How Often to Bathe a Maltipoo [Maltipoo Bath Tips]

Maltipoos, a product of the Maltese and the Poodle breeds, can vary in coat coarseness and general appearance. Whichever way your Maltipoo leans, you’ll need to keep up with its bathing and grooming needs. 

Below, we’ve compiled your need-to-know guide about how often you should bathe your Maltipoo, what bathing should entail, and more.

Maltipoo Bathing Basics

Maltipoos have thick coats prone to matting and tangling when left unbathed or ungroomed. While it’s not vital to bathe your Maltipoo every week, you should still pay attention to their coat’s conditions, as dirt can hide beneath their fur and cause irritation. Plus, you want to ensure their hair doesn’t knot or mat from lack of a hygienic routine. 

However, bathing them every so often from month to month won’t cut it either. It would be best to follow the tips below during bath time so that your furry friend can go on living their best life, unburdened by coat cleanliness complications. 

Brush Beforehand

Using a handy-dandy undercoat rake, you’ll want to give your Maltipoo a thorough brushing before dousing them with water and shampoo. The undercoat rake will collect dead or loose hair, help clean out any dirt, and untangle deeply rooted knots. 

Make sure you stroke gently as you comb. Undercoat rakes and brushes have pointier, metal bristles than a traditional dog brush, so applying unnecessary pressure can hurt your dog or cause discomfort, and then it’ll never let the brush near it again.  

(Luke)Warm-up the Water

Once you’ve completed raking through your puppy, set the brush aside and start the water. Run a hand under the faucet every so often to gauge the temperature. You want the water only slightly warm. Running the water to a boiling point might satisfy your shower time needs but will only cause your dog discomfort. 

The same goes for cold water. Just as you wouldn’t prefer to step into an icy shower, your dog doesn’t want to either. Instead, settle for a pleasant lukewarm temperature before getting to work.

Give Your Maltipoo a Rinse Over

Preferably using a detachable showerhead or sink faucet, rinse off your dog thoroughly. If you don’t have either, letting the water run from the spout fill up a large cup or bucket is fine. However, you won’t get as much pressure as you’ll want to penetrate the Maltipoo’s dense undercoat thoroughly. 

Shampoo and Rinse

Apply your pet-specific shampoo to the pup’s back, following a straight line from neck to tail. Then, work the shampoo into its fur using linear strokes. Avoid massaging in a circular motion because you’re more likely to knot or tangle the fur. Also, avoid getting the suds near your dog’s face to prevent potential eye damage or injury. 

Once you’ve worked up a lather and feel like you’ve gotten into all of your dog’s nooks and crannies–with a few exceptions, of course–you can grab your shower head and rinse until the water runs clear. 

Conditioner and Rinse

Because the Maltipoo has a silky, lengthy coat that has the potential to knot and tangle, it’s essential to apply conditioner when it gets a bath. Conditioning will help nourish the hair, prevent potential tangles, and leave your Maltipoo’s coat shiny and healthy. 

Please do not use a human conditioner as it contains chemicals and ingredients not suited for dogs. Your dog can react poorly to the elements, not to mention suffer from hazardous reactions. Instead, shop and research around for a suitable conditioner specifically for dogs. 

You can also find different brands for specific needs. For example, if your dog has sensitive skin, you can find a hypoallergenic conditioner–as long as it’s safe for dogs.

Let the conditioner sit for a minute just as you would let it for your hair, then give your Maltipoo a good rinse. If you don’t rinse out the conditioner or shampoo enough, the residue left behind can build up and cause dandruff, oiliness, and discomfort. 

Wipe Around the Face

Dampen an extra washcloth with some lukewarm water from the faucet. Wring the towel to get rid of any excess, unnecessary water and tenderly rub around your Maltipoo’s face to eliminate any dirt, tear stains, or eye boogers it might have.

If you don’t know what a tear stain is, it’s a discoloration that affects the eye area, typically caused by dirt or shaggy fur irritating the dog’s eyes. Cleaning around the Maltipoo’s face is a sure way to prevent tear stains from accruing and infections from happening. Plus, it’s just good hygiene.   

Dry Time

Now that you’ve given your dog a thorough scrubbing and have rinsed it free from all soapy residue, you can start the drying process. First, it’s ok to begin with a simple towel dry but to maintain the Maltipoo’s luscious coat and completely dry through its density; you might want to consider using a blow dryer. 

The blow dryer isn’t a dog’s best friend. Look at how they react when a vacuum enters a room; it’s not pretty. So, if you plan to use a blow dryer, keep it a safe distance away from your dog before use and set it to a warm or cool setting so as not to burn or frighten your dog. 

Use a brush as you blow-dry to work through any knots and evenly distribute the air’s ventilation. Depending on your Maltipoo’s size, the drying process time will vary but will speed up the process entirely compared to a standard towel dry. 

When to Groom a Maltipoo 

While you should limit bathing your Maltipoo to once or twice a month, you should groom it regularly, about two or three times a week. Grooming doesn’t necessarily mean taking your pet to a professional for a cut but requires you to often invest in a quality brush to comb through their coat.

More specifically, you should place a heavy focus on the brushing aspect of grooming, doing so several times a week, if not daily. Taking the time to comb your Maltipoo’s fur properly will get rid of tangles and keep their coat clean, which is especially important if your dog is active. 

Brushes For a Maltipoo 

A pin and bristle brush will work best if your Maltipoo has silkier, straight fur because it’s comfortable but still equipped to rake through bungled knots with ease. If your Maltipoo takes heavily after its Poodle relative, you will do best to purchase a slicker brush for the thickness and curls. 

If you notice your Maltipoo’s fur becoming matted or extremely tangled, you can purchase a detangler spray in addition to conditioner, as long as it’s designed for pet use. Lightly mist your dog and work through the fur with your preferred brush. Although, a fine-tooth comb might be easiest to use when dealing with complex hair matters.

Going to the Groomers 

No matter which breed your Maltipoo takes after more; it’s standard to take the breed to the groomers for a haircut every four to six weeks. However, if you notice thea hair near its eyes growing a bit gangly before then, you might want to consider taking them in for a quick trim to prevent tear stains or infections.