Chinese Crested grooming includes bathing, skin care, hair trimming, nail clipping, tooth brushing, and perhaps even dog massage. If you opt to use the services of a professional groomer, look for a groomer experience working with hairless dogs. Dog groomers may belong to groups such as the International Association of Canine Professionals, and the National Dog Groomers Association of America.

Chinese Crested dogs come in two varieties: Hairless and Powder-puff. Hairless Chinese Cresteds have hair only on the head, tail and feet. Powder-puff have soft, long hair in a double coat. Powder-puff Chinese Cresteds require regular daily grooming. It is especially important to comb their undercoats thoroughly to prevent tangles. Both Hairless and Powder-puff Chinese Cresteds need to be bathed regularly, usually around every 7 to 10 days. Hairless dogs also need to have moisturizing cream or oil rubbed into their skin to protect it from the elements and keep it supple. Hairless Chinese Cresteds should have sunscreen applied to their skin whenever they are outside, to prevent sunburn.

After bathing, be sure to dry your Chinese Crested thoroughly, to prevent the dog from becoming chilled. This can be done with a brisk but gentle towel rubdown, followed by a hair dryer on a low or cool setting.

Nail clippers should always be designed specifically for use on dogs. As with other grooming supplies, allow Chinese Crested time to sniff the clippers and become accustomed to them. Most dogs respond better to having their paws lifted up and toward their backs for nail clipping, rather than pulling the paws forward. If you are inexperienced at handling canine nail clippers or your Chinese Crested is very anxious and likely to pull away, you may want to have a styptic pencil on hand. This can be used to stop the bleeding if you inadvertently cut too close to the "quick" of the nail.