Dutch Smoushounds have a wiry coat and should not be brushed. Regular combing, about two times a week can rid your dog's coat of tangles and dirt, spread natural oils to protect the skin and give the coat gloss. Brushing can frizz and break the hair. Your dog will require regular hand plucking or stripping.

Hand Plucking or Stripping

Check with a professional groomer to determine how often to pluck or strip. Clumping signals a need for plucking or stripping and most wire-haired dogs need a complete body strip twice a year.

Dutch Smoushounds are supposed to look rough, shaggy and coarse-haired. These top-coat hairs grow to a longer length than the undercoat and then fall out from the root. This hair doesn't "blow out" or drop as normally shedding hair does: it needs help.

Wiry hair is naturally water and dirt resistant. Clipping this hair instead of plucking or stripping it causes its color to change dramatically over time and it will become soft and cottony. Clipping also leaves a dog itchy and irritated because the dead hair shafts remain.

Tools: Optional stripping knives, powder, chalk, rubber glove

Always pluck or strip before a bath. Wet hair is impossible to grasp and it's a good idea to bathe away irritation and clean any cuts or abrasions that may occur.

Purists always hand pluck. This involves holding the pet down with one hand, grasping some hairs between thumb and forefinger, and giving a fast tug. The dead hair should come out easily.

Never twist the wrist. This cuts the hair rather than getting it from the root. It also results in the hair being of even length which is not the goal.

If needed, apply powder or chalk to the dog's fur or your own fingertips for better grip. Some swear by a rubber glove.

Stripping is plucking with a tool. Stripping knives come in different sizes. Consult a professional groomer to determine which is right for your dog.

Make sure this knife is dull. The purpose is not to cut the dog, the hair or yourself but to grip hair.

Grasp the stripper and hold it perpendicular to the dog's hair growth. Grab some hair between the stripper's teeth and your thumb, rotating the blade away from the thumb and give a quick pull.

Hand plucking and stripping are time and labor intensive. Work in sections as your dog can only tolerate it for so long at a time.

Eyes: Check your dog's eyes daily.

Debris is flushed to the corners and daily wiping with a wet cloth or paper towel can keep that bacterial breeding ground from building up.

Ears: Check ears once a week.

Your Dutch Smoushound's ears should be pink and healthy inside. If not, don't do anything to them until you see a vet. Keeping ears clean minimizes odor, removes dirt, bacteria and mites trapped in wax. Never use a cotton swab on the inner ear.

Tools: Cotton balls or soft cloth and ear solution.

There are solutions made specifically for dogs but substitutes include: hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, mineral oil, witch hazel, and tea tree oil.

Place a few drops of ear solution in ear and rub and massage to loosen wax. Swab out with a cotton ball or cloth.

Ear Hair Plucking: Every two weeks.

The hair growing into the ear canal of your Dutch Smoushound can prevent the canal from drying properly and trap bacteria, causing infection.

Tools: Tweezers, powder, chalk, rubber gloves all optional

Lift the dog's ear and lay it back. Grasp hair along the inside of the ear between thumb and forefinger and pull firmly. This hair removes easily. Use tools to help grip slippery hair.


Teeth: Regularly.

80% of 3 year old dogs have periodontal disease from lack of brushing teeth. Cavities and gum disease are painful for your dog; they diminish its pleasure and ability to eat. Bacteria that develop can infect the heart, kidney, liver and brain.

Really bad breath is usually a sign of gum disease.

Tools: Toothbrush/finger cap/cloth, doggie toothpaste, tooth scraper

Never use human toothpaste. It is not edible.

Starting this dog out with this practice takes patience. Reward it constantly.

Start out getting it used to its mouth being handled, then progress to touching the teeth with your finger.

Get some meat-seasoned toothpaste and apply with your finger.

Then introduce the brush. A few teeth at a time and soon you will have a routine that takes just minutes. Brush in a circular motion and get under the gum line.

If you don't want to brush everyday, use a tooth scraper to get rid of the plaque buildup once or twice a month. Most accumulation is on the outside of the teeth and on the back molars. This won't be so much fun for your dog or you though. Lots of bones and hard, crunchy foods can minimize plaque but not to a truly effective degree.

Nails: Every two weeks.

Nail care is very important to your Dutch Smoushound. Nails that aren't trimmed can splinter and infect the quick or grow and curl into the flesh. This can be painful for your dog to walk on, affect it's gait, posture, and eventually it's skeletal and ligament health. Nails should never touch the ground. When your dog is standing its nails should rest above the ground. If you hear clicking on the kitchen floor, clipping is past due.

Tools: Doggie Nail Clippers (Scissors, pliers, or guillotine), Dremel or file, Styptic or Kwikstop.

Sit beside your dog and put your arm around its shoulders if you can, so that you are clipping from underneath and at the right angle.

Lift the paw and press on it to expose the claw.

If it has a clear nail you should be able to see the quick: a dark bundle of nerves and blood vessels.

Clip from underneath close to the quick but do not cut into it. If you do, your dog will let you know. Use Styptic pencil or Kwikstop to staunch the bleeding. Buff the ragged edge with a file or Dremel. Some dogs can handle their nails being buffed by the Dremel regularly rather than clipping at all.

If your dog has a dark nail, clip just under the curve of the nail and then you will be able to look inside and see the quick if you are close enough. Clip tiny snips at a time.

Don't forget to check for dewclaws: an extra claw dogs may have farther up on the leg that works like a thumb.

It is better to clip your dog's nails more frequently than not as this causes the quick to recede farther away from the tip.

Paws: Check daily.

It is very important to check between dog pads for foreign objects that may have wedged there and to check the pads themselves for cuts, scrapes and infection.

Tools: Small, blunt scissors, slicker brush.

The hair that grows between pads of your Dutch Smoushound can mat and trap bacteria besides becoming painful to walk on.

Trim hair around the paw to keep them cleaner. Do this with the dog standing flat.

Then, push feathers growing on top of the foot down through the toes to the pad. Lift the paw from the back, brush out hair and trim to pad level.

Push feathers back up through toes and trim from the top.

Hygienic trimming: 2 to 4 weeks.

Tools: Thinning shears, electric clippers

Thinning, trimming and clipping at the ear opening, base of the tail, around the anus and privates keeps your dog feeling better as well as keeping it and your house cleaner.

Expressing Glands: Every 2 to 4 weeks

This is a task normally done when you take your dog in for professional grooming. Your dog uses scent glands in the anus to mark its territory.

These glands also excrete when your dog defecates. At times, they may get impacted. Signs of this include: increased doggie odor, excessive licking and chewing of the behind and worst of all, scooting. That's when your dog drags its butt/bottom along your carpet or floor.

There is no risk of overly expressing these glands so it's a good habit to become accustomed to. It will lesson dog odor.

Tools: Warm cloth

Lift the dog's tail and hold the cloth against it's behind. Place your fingers at 5 o'clock and 7 o'clock. Press inward and squeeze to expel.

Bathing: As needed

Dutch Smoushounds do not need regular bathing. They have an all-weather coat and natural oils that moisturize their skin, keep their coat glossy and resistant to dirt and water. Stripping these oils with frequent bathing dries out the skin and is a detriment to a healthy coat.

A rubdown with a damp towel can remove dirt, and spot cleaning of the face or legs is always a good option.

With regular brushing, ear cleaning and gland expression, dog odor will remain at a minimum.

Bathing a few times a year is usually adequate. Exceptions to this are when your dog manages to get into something messy or during its shedding season. A bath can help to remove a large amount of shedding hair.

Tools: Non-slip mat, sprayer hose, dog shampoo, conditioner, leash, towels.

Choose a place where you can close off escape routes and expect 1-3 water-spraying shakes.

A leash tied to a higher point than your dog's head will keep it standing and deter escape. This is highly recommended as it's really hard to stop a slippery dog.

Never bathe your dog in standing water. A sprayer hose is a must. Wet your dog using your hand to massage and lift hair to get to the undercoat. Avoid getting water into the eyes, nose and ears.

Massage lather down to the undercoat.

Rinse thoroughly as leftover shampoo can severely dry out and irritate your pet's skin. Siphon off excess water by running your hands along its body and pressing. Towel dry to finish.