How to Bathe Your Dog
If your dog likes it or not, a bath is necessary eventually. Being smelly, looking dirty or needing a flea treatment are just a few reasons your dog might need a bath.
How often your dog needs a bath highly depends on their coat. You can find out how often dogs with different coats need to take a bath here.
Step-By-Step Guide
1.Be Prepared
Have towels, shampoo and treats ready! You do not want to run in and out of the bathroom to get these things while your dog is drip wet in the tub.
2. Soak your Dog
Turn the water on before placing your dog in the shower or tub.
I find it easier to clean my dog in the shower because the floor is not as slippery, but as of now we only have a tub. The best way is to have a dog wash station, but not many people have that in their house. You can make it work with whatever you have available to you.
Make sure the water temperature is warm but not hot. The ideal temperature is between 85 and 95 degree Fahrenheit. If you are not sure what temperature is right, it is always safest to go with cold water.
Now that the water has the right temperature, place your dog inside the shower or tub. Give him/her a good rinse and reward with plenty of treats. Especially if your dog hates baths have a lot of treats ready. My dog hates water in general, so I always have some treats handy to distract him. You want to associate the bath with a positive experience for your dog, so don’t hold back on treats. You can also have a toy inside the tub or shower to make this experience fun. This will make future baths a lot more easy.
3. Shampoo
Once your dog is soaked in water, it is time to shampoo the coat.
There are many different types of shampoos and some smell better than other. I prefer to use this treatment shampoo. It is a combination of essential oil that repels fleas and ticks. Even though my dog hasn’t had fleas in years, I still use it as a prevention. Plus it smells natural and does not use any harsh chemicals.
Place a small amount on the palm of your hand and start by rubbing it into the fur. I typically start on his back and work my way to my dog’s belly and feet. Make sure to be very careful around your dog’s eyes and ears. I usually do not shampoo anything around my dog’s face due to avoid contact with his eyes and ears.
The last step is to rinse your dog throughout so there are no remains of the shampoo.
4. Drying your Dog
Before taking your dog out of the tub or shower, blow on your dog’s ears. The air will prompt your dog to shake-off. This will help with the drying process and prevents a mess in your bathroom.
I recommend having a lot of towels ready. You will definitely need more than one, especially when you have a medium or large size dog.
I usually place one towel on the floor, one on the cabinet (so it doesn’t get wet) and one in my hands to rub my dog dry. Your dog will shake-off multiple times after the bath so prepare as many towels as possible to prevent a wet mess in your bathroom.
Some people like to blow dry their dog to speed up the drying process but I typically rub my dog dry and then let him air dry. If you opt-in for the blow dryer, make sure you have a cold setting. Using the warm setting might burn the fur or skin of your dog. Remember: whatever feels warm to you, might feel hot to your dog.
Bathing your dog is an important part of their coat hygiene and can prevent many skin irritations and parasite infestations. It might take a few trial and errors to get a routine for bathing your dog, but you will get the hang of it after doing it a few times.
Good Luck and Happy Bathing!
