How Often Do French Bulldogs Need a Bath?

Yes, like their human companions, dogs do need to wash up every now and then. However, every breed will generally have different bathing requirements, depending on many factors such as whether they are an outdoor or indoor dog, how long their coat is, how much natural oil they tend to produce, the condition of their skin, and so on.

So how often should you bathe your French Bulldog? You should only bathe your French bulldog bathe when necessary, not for the sake of regularity. As a general rule of thumb, French bulldogs should be washed every 2 to 4 weeks. Bathing your French bulldog too frequently (any more than once a fortnight) will lead to skin problems, where as on the other hand, not bathing regularly enough will lead to a smelly, dirty French bulldog. Of course, this is a generalisation, and exceptions will apply from time to time, for example, after a trip to the beach or a muddy trip to the park.

As indoor dogs bred for companionship, French bulldogs tend to sleep with their owners on their bed, and is in and around your home for most of the day, so you don’t want them to be dirty or smelly.

Generally, the condition of their fur is a good indicator; once it starts to get too oily and smelly, it’s probably time for a bath. An occasional bath will not only remove the dirt and odour accumulated on the coat, but also improve its shine, especially when pairing shampoo with a conditioner. Brushing your French bulldog regularly can reduce the frequency at which you need to bathe them, as it helps to distribute the natural oils evenly over the coat while also removing excess debris, leaving a nice, shiny coat.

Bathing will also help remove loose hairs so you’ll have less to clean up around the house. If you have a deshedding routine, such using a deshedding brush or grooming glove, after a bath is the best time to get this out of the way.

You must be careful however, as washing your French bulldog too often will lead to skin problems, as the chemicals in shampoo disturb the natural balance in your French bulldog’s fur and will lead to a loss in natural oils that keep its coat healthy. These oils keep the coat waterproof, so bathing too frequently can also stop the coat’s natural ability to remain water repellant.

Step By Step Guide On How To Bathe Your French Bulldog

1. Find a comfortable location.You will be bathing your French bulldog regularly, so it’s best you have the most comfortable set up possible, not only for your French bulldog but for yourself also. From personal experience I found that bathing a French bulldog can be quite taxing on the lower back, when I used to do it in a bathtub, as I would have to bend over for the whole duration. Now, I just jump in the shower with him and bathe him while sitting on the floor. Ideally, a raised tub should be the most comfortable, such as a large kitchen sink or laundry sink. If you don’t have one available to you, you may have to make do with a regular shower or bathtub. Make the best of what you have available to you.
2. Protect your French bulldog’s ears. Gently place a cotton ball in each of your French bulldog’s ears. This protects them from any water that may make its way deep inside your French bulldog’s ears. This can not only cause discomfort, but can lead to more serious problems such as ear infections, as a damp and warm environment are perfect conditions for bacteria to thrive. During the bath, be mindful to avoid water entering the ears as much as you can.
3. Make sure the water temperature is perfect. Just as you would bathe a human baby, you want lukewarm water that is not too cold, and not too hot. French bulldogs especially tend to have sensitive skin, which can lead to irritation and even burns if the water is too hot. Also as French bulldogs tend to overheat easily, a cooler bath will help them cool down.
4. Use a towel as a non-slip mat (optional). By placing a towel on the floor of the tub or shower, this can act as a non-slip mat. This is not required, but may help keep your French bulldog calm as they are more secured, and also make it easier for you, as you don’t need to hold them as tight to prevent them from slipping.
5. Make it a positive experience. Use positive reinforcement to your advantage. Throughout the whole process, talk to your French bulldog in a calm and reassuring tone. Assertive
6. Use hypoallergenic chemical free shampoo. As a breed, French bulldogs tend to have sensitive skin, so it’s important to use a hypoallergenic shampoo product. Make sure you use a dog shampoo, not a human shampoo.
7. Massage gently. Work the shampoo into a lather and rub gently into fur. Make sure you get the overcoat as well as the undercoat. Methodically work your way through the whole body, gently massaging.
8. Watch for the eyes and ears. Keep water out to protect these delicate areas. I personally avoid using shampoo on the head or face areas – as the risk of getting shampoo in the eyes is not worth it. Instead, use a damp cloth to wash the face area – just with water only.
9. Make sure you rinse thoroughly. Get all of the shampoo off as leaving some in. Depending on what product you use, some conditioners are leave-in, and it is optional whether or not you want to leave it in or rinse it off.
10. Re-rinse. Just to emphasize that it is essential that all of the shampoo is out of the coat. Make sure to re-rinse thoroughly with running water.
11. Dry thoroughly. I like to simultaneously using one hand to hold a hair dryer and one hand to dry with a towel. Important to note: don’t use too much heat! Most hair dryers can have the heating element switched off, so that it just blows neutral air. When using the towel, avoid rubbing excessively as this can cause skin irritation. Instead, pat down repeatedly, as you would to remove a stain from your carpet. Make sure to dry your French bulldog’s coat thoroughly to avoid them catching a cold, especially their undercoat. Avoid too much heat when using a hair dryer and rubbing excessively with a towel, as this can cause skin irritation. Make sure to dry the face especially wrinkles, as leaving this area moist can lead to bacterial infections.
12. Use a separate set of towels. This is a tip from personal experience. As you know, French bulldogs are heavy shedders, and bathing releases loose fur. Use a separate set of towels to dry off you, and also do the laundry for these towels separate from your own. Otherwise, you will find your clothes covered in French bulldog fur after a wash. Hopefully your laundry machine has a good lint filter which can capture most of the loose fur.
13. Be prepared for the zoomies. More likely than not, your French bulldog will get the zoomies when they’re done, as the stress from the bath disappears while also having the overwhelmingly refreshing feeling of being clean.
14. Reward them with a treat (Optional). Rewarding your French bulldog is recommended but optional. If you like, give them a little treat for putting up with the bath so calmly. This will also train them to associate bath time with positive emotions, and one that is rewarded.

How often should you clean your French Bulldog’s wrinkles?

You should clean your French bulldog’s wrinkles every day, or at least every other day. French bulldogs are notoriously wrinkly. After all, this is what makes their flat faces so distinctively cute. If you notice that your French bulldog’s face is starting to smell, it’s probably time to clean its wrinkles. Regular cleaning is required to remove the dirt and food debris that can build up in between the folds, as this can lead to build-up of bacteria and yeast infections.

How often should you clean your French Bulldog’s teeth?

The best answer to this, is as often as possible. Just like humans, build up of plaque is harmful to the dental health of French bulldogs. Teeth cleaning in dogs is often overlooked, but this will inevitably lead to problems later on down the track, and preventative action is always better than treatment after it becomes a problem.

How often should you clean your French Bulldog’s ears?

You should clean your French bulldog’s ears regularly, as required. It’s hard to give a guideline on ear cleaning frequency as it will depend greatly on the individual French bulldog, but it only takes a quick few seconds to flip the ear over to inspect for any build up of noticeable dirt.

How often should you clean your French Bulldog’s paws?

I would highly recommend you clean your French bulldog’s paws thoroughly everytime you come home after a walk; for me that means twice a day. Specifically, make sure you get all the dirt out of paws, and also wipe its butt. You will be surprised at how deceivingly dirty their paws can collect dust, debris and other nasty stuff.

Here’s a useful tip – for a quick and easy solution, have a plastic water bottle handy, one that opens up with a wide lid opening, fill it up with water and leave it near your door. When you come home from a walk, simply take the lid off, dip your French bulldog’s paws into the water and give it a shake, this should remove most of the dirt. Give the paws a quick pat to dry it off, and you’re ready to go.

Related Questions

Do French bulldogs like baths or showers?

The is really no correct answer to this question. Some French bulldogs love baths and hate showers, some French bulldogs will hate showers and love baths. Some hate both, and some just love getting in the water either way. It all depends on the individual French bulldog.

When can you bathe your French Bulldog puppy for the first time?

The absolute minimum age we recommend you bathe your French bulldog puppy is at 8 weeks old. Before this, if your pup is getting smelly, try out one of the alternatives to bathing your pup. Food scraps, dirt, and puppy accidents can mostly be cleaned up without a bath; either a damp cloth or some hypoallergenic baby wipes will do the trick.

The time will come when the alternatives ares no longer adequate . It’s time for your French bulldog pups first bath. No doubt, there will be some resistance when you first introduce your French bulldog to bathing. Use positive reinforcement, talking them up the whole time and remind them how much of a good girl/boy they are. If you get them started early and slowly introduce them to bathing, they will likely be less resistant to bathing later on.

Should you shave your French Bulldog?

If you’re reading this and you’re considering bringing a French bulldog home to your family, you will need to know how to properly take care of your French bulldog’s lovely fur coat. The good news is, French bulldogs do not need grooming. The bad news is, they shed, and they shed alot, their short double coat can be deceptively heavy when it comes to the amount of shedding. A somewhat controversial topic, some French bulldog owners often want to trim for two main reasons:

• To reduce the excessive amount of shedding to a more controllable level. Shaving the fur off your French bulldog will not stop them from shedding, or reduce the amount they shed. It will only shorten the fur that is shed. Some French bulldog owners say that this only makes this worse, as short hairs are harder to pick up.
• To keep cool their French bulldogs cool in the summer months. However, in actual fact the thick undercoat of a French bulldog actually insulates them from the heat and helps them to keep cool. This may seem counter-intuitive, but think of your French bulldog like a house, and its double coat is a double brick wall, acting as an insulator. The fur also helps protect them from sunburn and damage from the sun. By shaving off their coat, it will actually stop them from being able to keep cool, and could lead to overheating.

If you’re considering shaving your French bulldog, think twice and make sure you do your research before you act. Your groomer may recommend that your French bulldog should be shaved and that there’s no issues, but of course, there is a conflict of interest there. Personally, I would never shave my French bulldog, unless specifically advised to do so by my vet, for medical reasons.