Top 5 Things You Must Know when Bathing Your Dog

Living on a farm, dirt and mud are everywhere including on the dogs, so here are my top 5 things you must know when bathing your dog.

1. Towel Safety in the Tub: There are several places to bathe your dog and in the summer, I bathe mine outside with the garden hose. However, in the winter or cooler months, I bathe them in tub. Because the tub can be slippery, it’s best to cover the bottom of the tub with a bath towel. This will give your dog something to grip on during the bath. Plus it will make your dog feel secure during a time that they may feel unsure. My dogs do not like taking a bath and are often scared, so having the towel for them lessens their anxiety.

2. Comfortable Water Temperature: When bathing your dog in the tub, make sure the water temperature is neither too hot nor too cold. Ellie gets cold easily, so I make sure that the water temperature is right at lukewarm. I don’t want the water to be too hot and scold her, plus I don’t want her to freeze when getting her out of the tub. Also, make sure the water isn’t too deep. You just want to cover the paws with the water so that you’re not rinsing your dog with dirty water and your dog is safe from drowning.

3. Protect the Eyes and Ears: Most dogs do not like getting water poured their head, this is especially true in my case with Ellie, so it’s best to protect their eyes and ears. To protect their ears, carefully put cotton balls just inside the ears to prevent water from getting inside. This will prevent secondary ear infections from developing due to moisture getting inside the ear canal.

Always protect their eyes. Just like you and me, we do not like it when soap gets in our eyes, well your dog doesn’t like it either. Even if the dog shampoo says it is safe around the eyes, it is better not to lather the shampoo on your dog’s head. I typically will lather from the neck down and use a wash cloth to clean my dog’s face.

4. Lather and Rinse: Now that you’ve made sure the tub is secure, the water temperature is at lukewarm, the water level is not too high, and you’ve protected your dog’s ears, now it’s time to lather the pup up! Get your dog’s coat good and wet before adding the shampoo. I like using all-natural shampoos because my dogs are part of my family and I only want the best for them. If your dog has skin infections or allergies, find a shampoo with tea tree. If your dog does not have any allergies or skin problems, an oatmeal shampoo will work fine. During the summer months, I use essential oils to keep fleas and ticks off my dogs.

Ellie does not have any allergies nor skin problems so I’m using an all natural oatmeal dog shampoo by OmegaPets. It lathers nicely and the leaves Ellie with fresh clean coat, and smelling good for those snugly times.

Once your dog’s coat is wet, if you’re using a liquid shampoo (this is my preference), pour a thin line down your dog’s back. Don’t pour too much because it will take you longer to wash out all the shampoo. You can always add more as needed.

Start with the neck and work down to the tail. Be sure to get the undercarriage, armpits, neck, bottom, groin, and feet. If you notice any areas of concern, such as a wound, infection, or a sore spot be sure to have it check by your dog’s Vet. Next, take a wash cloth and clean the dog’s face being careful around the eyes. By doing this, you will be washing away any allergens, ragweed, and pollens that could potentially cause problems for your dog.

5. Drying Time: Now that the cleaning is done, it’s time for drying. Ellis hates this part, well she pretty much hates all of it, but really hates this. First towel dry as much as possible. Let your dog shake off as much excess water. I usually close the shower curtain and let Ellis shake. This helps me from having to wipe down the entire bathroom.

Once your dog shakes off the excess water, and you’ve towel dried the bet you can, now use the blow dryer dry the rest and fluff the coat. Be sure that the blow dryer is set at a low heat temperature. If your dog is too anxious about the blow dryer, use it for only a few minutes after each bath until the anxiety goes away. It’s always best to make your dog feel as comfortable as possible.

Please note that it is not necessary to bathe your dog weekly. When we first adopted Rascal (our Black Lab) from the local shelter, we bathed him weekly and he started getting hot spots and losing his hair. We took him to the Vet and was told that we were bathing him too much causing skin irritation due to dry skin. We learned our lesson the hard way. According to WebMD for Pets: “Routine bathing is not necessary for the health of the coat or the dog. In fact, frequent bathing can rob the coat of its natural sheen and make it harsh and dry. For most dogs, regular brushing will keep the coat and skin in good condition and eliminate the need for frequent baths.” http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/bathing-dog  

So Divas, now I want to hear from YOU! Do you have a dog? If so, what breed do you have?

That’s all for now Divas. Until next time, wear your heels well and be blessed!

 I received a bottle of The Best Oatmeal Dog Shampoo by Omega Pet in exchange for an honest and personal review. You can find my review, along with others, by clicking on the product graphic. I am very pleased with this product and plan to continue using it on my dogs…and possibly even Little Pig! 🙂