Bathing dogs can sometimes be a demanding process, and often the procedure itself causes ambiguities that many owners encounter. Namely, many of them are wondering when is the right time to bathe a puppy, how often and in what way you should bathe your pet.
By reading this text, we hope that you will get answers to all the questions that interest you, as well as that it will help you to make your pet’s bathing run smoothly in the future.
Bathing is a necessary procedure for the proper maintenance of your dog’s care, but it is often not a favorite process that your pet performs. Although dogs are known to love water, it can often get nervous before bathing and you can’t calm them down to bathe them.
You are probably familiar with situations in which the dog runs out of the bathtub during bathing or you are simply not able to make them take a bath at any cost, that is, to enter the bathtub.
How often to bathe a dog?
This question is often asked by dog owners, because they are afraid that they will not bathe their dog too often or not enough. According to official data, experts advise that it is best to bathe the dog no more than four times a year.
If you bathe your dog very often, you will harm him. The reason for that is that natural fat is removed when bathing, so the skin becomes dry. It is known that the skin has a protective role in our body, and if you remove that protective layer, it allows microorganisms to penetrate it. In this way, certain infections appear on the skin that will make your dog sick.
Not all dogs bathe four times a year, but that number also depends on certain factors. Namely, the frequency of bathing is most often determined by the structure of the hair as well as the place where the dog resides.
Dogs with longer hair are more likely to bathe more often than those with short hair. Also, dogs that stay indoors, such as houses and apartments, require more frequent grooming, ie bathing in order to get rid of unpleasant odors if they are characteristic of a certain type of dog.
Bathing the dog should take place in a relaxed atmosphere and the dog should not be under stress and experience bathing as a “must”. As when it comes to humans, dog hygiene is extremely important for his further health. A dog that does not bathe to the extent necessary for it, can have health problems.
When is the best time to bathe a dog?
We believe that this issue bothers many dog owners. It is most often set by people who have puppies, but they are not sure when it is the right time to start the process of implementing their dog’s hygiene.
According to the recommendations of experts, we are transmitting information that it is best to start bathing a dog in its earliest period, regardless of the type of dog. When the dog grows up, he has already acquired habits, and he is very careful about new things, so if you start bathing the dog when he grows up, there is a high probability that you will not succeed because he will get nervous and avoid bathing.
When the dog is small, it is easier to get used to new things, so the bathing activity will be very interesting for him. The earliest period in which you can bathe your dog is when the puppy is about three months old.
However, if it is not dirty and does not contain certain unpleasant odors, you can postpone the bathing process for a later period, when the puppy grows a little more. The precise age limit that is most competent for bathing dogs has not been determined by experts, but this period is also stated to be the most beneficial for the mentioned activity.
When you bathe a dog for the first time, make the atmosphere pleasant and it is also desirable that the bathing is done by a person in whom the dog trusts and considers him a “leader”. According to experience, if a dog is scared of water and bathing for the first time, there is little chance that he will love bathing later and agree to the same. For that reason, be careful that the dog’s bathing takes place in the most pleasant atmosphere.
When you bathe your dog, you can reward him with a granule or dog biscuit, because the dog will then become aware that he has done one beautiful deed.
What do you need to do before bathing your dog?
Before bathing a dog, you need to do certain things to make it easier to bathe the dog. Namely, it is necessary to comb the dog nicely. For this you need a brush with which you normally brush your dog and you can start combing.
It is necessary to comb your dog because that way you will untangle his hair and bathe him easier. If you don’t do that, there is a high probability that the hairs have previously merged into knots, so the bathing process itself will be more difficult. Combing a dog is not only necessary when it comes to those who have longer hair, but it is also useful for dogs that have short hair.
By brushing the dog, you will also remove all the impurities that accumulate on the dog’s hair.
It is also important to prepare everything you need before bathing so that you are not in a situation to look for lost items while bathing your dog. You need to prepare a towel, bath, rubber, hair dryer, brush, dog shampoo and more.
How to bathe a dog?
In order for your dog to enter the bathtub, as we have already mentioned, it is necessary to have confidence in you and to create a pleasant atmosphere. If the dog refuses to enter the bathtub, do not try to force him into it. Talk to him, cuddle him and praise him. According to your pleasant and calm tone, the dog will conclude that there is nothing to be afraid of and will think about your “offer”.
Also, it is very effective to offer the dog a reward and they will most likely listen to you.
If you try to force your dog to bathe, rest assured that you will only achieve the counter effect. If the dog is under stress, and you plan to bathe him in the bathtub, it is advisable to fill it without his presence, because according to the data, the sound of water can also make the dog scared of bathing. Be patient and don’t let your dog get scared of bathing, because once he gets scared every next time it will get worse.
Put a rubber mat in the bathtub where you will bathe the dog and then a towel, to ensure the safety of your dog. If you do this, you will not put your dog in a situation where he will slip and get scared. The water temperature should be lukewarm, neither too hot nor too cold.
If the water happens to be cold, your dog may experience stress and this may be one of the reasons why the dog will refuse to bathe in the future. Shower the dog so that the jet will move from the back of the body to the dog’s head. Take special care that the water you use to bathe your dog does not reach his ears and that you do not injure your dog.
When choosing a shampoo, consult an expert on which shampoo is best for your dog. Keep in mind that when bathing a dog, you should never use a shampoo that is intended for humans, but only a shampoo for dogs. The reason you have to follow this rule is that the pH value of the skin in humans and dogs is different. When applying shampoo to your dog’s body, apply it first on the abdomen and then on the abdomen.
Finally, apply shampoo to the legs and tail. As you should take care that the shampoo does not get into the dog’s ears, it is not desirable for it to get into the dog’s eyes. When rinsing, it will be best to raise the dog’s head so that the water flows through the dog’s body, and in that way you will be able to protect your dog’s eyes and ears. The dog does not like when water flows down his face and if that happens, he becomes nervous and needs to run away from that place.
The dog should be shampooed twice to bathe nicely. Take special care to wash your dog nicely after bathing. If the dog is not well washed, the dog may experience skin irritation or itching.
When you bathe the dog, take a towel and wipe it nicely to dry the hair. Turn on the hair dryer to a lower temperature and slowly dry your dog’s hair. If you notice that your dog is afraid of noise, dry it only with a towel. When the dog’s hair is dry, it is necessary to comb it nicely so that it does not get tangled. If you do this, your dog’s hair will be soft and shiny. When you have finished bathing and drying the dog, it is necessary for the dog to stay in a warm room for at least the next two hours.