How to give your dog a bath: Pro techniques for a stress free bath
One of the Most important parts of being best pet parent is washing your dog. Knowing how to give your dog a bath helps keep your pup’s coat healthy and clean, and reduces those unwanted.ahem, odors!
According to Giulia D’Ignazio, a professional dog groomer and owner of Brandy’s Canine Grooming, the best way to wash a dog is by brushing out any knots beforehand, using a dog-safe shampoo with lukewarm water, and then drying the dog thoroughly with either a towel or blow dryer.
With a few expert tips and a gentle approach, you can actually learn how to wash a dog with ease! Just make sure to pick up a dog safe shampoo for your dog’s specific coat before you get started!
Preparing to Wash Your Dog
Gather the Right Supplies
Before you dive into bath time, make sure you’ve gathered everything you need, including shampoos, brushes, and towels…you can never have too many towels!
Giulia advises to use a dog-specific shampoo and should not use the human shampoo as the shampoos for dogs are made to the natural PH level of dog skin generally being more alkaline than human skin.
Selecting the right bathing area
Large dog breeds are pretty impractical when it comes to bathing in tubs. Those would probably work better for washing in a walk-in shower or even outside near a garden hose. If dogs shed a lot, an outdoor room might be useful in avoiding too much mess from the shedding throughout inside the house. ⛏ Brush Before the Bath
It is advisable to brush your dog before they get wet. Brushing helps in removing loose fur, preventing mats, and makes bath time easy. If you do not remove knots before bathing, water will tighten the knots, making it hard to brush out later, warns Giulia.
How to Wash a Dog: Step-by-Step Guide
Wet Your Dog Thoroughly
Now when it’s wetting time, always use lukewarm water. Too extreme temperatures either extremely hot or too cold are painful or dangerous for your dog. Remember, you cannot ask your dog whether it finds the water too hot or too cold. Double-checking often is thus the safest. Begin with a coat evenly drenched starting with the back part of the dog and up his body. Try your best to not get water in your dog’s eyes and ears.
Ensure that the entire body of the dog is wet so the shampoo will be able to create some great suds and remove all the dirt.
2. Use Dog-Safe Shampoo
It’s time to apply the shampoo once your dog is completely wet. Choose a shampoo especially made for their coat type for the best result.
If you use the shampoo having a precise tip applicator, you can apply it right to your dog’s fur. If not, pour some onto your hands to create lather.Thoroughly massage that down towards the tail, working from the neck downwards, making sure it gets all parts of your dog’s coat. Avoid your dog’s eyes and face.
Tip: Instead of swishing water under and around the eyes, clean this area with dog wipes or a damp washcloth.
Rinse Completely
All shampoo must be washed out from the coat of your dog. Unremoved shampoo irritates the dog a lot, and can also cause hot spots, even though it may be a natural product that is completely safe for the dog.
Now, gently rub over your dog’s whole body to check that there’s not even a spot of shampoo left behind, especially under the arms, around the paws, and the belly.
Conditioning (Optional)
If your dog has a long or thick coat then a special conditioner designed for dogs will help it be soft and manageable. If your dog mats fairly easily after the bath then add a conditioner suitable for her.
How often to bath your dog
Giulia advises for medium and long coats, as Poodles or Shih Tzus to be washed at intervals of four to six weeks. Where compared to, short-coated dogs can be bathed every three to four months.
Drying and Finishing Touches
Towel Dry First
Once your dog is finished in the water, start drying them off using a towel by patting dry instead of rubbing with the towel. You could easily tangle your dog’s fur this way, and it is a bummer to mess up all their beautiful brushing from earlier! For most dogs, a towel can suffice. According to Giulia, “for the short hair one, easily just towel-drying is perfectly acceptable, and when winter rolls in, a caution needs to be observed due to the longer amount of hours until the dog becomes fully dry”.
Using Blow Dryer
For dogs that can tolerate noise, a blow dryer may be used to expedite the drying process, but the hair must be dried with low heat so that it doesn’t burn the skin. Giulia observes that blow drying is very beneficial to curly-coated dogs, since it clearly shows knots and points out an area where one needs to concentrate on brushing them out.
For blow drying to be effective, your dog ought to be already familiar with a dryer. This means if they are not familiar with a dryer, desensitizing them would take a while positively.
Brushing After Bathing
Now, it’s time to brush your dog again. You probably comb most of the tangles from your dog before the bath. However, you may be adding new tangles in the process of bathing. Therefore, brush your dog again.
Curly and long-haired dogs will benefit more from this step. You can bypass this step if your dog has short hair and if you use hydrating shampoo.
Tip: Do not brush your dog’s coat when still wet. Begin brushing on a completely dry dog to avoid touching of their skin, which may be irritated and even damaged. One can think of nothing worse than combining bacterial infections with an enormous vet bill!
Additional Pro Tips for a Smooth Dog Bathing
When you’re trying to keep your dog calm during bath time, it’s okay to use a bribe or two! “High value treats can make them have a better experience, it’s time to bring out the cheese, hot-dogs, chicken, steak, or peanut butter!” recommends Giulia.
Rub some peanut butter on the bathtub wall, or give them an enrichment toy filled with a high-value treat, and that may just distract enough to not be as keen on bath times.
If your dog really does not like the feeling of water dripping on its head, then fill the bathtub with water and let it into it instead of the showerhead. Just replace the water while rinsing the shampoo off it.
For those who really detest bath time, you can make use of and dog wipes for keeping the freshness in between the baths!
Don’t forget to and as part of their dog grooming routine.
Final Thoughts
Bathing can’t be a chore for your dog. It can, in fact become a fun, rewarding experience once you are ready and prepared and take the positive approach. As long as dog-safe products are used, ensuring that the process is a pleasure for your dog is essential.
All it needs from both sides is patience and encouragement. Otherwise, bathtime needn’t become a horror for both of you.
Read Causes of Dog Dry Skin and Prevention Methods.
Also read How to Cut Your Dog’s Nail.
