I’m not sure about you but this past winter has played havoc with my carpets. Having a long haired young dog means I’ve had towels at the ready to wipe his feet the moment we arrive home. On the right is a picture of my boy who always, always finds the mud!
We get asked a lot about how to go about washing dogs so we’ve listed ten steps to make bathing your dog as easy as possible;
- Get everything prepared before you start – there’s nothing worse than trying to hold a wet dog in the bath while rooting around for shampoo. Also be prepared to get soaked yourself.
- Ensure that the bath is non slip – a bath mat is ideal, maybe have a separate one especially for the dog.
- Its best to use a hand held shower head and make sure you get the water temperature right first. It’s always worthwhile using your arm to check it’s not too hot or cold.
- Lift your dog into the bath, always get help should you need it and lift correctly, taking care of those delicate backs.
- Wet the dog thoroughly all over, I mean really soak them, as many have weather resistant coats. Remember to be careful of their ears and eyes. Dogs instinctively want to shake so holding their head gently can help prevent this.
- Apply the shampoo in small amounts so you don’t apply too much, just enough to make a generous lather – make sure you use a dog shampoo with a neutral pH.
- Give your dog a nice massage using your fingertips, my dog loves this bit! Don’t forget those feet.
- Rinse the dog thoroughly making sure you remove any remaining residue. This takes quite a while for dogs with thick coats. Don’t forget to rinse those feet thoroughly and any skin folds.
- Stand back and let them have a shake, then use a towel to dry your dog.
- Don’t let them go outside while they are wet or they may catch a chill, and will probably become muddy all over again.
