Shampoo for Dogs : Best Dog Shampoo for Bichon Frisé

Dog Shampoo for Bichon Frisés is specific for many reasons. Bichon Frisés are a very popular dog breed for many reasons, but the main reason is their cloud like coat. The fur of a Bichon Frise is very unique and has to be brushed, maintained, and touched up daily to prevent painful matting.  There is a large number of products on the market that work great on the poofy fur of a Bichon. One of the top products in the industry is the Detangle by Showseason. Detangle not only greatly loosens the tangle but it is also used after the fur is dry for a leave in conditioner. Now let's get more into choosing the right shampoo and conditioner or 2 in 1. 

 Shampoo Bars, Whitening Shampoo, Stripping Shampoo, Moisturizing shampoo, and few other types of dog shampoo are typically used on Bichons. One of the most important parts of the bathing process for getting perfect results is that you must force dry the coat with cold air. We will go over that in the next section. Here is a more in-depth explanation of the types of dog shampoo needed for Bichons.

• Shampoo Bars - Highly concentrated shampoo in a solid bar form similar to a common soap bar. This type of shampoo helps get mats out by reaching deeper into the mat with a hard waxy bar of shampoo. Shampoo bars can get some of the deepest stains and gunk out of the fur. Especially Showseasons Mighty White Shampoo Bar.

• Whiting Shampoo - Concentrated dog shampoo that contains an optical enhancing compound that absorbs light in the ultraviolet and blue spectrums. This creates a hue change away from yellowing and browning effects from stains to a cooler color tone that creates a whitening effect.

• Stripping Shampoo - A clarifying shampoo that knocks off all the old built up residue from past shampoos to give you a "clean slate", a fresh coat to work with. This dog shampoo is usually applied before the appropriate moisturizing shampoo is applied.

• Moisturizing Shampoo - A type of shampoo that has a moisturizer like silk proteins or sunflower oil that help add the appropriate oils back to the coat and skin after using a clarifying shampoo. If not using a clarifying shampoo a moisturizing shampoo still may be used in cases of dry fur or a de-shedding treatment. A good example of one of the best Moisturizing shampoos is Aminoflex by Showseason. 

Force dryers can be purchased online and at some buy few pet supply stores. A force dryer is basically the motor in your vacuum cleaner attached to a hose and turned on in reverse. The high-velocity air is pushed through the hose and filtered through a small tip at the end of the hose to create a very fast stream of cool air. Some force dryers have two motors which is needed in the professional world but for residential baths, the single motor force dryer will be fine. Before using a force dryer please read all safety manuals because you can hurt yourself, your pet, or both if you use the dryer improperly. It would also be a good idea to watch a few youtube videos on how to use one before your start. It isn't as easy as it looks the first time using a force dryer.

Straight combs, slicker brushes, and Detangle are needed to finish the bath process. After drying the fur completely (10-30 minutes with force dryer) spray a little Detangle in your hands while wearing gloves and rub your hands together. Then start at the top knot with your hands and fluff the fur down to the base of the tail and then all over the body. The amount you want to use depends on you, the size of the Bichon, and the coat condition. After applying the Detangle, use straight combs smaller end to pull out all the matting down to the skin. Be gentle! After all the tangles and mats are removed, use the slicker brush to fluff the hair the rest of the way until you achieve total fluff mode.

Finishing sprays can be used but typically are not recommended because most of them will add oil back to the fur that you don't want. Dog colognes and Dog perfumes can be used on the coat after the full process but do not rub it in. Let it air dry. The three most popular colognes/perfumes for Bichons seems to be Sugar Cookie by Showseason, Blueberry Clove by South Barks. and Pumkin Spice by Bath and Brush Therapies. 

Grooming Photo Credit: Darby Palmer