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October 2nd
So you just found a new puppy for sale and brought it home. In the house and everything suddenly seems new and exciting. Even seemingly boring activities, such as walking or giving her a bath, are exhilarating. Maybe you even just brought home one of our Labradoodle puppies for sale!
If you have had your dog for a while, you probably know how to bathe her but it’s always fun to check the instructions from the professionals and see whether your process is the right one.
Dogs love to take a bath. Their love doesn’t extend to long comforting bubble baths and lavish spa products, but they do like to keep themselves clean and fresh. Most dogs understand that bathing equals clean and will gladly accept your help. Bathing is a crucial part of grooming your dog.
Here are all things you should know about bathing your dog:
Before you get your pet all clean and reinvigorated you have to take care of the bathing basics:
Location
There are not many options when it comes to bath locations. If you live in the apartment, your shower and a bathtub are the two only options.
For smaller dogs try the kitchen sink, even though it’s not the most hygienic and comfortable bathing location for a dog.
Getting a big dog into a bathtub might be challenging so get her outside and wash her in the yard. Otherwise, summon your friend or partner’s help to get the dog into a bathtub.
Bathing products
Here is a full list of products you need:
You might also need a shower nozzle since not all showers are equipped with it. You won’t be able to control the amount and the direction of water if you use a regular shower.
Extra help
It’s is certainly possible for you to bathe your dog without getting anyone else involved. But if you have a particularly large dog you might need some extra help. When you bathe your dog with a friend, you save yourself a lot of time in the process and can clean the dog thoroughly.
Step 1. Brush your dog. While brushing, remove all the matts by either brushing them off or cutting them. If you can’t remove the matts yourself, take the dog to a groomer. To prevent water from getting into your dog’s ears, cover them with cotton balls. If your dog doesn’t let you do this, just try to keep the water away from ears.
Step 2. Adjust the water temperature. Dogs perceive temperatures differently from humans. Larger breeds will need cooler temperatures while middle-sized and small dogs prefer the warm water. The general rule of thumb is to keep the water temperature close to the one you would normally use for a human baby.
Keep the water level low in the bathtub. Just below the belly is good enough. Dogs will feel threatened if the water reaches their belly and will try to swim. You also want to avoid it getting too messy.
Step 3. Get her into the bathtub. Bring your dog to the bathroom and get her into the bathtub. The way your dog behaves during this process largely depends on how encouraging and warm you are. However, despite all the effort, some dogs just hate being bathed so you’ll have to chase them and gently coerce them to get into the bathtub.
Step 4. Wet your dog’s hair with a nozzle. Mind the direction of water that should be flowing from the neck down. Keep your ears, eyes, and mouth safe. For washing her face you can use a damp washcloth.
Step 5. Lather it up. Take a tiny bit of shampoo and lather it up starting at the tail. Start with a small amount of shampoo. You can always add some more later on. Massage the shampoo all over her body, avoiding the inside ear, eyes and mouth area.
Step 6. Rinse thoroughly. You don’t want the soap residue to irritate your dog’s sensitive skin. Wash from the neck down or simply rinse with water from the bottom of the bathtub. Rinse several times to ensure no soap is left.
Step 7. Dry your dog’s hair. First, lift the dog from the bathtub and dry her with towels. If you have a large dog, towel her upper body and then help her get out of the bathtub, then towel her off.
Use a hair dryer only if it’s cold or if your dog is a puppy and susceptible to getting cold. Most dogs prefer to dry naturally since the noise from the hair dryer scares them off. When blow drying, avoid brushing their hair (or luscious, woolly fur, if you’re looking for a Goldendoodle puppy for sale) but gently massage the coat with your fingers instead.
And one last tip. Make sure you wear comfortable but old clothes. You will get dirty and wet, especially when your dog tries to dry herself off with the “shake”. Use bathing time as a bonding opportunity and remain calm and focused during the process. The dog will pick up on your attitude and will be less likely to move and fiddle.
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