How do you wash a dogs face

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated September 16, 2024

Contributions sourced from

How to Wash a Dogs Face and What Products to Use The Ultimate Guide

Did you know that you can wash your dogs face? In fact, I encourage it! We may not need a skin care regimen as extensive as the ones you humans use, but its still a good idea to take care of our facial hair and the skin beneath it. My name is Chloe! Im a bearded collie, so I know a thing or two about a good face scrubbing!

Whether youre washing our face while giving us a relaxing bath, or we get a little wild during dinner time and have food in our beard, its important to keep our face clean and tidy at all times to keep up our appearance and prevent any health issues.

Today, I will explain to you how to wash a dogs face so that your pup can stay clean and have a glowing complexion.

Why Wash a Dogs Face

Us dogs are messy, and we can really use a good scrub from time to time. This is especially true for our face, which we seem to bury in everything. Dogs with long fur in particular need their mouths washed more often, as it is very easy for unwanted bacteria to stay behind for long periods of time. Bacteria near our face is really bad for us, as it can grow in skin folds, causing irritation and potential infection in a dogs coat, a dogs face, and even a dogs eye.

How to Wash a Dogs Face

Washing a dogs face isnt always an easy task. As a pet owner, you need to understand that us dogs from a shih tzu to any other type of canine hate having anything come near our faces, as it can stress us out and give us anxiety.

However, I do understand that washing our faces is necessary for our health. So, I will teach you two different methods for washing a dogs face that will help you get the job done swiftly and without freaking out your pup too much.

Products to Use to Wash a Dogs Face

It takes more than water to clean a dogs face! Before you attempt to wash your dogs face, you want to make sure that youre equipped with the proper products.

Here are some products you might want to have on hand to clean your puppys face.

Shampoo

If youre going to wash your dogs face, you cant forget the shampoo! Yes, sometimes you can wash our face with just water, but a shampoo will ensure that you remove all of the stubborn bacteria in our face that water isnt strong enough to kill.

Use a shampoo that is gentle on your dogs skin, or better yet, a shampoo that is meant to be used on his face. I love this 3-in-1 Blueberry Facial shampoo. Its made with essential oils and the smell is very therapeutic, at least until I have water poured over my face again!

Towel

I dont know what it is, but when us dogs get wet, we often get this uncontrollable urge to shake! You cant always stop it, but be sure to have a towel nearby to give yourself the best fighting chance.

Slicker Brush

Sometimes, to really get our face clean, you have to brush our hair before you apply shampoo. This is especially true for dogs with facial hair, as it removes any lingering dirt or food that might be missed by simply shampooing.

I love when my owner uses this slicker brush on my beard! It gets rid of all of the mats but doesnt hurt me. Its actually quite satisfying being brushed with it!

Pet Wipes

Sometimes a whole face washing session isnt necessary, or sometimes you just dont have the time to go through the whole process of washing your dogs face. In times like these, pet wipes can do the trick and get your dogs face clean in just a few wipes.

If you use pet wipes, make sure the ingredients dont irritate your dogs skin. Choose pet wipes with natural ingredients, and make sure they are safe to use on our face.

Method 1: Use a Washcloth

This method requires the most direct contact with your dogs face. You will need:

A slicker brush
Dog shampoo
A washcloth

Step 1 Fill a small bowl with warm water and dog shampoo.

Step 2 Brush your dogs facial hair. This is your time to work out any knots in his fur, especially around the mouth. This step may take more time if your dog has long hair, as it may be more tangled. This is a very sensitive area for your dog, so be careful.

Step 3 Take your washcloth and wet it with water, no shampoo. Then start by wiping your dogs eyes. This will keep both soap and any other bacteria away from your dogs eyes.

Step 4: Place a cotton ball in each of your dogs ears to keep the water from getting in.

Step 5: Wet your washcloth with the warm soapy water and wring out the excess water. Then use the washcloth to wet your dogs face. Wipe his face and be sure to clean in between any skin folds. You should rub his face with enough pressure to get clean, but still remain gentle. Rinse the cloth and dip again in the soapy water as you go.

Step 6: Go for your dogs mouth. If he has facial hair, he might have some dried-up food hiding in his beard, so make sure to really get in there and wipe it down well.

Step 7: Rinse the washcloth with clean water, and wipe down your dogs face again, making sure to rinse off all of the soap and suds. Use a towel to dry his face immediately.

Method 2: Point and Pour

This method requires you to pour water over your dogs head. Some dogs are OK with this, and others arent. Either way, this method might get messy, so prepare to get wet!

For this method, you will only need:

A washcloth
Dog shampoo
A cup

Step 1 Point your dogs nose downward.

Step 2 Using a cup, pour water on your dogs face from the top of his head, letting it drip down onto his nose.

Step 3 Apply a little bit of shampoo on your fingers and start rubbing it onto the top of your dogs head. Make your way down to his cheeks and continue rubbing. Stay conscious of his eyes and be careful not to get any shampoo in them.

Step 4 While keeping your dogs nose pointing down, pour water on his face to rinse off the shampoo. Cover his eyes while pouring to prevent shampoo from trickling into his eyes. Use a towel to dry his face.

Tips for Washing a Dogs Face

Here are some extra tips for washing your furry friends face:

Stay aware of your dogs eyes and ears as you wash. You dont want to burn your puppys eyes! Just like you humans, us dogs hate getting water in our ears, and it could cause a yeast infection or discomfort.
Make sure youre gentle while washing our face but be firm enough to make sure youre removing all of the stubborn dirt. Use several strokes if you have to, especially if theres one stubborn clump that wont go away.
As mentioned, some dogs hate having running water go down their faces. If your dog isnt having it, try using the first method with a washcloth to wash their face. Make sure you properly rinse the washcloth.
If using a cloth to wash your dogs face, start with the eyes to avoid getting dirt and bacteria into them later.
Dont forget the skin folds and the beard! These areas need special attention.
Avoid using paper towels or napkins, as these can disintegrate into our fur when wet.
You might notice that your dog has tear stains, which are dark blotchy areas that form on the hair under the eye. These stains are produced when the eye produces excessive tears, and they react with your dogs hair. If regular cleaning with a washcloth doesnt remove the stains, you must use a more advanced solution. If tear stains prove to be a consistent problem in your dog, bring them to the vet as soon as possible.

Washing Your Dogs Face

I hope you learned everything you need to know about how to wash a dogs face! Washing your dogs face is an essential step to keeping up with his overall health. Its sometimes easy to forget how messy our faces get, but if you dont work toward keeping our skin and facial hair clean, bacteria might grow and end up harming us. We might hate the process, but boy, do we feel fresh after a good face wash!

How to Wash a Dogs Face [Guide and Video]

Whether youre a first-time dog parent or youve recently welcomed a new furry friend to the family, washing a dogs face is a critical skill that will keep their eyes, chin, and ears clean and fit for friendly scritches.

While washing your dogs face isnt difficult, youll want to consider a few factors: Wheres the best place to wash your dogs face? Should you do it while youre bathing the rest of your dog? How do you keep soap out of their eyes?

In this guide, well explore the ins and outs of washing your dogs face. From choosing the best shampoo to removing tear stains, this step-by-step guide will leave your dog with a soft and sparkling clean snout.

Gather Your Gear

To really do your dogs face justice during bath time, youll need the following supplies:

Gentle shampoo that wont sting if it gets into their eyes
A washcloth or loofah
Cotton balls
Q-tips
Hydrogen peroxide
A warm and dry towel
Lots of treats!

Its also important to decide where youre going to be bathing your dog. A shower or bathtub is usually the perfect spot for an indoor bath, but for small dogs, your kitchen sink might just be big enough to get the job done.

If youre washing your dogs face during their regular bathtime, make sure that the soap youre using is gentle enough to use around their eye area. If youre not sure which soaps are safe for use around your pups peepers, consult with your vet.

Hydrogen peroxide is a helpful tool for removing tear stains around the eyes, but make sure to thoroughly dilute the solution. Youd rather have an over-diluted solution than sting your pups eyes, so dilute one tablespoon of peroxide with at least eight ounces of water before application.

A dog prepares for a shampoo. Is a dog ever truly ready for the bath though?

Step 1: First Rinse

Once youve coaxed your dog into their bathtime locale (reward them for simply stepping into the bathtub or shower or for settling into the kitchen sink), its time to get them nice and wet with a first rinse.

Your dogs face must be completely saturated for optimal soap sudsing and dirt removal. During the first rinse, rub their coat to make sure the water reaches their skin.

But, when youre wetting their face, make sure to turn down the pressure on the showerhead or faucet. Facial skin is sensitive, and you wouldnt want to be blasted in the face with hot water either.

Additionally, make sure to set the water to the right temperature before you begin spraying down your dog. Test the water on your wrist instead of your hand (like you would with a babys bottle before feeding time) for a more accurate temperature reading. If the water is too hot, your pup will try to escape the bath. If the water is too cold, your dog will end up shivering.

And, as always, reward your pup after the first rinse is complete to keep them motivated to continue and to reinforce good behavior during bathtime.

Step 2: Suds Up

Now that your pup is thoroughly soaked, its time to suds up. Follow the instructions on the shampoo bottle to determine how much soap you should use, and begin lathering up your pup.

Pro-tip: Instead of scratching your skin with your fingernails or trying to work up a good suds with your fingertips alone, use a washcloth or a loofah. Not only can you get more suds than you can with your hands, but you also wont have to apply as much pressure, which will keep your dog more calm and comfortable during the bathing process.

When sudsing their face, steer clear of their eyes, mouth, and ear openings. Youll want to avoid getting the soap into these places as much as possible, and during the first suds, focus on generally washing your dogs facial coat instead of getting into all the nooks and crannies.

Step 3: Get Up Close and Personal

While your pups face is still sudsy, grab your additional tools: the q-tips, cotton balls, and hydrogen peroxide dilution will be super helpful as your clean your dogs more sensitive facial areas.

Use a cotton ball (suds with soap and water, of course) to wash around your pups ear openings and their mouth.

The cotton ball will give you more control over the soap and water without getting too much into your dogs ears and mouth. You know how unpleasant it is to have water in your ears or get soap in your mouth, and you should protect your dog from these discomforts as well.

Finally, use q-tips to get close to your pups eyes. While holding their chin firmly to stabilize their head, use a q-tip suds with soap and water to clean the fur around their eyes. Your dog will likely try to squirm during this process, so make sure to verbally praise them while youre working and reward them with a treat once youre done.

If your dog has more aggressive tear stains, dip a q-tip into your hydrogen peroxide dilution and rub the stains until they lighten.

While the solution may not clear up the stains entirely, remember that your dogs comfort is more important than a few minor tear stains. Be gentle, dont overdo it, and pay attention to your dogs behavior during this up-close-and-personal cleaning ritual.

Step 4: Rinse and Dry

Once youre done sudsing and deep-cleaning, its time for the final rinse and dry! Remember to use lower water pressure than you would for the rest of their body, and make sure that the water is at the right temperature.

Rinse them very thoroughly to prevent post-bath itching or skin irritation. Plus, make sure to dry them as much as possible before giving them a treat and letting them out for a post-bath potty break.

Cleanliness Is Close to Dog-liness

To keep your pups face clean and ready for constant cuddles, wash their face thoroughly during regular bathtime or with specific face-washing sessions.

Remember to keep the following in mind: