Tips and tricks for bathing our dog at home

You may have doubts about how to bathe your dog , since you have never had this experience and you are not sure how he will react. The first thing you have to know is that dogs should not be bathed very frequently, and everything will depend on several factors including the breed of the dog, the coat, the conditions in which it lives and the activity it does during the day. . It is best to pay attention to the smell they give off, the shape of their fur: whether it is tangled, sticky or dirty. In general, observe the condition of its skin well, so if it has any irritation or rash it will be better to treat that condition with the help of the veterinarian, and once the problem is over, assume the bath routine. You can choose to take them to a canine assistance site where they bathe them, cut their hair and nails. However, this option has the disadvantage that your dog will feel stressed when being touched by a strange person and, if you do not pay attention or ask for many references, it is possible that they will apply products that affect the health of their skin. The option of bathing them at home has the advantage that you choose the products you are going to apply, you control their attitude and reassure them in the usual way so that they have confidence and peace of mind.

Show affection and associate bathing with pleasant activities

There are dogs that enjoy bathing , but there are others that just seeing a movement that includes water and shampoo make them nervous, scared and hide. What you can do to avoid this:

• Before bathing your dog, caress and massage him all over his body, talk to him, looking him in the eyes and telling him that you are going to bathe him, that he should be calm and relaxed. If he gets restless, wait a bit for him to calm down and then approach him calmly.
• Keep in mind that bathing a dog , no matter how small, requires time and dedication, since doing it quickly and hastily will only cause the animal to become stressed and run away every time you want to bathe it.
• Wear comfortable clothing and have the products and accessories you are going to use on hand, for which we recommend: a bucket with water, a jug to pour the water into or, failing that, a moderate pressure hose; also a soft sponge, a special shampoo for their condition, breed, coat, etc., a clean towel, some cotton to protect their ears and, if you prefer, a hair dryer.

If your dog is a small breed, you can bathe him in the sink, if he is large, it is best to do it in the bathtub or in the patio of the house , as long as it is not too cold to prevent him from catching a cold. If your dog has a thick, abundant and long coat, untangle it and comb it well before getting it wet, this will prevent the knots it has from becoming impossible to untangle and complicating bathing. Along the way, you can give him caresses and reassurance to make the bath less traumatic.

recommendations

• You should use water at a temperature between lukewarm and warm and, if you are going to use a hose, try not to have too much pressure so that it does not splash their face or get water in their ears or get scared by the impact of the water on their body.
• When you start bathing your dog, once you have covered its ears with some cotton pads, try to do it from the bottom up, that is, first wet its legs and then go up the extremities until wetting the back and the rest of its body. . Never wash his face , neither with a hose nor with the jug you bathe him with.
• Dogs' faces should be wiped with a soft, damp towel .
• Distribute the shampoo along the spine and then spread the product with your hands, producing enough foam. These massages will help you detect any inflammation or irritation of the skin, you can even discover if there are fleas or ticks on their body.
• The massage should be subtle and this will prevent fleas from walking to dry areas, such as the ears and face.
• Remember that you must bathe him from neck to tail . Do not wet the face or ears, and when soaping the belly area and paw pads, do so with a soft sponge, as these areas are very sensitive and you can cause damage if you use your nails to rub them.
• Once well scrubbed, remove the product with plenty of water, avoiding the pressure of the hose. Try to do it subtly by repeating the movements and massages throughout the body, and on the paws one by one. With patience, don't stop rubbing it or pouring water on it until it comes out completely clean.

Be patient and stay calm

When finished, cover it immediately with a clean, dry towel. If you stay wet for a long time exposed to the environment, you can catch a cold, and if you stay wet you can get a urine infection. Dogs tend to shake when they feel wet, so stand back a little because you're bound to get splashed. If you prefer, use a hair dryer on low heat, and the drying will be more efficient and uniform . If you dry it with a towel, do not rub it in a messy or circular manner, do it in the direction of the hair growth to avoid tangling the fur. Pat him gently on the towel, hug him and warm him well, especially if he is a puppy. Finish drying it well with the hair dryer. Remove the cotton from the ears and try to clean the holes and ears completely with a cotton swab, without digging it in too much, as you could rupture the eardrum. Observe carefully what comes out with the swab and clean it as necessary until the swab comes out clean and dry.

Then brush the coat well, since when bathing and drying it the dog sheds a lot of hair. This is good to do to prevent it from leaving hair where it goes. If necessary, take it for a walk so that the wind helps loosen any loose hair. Wipe your face with a damp towel. When you do, talk to him and look him in the eyes. He will feel that he has your affection. Finally, give him a cookie or a sweet as a reward for having endured the routine in an exemplary way.

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