One of my long-haired Chihuahuas is now 6 years old, but right from day one she has hated being bathed. I normally use a detachable rubber shower hose so I can wash the dogs in the laundry tub, but with her, it took two of us to hold her in the tub; she was like a demented wild cat, it was so stressful for her and me.
I decided to try taking her in the shower with me and it worked like a charm. I hold her in my arms with the water running gently. Having a very long coat, it takes a bit to wash all her parts. I can turn her over on her back and wash her tummy properly, around her genital area and tail and even have the water running on her head. I think she feels safe and secure because I'm holding her firmly. No doubt it would be a funny sight, but as long as she's not stressed, I'm happy. She then stands on the shower floor and shakes on command whilst I get out and grab the towels. It would be impossible with a bigger dog, but for us it's magic!
She also lays on my legs while I finish drying her with the blow dryer on cool temperature. She is very pampered, but I love her.
By Lois from Qld, Australia
This page contains the following solutions.
I have been giving baths to my husband's German Shepherd mix dog, and I use the Tea Tree and Dawn mixed with water to bathe her with. She no longer has the tumors or warts she had on her back, above her tail at the end of her spine.
When bathing your dog or cat, dilute the shampoo with water so it is a 1:1 ratio. Then pour the mixture in a clean spray bottle.
I just discovered this by accident and wondered if anyone knew this and why I didn't. Instead of chasing my dog around the laundry tub to give him a bath, I put him in my double sink with the divider between his front and back legs.
Tips for giving your a dog a bath. It's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it. Two factors make giving your dog a bath a huge undertaking: The size of your dog and how much your dog likes (or hates) water.
I have found that using a shammy (like you use for drying off your car after washing it) is fantastic for drying your pet after her bath. They hold a tremendous amount of water, are much easier to use and better that a bath towel.
My Lab/Husky mix has thick hair. Once a month during the warm days, I will take plain vinegar and mix it to a sprayer (just like you were spraying your plants) and spray the dog.
Do you have a large dog that hates water and baths? I take two leashes, put one around the dog's collar (so he thinks he's going for a walk) hook it up tightly to a fence.
Using baby shampoo, even the cheap stuff, as long as it really is sensitive, is perfectly fine for dogs and cats. Cats don't need to be bathed at all unless they get into something that's gotten them extremely dirty. They clean themselves.
Bathe you dog in the tub? Catch his hair before it clogs the drain. Save the netted bags that potatoes and onions come in. Scrunch one up tightly and stick it down into the drain before letting the water out.
To help keep a dog secure during a bath, place a yoga mat in the tub before bathing the dog. This will provide a non-slip surface that will hold the dog in place during the bath.
When bathing your pets, do it outside on the lawn or near plants that need watering.
If your dog hates a bath like mine do, I give them a sponge bath. Fill the sink with water and wet them with their own face cloths.
Most dogs that have itchy skin, have yeast as at least a part of the problem. Oatmeal is a grain. Yeast feeds on grain. Tea Tree oil shampoo would be a better solution.
Bathing your dog indoors can be very messy. I hate cleaning the dog hair out of the bath tub when they are bathed in the house. I prefer to do it outside when the weather permits.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
How often can I bathe my one year old dog in Dawn?
By ashleyrocks from Dallas, TX
I had my rescue dog dipped for fleas and bathed at the vet and now he has a chemical odor. When can I re-bathe him?
Thanks in advance!
You can give him a dry or wet bath with baking soda as this is what is recommended by most vets and the ASPCA.
You can also use corn starch or a mixture of baking soda and corn starch. Sprinkle it all over but be careful of face/eyes.
www.thesprucepets.com/
Tips to help you when giving your dog a bath. Post your ideas.
I have two dogs that love to swim. I throw a stick for them in the lake and get them nice and wet. Then I lather them up with dog shampoo and throw the stick in the lake to get them rinsed. There you have any easy dog bath.
By christine rogalski
I am a dog groomer. My best tip is to use baby shampoo on your pets face. It is tearless and you can give the face a good scrubbing.
edie
I give my dogs a bath in the shower. They love the massage setting on the shower head, which is a handheld, so I can get the water into their fur and make sure I get all the soap out. Also, when they shake off, they don't get the entire room wet, just the shower. Then we towel off in there and they run around like crazy all over the house. During flea season I use the tub and fill it up so my little dog is mostly underwater except his head and part of his neck. I tell them to "sit" for a minute or two in the water after they are cleaned up. This drowns any fleas that may be on them. The fleas float off and I scoop them out into a cup and just pour them back in when I let the water out of the tub.
Sure wish I had a lake handy! That sounds easy and fun for the dogs! I tried washing my two long-haired dachshunds in the shower, but they shed so much, all the hair in the tub really grossed me out. So it's the basement laundry tubs for us! Tearless shampoo is great and I also apply a sweet smelling conditioner which helps untangle their coats.
Sorry to be a party pooper, but sending a dog lathered with soap into a local lake is really bad for the lake, i.e. fish, plants, balance of water, etc.
Soap is very bad for the wildlife who depend on the lake for survival. Soapy water should always go down a drain that is sent to a water treatment plant.
After shampooing with shampoo formulated for canines, rinse with a 4:1 solution of water and vinegar to ensure a soft, shiny, and throughly rinsed coat. Bathtime for Zoey, my 9 year old beagle, is completed with a special treat of rosemary tea rinse. Using 2-3 Tablespoons of rosemary leaves in a bowl, I add as many cups of boiling water to steep for 10-15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, pour off the resulting tea into a recycled dish liquid dispenser. (I use a recycled funnel from a 2 liter beverage bottle). Be certain the solution is not too warm for your dog!
If you need a batch in a hurry, use less boiling water, and use several ice cubes to more rapidly cool the solution after steeping. The sweet aroma and soothing properties make this a great final leave-in rinse.
By Flynnzie
Great way to apply shampoo or conditioner is to use a spray bottle. 50/50 of water and shampoo or conditioner and then simply spritz it on and lather. Much more economical (You waste less shampoo then drizzling down the back) and it's easier to work down to the skin for double coated breeds.
Well, I do my pup in the kitchen sink. She's really tiny and then I don't have to bend. We both get a bath. Then I just give the sink a good scrub. It really is easier on both of us I think, I don't get all frustrated with her trying to climb out of a bath tub and flooding the bathroom and she can see all around since the kitchen sink is shallow. I think she feels safer. My daughter tried the tub and said little Molly was nuts. Then we have a game with catch the dog with the hairdryer. She runs around getting nutty while I try to get just a little warm air on her. Finally we're done and both ready for a nap.
What are the benefits to be gained from a beer bath for my dog?
By D Hall
I heard Dawn was also good for giving pets a bath. I was wondering if I could give my Yorkie a bath using the green Dawn ultra antibacterial soap?
By Kayla
Tips for bathing your dog. Post your ideas here!
By Sandi (07/05/2005)
By Jennie
I have a 2 year old German Shepherd Siberian Husky mix. I bought him from a family and he used to be abused. He doesn't have any problems with that but, he is deathly scared of baths.
He likes to play, but I can't find the right kind of toys for him. I have tried bones and stuffed animals, but he doesn't like either one. Any advise anyone can give me would be useful.
Thanks.
By alichia from Ogden, UT
Frequently, rescue dogs don't know how to play. We have one who went from zero play to bringing us his Frisbee, stuffed animals, chew bone, etc. at the drop of a hat later on.
You are going to have to teach him how to play. I don't have any suggestions as how to go about doing this, because I sincerely can't recall what we did all those years ago.
If there is a person with whom the dog identifies, this individual should be the one to attempt play time.
Considering the rescue status, try one person at a time rather than the whole family trying to help all at once. The former is more calming and the latter will put the pooch on unrelaxed guard duty.
Good advice from the previous post. I also recommend teach your dog to "tug". It's a natural instinct and he'll catch on quickly. Our rescue did not know how to tug, but now it's her main play activity. It is encouraged in agility training because it builds front end muscle for jumps, etc. It also gets them fired up with the "drive" required to do the obstacle courses. A big dog requires a big, strong tug, but sometimes different things are not comfortable in their mouth. I started with a soft furry one I made. Wiggle it around on the floor in front of the dog, he'll probably naturally give chase and then grab it. That's when you tug gently on it, even put your hand on his chest to encourage backward movement. Keep trying, it will happen. I have no good advice on the bath, hopefully someone else will post suggestions.
Don't know if this will work for you, but this sure worked for our scaredy cat. We've had our dog since she was 3 months old (she's 4 now) and she was always terrified of baths, just the word would send her cowering! She's never been abused, but she acts like it.
This summer I got one of those things (at Walmart) that is a hand-held scrubber that you can put the soap inside (I water it down). It has rubber bumps on it, and when you push the button, the soap comes out onto the dog and you can massage them as you bathe them. They say to just use it in the direction the hair grows, but I used it to rub her all over back and forth.
Well, as usual, she trembled and peed all over herself in the tub as if I was going to beat her - at first. By halfway through the bath, she was so relaxed and happy she was nearly asleep! Ever since then, she still cowers if I say the word, but she isn't afraid when I give her a bath. I even caught her in the driveway one hot day after she'd been playing outside and gave her a bath with the hose and scrubber. She sat there with her eyes closed, enjoying every minute of it!
My dog rolled in poo today. After 3 scrub downs with dog shampoo and another scrub down with my clarifying shampoo, he still stinks. How do I get the smell off?
By Ashley from Kansas City, MO
Try adding some baking soda to his bath water next time. That should make him smell fresh.
Once when our pooch got skunked and nothing worked, the vet's office suggested we wash her with warm water and baking soda as gritssisters suggested and then take diluted downy fabric softener and put on her and let sit for 15 minutes (it was almost impossible to get her to sit for that long but she lasted at least 10) then rinse. It did kill the odor and she was a breeze to comb out. Wondering if it may work for this too.
Would tomato juice work? They say it removes skunk odor. Good luck!
First clean dog with vinegar and water solution then shampoo iwth people shampoo. Please be careful not to get vinegar solution in his eyes. People shampoo is stronger than dog shampoo. The vinegar solution should work well. To make a gallon for future use get gallon jug 3/4 cup vinegar and the rest water, shake well. Deby
How often should I bathe my 5 month old Pit puppy who has dry itchy skin?
By Nickie
What is the best way to bathe our new Corgi/Beagle mix named Ruby? How often? Is it OK to mist with lavender? Rub with lavender? Rub with rosemary?
By MJ
