THE ULTIMATE PUG GUIDE TO
GROOMING!

Aren’t pugs are one of the cutest (squishiest) breeds of dogs?

They are cute and cuddly but there are actually a lot of things that make pugs different from other dog breeds. Many of these differences have to do with how we care for, clean, and groom our pug.

One of the most prominent features of pugs is their smushed looking faces. While these faces are absolutely adorable, they also require extra cleaning steps.

So we broke it down for the busy pug mom on the go. Who has time to read a whole book on pug grooming? That’s why we have our 10 Minute Pug Grooming Tips up top, and down below we go into a deep dive on pug grooming that will answer any questions from cleaning folds, to bathing, to clipping your pugs nails.

At the end, you will ever have a clean happy little snuggler!

• THE 10 MIN PUG GROOM

• WHY GROOM MY PUG

• HOME CARE VS GROOMER

• GROOMING YOUR PUG AT HOME

  • BEST PUG GROOMING TOOLS

  • HOW TO CLEAN FOLD AND WRINKLES

  • NOSE MOISTURE

  • CLIPPING NAILS

  • HOW TO BATH AND CLEAN YOUR PUG

  • HOW TO SHAVE YOUR PUG

• PUG GROOMERS

  • WHAT DOES A GROOMER DO?

  • GETTING COMFORTABLE AT A GROOMER

• CONCLUSION

10 MINUTE PUG GROOMING

Here’s what you need to know.

Get your treats ready ‘cause we’re gonna do a speedy pug grooming! READY? GO!

BRUSHING: 5 MINUTES - Pugs need to be brushed regularly.

Buy yourself a good de-shedding comb and make a routine out of pug grooming. Start with where the head meets the neck area, then do your pugs back and sides.

PRO TIP: Do this outside if possible. You will get a lot of fur!

Don’t press too hard and be careful of the skin. Give them treats and this should be an enjoyable experience.

PAW CLIPPING: 30 SEC - If you walk your pug outside, their claws should get filed down naturally be, but pay attention to the thumb or dewclaw which doesn’t normally get much use.

PRO TIP: A nice sharp human toenail cutter can make quick work of a long dewclaw.

Give your pug a treat and take hold of their front paw. Look for the dew-claw on the side. If your pug doesn’t let you touch their food, you may need to spend some time training them to allow this.

NOTE: Make sure to only take a little off the top. There is a long vein in your pugs toenails and you don’t want to clip it!

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT CLIPPING YOUR PUGS NAILS, PLEASE ASK YOUR LOCAL VET

BATH TIME: FORGET ABOUT IT! : Bath time takes too long. You can’t bathe a pug in less than 30 minutes, so save it for when you got time. NEXT, GO GO GO GO GO!

WRINKLE CLEAN: 2 MINUTES - Get a good quality hypoallergenic dog face wipe and gently wipe around their folds.

Use a new wipe and get around their eyes. Be gentle!

Finally give a little wipe in their ears.

TOOTH BRUSH: 1 MINUTE - Take one of those little plastic tooth brushes (HERE IS A GOOD CHEAP BRAND) and scrub the little chicklets in your pug’s mouth a little. THey will thank you for it when their older and you will thank yourself when you dont get a $900 dental bill for your dog!

NOSE BUTTER : 30 SECONDS - Take a small dallop of this nose butter and wipe it on their nose. Make sure you dont use too much. You dont want the nose butter getting IN the nose!

SNUGGLES : 1 MINUTE - Who are we fooling, who can only snuggle a pug for 1 minute?!? But this means that your done! Tell your friend they’ve been a good dog, give them a treat and a hug and pat yourself on the back for doing the worlds quickest pug grooming in under 10 minutes!

PUG GROOMING: DEEP DIVE!

WHY GROOM MY PUG?

You might be wondering why is it so important to keep up with my pug’s grooming habits? After all, with most dogs, you can usually just give them a close shave if their fur gets knotted. Pugs (like Siberian Huskies) have double coats. Dogs that have a double coat have two layers to their coat: an inner layer and an outer layer. These coats shed depending on the season. Because the coats do this on their own, you are not supposed to shave them all the way down because it disrupts the coat layers. 

In addition to keeping their coats healthy, it’s also important to keep up with grooming your pug because this will prevent infections. We all know about those adorable rolls that pugs have. But what you probably didn’t know is that you actually have to clean in their rolls regularly to prevent infection or build-up. By keeping up with this on your own, you will end up saving money for vet visits, because your pup will be healthy and happy. It’s a safe bet to say that pet parents will do just about anything to ensure their fur baby is happy and healthy. By keeping up with grooming habits, you are also making sure your pup is comfortable and feeling pug-tastic. 

HOME CARE VS GROOMER

When grooming your pug or pug mix at home we need to make a distinction between the everyday grooming maintenance and the more extensive grooming that a breeder performs. At home you should be doing these pug grooming activities regularly.

HOME ACTIVITIES INCLUDE: Cleaning wrinkles and Brushing out your pug’s coat. Then about once a month you can give your little pug or pug mix a bath. If you do these bits of pug maintenance regularly, you will be in good shape!

GROOMER ACTIVITIES INCLUDE: Your pug groomer will do a more extensive job of bathing and drying your pug. They will also trim their nails and even shave down your pug if you want!

BEST PUG GROOMING TOOLS

So, if you want to take a crack at grooming your pug at home your gonna need some stuff. A good brush, some shampoo… The list goes on. So here are the best pug grooming equipment to get you started!

PUG WET WIPES: These are essential for cleaning out your pugs wrinkles and fold. Make sure to get a scent free hypoallergenic brand because you dont want to introduce chemicals into your pug’s wrinkles and ears!

NOSE BUTTER: It’s crucial to keep that nose wet! Your pug will thank you in their old age if you apply a little nose butter to their schnoz on a regular basis. Make sure its an all natural nose cream!

TOOTH BRUSH: Listen, there is nothing worse than going to the vet and coming home with a $900 dental bill, FOR YOUR DOG! Thats right, those little pug chicklet teeth can seem super cute when their puppies, but as they grow older they can become dirty and plaque ridden and infected. So do yourself a favor and brush your pugs teeth regularly. These handy little brushes will fit on your finger tip, making the job easy!

HAIR BRUSH: The horror of every pug owner, that little white hair everywhere. But with a little brushing, you can keep that pug hair shedding in check. Here are our two favorite pug brushes. One is plastic and is for general grooming. The second is metal and is great for doing a deep dive into your pug’s second coat. If we could only have one, it would be the second metal type.

SHAMPOO: Its bath time! Maybe your pug got dirty rolling in the mud, or they just need to freshen up. Either way we love a good all natural shampoo that isn’t too strongly scented. Remember most of your dogs senses come from their nose, so be careful with scents.

NAIL CLIPPERS: Here’s our dirty little secret to trimming those pet claws, use an adult human toe nail scissors! They are usually a little sharper than the pet version. Also make sure to replace yours every few years, because they get dull!

SHAVING CLIPPERS: Ok, you want to go the extra mile and shave your pug? Well here is our favorite pair of clippers (though first of all, we dont shave our pug, and second we find it much more economical to take them to a groomer.) If you do buy a set of pug shaving clippers, don’t scrimp! The cheaper clippers wont work as well and will take longer, frustrating both you and your dog!

ULTIMATE GUIDE TO
GROOMING YOUR PUG AT HOME

The main difference between grooming your pug at home rather than taking them to get groomed is the equipment you will need. If you are interested in investing in the equipment needed to groom your pug, you can end up saving time and money by doing it yourself. If you are choosing to do it yourself, there are a few daily maintenance things you should keep up with. If you are regular with the daily maintenance, you should be able to only have to “deep clean” your pug once a month. The main tools you will need for at-home grooming are dog-safe shampoo and conditioner, a brush, a flea comb, and wipes. The wipes can be an excellent and helpful tool to clean out the wrinkles we mentioned earlier. If you don’t want to use wipes you can also try using coconut oil to do this step. 

CLEANING YOUR PUG’S WRINKLES AT HOME
EASY DIY TIPS AND TRICKS VIDEO!

The daily steps you should take are brushing your pug, cleaning their wrinkles or folds, and keeping their eyes and teeth clean. Because of their adorable face structure, their nose is much closer to their mouth than other pups. Because of this, their noses get chapped very easily. This is uncomfortable for your furry friend so you want to make sure you are moisturizing their nose as often as possible.

You can purchase “nose butters” from any pet store to do this step. We love this organic hypo allergenic nose butter from the Natural Dog Company. Or if you’d rather use something you already have at home, you can use any unscented salve or coconut oil. Both of these items are safe for your fur baby.  It’s important to keep up with these steps (especially brushing) because it can drastically decrease the amount your pug will shed. Pug’s fur doesn’t look like it would shed as much as it does, but let me tell you, it really does. If you don’t want to be cleaning up dust bunnies of pug hair - I would recommend keeping up with this step as much as possible. 

HOW TO BRUSH YOUR PUG HAIR TIPS AND TRICKS VIDEO!
AMAZING HACK TO REDUCE SHEDDING

BATHING YOUR PUG TIPS AND TRICKS VIDEO

On the other hand, for the deep cleaning that you do once a month, you will want to follow some other steps. The steps are cleaning their entire face (including their ears and nose). In this deep clean, you will also want to make sure that you trim their nails and keep them well-manicured. When you are cleaning your pug’s face you should make sure to pay special attention to their ears Pug’s ears can get infected easily because of the way they are folded over. Another thing that differs from other pup’s grooming routines is paying attention to your pug’s nose. 

PUG NOSE MAINTENANCE

Pug’s are known to have breathing problems and making sure you are aware of the cleanliness of their nose is the first step in knowing if something is wrong with your pup. Some things to look out for are audible breathing problems, snoring or anything other than normal nose crusting. When cleaning your pug’s nose you want to wet their nose so the process is somewhat more comfortable for them. You can do this water or coconut oil. Then you will use another wipe or cloth to gently wipe away anything in their nose. If you notice that there are things in their nose that are not coming out easily with this routine, there is another step you can try. You can try bringing your pug into the bathroom with you when you take a hot shower. The steam can help the process of getting the remainder of junk out of their nose.

The other important area to focus on is your pug’s paws. You want to make sure you are cleaning between their paws. It’s common for any breed to get dirt and other particles in between their toes from outside adventures. You can easily clean between their paws with q-tips and warm water. You can use a pup-safe shampoo in this process if you would like also. It’s important to also trim your pug’s toenails. If you neglect this step, it can cause pain for your furry friend. In addition to this, it can make it easier for them to scratch hard surfaces.

PUG TOENAIL CLIPPING TIPS AND TRICKS VIDEO
BEST PRACTICE FOR CUTTING PUG PUPPY TOENAILS

There are a few best practices when it comes to cutting your dog’s toenails. You want to make sure you are very gentle with their nails and not cut off large sections at once. You also will want to use smaller clippers than some of the larger ones for other breeds. Pugs are relatively small in general and using a clipper that is too large can lead to injury and infection. You should also make sure that your clippers are sharp and disinfected as often as possible. It may seem like there are many steps to grooming your pug, but once you get into a groove of grooming them the process should be pretty smooth. A general grooming tip is to have some sort of reward for your pup. This process can be stressful and confusing for them, so by giving them a treat or incentive they might be a little more willing. 

And finally there is a lot to be said about shaving your pug. We have a whole other post devoted to pug hair getting everywhere and why you might want to think about shaving your pug (especially in the summer). This can also come in handy if you have a pug mix like a pugshire with longer hair that can use a shave now and then.

PUG SHAVING TIPS AND TRICKS
HOW TO DIY SHAVE YOUR PUG AT HOME

If you have any questions you can always consult a local groomer or even your veterinarian. They should know the specific best practices for grooming your pug in a safe way. 

PUG GROOMERS

WHAT DOES A GROOMER DO?

A good pug groomer will make your pug feel welcome from the start. They will know the tricks to get your pug comfortable. They will also perform these basic pug grooming tasks for you: Wash your pug. Dry your dog and brush out their hairy double coat. Clean your pug’s wrinkles. Trim your pugs nails. Some groomers will also shave your pug, though that’s a whole other deal.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT GROOMER FOR A PUG?

There might be a perfectly good pug puppy groomer near you. It doesn’t matter if you have a fawn pug or a black pug or a pug mix, the key is that your groomer be professional and experienced. The most important thing to keep in mind when choosing a groomer for your pug is that the environment is safe and clean. There should be protocols or clear methods to clean utensils to ensure that your pup won’t get any infections when getting groomed. Some groomers will offer extra or pug-specific services. It really depends on the groomer that you find near you. It is rare, but you can stumble upon a groomer that specializes in grooming pugs and you will never want to let them go! This is because they will know all of the steps they need to take (like cleaning out their wrinkles) and will know the best practices to do so. However, most experienced groomers (like those at the big box chains like PetSmart or PetCo, will have groomers that can get the job done.)

You also want to make sure your pug puppy is comfortable when going to the groomer. This can be challenging especially in some pug mixes like the pug chihuahua mix that are often a little more skittish. In most cases, going to the groomer (or the vet) is not going to be your furry friend’s favorite activity. Different groomers will have different requirements for you and your pug, so call ahead of time and find out what your groomer can do to make both you and your dog more comfortable.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR PUG
COMFORTABLE GOING TO A GROOMER

There are a few things you can do to make them more comfortable. For example, you can bring your pet to the grooming office prior to their appointment so they are able to get in touch with all of the surroundings and smells. They may still be nervous when you take them to actually be groomed, but at least they will know the location in some way. You can also give your dog a smelly bandana that reminds them of their home. Even though pugs have smooshed faces, they still rely heavily on smell and having a familiar scent can help! Having that familiarity can make a drastic difference in how your pet handles stressful situations. 

Be aware, sometimes dogs freak out when they RETURN from the groomer! Its true. We have a king charles spaniel named Darby that gets a haircut every 3 months or so. In november we got a new pug puppy and everyone was getting along great. Until one fateful day darby came back from the groomer. Our new baby thought the enemy had landed. She was terrified of this new dog we brought home. Finally we concluded that it was the smell of the new shampoo that really scared her. The next time we scheduled a haircut, we put an old sweater on Darby before bringing her back into the house and that seemed to solve some of the problem. Always remember that your dogs are super sensitive to smell and that could be part of the problem when grooming!

CONCLUSION

Overall, pugs are such great breeds to add to your family. They are loyal, cuddly, friendly, and always want to please. Learning how to keep up with their grooming is something that may take a bit of a learning curve. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Your furry friend deserves the very best. After all, they’re our best friends, right? Most of the time, pet parents see their animals as members of the family, not just an animal. You would make sure you were taking care of the cleanliness of a smaller child, so you should be doing the same for your furry friend. 

HAVE OTHER TIPS, TRICKS, OR QUESTIONS ABOUT PUG GROOMING? LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW!