When you bathe your dog it can be very hard and even very messy.
If you want to make your dog more comfortable when they bathe and make the process much faster use these tips.
By using these tips your dog will be much healthier and happier when they take baths!
Table of Contents
What Are The 10 Helpful Dog Bathing Tips?
Use The Right Shampoo For Your Dog
This is a simple, but important tip for your dog’s bath. If you choose the wrong shampoo it could even lead to your dog shedding more.
Make sure you find and buy a pH balanced shampoo that won’t damage your dog’s skin or coat.
If you happen to have a pitbull, then I have already put together the best shampoos for pitbulls.
No Water In The Ears
Dogs don’t like it when they get water in their ears, it feels weird and will shake their head until it stops.
Worse than the uncomfortable feeling they have is the health issues that can follow.
When water gets in your dog’s ears it can possibly change the pH levels inside their ear.
This can lead to the buildup of bacteria in your dog’s ear and might result in an infection.
If you want to avoid this situation, put a cotton ball into your dog’s ear before washing them. It will prevent the water from rushing into their ear canals.
But, continue to avoid getting water in their ears even when using cotton.
It is also important that you don’t get too aggressive with the placement of the cotton. You don’t want to damage their ear canals.
Pre-Game With A Dog Brush
Have you ever seen a picture on social media of a dog standing next to a pile of brushed out fur? It can be very important for preventing drain blockage.
This is a great pre-game routine because after you remove the excess hair it helps the shampoo get into the coat.
Not to mention, it’s a healthy routine to avoid a hand full of hair when you pet your dog.
Do you have a Golden Retriever? Check out the best brushes for Golden Retrievers that will shed your dog’s extra hair easily.
Prevent Drain Clogging
Let’s take a second to think about your bathroom.
Humans have a good amount of hair and have to worry about not getting too much in the drain.
But, you should worry about dog hair even more. There is a lot more and can vary in size.
The last thing you want is to be stuck with the nasty job of pulling old, wet hair out of your bathtub drain when it clogs.
If you want to avoid doing the dirty work, try putting a piece of steel wool in the drain. This will stop the hair from going down into the drain and clogging it.
Steel wool is a very sturdy material and is often used for cleaning.
Stop The Shaking
You see this all the time in movies and if you own a dog you have been through it before.
When your dog jumps out of the bath, you turn your back for a second to grab the towel.
Then, you turn around and your dog is shaking drenching your whole bathroom in water and slobber. Now you have to dry your dog and your bathroom.
What is the best tip to stop this? Delicately hold your dog’s muzzle and they won’t try to shake their whole body.
This tip will make clean up after a bath much faster and easier.
Pick A Bathing Spot And Don’t Change It
Dogs already don’t enjoy bath time. They most likely will be uncomfortable with it for a long time.
But, you can get them to stop being scared of it. A great way to comfort your dog is to build a routine around bath time.
Choose how you are going to bathe them and choose where you are going to bathe them.
If there is one room you wash them in, they know when they come to that room what to expect.
Have All Your Items Ready
You don’t want to run across your home while your dog sits alone soaked with a bathtub full of water.
Because you could come back to your bathroom with a flood of water on the floor.
Make sure you have your brush, towel, shampoo, and all other items you use to wash your dog before starting.
This is another tip that can save you much cleanup time by not leaving your dog unattended.
You Should Do Warm Water, But Not Hot Water
Dogs are like humans, they want to feel comfortable while they bathe and they don’t want to get hurt.
Also like humans, dogs don’t like extreme temperatures. This is pretty self-explanatory, hot water will hurt your dog’s skin.
You should not use cold water either. If the water is cold, your dog will shiver and will still be uncomfortable.
A nice room temperature water is a good in-between that won’t harm your dog or hurt their skin.
Hold Your Dog’s Head Up
This is important for preventing water from getting in your dog’s ear canals.
If you hold your dog’s head up and let the water flow back down, the water will go down your dog’s neck.
This way the water won’t flow up your dogs head and flow into your dog’s ears. This will prevent bacteria buildup and infection.
Talk To Your Dog In A Calm Voice
When approaching your dog, especially if they are young, they might get very scared. If your dog is young, they are not used to bath time yet.
To them, it is scary to be in a large bathtub with water slipping into their eyes and ears.
Since your dog is very uneasy make sure you talk to them in a calm voice to soothe them. If you reassure them of their safety during the bath, they will calm down.
Over time, your dog will become familiar with the routine of taking baths over time.
