How to Bathe Your Dog

Posted on January 1st, 2009 by monsterguide

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading ...

No Comments (Post Comment)

Republish

Giving baths to your dog can be a pain, but we can’t do away with them. Giving regular baths helps keep your dog healthy and happy. Here’s how you can bathe your dog fuss-free, whether he be big or small.

When Should I Clean My Dog?

Giving your dog frequent baths is generally not a good idea. Give your dog a bath when he’s starting to stink, when he’s played around with greasy material, or if you’re expecting company.

What You’ll Need

Blanket on the floor next to the bathing area with a trash bag on it
Rubber tub mat
Bathing tether
Washcloth
Soft brush or a soft-bristle toothbrush
Towels or specially-made dog drying towels
Brush
Comb
Dog soap or shampoo
Cotton balls for his ears

Bathing Your Dog

Keep in mind that your dog will not be used to taking a bath. You may end up with a lot of splashing around and ultimately giving your pet only a half-bath of sorts. There are some things that you can do to minimize this possibility, and they are:

Put the rubber mat inside the bathtub where you’re going to give your dog a bath. Having a less slippery surface to bathe in will help your dog be a lot less nervous.
Having a bathing tether helps you keep your dog in place. Attach one end of the tether on his collar, and the other end on the suction cup of the bathtub.
Put cotton balls in your dog’s ears to keep the water out. They should be in the proper size so that they won’t accidentally fall into your dog’s ear canals.
Put mineral oil in your dog’s eyes to keep water away.
Don’t dunk your dog in the water. Instead, use the shower. A detachable shower head would be ideal. Test the temperature first before dousing your dog in water. You can also use a pitcher to ladle water gently over your dog.
When your dog is fully wet, use the veterinarian-approved shampoo and lather all over his body and fur. You should consider your pet’s breed and his special needs when choosing the right soap or shampoo. Keep your dog lathered up for around ten minutes or so.
Soak a washcloth in warm water and use this to clean your dog’s face, eyes and nose. Remember that you should keep soap from your dog’s face.
Use a soft bristle brush or toothbrush to clean gently between your dog’s paws. Don’t forget to clean his nails, too.
Drain the tub completely before rinsing. Rinse your dog well-dried soap or shampoo can cause allergies.
Once you’re satisfied that your dog is completely rinsed off all soap and suds, drain the tub again. Give your dog a chance to give himself a good shake as he’s probably been wanting to do that since the bath started.
Remove the cotton balls from your dog’s ears. Clean your dog’s ears using dry cotton balls. Don’t attempt digging in too deep!
Squeeze out excess water from his coat using your hands.
Give your dog a more thorough drying using the towels you’ve had prepared. You can also have your dog lie down on the dry blanket you’ve laid down on the floor.
You can opt to blow dry your dog after toweling. Use a hair blower on the lowest settings, and tolerably far enough to dry your dog without burning his skin.
Brush your dog’s coat with a dog comb or brush.
Give your dog a doggie treat and praise him taking a bath, regardless of whether he kept still or thrashing about! He’ll connect the treat and the praises with the bath eventually, making him more tolerant of baths in the future.
Don’t let air drafts get to your dog when he’s fresh out of the bath. Try to keep him indoors or even let him stay on your bed or couch for a while.

Bath time for dogs, while difficult at the start, is a great way for pet and master to bond. It may be difficult at the beginning, but just keep at it, and your dog will get used to it eventually.