How To take a bath Your Dog

How To take a bath Your Dog

Once you’re prepared to take on the task (with or without your dog’s cooperation), here’s what to do:

• - Brush your dog before a bath. Matted hair holds water, leaving your dog with irritated skin. (If you can’t brush or cut the mats out yourself, take your dog to a professional groomer.) Put a cotton ball in each ear to keep water out. It helps prevent ear infections and irritation.
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• - Use lukewarm water. Dog skin is different from ours, and hot water can burn dogs more easily. Bath water should never be hotter than what you’d run for a human baby. Keep it even cooler for large-breed dogs, who can easily overheat.

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• - Talk to your pet in a calm and reassuring voice. Some dogs will eventually learn that you’re not torturing them, although others will continue to hide under the kitchen table whenever you get out a towel.
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• - Use dog shampoo. It dries their skin less than people shampoo. Work the shampoo into a gentle lather and massage it all over your dog’s body, being careful not to get soap in her eyes.
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• - Rinse well. Any soap left in her fur can irritate your dog’s skin once she’s dry. Rinse, rinse, and repeat the rinse.
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• - Air-dry. Hot air from a human blow-dryer can be too hot for their skin. Either air-dry or use a blow-dryer designed for dogs; its lower temperatures won’t cause itching or dandruff.
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• - Reward your dog. Follow up with abundant praise, petting, or play. Many a damp dog loves to vent her frustration over bath time by playing exuberant tug-of-war with the bath towel — or just running away with it–when it’s all over.