Give your dog a bath

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Tuesday, October 16th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed

Every dog needs a bath occasionally. How often, depends on your dog’s breed, his activities, and the time of the year. Aim to give him a bath once a month in summer.

Get your pup used to having baths

When your dog is young, he won’t have as many opinions as he will when he gets older. This means that you should give him his first bath before he’s 12 weeks old if possible.

First, gather everything you need for the bath, including the shampoo, conditioner, comb and brush, and cotton balls to wipe his ears and eyes. If you’re bathing him inside, in the bathtub or in a large bowl, spread some towels on the floor. If you’re bathing him outside, make sure you bath him in warm water, especially if he’s very dirty.

Brush him first, to get rid of all the loose hair in his coat.

With his first bath, treat it as a game, and talk to him while you wet him: most dogs will accept a bath if you stay happy, and keep talking to him.

Wet him first, then shampoo him, using as little shampoo as possible. Don’t use shampoo on his face. Use a damp cloth, and just wipe his face.

Rinse him thoroughly after the shampoo, and then dry him thoroughly with a towel. A chamois cloth is handy to wipe him down before you towel him, if he’s a large breed.

Use a hair dryer to dry him completely if the weather is cool or cold.

Essential oils for your dog after his bath

You can use essential oils like lavender, tea tree, and Roman chamomile for your dog to repel ticks and fleas. Make sure that you dilute the oils thoroughly in water (a couple of drops to a cup of water is fine), and spray his coat, avoiding his eyes.