Barking Wednesday - Giving Your Dog a Bath

Every Wednesday I post Barking Wednesday. Post dedicated to making a dogs life better.  Kingers is our Black Lab. I have always been a dog owner. Over the years I have learned some good ways to make sure that Kingers is as healthy and happy as possible. I also scan the internet and speak to my vet about all kinds of topics. This is my page to share dog information with the world!

How to Give your Dog a Good Bath 

One of the tricks I learned is to make sure you give your dog a lot of exercise before bath time.  This makes it much easier to bathe him. Kingers likes that a rub his muscles when he gets a bath after a hard workout.  I make sure to always take him out to go to the bathroom before the bath - that way if it is cold outside - I have time to dry his hair before he has to go out again

Have all your products within easy reach - don't forget the towel. A dog shaking is a mess inside the house. I always have a mat in my tub -if you do not - you can lay down a towel or a rug. Anything that will make the bottom of the tub less slippery.

I get King - then have him jump in the tub. There have been a few times that I have had to pick him up and place him in the tub. Make sure if your dog does not want a bath that you stay calm yet firm. Bath time is Bath time. No actions of the dog should change it. 

I use a glass to get King wet - then I start at the top of his back and lather him up. I place the shampoo in my hand and rub firmly but gently in a circle motion. I think of it like a message action.  I know this feels good for Kingers because he will stand still and let me continue to rub his fur.  I take my hand and rub legs one by one - he really likes that.

When I have finished lathering him up - I start the rinse process.  I pour as much water as needed to get all of the soap out of his fur.  Reminder....a little shampoo goes a long way. Do not add too much shampoo to their fur - it is too hard to get a clean rinse.

If the weather is nice I always give Kingers a bath outside - my hubby hooked up our outside faucet to have both hot and cold water - this allows me to open the cold & hot water valves in the basement. Making it very easy for me to give Kingers a lukewarm bath outside.

Right away after the last container of water I cover him with a towel.  He often starts to shake right away. If this happens I hold the towel on him to keep the water spray onto the towel.  I do a patting motion to dry his fur - not a rubbing motion. Sometimes I use a blow dryer to dry his hair -depending on the temperature outside. If it is warm and sunny I let king lay on the deck to dry off - this is his favorite.

The one thing to always do during the bath is to stay calm! Speak in a firm but calm voice. By you staying calm this will help your dog stay calmer.

Check the tab at the top of the blog ~ Healthy Dog Information for great natural dog shampoo recipes. Dog Shampoo at 1/10th the cost and good for his skin.