How To Bathe Your Dog

Most dogs don't like to be bathed. Some will try every trick they know to avoid getting into a tub. The fist thing you have to do is to get your dog to tolerate, if not enjoy, getting a bath. The question is how do you do this.

It helps if your dog has had some obedience training. The "stay" command can be very useful in bathing your dog. It increases the bonding that you have with your dog and increases the trust your dog has in you. For information on obedience training, go to: http://trainyourfirstdog.com/obedience.html.

Prior to bathing your dog, touch and fondle your dog over all of her body, including her paws. Gently rub her back, neck and under her belly. Pick up each of her paws and, if she will let you, give hem a gentle squeeze. As you do this for the first time, keep reassuring your dog telling her what a good dog she is. Dogs are social animals and usually enjoy physical contact. If your dog has had a bad experience with humans, it may take some time for your dog to allow you to touch her all over her body, but if you proceed slowly, using a calm voice, you will eventually gain her trust. You can also do some brushing and combing, not so much to brush or comb her than to get her used to being brushed and combed. If your dog has tangles, make sure you don't pull the comb or brush through the tangles. You want this to be an enjoyable experience for your dog, not a painful one.

Get everything you need set up before you start the bath. This includes the tub, with a non-slip mat, towels for drying, dog shampoo (don't use people shampoo because it will give your dog dry flaky skin), a hair drier if your dog has long hair, a comb and/or a brush, some jugs to use to pour water over your dog.

Put your dog into the tub, which should be large enough so that your dog's four paws are in the tub at the same time, with some room to spare. A bathtub with a non-slip mat is ideal. It's helpful to have another person with you to hold your dog while you bathe her. If she's calm enough, you can tie her leash to the faucet, if you're using your bathtub.

Pour warm water over your dog's back and neck. Gently rubbing it into he coat so that her skin is wet. Then wet the top of her head, under her head and her chest. Be careful not to get any water in her eyes or ears. The wet her belly, and her legs and tail. When she is thoroughly wet, mix some shampoo in some warm water and massage it into her skin to form a lather in the same sequence as you did to wet her. Again, be very careful not to get any shampoo in her eyes or ears. When she is all lathered up, rinse her with warm water. You may need to give her two or more rinses to make sure that all the shampoo out of her hair. Once she is rinsed, you can start to dry her with a towel. Be prepared for her to shake, which is a normal reaction for a wet dog. If your dog has long hair, you should use a hair drier set on low heat. Be patient because it may take some time to get her completely dry.

Once your dog is dry, you can brush and comb her. Be careful not to pull the comb through tangled hair too hard. You don't want to cause your dog to have any pain from her hair being pulled, associated with being bathed.

Bathing your dog is a small part of keeping your dog healthy and happy. For a complete heath care guide that has everything you need to know to keep your dog healthy, from preventative care to choosing a vet to first aid for your dog, (including the Heimlich maneuver for dogs) you should take a look at The Ultimate Guide To Dog Health.

To be the best and most responsible dog owner you can be, The Ultimate Guide To Dog Health should be on your bookshelf. To find out more about this valuable health guide, click on the link below.

http://trainyourfirstdog.com/health.html.

     A trained dog is a happy dog and has a happy owner

 For information on obedience training, click on the link below.

http://trainyourfirstdog.com/obedience.html.