the area daily with warm water and a wash cloth, if this fails and your Bulldog gets tear stains then try this: Mix equal parts of hydrogen peroxide and white milk of magnesia with enough corn starch to make a paste. Apply this mixture to the stained area 2 times a day until it is starts to go away(about 7-9 days), then apply once a day(for the next 1-2 weeks or until it is gone). You should see results starting in about 7 days. After the stain is gone stop using the mixture and just wash with warm water and dry to keep it looking nice.

BRUSHING THE TEETH

There is many tooth brushes and products out there to use for brushing your Bulldogs teeth and it should be done 3 times a week and give a few crunchy treats to help aid in his oral care as well. If the gums are inflamed and red or irritated see your vet.

BATHING