Bathing the family dog was on the list of responsibilities you took on with pet ownership. How often you’ll be bathing your dog will vary depending on a number of things. Different breeds require different care and your dog’s level of activity will play a role. If they are happiest running through mud, you’ll be a busy pet owner!
When you are getting ready to bathe your pup you need to decide on a shampoo. There are a number of options available including oatmeal dog shampoos, organic dog shampoos, and others directed towards specific skin or fur needs. Dog shampoo reviews are a great source for choosing the best one for your family.
Don’t know how often to bathe your dog? Research their breed. Some dog’s coats are rich with protectant oils. Frequent bathing of these dogs will remove these oils and actually CAUSE irritation. Use common sense, when you smell a stinky dog, it is time for a bath.Dog training the woodlands
Baths serve a couple important purposes past making your pup smell fresh. They stop fleas and ticks from taking hold and can soothe your dog’s itchy or flakey skin. If your dog does struggle with itchy skin, you may want to research dog shampoo reviews for the shampoo that will be just right for them.
Oatmeal dog shampoo is a great choice for dog’s struggling with itching and flaking. Colloidal oatmeal is used in oatmeal dog shampoo to stop your dog’s itching and scratching. Colloidal oatmeal is oatmeal that has been ground to a fine powder. This fine powder mixed with a liquid makes a creamy soft shampoo for your pooch’s skin.
Dog shampoo reviews for oatmeal dog shampoo will point you toward brands with only quality ingredients. Some “cheap” brands will advertise oatmeal but jam their product with filler. Natural shampoos or shampoos for sensitive skin are the best choices to avoid this. This is important since these fillers make it work against you by irritating your dog’s skin further.
You’ve done your research, read your dog shampoo reviews, it is time to get started bathing your pooch!
Find a Location:
If you are lucky enough to be washing your pup on a warm day finding a spot outside is ideal. Spare your home the mess! On cooler day you will have to move your dog inside. For most this means the bathtub, if you have room and accommodations for your pup in a laundry room even better!
Get Ready:
You want your dog to feel secure to make the bath experience the best it can be. A good way to do this is to lay bath mats down in your tub. This will prevent your dog from slipping in the tub, which can spook them and make the bathing experience difficult for both of you.
Shut the door if you are inside. This will prevent any runaway wet dogs from causing a mess in your home.
Fill your tub with a couple inches of warm water for your dog to stand in while you bathe them. Warm water will keep them most comfortable, for this reason avoid garden hoses for outside baths. What starts out as warm water quickly turns into ice cold water.
Top to Bottom:
Wash your dog from head to tail, in that order. Your dog’s face is the most sensitive so clean it first with a fresh wash cloth. When you have finished their head move down their body scrubbing with oatmeal dog shampoo. This head to tail process will keep any potential fleas off of their face and help avoid potential eye infections.
It is very important to make sure you rinse your dog thoroughly. Even shampoo residues from soaps designed to soothe your dog’s skin, like oatmeal dog shampoo, can irritate your dog’s skin if they are allowed to dry there.
Once you’ve drained the bath water pat your pup dry with clean towels. Again using a separate clean towel for your dog’s face and head is best. You can use your hair dryer to get your dog completely dry. Make sure you don’t hold the hair dryer to close to your dog, and put it on its coolest setting. Burning your dog’s skin with a hair dryer is a very real possibility if you aren’t being careful.