White Dog Grooming: How to Keep the Coat White, Not Yellow

White fur is beautiful, as long as it stays white. With Coton, Maltese, Bichon or Westie, though, it quickly turns yellowish, reddish on the paws and grey on the beard. Here you will find out how to care for your dog's white fur properly, which shampoo makes sense for white dogs and how to wash, condition and dry step by step.

Why a dog's white fur turns yellow or reddish

White hair has no pigment to cover up discolouration. Anything that settles on it shows straight away. The most common reasons:

• Saliva and licking. Like tears, saliva contains porphyrins, iron-containing pigments that oxidise to reddish-brown in the air. If a dog licks its paws a lot, the toes turn rust-red. Frequent paw licking is often a sign of itching, for example from an allergy, and should be checked by the vet.
• Urine. On the belly, inner thighs and trousers, urine turns the fur yellow, especially with long fur that gets wet when the dog urinates.
• Dirt and skin oil. Sebum, dust and abrasion from the road and meadow settle in the fur and make it look grey or yellowish. Grass and soil also leave greenish or brown marks.
• Sun and dryness. In some dogs the fur looks more yellowish and straw-like after a summer with a lot of sun, especially if it is dry anyway.
• Residue. Poorly rinsed shampoo or too much conditioner attracts dirt. The coat becomes dull and yellows faster.
• Food and treats. Food remains and saliva cling to the beard. Treats containing colourings can also stain the fur.

Reddish-brown areas that smell, feel greasy or have reddened skin underneath can point to yeast or a skin inflammation. Then no shampoo will help, only the vet. For discolouration under the eyes we have our own guide on tear stains on dogs.

Maltese, Coton and Bichon: coat care for white dogs

The typical white breeds have different coats. The Maltese has long, straight, silky hair with almost no undercoat. The Coton de Tuléar has soft, cotton-like fur. The Bichon Frisé has curly fur with a soft undercoat. What they have in common: the fur mats quickly if it stays wet or dirty, and every discolouration shows.

That is why the same applies to Maltese coat care as to Coton and Bichon: wash regularly and gently rather than rarely and harshly. With long fur, every two to four weeks is a good rhythm. You may also wash paws, beard and trousers separately in between.

Before every wash the coat is brushed and combed thoroughly until there are no more knots down to the skin. Knots that get wet tighten and turn into mats. Which brush suits which coat is shown on our page on Tauro Pro Line slicker brushes.

Whitening shampoo or regular shampoo for white dogs?

A shampoo for white dogs is not automatically a bleach. Roughly speaking, there are three types:

• Colour-enhancing shampoos. They contain blue or violet pigments that visually offset a yellow tinge, similar to silver shampoo for humans. The fur looks whiter straight away, but the discolouration itself stays in the hair.
• Brightening shampoos. They work with mild brighteners that weaken discolouration in the hair. They are intended for targeted use, not for every wash.
• Cleansing and conditioning shampoos for light fur. They remove dirt, oil and residue thoroughly without colouring or bleaching. Often that is half the battle, because yellowed fur is usually simply not properly clean.

Our advice: do not use a whitening shampoo with every wash, but in a targeted way when the fur looks yellowish or a special occasion is coming up. For the regular wash, a mild, cleansing shampoo for light fur is enough. A mask or conditioner always follows, because white fur is often fine and dries out quickly.

Washing white fur properly: step by step

1. Brush. Remove all tangles from the coat until the comb glides through everywhere.
2. Soak. Wet the coat thoroughly with lukewarm water. Long, dense fur takes longer than you think.
3. Dilute the shampoo. Concentrates such as the Tauro Pro Line Ultra Natural Care shampoos are mixed 1:10 with lukewarm water. In a mixing bottle you distribute the solution evenly through the coat.
4. Massage in. Work it in the direction of hair growth, do not rub. Leave it on for about three minutes. Paws, beard and trousers get a little more attention.
5. Rinse. Rinse until the water runs clear and the coat no longer feels slippery. With very dirty fur, shampoo a second time.
6. Condition. Apply mask or conditioner, also diluted, leave on for three minutes, rinse thoroughly.
7. Towel off and blow-dry. Squeeze the water out with a towel, do not rub, then blow-dry until completely dry.

Deep Clean, Whitening and mask: how to combine them

Tauro Pro Line builds the Ultra Natural Care line as a system of cleansing, conditioning and finishing. For white and light fur it looks like this:

• Cleanse: the Deep Clean Shampoo for white and light fur with sage extract, glycerin and panthenol. For the regular wash and for heavily soiled fur.
• Brighten when needed: the Whitening Shampoo with panthenol, glycerin and honey extract. Intended, according to the manufacturer, for yellow and brown discolouration. You use it instead of the Deep Clean when the fur looks yellowish.
• Moisture: the Intense Hydrate Shampoo for white fur with almond extract, glycerin and honey extract. For fine, dry fur that breaks easily.
• Finish: the Intense Hydrate Mask for white fur with almond extract, panthenol and honey extract. It makes the fur supple and makes combing easier.

All four are free from SLS, parabens, silicones and mineral oils and, according to the manufacturer, suitable from the eighth week of life. To get to know them, there is the trial set for light fur with Deep Clean Shampoo, Intense Hydrate Shampoo and Intense Hydrate Mask.

Drying: the underrated step

White fur that stays damp for a long time yellows faster, smells and mats. First press the water out of the coat with a microfibre towel. According to the manufacturer, it absorbs up to ten times its own weight in water.

Then blow-dry with lukewarm air, brushing section by section in the direction of hair growth. This makes the fur smooth and dries it down to the skin. A dryer with adjustable temperature and speed, such as the Tauro Pro Line dryer with ion technology, makes this much easier with small dogs. Do not forget the armpits, ears, groin and the hair between the pads, as moisture stays longest there.

Paws, beard and belly between washes

Most discolouration does not happen in the bathtub but in everyday life. Three habits help:

• After the walk: wipe paws and belly with the Tauro Pro Line wet wipes with aloe vera and pat dry. For mud, rinse briefly with lukewarm water and dry.
• After eating: wipe the beard and dry it. For dogs whose beard discolours quickly, the Stainless Look Clay Shield Mask can serve as protection on clean, dry fur.
• Hygienic trim: have the fur on the belly and trousers trimmed a little. Then it gets less wet when the dog urinates and stays lighter.

Does food for white fur help?

Food does not make fur white, that is the job of grooming. But it can help keep skin and coat in good condition, and healthy fur picks up dirt less easily. Nature's Protection offers its own line for dogs with white fur with Superior Care White Dogs. According to the manufacturer, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are meant to help maintain coat colour and skin condition, and the composition is meant to counteract brown tear and saliva staining.

For small breeds such as Maltese, Coton or Bichon there is, for example, the White Dogs dry food with lamb for small breeds, and for all sizes the grain-free White Dogs with whitefish. A visible effect shows, if at all, only in the fur that grows back, so after weeks to months. If your dog scratches a lot or constantly licks its paws, clarify that with the vet first. You will find all varieties in the Nature's Protection White Dogs collection.

What we recommend for white fur

To get started: If you do not know the Tauro care range yet, begin with the trial set for light fur. It lasts for a few washes with a small dog and shows you how your dog reacts to cleansing and moisture care.

For the regular wash: The Deep Clean Shampoo for white fur together with the Intense Hydrate Mask. That is our standard combination for Coton and Maltese.

For a yellow tinge: The Tauro Pro Line Whitening Shampoo, used in a targeted way every few washes or before a special occasion.

For instantly visible white: The PET ESTHÉ Professional Shampoo for white-haired dogs brings out the white with natural blue colourings such as guaiazulene and gardenia blue and also has a gentle brightening effect. The PET ESTHÉ Mud White is a very mild variant with mineral mud, amino acid surfactants and a mild brightener, good for sensitive skin. The PET ESTHÉ Spa Super White is designed for skin care and contains, among other things, Dead Sea salt and propolis.

As a concentrate for many washes: The LADYBEL Lady White Shampoo enhances the light colour with chamomile extract without colouring and leaves no residue. It is available in many sizes, also for breeders and salons.

You will find all shampoos in our Shampoos collection.

Your next step

Brush thoroughly before the next wash, wash with a mild shampoo for light fur, follow with a mask and blow-dry down to the skin. Only use the whitening shampoo if the fur is really yellowish. Want to know what suits your dog's coat? Send us a photo of the coat via WhatsApp and we will help you choose.