The Bolognese is high maintenance when it comes to keeping their coats looking good. On the upside, these little dogs do not shed thanks to the structure of their flocked coats, but they do need to be brushed every day to prevent tangles developing, paying particular attention to a dog's stomach, their legs and behind their ears where the hair tends to tangle and knot very easily. They also need to be professionally groomed at least twice a year which makes it easier to keep their coats looking good in between visits to a parlour.
It's important to check a dog's ears on a regular basis and if necessary to remove any hairs that grow in their ear canals which is best left up to an expert. If too much hair is left in a dog's ears it means air cannot circulate as it should and this paves the way for an ear infection to take hold which can be really hard to clear up. It's also to check a dog's feet and if there is a lot of hair growing between their pads, to carefully trim this away.
The Bolognese might be a small dog, but there is nothing they like more than to be taken out for a nice, long walk twice a day. With this said, a good 30-minute walk twice a day would be ideal and if a dog can run around a back garden as often as possible all the better because it means they can really let off steam. However, gardens need to be very secure to prevent dogs from escaping. Because they are so intelligent, a Bolognese also needs to be given lots of mental stimulation and they really do enjoy playing lots of interactive games.
If you get a Bolognese puppy from a breeder, they would give you a feeding schedule and it's important to stick to the same routine, feeding the same puppy food to avoid any tummy upsets. You can change a puppy's diet, but this needs to be done very gradually always making sure they don't develop any digestive upsets and if they do, it's best to put them back on their original diet and to discuss things with the vet before attempting to change it again.
Older dogs are not known to be fussy or finicky eaters, but this does not mean you can feed them a lower quality diet. It's best to feed a mature Bolognese twice a day, once in the morning and then again in the evening, making sure it's good quality food that meets all their nutritional requirements. It's also important that dogs be given the right amount of exercise so they burn off any excess calories or they might gain too much weight which can lead to all sorts of health issues. Obesity can shorten a dog's life by several years so it's important to keep an eye on their waistline from the word go.
