How To Brush a Chihuahua’s Coat

Whether you like it or not, your Chihuahua is bound to shed some of their hair inside your home. Naturally, long-haired Chihuahuas are more prone to shedding than their smooth-coat counterpart, but the fact is that BOTH types will shed. The most effective method for dealing with excess hair is to frequently brush your Chihuahua’s coat, as this will help prevent hair from making its way onto the flooring in your home. It’s not hard and doesn’t require a lot of time, but you need to know the proper steps to brushing a Chihuahua’s coat.

Not only will frequent brushing help reduce your Chihuahua’s shedding, but it will also keep their coat clean and tangle-free. Even if you have an otherwise lazy Chihuahua that prefers laying your lap over playing outside, their coat will inevitably produce tangles. Thankfully, giving them a quick 5-10 minute brushing will usually remove any and all tangles that are causing problems in their coat.

What You’ll Need

The only thing that’s completely necessary for brushing a Chihuahua is a high-quality grooming comb. Many owners make the mistake of using regular, hard-bristle combs or brushes, but this isn’t recommended as it can cause discomfort and pain for a small Chihuahua. Instead, take a visit to your local pet store and look for a soft rubber grooming brush. These are much more gentle on a Chihuahua’s delicate skin and shouldn’t cause any discomfort for them.

Alternatively, you can use a grooming glove for smooth-coat Chihuahuas without a lot of excess hair. These are padded gloves that slip over your hand and contain a velcro-like material on the interior.  You run it over their coat in the same manner you would a traditional brush to capture their loose hair. In any case, the most important thing to remember is that you need a soft brush designed specifically for a dog’s delicate skin to prevent pain or discomfort. Both the padded glove and several brands of canine brushes will do the job just fine.

Steps To Brushing a Chihuahua’s Coat

After you’ve picked up a suitable grooming brush for your Chihuahua, you’ll need to take them to a nice and relaxing area of your home where there are no distractions. While some owners may want to do this from the comfort of their living room couch, others may not want to get the extra hair on their furniture. Personally, I get down on the floor with my Chihuahua to avoid getting hair on the furniture. As long as you’re on their level, they will feel more comfortable and secure.

There’s really no one specific method for brushing a Chihuahua’s coat. Just start by gently rubbing the brush from the back of their neck and working it down to their rear end. When you run into a tangle, don’t try to force the brush through it, but instead hold it the tangle with your other hand and gently try to tweak it out with the brush. Continue doing this until the tangle is removed. Depending on how much hair your Chihuahua has, it should only take 5-10 minutes tops to completely brush all of their coat. Once you’re done, remember to give them a treat with lots of petting and praise so they’ll want to do it again in the future.

How Often Should I Brush My Chihuahua’s Coat?

As stated above, the key to keeping your Chihuahua’s hair off your furniture, floor and everywhere else in your home is to brush them often. With that said, you don’t necessarily need to brush them every day or even every other day. A good rule of thumb to follow is to brush long-haired Chihuahuas once every week and smooth-coat Chihuahuas once every other week. Of course you can give them more frequent brushes if you find they are still shedding a lot, but this is generally a good rule to follow. If you’re having trouble remembering when it’s time to brush your Chihuahua, you get a calendar and mark the dates down. Alternatively, smartphone users can add an “event” in their phone, and schedule it to go off when their Chihuahua needs brushing.

Although this isn’t completely necessary, most owners will find it helpful to brush their Chihuahua before giving them a bath. If you bathe your Chihuahua in a tub, giving their coat a good brushing beforehand will help reduce the amount of hair left behind; therefore, making it easier for you to clean up after they’re done bathing.