How Often Should I Wash My French Bulldog

When it comes to proper care for our furry friends, we all want to know exactly what they need for a healthy life! French Bulldogs are among the more sensitive breeds and need special attention when it comes to their grooming. An important and basic question you will certainly need to know the answer to is: how often should I wash my French Bulldog?

Veterinarians recommend that you only wash your French Bulldog five times a year because of their need for natural skin oils. However, due to the fact that dogs get dirty, this is a fairly difficult schedule to follow. If you do need to wash your French Bulldog more often, it’s important to use the right products and tactics to keep their skin and fur as healthy as can be.

If you want to learn a little more about how to properly wash your French Bulldog, what products are safe to use on their skin, and how to keep your Frenchie as happy and healthy as can be, keep reading! We have everything you need to know about washing your French Bulldog!

Table of Contents

What Makes a Frenchies Skin Special?

Like other short haired breeds, French Bulldogs are more apt to lose their natural skin oils through over washing. This can lead to skin problems and allergies.

Frenchies have an even more challenging time keeping their skin healthy as they often have little rolls where their skin gets caught and can rub together or hold onto debris which can lead to infection.

In order to ensure your Frenchie’s skin stays healthy and disease-free, it is vital that you do not overwash their skin and when washing, you need to make sure you use the correct products and tactics!

How Often Should I Wash My French Bulldog?

As you now know, experts recommend that you do not fully wash your French Bulldog more than five times per year. However, if your Frenchie often goes outside and gets dirty in the mud, soil, or dirty water, of course, you may need to clean them more often than that.

If you do need to clean your dog fairly frequently, there are very specific products and ways to do so to ensure they do not develop skin irritations or lose their natural hair oils.

How To Wash My French Bulldog

In this section, we will discuss the many ways to wash your Frenchie so you have all the information you need!

Shampoo; Water

First, if you are not washing your Frenchie very often, i.e. less than five times per year, you can wash them fully with soap and water.

While washing your French Bulldog with shampoo, it’s essential that you choose a product that is gentle enough not to strip them of their natural oils.

Here are a few tag lines to look out for while shopping for products:

PH balanced.
Hypoallergenic.
De-odorizing.
Anti-itch formula.
Anti-dandruff formula.

If a shampoo claims to offer one or more of these benefits, you can be confident that it is safe for your French Bulldog.

Now, if you have washed your Frenchie several times recently with shampoo and water, it may be best to use one of the other approaches for cleaning the next time they get dirty.

Dry Shampoo

There is a that you can safely use to clean your French Bulldog that will not cause skin irritation.

To use this product, simply spray it on your dog, then wipe him or her clean with a towel, no water is needed!

Gently Brush Your Frenchie

If your French Bulldog is covered in dry mud, dirt, or sand, you can skip the shampoo altogether and simply lightly brush them off!

This is a great tactic to use if your Frenchie is constantly getting dirty and you don’t want them to trail dirt all over the house but also want to refrain from constantly washing them and stripping them of their natural oils.

It’s important to note that while your dog may like the bath, some French Bulldogs do not enjoy being wet or being wiped or brushed down against their will, so it may be a two-person job to keep them stationary while you wash them.

If you are having trouble washing your Frenchie, don’t worry! We will go through the step-by-step directions shortly so you can feel confident that you are making the process as comfortable for them as it can be!

how often should i wash my french bulldog

Using Post Bath Oils

A great way to keep your French Bulldog healthy even with more than the recommended baths throughout the year is to use post-bath oils on their skin.

Luckily, you do not need another fancy product in order to keep your Frenchie’s skin clean and oily, you can simply use regular coconut oil!

It will replenish the healthy fats in their skin, as well as limit or stop yeast and fungal infections.

Gently massaging them with coconut oil will be like a day at the spa for your pup, as long as you can keep them still enough to enjoy it! We recommend making sure you get the oil into their little rolls and all over their skin for the best results.

What About Frenchies With Skin Allergies?

As we mentioned earlier, some French Bulldogs are more prone to skin allergies and infections.

Common problems such as dermatitis, ringworm, fleas, and even autoimmune diseases are treatable, but when it comes to washing, we recommend that you check in with your vet before using any of the tactics listed above as your pup may need a special treatment plan!

How to Wash My French Bulldog

While we humans tend to love bathing or showering, it can feel quite disconcerting for your Frenchie as they are being held against their will and are not quite sure what’s going on!

In this section, you will learn how to safely wash your French Bulldog so they feel safe and pampered, instead of tortured and scared!

In order to help your Frenchie enjoy bath time, here’s what you can do:

Test the water temperature. It should feel warm but not hot, about the temperature that a child or sensitive adult would enjoy.
Place your Frenchie in the bath or shower. At first, they may not like it and try to jump out. It’s important to keep them calm and pet them while they are inside so they know they are doing a good job by staying put!
Rinse them with just water. This will get rid of any excess dirt as well as get the skin and fur wet enough to easily lather the shampoo.
Massage the shampoo into their skin. Ensuring that you are using a safe and calming shampoo that is good for their skin, you want to make sure you get into each crevice and behind the hard-to-reach spots.
Rinse the shampoo out. While you are rinsing, it’s important to be careful not to get shampoo in their eyes. It’s not dangerous, but they still won’t like it.
Brush off excess hair. Frenchies often shed while they are being bathed, and this is a great time to get rid of some of their excess hair.
Dry your Frenchie with a towel.

How easy this process is will decide on your Frenchie and whether or not they are receptive to being bathed. However, now you know the best possible way to wash them and hope for the best!

Final Thoughts

So how often should you wash your French Bulldog?

Now you know that it is not recommended to fully wash your French Bulldog more than five times a year, but if your dog is constantly dirty, there are safe ways to wash them that will continue to keep their skin as healthy as it can be!