Tips For Bathing Your Dog

Bathtime for your pooch can be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be. The following tips will help you keep your pooch clean while eliminating some of the undesirable aspects of bathing a rambunctious pup.

Before Bathtime Begins
Make a few preparations for yourself and your dog before starting the water. Gather up everything you will need beforehand, and bring your dog along as well.

• Get Your Shampoo
  There are many different types of shampoos on the market, and many claim to tackle a variety of issues concerning the condition of a dog’s skin or coat. You should not use a human shampoos for your dog, since they can cause skin allergies, irritation, and It is important to use a shampoo made specifically for dogs, since such shampoos have a specific PH level that make them gentle on the sensitive skin of dogs.

• No tears
  Prevent water from getting into your dog's eyes, since that can leave them agitated throughout the day. Go to your vet and ask them to recommend a good eye ointment that you can use before starting the bath. You can also use a dog patch eye pad to cover up your dog’s eyes.

• Brush them: Before the bathing actually starts, brush your dog's coat with a wide comb brush. This will help untangle any hair which otherwise is a tedious task to do. Brushing the coat also helps to remove any matted hair which, if it gets wet, becomes difficult to remove.
• More towels, a lesser mess
  Keeping more than one towel around during the bath will help to keep yourself and the washroom clean. You should probably keep a minimum of three towels handy. Use the first one to place under the feet of your dog, as you do not want the dog slipping here and there in the tub. If that happens, then your dog will probably start despising bath time. The second towel can be draped over your dog to absorb all the water after rinsing him off. The last one can be used as a drying towel to dry up your pooch without him having to splash and soak you all over.
• Use room-temperature water
  Some dogs are not very keen on the bathing, and they don’t like getting wet. But you can make it easier for your dog by using room-temperature water. Water that is too cold will make your dog dread bathtime, and water that’s too hot can be dangerous. So make sure to keep the bath water at room temperature for a happy, safe dog.

Let the Splish-Splashing Begin!
Bathing your dog is an important part of maintaining his hygiene, and you simply cannot skip the task. You can use a leash or a harness if that’s what you have to do to get your dog inside the tub. But after he’s there and not a big fan of the water, start right on with the shampooing, otherwise, you can add fun water toys to make the experience more enjoyable. Start shampooing your dog at the head and neck, and then move down to the toes and nails.

When you move down to the tail, this is where the washing becomes a little tricky. You have the option to empty out your dog's anal glands, which contain a fluid with a foul smell that is used to mark your dog’s feces. Call someone from your vet’s office to demonstrate how it is done, and from then on you should be able to do it by yourself.

Take Care of Your Hard Work
You have worked really hard to make your dog prim and proper, but dogs do not care. You might think he smells great, but he would beg to differ. Do not be too quick to let your dog outside before he is dry, since he will likely take advantage and roll around in the mud—afterall, he is a dog!

It’s a fun task and you might even be doing it just right but sometimes a few tips from here and there can make everything a lot easier. So what we discussed are some of the ways in which you can bathe your pooch, have a fun time and not make a lot of mess.

Author Bio: 

Emma Alex is the resident pet care expert. She also curates the select range of vet recommended and approved products. She enjoys writing educational articles to help those who want to look after their pets all over the place. Check out her latest article on emotional support animals.