Bathing Your Dog at Home
Bathing your dog at home can be easier than you think. The key is preparation and knowledge.
Preparation is the key to success. Making sure you have an indoor tub that you can fit your dog in comfortably. Small dogs can actually do well in a utility sinks if you have one. Make sure to have all of your supplies right there. I would recommend making a container or basket that houses everything you need.
Items to always have on hand are:
-shampoo and conditioner ( Let’s think about your dogs skin type. Itchy dog, oily skin, or shedding a lot? Skin type is important when you chose your shampoo. Always look for natural ingredients, no soaps rather look for natural sudsing agents so not to strip the skin and coat of their natural oils. No dyes or perfumes. Most better products use pure blended oils for fragrance. Conditioners need to be made from silk proteins and contain no lanolin. You don’t want to coat the skin with things that clog pores.)
-two towels
-ear cleaner, cotton balls
-leash that can get wet and dry fast
-kneeling pad for your comfort
– force dryer if you have a long haired dog
-shower hand held that fits over the tub spout.
– last but not least… dog treats!
Ok! Now we have all items needed for the job.
Onto knowledge! Learning things from people with experience in the field will save you time, frustration and mishaps. This is true in anything you do in life. I will do a step by step and explain why the minor things are sometimes the most important.
Once you have your dog in the tub, use the leash as a training tool to keep them contained. It gives you the ability to correct jumping around or escaping down the hallway. Use your treats to reward the good behavior also.
Always, wet the dog all over, starting with the back legs and working up, using slightly warm water. Test the temperature on the inside of your wrist. The water should not feel cold or hot. Too warm will dry the skin and can raise the body temperature causing dogs with medical issues to experience symptoms.
Once the coat is wet, apply your shampoo. I prefer diluting the shampoo in a mixing bottle with a flip top. Thinner, diluted shampoo reaches the skin and cleans better. It also rinses easily. Start again at the back legs, working your way up and over the back. Remember the legs, feet and belly are just as important. Always do the head and face last. (This also keeps the head shaking to a minimum while washing the body) Pay attention to keep shampoo out of the eyes and water out of the ears. If possible, hold the ear flaps down when washing or rinsing the head. After you have applied and massaged in the shampoo, you are ready to rinse. This rinse is to rid the coat of the shampoo, dirt and oils from the top layer.
Next, repeat your shampoo process. This second wash will reach the skin and remaining dirt/oil on the coat. You will have a much cleaner dog that will smell clean longer by doing a second shampooing. Rinse well.
Applying the conditioner is the finial step. Conditioner is important because it replaces the lost lipids from the wash as well as from the heat, cold and other elements of the air. It also makes the coat soft and cuddly! Apply conditioner and massage throughout the coat, reaching the skin . Let it sit about 60 seconds before rinsing to ensure it penetrates the skin and hair shaft. Rinse well and then rinse once more, making sure to get behind the ears, belly and feet. These are places that tend to missed, leaving behind residue that can cause itching or irritation.
We are ready for the towel! The best part says your dog! This is their reward so make towel drying fun. Short haired dogs dry so quickly that two towels will do it. Long haired dogs will need a force dryer to properly get the water way from the skin. This is very important because moisture on the skin covered by lots of hair can cause bacteria to grow. This in turn can cause itching and hotspots or lead to staph infections.
To force dry you will want them to remain in the tub so that all of the water and hair stays in there also. This process starts on the back rear end. Imagine you are forcing all the water from the top, down the sides and legs. Gently, move the dryer nozzle back and forth forcing the water to run down. Hold the nozzle far enough away from the hair so that the hair parts but doesn’t circle or tangle. It will take a few tries to see what I mean. After you have forced the majority of water off of the skin and coat, use that second towel to dry the coat tips, head and legs.
The finial step is ear cleaning. Dogs accept cold ear cleaner much better if you soak a cotton ball, squeeze a few drops into the ear canal and then use the cotton ball to clean the dirt and debris inside the ear and ear leather. They will shake their head to rid the ear of leftovers. Use a clean cotton ball to again wipe out any dirt that they dislodge during that head shaking.
Time for treats! Always make bath time fun! Talk to your dog, kiss them, let them enjoy the towel dry, and end it with praise and treats! This will help ensure they walk to the tub rather than hiding under the bed. It is also a great bonding time for you and your dog.
Long haired dogs will need to be brushed and combed out after they are completely dry. Otherwise you will create mats and lock in undercoat. I recommend a slicker type brush and a comb that can reach the skin. You can visit our shop for ones we recommend. Slicker first, comb second. The hair will break if you do this before the dog is completely dry down to the skin.
I hope this was informative and helps make bathing your pet at home easier and effective! This is a step by step of how it is done in a professional salon. Our goal at Naturally Holistic Pet is to inform and empower pet owners so that they have all the tools they need to take care of their pets naturally!
Feel free to email us with questions about this process or products we recommend!
Annette Clark
Naturallyholisticpet@gmail.com
