How To Give a Dog A Bath

Some dogs are almost cat-like in their hygiene practices and need baths very rarely. Most dogs however believe the finest smelling perfume for their coats if horse droppings. Dogs love to romp and during these romps, they love to roll. You cannot watch them all the time and rolling in things is not something you can train out of your dogs.

Some people are just baffled on why dogs would want to roll in something smelly. Dogs are not people, it is important to remember this. A dog has a nose that can smell 100 times better than ours or more. What we smell as rotten trash, dogs can smell through the trash and smell the chicken bone inside of it somewhere. Dogs also try to disguise their own scent, this is a hunting technique so perhaps your dog was tracking something.

This can be cleared up with one relatively simple activity. A bath.

Know The Where

You should plan out where you are going to give your dog a bath. You should never give a dog a bath in the winter season because they, like humans, can develop respiratory problems. If if the warm season where you live you can forgo making a mess in your bathroom and wash the dog outside in the kiddy pool or with the hose.

If you use the hose, try to avoid spraying for a long period of time unless it is a very hot day outside. The hose is cold and your dog will not like the cold.

If you cannot do it outside due to weather or you do not want your dog to leave their bath right away and find something else to roll in, the bathroom is an old classic. Even if you do not have a bathtub, you can still wash your dog in the shower. It just takes a little more skill to try to keep your dog in the shower.

Tools

For outside bathing, you will need a hose that reaches to a flat sunny area. You should also buy and attachment for your hose that has a nice shower setting. No dog likes that hard blast of the hose.

For inside bathing, having a shower head that is detachable will make this so much easier. However if you do not have one a simple large cup for scooping water will do for wetting the dog and rinsing them off. Also make sure your bathtub has enough room for your dog to lay down.

If your dog struggles to get out of the tub when you try to put them in, consider investing in a bathtub tether for them. Especially if your dog is large and can easily fend you off.

Pick a shampoo for your dog. Your vet can suggest some good option. You do not need to use flea shampoos every time you wash your dogs, though. The chemicals in those will damage their skin. If you do not want to invest in a dog shampoo, you can always use your own. Just make sure it is a mild shampoo. Anything with oatmeal or aloe vera is recommended because it will help the dogs skin.

Use a conditioner. Not every dog needs conditioner, short haired dogs do not need conditioner. Long haired dog, however, do need it. The conditioner will make them easier to brush. Conditioner is an especially wise choice for spaniels which are prone to hair tangles.

If you are dealing with a very smelly dog and the shampoo did not help, pour a little vinegar on your dog and let it sit before rinsing. They will smell a bit like vinegar, but that surely have to be better than what they smelled like before.

Towels. Keep lots of towels near you. Keep one on the floor over your bath mat and keep a few next to that. When your dog gets out of the tub, the first thing they will do is shake so you want to get a towel on them before they do.

The Bath

When you go to get your dog, make sure you are feeling calm and look happy. Dogs can sense your emotions so any hostility will just make this tougher. If your dog has been bathed before, they will resist going into the bathroom tooth and nail. The best thing to do is trick them or even lure them in with a treat.

You should draw the bath prior to putting your dog in it. Make sure the water is luke warm, not too cold and not too hot. This is a lot like giving a baby a bath in the way of water temperature.

Once you have your dog in the tub, begin laddling the water onto them. Make sure the fur is completely saturated before you begin to shampoo. Put the shampoo on your hand and start at the dogs shoulders and rub your hands down the dogs back. Make sure to be liberal with the shampoo. Also make sure you actually massage the shampoo deep into the fur so it reaches the skin.

Lather up the torso and move to their belly and chest. Lather up their tail and what you can of their legs. Most people neglect a dog's face. You should not use shampoo on the dogs face especially if you are not using dog shampoo. Just you a damp washcloth to wet and clean the face.

After all the soak is applied, it is time to rinse. Make sure you use clean water. This is a good time to drain the tub and leave the faucet rubbing. For thicker hair, try to smooth the water out of their hair after each rinse. The rinsing may take awhile for longer haired dogs.

Let your dog out of the tub and make sure to towel them right away. After they are dried enough to not fling water everywhere they can leave the bathroom. Try not to let them outside. Every dog I have ever washed felt it was their duty to go roll in something immediately after a bath.