If you have a poodle, you can give him a bath in the sink or run him down to the groomer for a quick and fairly inexpensive wash and style. A mastiff, on the other hand, is an entirely different experience! They're harder to transport to the groomer, and the cheapest groomer's fee I've found in my area was $100 just for the bath! I used to work at a kennel where I groomed dogs, and I quickly learned why they charge so much for large dogs. Then when my first mastiff outgrew the bathtub, I had to get creative in order to keep him clean and well-groomed.
Not only does your mastiff need a bath at least once a week, but they also need to be brushed (yes, even though their hair is short), they need their ears cleaned, their nails clipped, and a good tooth brushing never hurts either! The whole process takes preparation, time, and patience, as well as a dry change of clothes for yourself.Shampoo
Towels
Cotton balls and cotton swabs
Nail clippers
Grooming Supplies
Mastiffs can suffer from dry skin, so I recommend a dandruff or tar-based shampoo. I created my own blend, combining dandruff shampoo, tea tree oil for fleas, and a little bit of hydrocortisone cream. This seems to be working well!
I use two towels - that first one gets sopping wet, and the second one dries them off pretty good. Mastiffs do NOT like blowdriers, so you'll need to towel dry them very well, or they'll still be smelly even after you bathe them.
My first mastiff always had the cleanest ears you've ever seen. Chesty, on the other hand, has had a constant battle with keeping his ears cleaned, and they actually had a horrible odor that seemed to take over his whole head! I had him checked for ear mites, and he didn't have them - just funky ears. Now I check his ears every couple of days and clean them with cotton swabs and cotton balls. I dip the cotton balls in a tiny bit of apple cider vinegar, which has really made an improvement!
I've tried several different types of dog nail clippers, and I recommend going ahead and buying a heavy duty pair instead of cheaper ones. Macy's nails clip fairly easily, but Chesty's are so hard! As a matter of fact, instead of trying his by myself next time, I'm going to take him to the vet or groomer to have them clipped. One note on nail clipping, if you start this when they're puppies, you'll have an easier time when they get older. Clip once a week and get them used to it! I also handle and play with my puppy's feet to get them used to that feeling as well.
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