Bathing The Dog continued
 A standard 12-15 oz bottle is
enough for 4 shampoos for our frequently dirty golden retrievers. That's
less than $1.00 per washing for a large, hairy dog which is a true bargain.
Squeeze plenty of shampoo onto the
dog's wet back and down the tail. Then squeeze more on the chest, on
the stomach and on the backs of the legs. It's easy to forget the backs of
the legs but, on long-haired dogs, there is as much hair on the backs of their
legs as we have on the tops of our heads!
Spray more warm water on top of the shampoo
to make it easier to spread around and wash vigorously avoiding those sensitive
areas such as the mouth, eyes, ears, etc. When the dog is thoroughly lathered,
rinse away the soap completely. It only takes a few minutes to lather your dog
but twice that long to rinse the soap away. If you're sure your dog
doesn't have any nicks or sore spots, you can make a finishing rinse of half
water and half vinegar to help remove shampoo residue.
When finished rinsing, let your dog
shake himself a few times. Step out of the shower or bath and grab the large bath
towel. Hold the bath towel in front of your dog because he will want to shake at
least one more time and will then plop onto the floor to roll on the towels. Cover
him completely with towels and grab the blow dryer. Rub vigorously and then let him
continue shaking.
4. Fluff dry
Wet dogs have a curious and very distinctive smell. Apparently, the oil in the
dog's coat reacts with the water and the pungent aroma results. We're not sure
of the cause but recommend a well-ventilated drying area. The faster the coat
is dried, the faster the aroma disappears. It is then replaced with the
lovely smell of shampoo.
A dry hand towel in conjunction with
the blow dryer will make fast work of your wet dog. Use the towel in stead of a
brush because it will pick up water faster.
5.
Finishing.
Once your dog is dry, a good brushing is a nice reward.
Brushing feels great and it removes dead hair and skin. It also distributes
oil down the hair shafts.
We use either curved-tip or blunt-tip
scissors to cut out hair mats. Just be careful not to nip the skin! If we're
up to it, we also trim the hair on the paws.
All of the wet towels go into the wash and we keep the fans or heater going to get rid of
any remaining dampness. Later, when everything is dry, we vacuum. On warm summer days, we put the
still-damp dogs out on the shady deck to sleep or give them a quick walk around the block.
6. Out and About
Now that Rover is clean, sweet
smelling and positively silky to the touch, it's time to go meet the public! Baths
for dogs must be similar to baths for children. They're more of a chore than a
pleasure. Once the bath is done, however, our middle-aged dogs zoom around the house
and do 360-degree spins in the air. It must feel really good to be well-scrubbed.
After a month or two of weekly (or
biweekly or bimonthly as you choose) bathing, a clean dog becomes a necessity
and not a luxury. It is easy to get used to
hugging a sweet-smelling dog! Clean dogs get more pats on the head, parents let
their children play with them more frequently and even the neighbors cross the street to
pet them.
In between baths, we give our dogs a
good brush to remove shedding hair. Also, every few months, a groomer
washes and dries, clips nails, trims hairs from the pads and cleans the ears,
etc. We leave those exacting chores to the pros although you can certainly do
them yourself. Groomers really earn their keep and the dogs enjoy their
trips to their local salon. We have heard of dogs with standing weekly
appointments with their groomers. This combination of professional care
and in-home bathing keeps our dogs delightful to be around.
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Related Information:
Trimming Your Dog's Nails
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