How To Bathe Your Puppy

Most dogs don't like to be bathed. The fist thing you have to do is to get your puppy to tolerate, if not enjoy, getting a bath. If you have a puppy, the process is a lot easier than if you have an adult dog that has either never been bathed or has had a bad experience with being bathed. This article is about bathing puppies.

Before you think about giving your puppy a bath, you should make sure that she has been handled, played with, and lets you touch her on any part of her body, especially her paws. In the process of playing with her, you should gently rub her all over as though you were washing her or drying her. If your puppy has long hair and you're going to use a hair drier to help get her dry, let her get used to the noise of the hair drier so she won't spook when you turn it on. Once you have accomplished this, it's just a matter of getting her used to getting wet.

If your puppy has a lot of energy, it's a good idea to give her some exercise before her bath to tire her out a little. Start by putting your puppy in a tub. You're not going to fill the tub with water, so the size is not important so long as it is big enough for the puppy to have all four paws in the tub at the same time with some room to spare. A bathtub with a non-slip mat is ideal. You will also need a jug to hold both the wash water and rinse water. The shampoo that you use must be for dogs. Shampoo made for people will cause your puppy's skin to get dry and flaky. You will also want to have some towels available for drying her and a hair drier if she has long hair.

Put your puppy into the tub very gently talking soothingly to her all the time. When she's in the tub, you can give her a treat. You want to keep her calm. It's best to have another person help you hold your puppy while you bather her. Slowly wet her down with warm water. You need to get her hair thoroughly wet. Avoid getting any water in her eyes or ears.

After her hair is wet, put some shampoo at the base of her neck, and work it around her neck, shoulder blades, and the top of her head, being careful not to get any in her ears or eyes. Then work the shampoo over the rest of her body including her belly, under her tail and her legs and paws.

After your puppy is covered with shampoo, start to rinse her off with clear warm water. Do a thorough job in rinsing so that all of the shampoo is rinsed off. Depending on the length of her hair, you may have to give her two or more rinses. Again, be very careful not to get any shampoo or water in your puppy's eyes or ears.

When your puppy is rinsed start to dry her with a towel. You may need two or three depending on the size of your puppy and the length of her hair. For longhaired puppies, use a hair drier after towelling her. The hair drier should be set on low heat.

After your puppy is dry, you can then bush and comb her. Be gentle with the brush and don't pull the comb too hard if there is a tangle in your puppy's hair. Remember, you want this to be a pleasant experience for your puppy. The more she enjoys her bathing experience, the easier it will be for you with future bathing.

Grooming your puppy is one small aspect of keeping your puppy 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 puppy, 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 puppy training, click on the link below.

http://trainyourfirstdog.com/puppy-training.html