Washing Your Dog

Just a quick aside; I once had a boss that had a Doberman called Conan who wasn't a bad dog, but didn't take kindly to being physically messed about. And he judged wash day as being messed about. In fact, he only had one wash day and that involved my boss trying to push him into the shower.

Now, a Doberman is a pretty aggressive dog and when one doesn't want to have a shower, they generally make their feelings known. My boss, his sensitive side lost to his ambition to having a sweet smelling Conan for a change, approached his canine friend with a particularly expensive brand of tea-tree shampoo and gestures which made it clear that the shower beckoned. What ensued would shock more sensitive readers, but suffice to say that a battle of wills developed, very much along the lines of alpha male trying to dominate another alpha male, which resulted in one bruised boss, a wrecked bathroom and a vow to send Conan to the pet parlour from that day forth.

Okay, story over, but it does bring up the first point when considering washing your dog: can you control him, or her, and are they suitable for home bathing? If you notice your beloved pet curling their lips and growling when you approach with the enriched shampoo and stacks of towels, maybe you should think again.

But, let's say you have control and the dog will get washed whether it likes it, or not.

Right, first things first, choose the venue and get your equipment lined up. It maybe that your dog might like a shower, or is used to a bath, but often it's better, on a mild to warm day, to wash them outside. Don't wash them outside if it's cold though, as you both might come down with a chill.

So, once you have the venue sorted, get the hose sorted out (for outside), plus some buckets of warm water, lots of towels (remember that dogs always shake themselves after getting wet, so bear that in mind especially if you're indoors), shampoo (best use a special dog shampoo for this) and yes, have the dog's lead at hand, just in case.

Also, vets now sell a teeth cleaning kit for dogs which consists of a toothbrush and toothpaste, although why they should be twice as expensive as the human version is a little puzzling. But if your dog is in a good mood, this might be a good time to get those gnashers cleaned as well.

Okay then, you've got the place sorted out, the kit and the dog is standing patiently at your side waiting for his bath. Unlikely, buts lets assume that's the case.

First, give the dog a good brush to get rid of old, matted hair, and it also gives you a chance to look at his coat and skin, checking for any imperfections, or fleas etc.

Then, get the dog thoroughly wet - don't skip on this part, ensure that your dog is wet all over. Rub in the shampoo (avoiding the head at first) and then work it in with firm hand strokes, getting into all those places that might harbour dirt. Leave the dog shampoo on for as long as the bottle says, allowing it to do its work. Next rinse until the water runs clear.

The head requires a more gentle version of the above procedure, but take greater care to avoid the eyes and deep inside the ears. In fact, some breeds have problems if they get their ears wet inside, so check that out. If you have a toothpaste kit, use it now.

Finally, place your dog on a large towel and start to dry it off, very thoroughly indeed. You might also consider a hair dryer if it's cold, but take care that you don't spook the animal. But even though you might be particular with the drying technique, they will always shake themselves afterwards, so stand back.

So there you are, one bath and one clean Fido. Just, as warned earlier, make sure that Fido wants a bath in the first place and if he doesn't, you are the master. If not, forget it.

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