If your Maltese puppy’s hair is looking dry and dead and you you want to get your Maltese puppy’s hair silky and back to its original bounce then there are a number of steps you can take to improve the hair quality and silkiness. This article outlines the best tips to keep your Maltese dog’s hair silky smooth with tips such as the cut length, the best bathing routines and the best grooming routines. We will delve into why your Maltese puppy’s hair might be dry, provide a number of tips on how to fix these causes and then we will outline the best way to keep your Maltese puppy’s hair smooth and silky.
Why is my Maltese puppy’s hair dry?
Maltese puppies can have dry hair due to a number of factors including the environment, how much they play outside and in the dirt and how often you bathe them. Bathing them too often and with the wrong products can also damage the hair and cause it to become stringy and dry. Frequent bathing is the most common cause of dry hair on a Maltese dog due to the process stripping essential oils. The next most common cause is because of the brushing routine. Too much and too little brushing both have the same affect of damaging the hair on a Maltese puppy. Too little brushing and the dirt and grit can tangle the hair and cause knots whereas too frequent brushing can strip the hair and cause it to be too thin.
How to fix a Maltese who has dry and damaged hair?
If your Maltese has dry hair which looks damaged and you are looking for a quick fix you will be disappointed as first we need to address the problem and the hair will slowly repair itself. Read through the list below of the common problems and then look at the solution and apply it where you think it is the cause.
- Environment: Is your dog outside all day?. Weather and dirt can damage the hair of your Maltese. Exposure to the elements can damage the fur so providing a sheltered place, preferably inside, will go a long way to improving the coat on your Maltese puppy.
- Too Many Baths: How often are you bathing your Maltese dog? Too many baths will strip the essential oils on your dogs coat. To fix this ensure that baths are at least four to six weeks apart.
- Not Enough Baths: While bathing too often is a problem, not bathing them often enough is also a problem. If the baths for your Maltese puppy are longer than eight weeks apart then try bathing your Maltese more often, generally around four to six weeks. A dirty coat will lose its shine and will look and feel dry due to the dirt and grit which has built up on the Maltese hair.
- Poor Quality Bathing Products: Assess the shampoos and conditioners you are using for your Maltese puppy. Perhaps the dog shampoo and conditioner is not the right one for your puppy and you should look at alternative options. Not all shampoos are the same, and some Maltese can react differently to different products. If you are not using a dog conditioner and dog shampoo when bathing your Maltese puppy then you should look at including this in your grooming routine. Be very careful not to use shampoo made for humans on dogs are they are not the same and you should use a specially designed shampoo and conditioner meant for dogs.
- Dehydration: Dehydration can affect the health of the hair on your Maltese dog. Ensure that your dog has access to water all day and night so that they do not become dehydrated. If it is hot then it would also be a safety concern if they did not have access. A good tip is to have multiple bowls of water available for your Maltese puppy in case one of the bowls is empty or gets knocked over by accident.
- A Short Hair Cut: If you have had to cut the hair on your Maltese puppy for a skin problem or for other reasons then the hair which initially grows back can take a while to return to normal. It may take a few months for the coat to return to its silkiness. If you can avoid cutting the hair too short this is recommended. Otherwise time will fix this issue of dry, stringy hair on your Maltese puppy.
- Using a towel to dry your Maltese: Using a towel to dry your Maltese puppy can damage the hair. A preferred treatment is to use a hair dryer on a low heat setting in conjunction with a pin brush.
How to keep your Maltese dogs hair silky smooth?
So now that you know the reasons that can make your Maltese dog’s hair dry, and how to fix the dry hair, it is important to also understand how to keep your Maltese dogs hair smooth and silky. This is actually quite easy and you just need to follow some commonsense advice and grooming techniques.
- Always use scissors to cut your dogs hair and use a professional groomer where possible. Using electric shavers and scissors can damage the hair of your Maltese puppy. Use scissors and a pin brush to ensure the hair is smooth and free of knots. This will ensure that you are minimizing any damage to the hair while cutting it.
- Use a dog shampoo and dog conditioner. There are specially designed products to keep your Maltese dogs hair smooth and silky. Choosing the best products will help keep it shiny and smooth and will also provide the best oils and care for your dogs hair. There are several products that can re-hydrate your dogs hair and these will always improve the shine and silkiness.
- Keep baths to only once every four to six weeks. This is the optimum schedule for bathing your Maltese puppy. Sometimes they become a mess while playing in the dirt and will require a more frequent schedule but try and keep it at least four weeks between washing your Maltese dog. This will ensure that all the essential oils are kept in your dogs coat rather than being washed away.
- Use a softening spray. There are a few softening sprays available which you can use when brushing your Maltese. These sprays will help protect the hair during brushing and will also help soften the hair. These products need to be applied regularly during the grooming routine.
- Use a hair dryer to dry wet hair. Maltese with Wet hair, either from a bath or from rain, should have their hair brushed and dried with a hair dryer set to the lowest heat setting. If the heat is too high this will dry out the hair and can partially burn the hair fibers. Its best to set the hair dryer on low heat and take a few extra minutes drying your Maltese dogs hair. Leaving hair wet will cause it to buckle, curl and knot. Each of these things can damage your Maltese puppy’s hair in the long term so its best to avoid them happening when possible.
- Have a brushing routine. Using the right brushes and brushing your Maltese daily for a few short minutes can make a huge difference to the quality of the coat. You should be using the right brush for deshedding (if required) and daily with the best pin brush to keep knots at a minimum. Regularly brushing your Maltese puppy to minimize knots and brushing out any small debris will help to keep the coat in its best condition.
- Use a hair straightener. If your Maltese dog is going to compete in competitions then you are going to have to get use to using a hair straightener on your Maltese’s fur. This is used in competition to ensure that the coat is at its best for judging. The heat can damage the hair though so this should only be used for competitions or when you really want to get the best photos of your Maltese puppy. Professional groomers are the best way to ensure that using the hair straightener is done safely and correctly.
- Use a professional Groomer. Professional groomers see lots of dogs and deal with a lot of skin and hair conditions on a dog. For your Maltese dog they would be able to accurately assess the condition of your Maltese’s fur and determine if it is dry and the best options for treating it. They may be able to give you advice on products suitable for a Maltese dog as different products can be used for small breeds vs larger breeds and for different types of hair. They will also be able to give tips on caring for your Maltese’s hair between grooming sessions. Professional groomers are there to help you get the best out of your dogs fur so ask lots of questions.
- Check with your Vet. Another person to ask about your Maltese’s dry hair is your Vet. During your next checkup ask lots of questions on the quality and thickness of your Maltese’s hair and your vet will be able to assess its quality. They will be able to provide tips and recommendations on food, shampoo, conditioners and softening sprays that they have found work on dogs they deal with on a daily basis.
- Provide High Quality Food. The quality of food you provide to your dog will affect both the health of the dog and the health of its coat. A good quality food which has all of the required, vitamins, oils and nutrients will go a long way to ensuring that your dog has a silky coat. If you have tried all the other tips in this article and are not having much success then change the dog food to one with fish oils. Alternatively you can add fish to your dogs meals like tuna or sardines. Fish oil is known to greatly improve the quality of a dogs coat
Hopefully this article has answered all of your questions about fixing a Maltese dog’s fur which is dry and has given you a few tips on getting that Maltese coat back to its best shiny and smooth condition. If you have any other tips we would love to know what they are so let us know in the comments below. If you have tried these tips and found them to be useful let us know so that we and others know of the success. Finally, if there was any questions we missed on this topic of dry hair on a Maltese dog then please let us know so that we can amend the article and provide an even better answer for future readers. We greatly appreciate all feedback and will respond to all comments.