How To Bathe A Dog?

Bathing is an important role in your dog’s health, especially their coat and skin as it easily can get dirty or catch allergy.

You need to keep your dog clean and free of dirt and parasites.

They need to be bathed from time to time in order to maintain their basic hygiene and grooming needs.

You have to bathe your dogs to avoid sink issues like fungal and bacterial problems.

In this article, we will discuss how to bathe a dog to avoid any pitfalls, especially for new dog owners.

People are often stuck with some questions so we will try to help you clear all your doubts.

How Often Should You Bathe A Dog?

The question totally depends on your dog and how much the dog is active.

If your dog has a thick coat and likes to play in the dirt, jump in puddles or likes to roll in muds you need to clean them more often, which means more baths.

But if your dog is lazy or prefers to stay at home, is not much activity that means you do not need to give them baths frequently.

Too many baths can harm their coat or make them prone to dandruff and more frizzle and mats.

They do not need frequent scrub downs like humans do but they need regular scrubs but that depends on their coat and the environment they live.

Your veterinarian can give you advice and tips on how often you should bathe your dog.

How Often Should You Wash Your Puppy?

First thing, you cannot bathe your puppy if your puppy is less than 7 to 8 weeks.

You can wipe your puppy with a warm damp cloth as their body is not ready to self-regulate their own body temperature so you have to wait.

If your puppy is more than 8 weeks they are ready for their bath.

The best way is you can bath your puppy once a month but if your dog rolls in mud you can bath them more often.

Get them the habit of bathing in their early days so they won’t make it difficult when they get older.

For the first bath, try cooing and coaxing your dog into it and praise them a lot and be gentle with them it will help calm them down.

Can You Bathe A Puppy At 8 Weeks Old?

At 8 weeks old your puppy is stronger than he had ever been and also an addition to your loving family.

Growing means you are learning new things, playing and exploring at the same time which means getting dirty in the process.

Your puppy is ready at 8 weeks old for a bath but it still depends on like which season is it, summer or winter?

Because you can’t use too much hot water or cold water as your puppy can get sick so keep your water temperature normal.

Also if you think your dog is not dirty too much but has puppy odor you can always clean your dog with a warm gentle wipe down.

After you are done bathing him, dry him thoroughly before letting him go play again also keep him warm as he might be cold after getting out of the bath.

How To Wash A Dog?

• You need to brush their hair to untangle all frizzle also matted hair holds water making their skin irritated so brush them before bathing.

• Put a cotton ball in their ears to keep water out and to avoid irritation and infection.

• Dogs have different skin than humans as their skin is too sensitive so start with lukewarm water, not the hot water as it can burn their skin easily.

• Talk to your dog in a gentle way to calm their nerves.

Use a gentle and reassuring voice. Once they know you are not harming them they are good from there.

• Always use dog shampoo to bath them as it won’t harm their skin.

Massage shampoo all over their body along with being careful not to get shampoo in their eyes.

• If the soap is left in their body their skin might get irritated so rinse thoroughly and remove all soap from their body.

• Air-dry them or use blow-dryer designed for the dog as its temperature is low so it won’t cause itching or dandruff.

• Dogs love to vent out their frustration about bathing by running away with the towel or tugging at it so be patient and praise them and pet them or even a treat could work for bathing so that when they get the habit of bathing all of this won’t be necessary.

Soap Free Dog Shampoo:

Consistently bathing your dog with soap may dry the skin of your dog, so it’s necessary to bath them with a soap-free shampoo.

The soap-free shampoos are all filled with all-natural, organic ingredients but also strong enough to eliminate the odor.

There are many dogs like basset hounds that need frequent bathing as they start to smell early but regular using of soap shampoos may harm their skin.

Oatmeal shampoos are used when your dog is suffering from itchy or dry skin as these shampoos are ideal for dogs who suffer from prolonged skin irritations.

If you are looking to wash your dog of an unpleasant smell, water would do the trick but if you want your dog to have good after-smell you can always go for Rosemary-water.

If your dog is suffering from skin irritations, cuts or hormonal imbalances you can use essential oils as a non-toxic, organic way to treat these ailments.

Though, you can always check out our link for best soap-free shampoos for your furry friend Dog Shampoo.

How To Bathe A Dog At Home?

Bathing your dog at home is simple so why go to the groomer if you have the skills to bathe your dog within your home?

• Gather everything you will need to bathe your dog that will include two towels for drying, an additional towel for the bottom of the tub and a cup or bowl for rinsing.

Always use a dog shampoo to avoid any allergies to your dog.

• Before a bath, give your dog a good brushing that will help get all tangles out of fur, making shampooing easier and if your dog has any mats cut them out before bathing.

• Place cotton ball inside your dog’s ears to help keep water from draining into the ear canal.

• Put a towel lining your bathtub to keep your dog from slipping on the floor of the tub.

• Fill the tub with warm water before putting your dog into the tub as some dogs do not like the sound or feel of running water.

• To keep the heat inside the bathroom, keep your door closed during the bath.

• Set your dog into the tub and let him get used to the warm water.

If you have medium or large-sized dogs you cannot lift into the tub, you may need a non-slip mat or another towel for the side of the tub.

• With a handheld shower or cup, rinse your dog from head to tail, getting his stomach and legs wet as well.

• Lather his fur down with dog shampoo to skin with suds and bubbles to get your dog cleaned.

• Make sure you rinse your dog from head to toe as well and do not leave the soap to dry on their skin as it could cause an itchy rash.

• Be careful of getting water into his eyes and ears.

• Hold one towel for that wet dog shake this will help him dry off.

If this means getting water all over your bathroom, drape a towel over him like a blanket.

• With the second towel begin to dry the dog or you can use a hairdryer if your dog will let you keep him warm while drying.

How To Bathe A Dog Outside?

Some dogs might be too big to fit in your tub or shower inside or maybe your dog just loves bathing outside, you do not need to pay the groomer for every bath when you can do it yourself.

Here is how you do it:

• Use a harness or leash to tether your dog to a tree or other sturdy structure to keep him in place as you bathe your dog but also make sure you can reach the hose for their bath.

• Turn on the hose with low pressure or you can also use a nozzle set to a slower mode for more coverage with low pressure.

• Get your dog wet from head to toe and tail, also his underbelly and the inside of their legs.

• If you can keep your dog’s head still you may be able to avoid that messy body shake.

• Start massaging shampoo all over your dog also keep talking to your dog or praising him while you are shampooing his fur.

• Be careful around their eyes then, you can use the hose again to rinse your dog from head to stomach then his legs to stomach.

• You can move the fur around to rinse the shampoo especially if they have a thick coat.

• Make sure to spend time rinsing them.

Let them have a good shake after you are done rinsing them.

• Make sure your dog does not roll in the dirt when you are done washing him as they are outside.

• You can let him dry in the summer or you can keep them wrapped in a towel and take them inside to dry and keep them warm.

How To Bathe A Dog With Fleas?

If your dog loves being outside and has started scratching a lot and has not been treated with a flea preventative, there might be a possibility your pet has been infested with fleas.

These tiny fleas are tough to manage, but a flea bath is a good start to get rid of them.

• You need to start by choosing an effective flea shampoo.

• You can use a hose or sprayer as a water resource.

• Plenty of towels.

• Check the water temperature as it should be slightly warm or cool as your dog prefers.

• You can bathe your dog in a tub, sink or outdoors.

• Read the instructions carefully if that product has something allergic to your dog or your vet can easily suggest one for you.

• Lather the fur with the shampoo but first start with the neck and keep the body dry, this will prevent fleas from gathering at the ears and eyes.

• Then, get the rest of the body wet and shampoo thoroughly, let the shampoo sit for a few minutes.

• Rinse out the flea shampoo very well as it can dry your dog’s coat.

• If your dog does not have existing skin problems then, follow up with flea control conditioner or normal conditioner.

• Make sure you have a large towel to help your dog dry off.

Do not depend on shampooing to get rid of fleas permanently, start with Flea Pills to get rid of them permanently.

Dog Bath Water Temperature?

The water temperature that feels warm to our touch is over 38 Degree Celsius that is in fact too warm for your dog’s bath.

When the temperature rises from 38 Degree Celsius, it can be uncomfortable for your dog as it can increase your dog’s heartbeat a can put a strain on their heart especially if your dog is young, old or unwell.

So you need to keep your water temperature lukewarm.

If the bath water is too warm, you can overheat your dog especially if your dog is large in size or has a thick coat as it will be difficult cooling them down.

Protect your dog from chilling after the bath by wrapping in a towel and using a warm but not hot dryer.

Take out your dog immediately from the tub if they start acting uncomfortable or seem to be in pain.

Is It Bad To Bathe Your Dog Every Week?

Too many unnecessary baths can affect your dog’s skin so you need to be careful with that.

Once month baths are fine unless your dog has skin problems.

If your dog stinks faster you can bathe with once a week but with a soap-free shampoo to prevent skin damage.

If you have too much doubt you can always go to your vet for the necessary advice.

How To Give A Dog A Bath That Hates Bath?

Bath time often sparks an unwanted game of chase, with the humans running and diving after the dogs to bring them to a tub.

Even if you bring them to a tub it’s a constant struggle to prevent the pup from fleeing.

You can use treats to coax your dog when you need to catch them.

Use warm water to help them relax into the tub as the cold water can make a dog panic.

They can also panic because their feet slip and they can’t gain traction so place an anti-skid mat or towel on the bottom of the tub.

Don’t douse your dog with running water as it can make them nervous so use a washcloth to wash your dog’s face.

Use a pet shower attachment to bath your dog, this gadget allows you to bring the water to your dog with the long hose and spray attachment.

All these precautions will help your dog have a relaxing bath.

We hope this article covered most of your questions and doubts.

Comment below and feel free to add any more tips!

Happy Petting You Guys!