Dog Grooming Tips: Bathing Your Dog
Dog grooming can be an expensive endeavor, especially for people who own dogs with long, hard to manage hair, such as Yorkies, Maltese, and Cocker Spaniels. Many times dog owns choose to have their pets groomed weekly or monthly at a professional groomer and otherwise tend to their pets’ grooming needs at home, but by following a few simple tips, dog owners can successfully groom their dogs at home for less.
The most important of all dog grooming tips is how to properly wash a dog. Many factors come into play, making the process a little more complicated than just adding soap and water, but following these tricks will have even the most green dog groomer bathing like a professional in no time.
First, determine the type of coat the dog has. Is it long or short? Well cared for or matted? Fine or coarse? Are there any underlying skin problems? Parasites? All of these things come into play when deciding what products to purchase for washing your dog. Not all dog shampoos are created equal and there are as many products available for dogs as there are humans. Take each criterion above into consideration when purchasing a good quality dog shampoo. One tip is to make sure that you purchase a separate detangler for dogs with long, fine coats as this will help during the brush out.
Secondly, try to find an area that includes an elevated tub. This serves two purposes. It gives the groomer greater control over the animal and saves the groomer’s back from unnecessary strain.
Thirdly, make sure that you have everything you need before you get started. The golden rule of pet grooming is that you never leave an animal unattended, no matter what. Dogs can get themselves into a great deal of trouble if left alone for even a second, so make sure that you have shampoo, detangler (if required), a towel, and a wide tooth comb in easy reach of the tub.
Next, brush out the dog. This helps remove any stuck on debris, untangles snarls, and stimulates the skin before the bath, plus it usually helps to relax the dog before bathing. This process will ensure that you remove as much dirt and debris as possible from your dog’s coat.
Squeeze a small amount of soap onto the dog and begin to massage in while adding water. A dog’s coat is naturally water resistant. This is what protects him from the elements. The soap will actually help you get through the water resistant oils and make sure that you get down to the skin. Focus on soaping the particularly dirty areas as well as between the toes, the rear and the armpits as this is where smelly dirt and debris tend to accumulate. Without soap, gently wash around the eyes, muzzle and around the ears, taking care not to get any soap or water down into these areas. Rinse thoroughly. This is important because soap residue is irritating and will cause skin problems if left in the coat. Apply detangler, if required and rinse.
Finally, towel dry and brush long coats out, gently removing tangles. If the day is cold, you may want to set a hairdryer on its coldest setting and blow dry the dog to keep him from getting chilled.
After the bath, take a few cotton swabs and remove any accumulated water and debris from the dog’s ears. You should now have the most handsome pet on the block.
For maintenance, only repeat this process as often as weekly, to avoid drying the dog’s skin out, however, if your dog has been particularly troublesome by rolling in something nasty, feel free to clean him as often as necessary.
The most important of all dog grooming tips is how to properly wash a dog. Many factors come into play, making the process a little more complicated than just adding soap and water, but following these tricks will have even the most green dog groomer bathing like a professional in no time.
First, determine the type of coat the dog has. Is it long or short? Well cared for or matted? Fine or coarse? Are there any underlying skin problems? Parasites? All of these things come into play when deciding what products to purchase for washing your dog. Not all dog shampoos are created equal and there are as many products available for dogs as there are humans. Take each criterion above into consideration when purchasing a good quality dog shampoo. One tip is to make sure that you purchase a separate detangler for dogs with long, fine coats as this will help during the brush out.
Secondly, try to find an area that includes an elevated tub. This serves two purposes. It gives the groomer greater control over the animal and saves the groomer’s back from unnecessary strain.
Thirdly, make sure that you have everything you need before you get started. The golden rule of pet grooming is that you never leave an animal unattended, no matter what. Dogs can get themselves into a great deal of trouble if left alone for even a second, so make sure that you have shampoo, detangler (if required), a towel, and a wide tooth comb in easy reach of the tub.
Next, brush out the dog. This helps remove any stuck on debris, untangles snarls, and stimulates the skin before the bath, plus it usually helps to relax the dog before bathing. This process will ensure that you remove as much dirt and debris as possible from your dog’s coat.
Squeeze a small amount of soap onto the dog and begin to massage in while adding water. A dog’s coat is naturally water resistant. This is what protects him from the elements. The soap will actually help you get through the water resistant oils and make sure that you get down to the skin. Focus on soaping the particularly dirty areas as well as between the toes, the rear and the armpits as this is where smelly dirt and debris tend to accumulate. Without soap, gently wash around the eyes, muzzle and around the ears, taking care not to get any soap or water down into these areas. Rinse thoroughly. This is important because soap residue is irritating and will cause skin problems if left in the coat. Apply detangler, if required and rinse.
Finally, towel dry and brush long coats out, gently removing tangles. If the day is cold, you may want to set a hairdryer on its coldest setting and blow dry the dog to keep him from getting chilled.
After the bath, take a few cotton swabs and remove any accumulated water and debris from the dog’s ears. You should now have the most handsome pet on the block.
For maintenance, only repeat this process as often as weekly, to avoid drying the dog’s skin out, however, if your dog has been particularly troublesome by rolling in something nasty, feel free to clean him as often as necessary.
