If your dog happens to love bath-time, consider yourself extraordinarily lucky. For many dogs and their owners, bath-time is a necessary evil. While you may never succeed in making bath-time your dog's favorite activity, you can definitely take measures to reduce the trauma for all humans and canines involved.
If your dog happens to love bath-time, consider yourself extraordinarily lucky. For many dogs and their owners, bath-time is a necessary evil. While you may never succeed in making bath-time your dog's favorite activity, you can definitely take measures to reduce the trauma for all humans and canines involved.
1) Build positive associations
Dogs are highly emotional creatures, so it's important to build positive associations with bath-time from the very start. Praise your dog for doing something as simple as entering the bathroom doorway. Shower him with treats if he puts so much as a paw in the tub. You want to build positive associations for every action he takes that makes bathing him easier.
The sooner you start building positive associations, the less trauma he'll develop in relation to the bath, and the easier bath-time will be moving forward. You may never succeed in getting your dog to love the bath, but you can definitely get him to a place of less resistance and whimpering.
2) Brush before the bath
Always comb your dog's fur before getting in the tub. This serves several purposes. First and foremost, while many dogs hate the bath, most dogs love the feel of a comb on their skin. It feels like a massage! This can be a great time to calm your dog down and bond with him before moving him to the tub.
Removing shedding fur beforehand will also make it much easier to lather and rinse shampoo. You'll also have a much easier clean-up, as there won't be a vast quantity of loose fur in the tub and drain to clean up afterwards.
3) Block the drain
Even if you do brush beforehand, some shedding in the bath is inevitable. In order to prevent blockages and expensive plumbing problems, it is imperative to block the drain. You can purchase a drain strainer to fit in the drain prior to bath-time. One nifty budget option is to throw a small sheet of steel wool over the drain. Steel wool is effective at trapping loose fur before it slips down the drain.
4) Use warm -- not hot! -- water
While most humans love a hot shower, dogs are a little more sensitive to the heat, so it's important to use lukewarm water for bathing. As a rule of thumb, the water should be no warmer than you would use for a human baby. Make sure to wet your dog thoroughly before applying and lathering the shampoo. Rinse thoroughly, as any remaining shampoo can irritate the dog's skin.
5) Avoid getting water in the ears
Getting water up the ears is not only uncomfortable; it can actually cause ear infections. Be mindful of your dog's ears and avoid spraying water up the ear canal. Some dog owners find it helpful to place cotton balls in their dog's ears beforehand to help block the water.
6) Talk to your dog in a calm and reassuring voice
At some point in the bath, your dog may appear very unhappy. You can expect some shaking and whimpering. Keep talking to your dog in a calm and reassuring voice. Let him know that you love him and are, in fact, not torturing him. Dogs are remarkably responsive to voice tone, so use this to communicate reassurance to your furry friend.
7) Don't bathe your dog more than once a month
If your dog hates bath-time, rest assured it's not an ordeal he needs to undergo too often. In fact, over-bathing results in dried out, irritated skin. It is best to let your dog's natural oils work their magic in moisturizing his skin and coat, and save bath-time for when he gets too smelly.
8) Consider a professional groomer
If bathing at home is too much of a pain, consider taking your dog to a
professional groomer. Groomers are well-practiced in working with dogs of all sizes, energy levels, and temperaments, and a seasoned groomer will have plenty of tools and tricks for helping your dog relax.
Closing Thoughts
Bath-time isn't necessarily fun, but it doesn't have to be torture. Your dog still may hide when he knows bath-time is coming. However, through a combination of positive reinforcement and good bathing techniques, you can definitely make it easier on both you and your pet.
