How to Keep a Dog's White Coat Clean — Tips

Keeping a white dog clean isn't complicated, but you need to apply specific care. A white coat is very striking and beautiful, as long as it's clean, tangle-free, and free of unwanted stains.

Using shampoos, combs, and a few home remedies will help your dog show off its coat like no other. Here are the best tips to achieve that.

Keeping Your Dog's Coat Clean and Beautiful

Baths and brushing are important for keeping the coat in good condition. However, before getting into those details, there are other elements that contribute to its shine and overall condition:

• Good diet. Quality food contributes to your dog being healthy in every sense, including the condition of its coat. Choose foods rich in protein and low in fat and carbohydrates.
• Hydration. Drinking water also contributes to giving the coat shine. A dehydrated dog, besides being at risk, shows a dull coat.
• Set up a coat care routine. Depending on your dog's coat type, it will need a specific brushing, bathing, and grooming routine.

Keeping Your Dog's Coat White

Keeping a white-coated dog clean requires the following routine: frequent brushing, bathing, trimming, and cleaning around the mouth and tear ducts. Below, we leave you a few recommendations for each stage.

Brushing the Coat

A white dog needs daily brushing (long or medium coat) or every-other-day brushing (short coat). Brushing will help remove dead hair, but also twigs, dirt, and other elements that stick to the coat during walks and play.

• What type of brush do I need for my dog?

Monthly Bath

Baths are good for keeping a white coat looking its best, but this doesn't mean you should bathe your dog every week. Just like with any other coat color, baths once or twice a month are recommended, depending on how much exercise your dog gets.

That said, it is advisable to get a whitening shampoo for dogs. These are formulated for light coats, so they bring out the coat's pure color and add a lot of shine.

• Tips for bathing a dog at home

Depending on your dog's coat needs, you can add a conditioner to detangle and remove knots.

Coat Trimming

How often you visit the dog groomer should be set based on the coat type. A short-haired dog may only need some bimonthly upkeep, while curly coats or ones prone to tangling require specialized care more often, especially if you don't want to take on the work this involves at home.

In either case, follow the specialist's recommendations regarding frequency.

Cleaning the Mouth and Tear Ducts

The tear ducts and the area around the mouth of white dogs stain easily. This happens because constant discharge affects the coat's tone, producing yellowish or rust-colored patches.

These areas need daily cleaning. To do this, just dampen a towel and gently clean the tear ducts once a day, as well as remove the drool that builds up in the corners of the muzzle.

Apply this same technique to the area around the genitals, which is just as prone to staining white coat. Never use commercial baby wipes for this, since they contain alcohol and fragrances.

How to Remove Stains From a Dog's White Coat?

Besides keeping a white dog clean with basic care, from time to time you'll need to apply some products to remove stains. Dirt, smoke, and other factors can deteriorate the coat's color or leave unwanted stains.

Whitening shampoos are suitable for this; you'll also find commercial products formulated to remove the rust color that appears around the tear ducts. However, there are also home remedies for whitening a dog's coat. Try the following:

Baking Soda

Baking soda is popular for its stain-removing properties, and it's also safe for dogs.

It's best used to treat localized stains. To do this, mix a teaspoon of baking soda with one of water until you form a paste. Apply it directly to the stained hair, let it dry, and then remove with lukewarm water.

Cornstarch or Potato Starch and Almond Oil

Before bathing your dog, sprinkle a bit of potato starch or cornstarch onto its coat. Spread it well using a wide-toothed comb. Both powders absorb dirt and stains.

Let it sit for a few minutes and then bathe your dog, removing all traces of the starch. Once done, sprinkle a few drops of almond oil to add moisture and shine.