The Best Way to Bathe Your Dog

If you’re a first-time pet owner, it’s likely you’re looking for the best way to bathe and groom your pooch. Here’s what you’ll need to do.

Help your little pooch get comfortable with you handling them by stroking and patting different parts of their body. It’s important that you go slow when handling them for the first time. Start by petting them on their forehead, chest area, sides, and then proceed to the back and legs. If they’re comfortable with this, try lifting their paws up one by one.

You can condition your dog to enjoy bath times by taking them on long walks before. This way, your dog will associate fun walks with bath time and will, hopefully, also be a little tired after expending most of their energy.

Now that your dog is comfortable with being held and stroked, you can give them a bath. Again, take your time and make sure to have plenty of treats on hand. Giving your pet treats will help them associate bath time with good things, making the process easier for you. Regardless of what happens, don’t lose your temper. Always talk to your pet in a calm, positive tone. This will help your dog stay relaxed.

Before you put your furry friend in the tub, check if they have any tangles or mats. If yes, you should trim off the knots before they come in contact with water. Once that’s done, start wetting your dog’s fur all the way to the skin. Start at the chest or neck and work your way toward the tail. Avoid getting any water on your dog’s head since they are very sensitive there. Make sure you don’t let any soap get into their ears, eyes, and mouth. You can clean your pooch’s face after the bath with a damp towel.

Once the body is completely wet, use some dog shampoo and work it into the fur. Make sure you get into the undercoat as well. After you’ve massaged the shampoo in, you can wash it off. Next, apply some hypoallergenic conditioner (to apply, simply repeat what you did while shampooing). You may have to let the conditioner sit for a while before you rinse it out.

After your dog is bathed, dry them off and reward them for their good behavior.