You went on adventures in the wilderness with your fluffy darling and he brought half the forest home with him in his fur? Often there is no escape from an extensive dog bath and it's off to the tub with your four-legged friend.
Here you can find out how often and when washing your dog is really necessary, and the best way to get your sniffing nose in the bathroom. Get tips on dog baths and find out how to get your four-legged friend dry afterwards.
How often should you wash your dog?
Masters and mistresses often bathe their four-legged friends regularly so that the coat shines and the typical 'dog smell' disappears. However, they are not doing their fluffy companions any favors with this, because a bath is not part of natural grooming our four-legged friends.
You can easily rid your sniffy nose of daily dirt and loose fur with a brush. Most dogs even enjoy it and grooming is a great way to build into a cuddle unit. The paws can usually be cleaned with a lukewarm wet cloth. You should only bathe your four-legged friend properly if there is no way around it. If he is just brimming with mud or has even rolled in liquid manure, a thorough dog wash is the order of the day.
Dog bath - water fight or wellness program?
Do you come home from a walk and with all the mud brushing doesn't help anymore? Then off into the bathtub with the dirty finch. But so that the dog bath does not become a torture for four- and two-legged friends, you should slowly get used to it.
It is best to start with this when your sniffing nose is still a curious puppy. If he's still jumping around excitedly and likes to go exploring, let him explore the bathtub. Once inside, he gets a treat as a reward. You can easily put his treats in one of ours Doggie bags with treats compartment or Bumbags Hanover stow away
If you repeat the whole thing regularly, then your dog will soon jump into the tub voluntarily to get a treat. Now you can let some water run in and slowly get your dog used to bathing. In this way you avoid your four-legged friend shying away from the bathing program and fighting back with all four paws. Instead of a water fight, the dog bath can become a cozy wellness program for your nose.
Off to the bathtub – this is how you wash your sniffy nose properly
Ready for the dog wash? But how does that even work? The easiest way to wash your dog is in the bathtub. If you don't have one, you can wash your four-legged friend in the shower. So that he feels comfortable and does not slip, you should get a rubber mat. The paws of your nose have a good grip on it. Now lure your dirty finch into the tub with a treat, just like when practicing. If your four-legged friend has long fur, you should try to undo the knots while it is dry. This works easier, as they often get even more tangled up in wet fur.
Then you fill the bathtub up to his knees with lukewarm water. Even if masters and mistresses like to treat themselves to a hot shower in winter, the water should be a little cooler for your fluffy friend. In this way you prevent your four-legged friend's circulation from suffering from the temperature change.
After a long romp it's time to take a bath.
If your dog is already used to the wash and is happy about its wellness program, you can easily rinse it off with the shower head. But make sure that the water jet does not have too much pressure and that you hold the shower head close to your four-legged friend's fur. In this way you not only avoid unnecessary stress for your sniffing nose, but also a flooded bathroom. If your dog is more afraid of water, you can instead gently pour water from the bathtub over the fur with your hands instead. This eliminates the noise of the shower head and your four-legged friend can relax more easily.
The right care products
Repair & Care, anti-dandruff or greasy scalp? Fortunately, it is not as complicated with dogs as it is with mistresses and masters. If your four-legged friend has only had a small mud bath, lukewarm water is often sufficient for cleaning. The more often you do without shampoo, the better, because the dog's skin is actually not suitable for it. There are numerous sebaceous glands on it, which produce a protective layer of fat for skin and fur. This is how dogs naturally protect themselves from diseases, parasites and weather influences. Shampoo removes this protective sebum and should therefore only be used if your four-legged friend has rolled in something that smells bad or if the dirt cannot be removed with water alone.
If you now reach for shampoo, then it is best to do so mild dog shampoo without perfume. Maybe you've heard of various home remedies, such as mild baby shampoo? We clearly advise against it. Dog skin has an average pH of 7.5, which is significantly higher than human skin at around 5.5. Since shampoos for our scalp are kept as pH-neutral as possible, they are too acidic for our four-legged friends, and this also applies to baby shampoo. The skin of your sniffing nose is irritated, dry and scaly by human shampoo and the acid mantle is damaged. Since this is responsible for maintaining the natural skin flora, your darling becomes more sensitive to infections and parasites.
Even if your furry friend has an illness affecting their skin or coat, a regular shower may be necessary. In the event of parasite infestation, fungal infections or hair loss, you should definitely contact the veterinarian to find out which special shampoo is suitable for your dog. If you want to wash your dog with home remedies, then you should first ask the veterinary practice what is really okay and what is not. Washing the dog with curd soap is a recommendation found on many blogs. The home remedy supposedly helps against mite infestation. However, if your four-legged friend is healthy, we recommend that you stick with the mild dog shampoo, because it was not made especially for our fluffy friends for nothing.
Soap, rinse and pat dry
Once you have found the right dog shampoo for your four-legged friend, you can now gently soap his wet fur with it. Maybe your taster will even be happy about the massage. Avoid the face if possible and make sure that no shampoo gets in your eyes, nose and mouth. Nicely lathered up, your fluffy companion will definitely make a funny picture.
Now shower your dog thoroughly and make sure to remove all shampoo residue from his fur. Don't forget to gently rub your four-legged friend dry with a fluffy towel, otherwise he will unsuspectingly shake his fur out on the living room couch. Now find your four-legged friend a warm place where he can snuggle up and dry himself so that he doesn't catch a cold in winter. In the summer you can let him run around with a bit of wet fur so he can cool off in the heat.
Fresh into the new adventure
Time for a cuddle unit after the bath.
Enjoy the sight and fresh smell of your fur nose, because you won't get to see them that clean for long. Even if she doesn't need a daily shower thanks to her lack of sweat glands, the next puddle of mud will soon be waiting for you on your next adventure.
Cover photo by chepté cormani. More pictures by Benjamin Lehman and Samson Katt.
About inara writes
Hatice Kücükhüseyin is a content expert at inara writes. Words are her favorite tool. With them she brings color and life into every text. When she's not writing, she watches French cinema.
