Bathing Your Dog

Dogs – Baths

Regular hygiene is key to a healthy life, don’t you agree?

Well, it should be obvious, then, that this counts not only for us Homo sapiens sapiens, but also for, say, canis familiaris, also known as the common domesticated dog.

Now that we’ve established that, what, do you think, is the number one hygienic practice that no dog owner, not a single one, should remain unaware of, the one thing that every dog needs in this regard?

The answer: A good bath.

Sure, us humans look down on bathing mostly as a luxury for those days—or evenings—when we need to feel particularly well, but that’s mainly due to us being used to showering ourselves, washing our hands by ourselves, brushing our teeth, using deodorant and so many other things that dogs, as cute as they are, cannot take care of and need us for to do it for them.

Bathing is probably the most important way you can contribute to your dog’s overall health, and it’s easier than it may sound at first!

How often you’ll need to bathe them generally depends on the length of their fur, their frequency of shedding and especially on whether the pelt has one or two layers—the latter is often the case with larger breeds of working dogs from the north such as Samoyeds, Huskies, Malamutes and the like.

Really generally speaking, though, it’s most likely a good idea to bathe your pooch at least once a month, if not more often. Bathing may or may not be met with dissatisfaction or even disgust at first; this is because many breeds of dogs have a natural aversion to water from birth.

In fact, many dogs like the feel of their clogged, dirty fur. Unfortunately, we humans don’t, and since we know that it doesn’t do them any good health-wise, it has to go. The dirt, that is, not the fur itself.

If your dog protests so much that bathing and washing them becomes too difficult, try to spice it up with treats, toys, and any other signs of affection they may recognize and appreciate.

Try to get them in a good mood, and make sure that they are not genuinely afraid of the thought of a bath; small amounts of anxiety or discomfort are perfectly acceptable at first.

In terms of technique, you should definitely make sure to work around and away from the face as much as possible. Though the difficulty of this may vary greatly depending on the breed, what all dogs share in common is a series of hugely sensitive areas that cover most of their sensory organs as well as the skin and fur surrounding them. Getting water into them, or brushing the surrounding pelt too hard can be seriously painful for your dog or even cause medical complications, and you obviously wouldn’t want that.

Instead, rely on working around the area, gently brushing with a damp cloth, or perhaps do things like blocking the earholes with cotton plugs to protect them if your pooch lets you. Furthermore, take note of the tools and supplies you’re using. Brushes need to be very soft so as not to irritate the skin or rip hair out, and it is best to look out for designs optimized for dogs.

The same thing goes for shampoo—brands and mixtures intended for humans can cause rashes, pain and general unpleasantness. Meanwhile, there are hundreds upon hundreds of dog-specific shampoo flavors out there for you to try that work perfectly fine. Also, don’t forget to dry properly. This is a hugely important step that many unfortunately ignore or don’t pay enough attention to. Though blow dryers are certainly an option at low settings, the noise and heat may be uncomfortable or even painful for dogs with short fur.

The optimal solution is to wrap their whole body in multiple layers of small cloths or towels and let the fur dry out on its own. This will take a while, especially since you’ll probably need to hold them still throughout the whole process, but it is more effective and healthier than any other method. Some slight brushing away of the wet fur with a clean, dry piece of cloth is recommended if you want the procedure to be a little less time-consuming.

If you managed to put all of this into practice, congrats! You’ve just bathed and washed your dog, the right way! Now, the only thing left to do is to make sure you do this regularly at a healthy rate depending on their needs. Good luck!