When bathing, use gentle shampoos and warm water. Check the water temp before bathing your pup. Only use an astringent like dawn dish soap if you see fleas. Be careful of the eyes and ears. Cover each eye and each ear as you clean them. If drops of water get into the ear, it can quickly cause an ear infection. Towel dry your pup very well, use the towel to clean the ears too, to remove moisture. Towel dry legs by letting the towel absorb the moisture, gentle squeeze. Just be very gentle and reassuring. I usually sing to them or hum a tune.  When you blow dry them, make sure your arm or hand is always where you are getting blown dry too so you can feel what they feel. Don't stay in one spot very long, keep it moving. if you have a little help, if you can brush and blow dry at the same time it will be a lot quicker. Otherwise, every couple of minutes brush then turn the blow dryer back on. repeat until completely dry. I use a slicker brush (be gentle they can hurt) or a comb if want to keep the dog curly instead of a big poof ball.  Even after they are dry, they will have a chill. so, I'll keep them in a warm area. I usually put them in heated room or sun filled porch or under a heat lamp. As they get older and just run everywhere they won't have that chill. After bathing and drying I clip nails and check their ears.

 

Be careful with q-tips, if using them make sure you are firmly holding the pups head so they have no quick movements that will push the tip to puncture an ear drum.

 

When you trim their nails only do the tips, even if they have grown quite a bit. As they grow so do the vessels. So, if they have gotten too long, just do it every week until the nails are under control. It's always good to have septic powder on hand in case you trim them too short. Those little vessels, if cut too short can produce a lot of bleeding that won't stop easily without the septic powder. You can find septic powder in pet stores or in the beard and mustache section of your local store or pharmacy.

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If you have eye drainage, get Angel Eyes and follow directions. Usually, you can't start them until 12 weeks of age.  Most all the other stuff sold for tear drainage is a waste of money and becomes very frustrating. The Angel Eyes vitamins really work. One suggestion, instead of putting the powder in the food is to give directly...