5 Tips For The Best Dog Bath

November 11, 2016 | We Learn | Tips from Stanasia Campbell
Bath time can be as stressful for humans as it can be for dogs. Hopefully these tips will give you and your fur baby some relief at bath time. Remember, dodge the shake!

Start them young. Do not spot clean your pup until they are no longer able to fit in your hands, and then start hosing them down. You have to remember they have no idea what is going on. Imagine if someone just blasted you with water and weird smelling stuff one day — you wouldn’t be too excited either! When your canine friend is still a puppy, put them in their bathing spot (tub, container, etc.) with no running water. The sound of running water is scary to most dogs. Have a rubber mat under their feet to reduce slipping, which also scares them. Then, once they are comfortable, start pouring warm water around their feet. Continue, slowly.

Tire them out. Take Buster for a walk first, or throw a Frisbee around. Just like humans, dogs are more relaxed by baths when they are worn out. Use it to your advantage! Plus, your dog will have less energy to fight you. On the other hand, make sure you have the energy to bathe them. Dogs feed off of their owners emotions, so if you’re rushing and frustrated, they’ll be even more wound up.

Make it fun. Bring a few toys for your pet to play with during bath time. Now, don’t allow them to go wild like they’re in the yard, but there is nothing wrong with a little play time in the bath. This will make our dog associate baths with fun, and more play time with you. Coax your pet into the tub with a treat or their favorite toy. While it is easy to consider this bribing, just think of it as an incentive. Motivation, if you will. After the bath is over, allow your dog one of their favorite pleasures of life. A car ride, a quick run up and down the stairs, maybe even go crazy and let them harass the squirrels. They’ll be happy, and you won’t have to deal with a foul-smelling animal. A win-win!

“They’ll be happy, and you won’t have to deal with a foul-smelling animal. A win-win!”

Use an attachment. Pet sprayer attachments, such as the Rinse Ace 3 Way Pet Shower Sprayer, will be a big help. You can adjust the settings to your dogs’ comfort level, and control the stream. This way, you won’t be just shooting water at your pet. It will be more relaxing to them, and they’ll be less likely to run around the tub and give you a bath.

Towel dry. Believe it or not, some dogs fear do not stem from the bath itself. After the dirty deed of cleansing your pet is over, do not risk further agitating them with the evil forces of…the blow dryer. The noise, the heat, the force of the air…all of it is an attack on an unsuspecting, freshly bathed dog. Or so they’ll lead you to believe. Skip the dramatics, just towel dry and let air do the rest. The wet dog smell can be combated with a leave in conditioner or after-bath pet spray.

Photo credit FLEECIRCUS via Foter.com

If you enjoyed this post, you should read “4 Healthy Treats For Your Dogs” here.

Do you have any bath time stories or tips? Share them below!

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Comments

  • Sonya / December 2, 2016

    Thanks so much! We really learned how to make bath time for our pets a win swim for all. Blow dryers are forever banned! Looking forward to more amazing tips that really work

    • admin / December 2, 2016

      Thank you so much for this comment, and I am SO glad you found it helpful. It is good for me to know what resonates with people so I can provide more content.

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