5 Steps to Consider when Washing Your Dog
Posted by Russell Gibbons on 30th May 2018
Washing Your Dog!!!
The outcome is awesome………but trying to get your puppy to enjoy the process can sometimes seem like torture.
But there are some basic things to consider when giving your furry friend a bath which will make both your life easier, and their experience more enjoyable.
Consider these steps but remember, rewarding your puppy when they do good things will always help..... And healthy Australian Made dog treats are a great way to help.
1. Choose the location first and prepare your cleaning implements!
Inside or outside is the question!
If it is inside, in a bath, make sure you fill it up first…… Sometimes the noise of running water in a small room can be quite disturbing.
Also, the less time you spend in a small room with a puppy that doesn’t really want to be there the better…….
So make sure the bath is already full to where you want it to be and the water is warm…… no one likes a cold bath!
Especially in winter!
If your choice is outside, then consider the water temperature as well as how you will secure your pooch.
Being outside is great in order to minimise the possibility of a wet mutt galivanting through your house……BUT, if they get loose in the yard……there goes your morning trying to get them back!!!
Once you have a plan where you will bath them, have a think about what you will need to get them from dirty to clean and shiny!
You might need a sponge, some shampoo, a towel, a dryer, some special dog Treats, a lead……etc….
If you get these all out and ready, it will make the experience so much better, and take less time.
2. Run a warm bath/use warm water.
No one likes a cold bath…..especially at this time of year…… so warm the water up just a bit to make it comfortable.
If it feels nice, the more likely they are to want to stay put for a bit longer.
Make sure the water isn’t too hot though. Remember that a dogs skin is more sensitive than ours.
Another idea as well is to make sure that you have a rubber matt or something that is easy for your puppy to stand and sit on……. Something not too slippery.
If they feel unstable, don’t expect them to want to hang around too long!
3.Wash them with a Shampoo.
Using a soapy wash is a great idea to get that coat shiny a clean and smelling like roses however, you need to use a product which is designed specifically for dogs.
This is important because a dogs skin has a different Ph level to ours and as such, they are more sensitive to irritation than our skin.
The Ph level of a dogs skin is close to Ph neutral. That is, Ph Neutral is 7. The lower the score the more acidic something is and the higher the score above 7 the more alkaline something is.
A dogs skin is at 7.5 and a humans skin Ph level is closer to 5.5.
This means that our skin is more acidic than a dogs. The shampoo we use and love, has a Ph level of around 4.5-5.5.
Sooo, this means that our shampoo which is more acidic is highly likely to irritate our dog and can be very harsh on their hair and skin.
So make sure you use a dog shampoo which has a Ph level closer to 7. This way, they won’t feel any discomfort and as such, are more likely to enjoy the experience…..
4.Rinse thoroughly.
Now that you have cleaned your puppy with the correct shampoo in the perfectly luke warm water, you must make sure you wash out all the soapy leftovers.
Rinsing a couple of times is recommended just to ensure that you get all the soap out.
A simple step such as this can make all the difference.
5.Dry well.
Drying your dog is important if you want to keep that clean look for any amount of time…… Believe me, if you don’t dry them, they will sprint off, find some dry dirt or grass and endeavour to roll around and dry themselves……. And then you will be wondering why the effort!!!!
So dry them using an absorbent towel.
A towel on short haired dogs will most likely be good enough, but if you have longer haired dogs, you might consider using a hair dryer.
Once again, a hair dryer for humans can often be too hot. Even on the lower settings.
But a hair dryer designed specifically for dogs will work really well and lower the chances of discomfort…..
Then they should be looking and smelling wonderful!!!
Then the MOST IMPORTANT STEP is to give your beautifully clean pooch some amazing praise with pats and rewards using some awesome gourmet dog treats.
It’s actually a really good idea to give them Pet treats the whole way through the bathing process just to reinforce the fun factor for them.
However, if you don’t want to overdo it, reserve the best until last and make sure you give them an awesome reward for enduring, to them, what must seem like hell…….
OR, call your local Dog Grooming professional or salon and let the professionals take care of it!!!!
Just a thought!
Have a great week and all the best from the team @ Huds and Toke.
#hudsandtokefamily
@hudsandtoke
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