When Miss M and I
first moved into E's place, I was very impressed with the fancy jacuzzi bath tub. Little did I realize, it would only be Miss M and Mr B who would use it.
After a series of roadrunner and coyote-like hijinks, I had decided to outsource all of our bathing. And it was only recently,
after hearing many of your tips, that we decided to try again at home.
We've learned a couple of things that make it easier for us, though judging from their faces, I'm not sure what the pooches think.
We started using a hair-catcher over the drain to make it easier to clean:
We use a hand-held shower hose to make cleaning easier. Doesn't Miss M look like she approves?
A vet-tech also taught us to put cotton in the pooches ears to prevent water getting in and causing ear infections. Especially important for
foster dog Boris's homemade cropped ears.
Though we are always interested in making things easier. What other bath tips do you have?
PS.
More funny dog bath photos (where Mr B looks like a seal!).
23 comments:
I've never actually bathed our pups indoors in the tub - here in AZ it is out doors with the hose year round. I've always wondered how folks keep their bathrooms from becoming absolutely soaked?
Sam
That last picture of Boris!!! <3
Warm water. If its cold Mugsy wants nothing to do with it. I also try to bath him when he is super tired so he doesn't put up much of a fight. I focus on cleaning the body first and ten the head because he doesn't like the water directly on his face. Anyone have suggestions for a good towel that absorbs all the water? We just use regular towels and ilwe end up with a wet puppy running around for awhile.
We use the things to catch the hair as well. It amazes the amount of hair that short haired dogs have. I love the fact that your husband gets in the tub with them. I have not tried that but it has got to be easier on the back. Will try the cotton in the ears for sure, that makes so much sense. Sniffs, The HoundDogs
Definitely a hair catcher -- we have a daisy-shaped one that suction-cups over the drain, which rises an inch or so above the tub floor level, meaning it can collect a good bit of fur while still allowing water out. :)
We tried one of the dog-bathing hose kits that includes soap in the handle, but that never worked very well, and just used it as a sprayer. (Nice long hose on that one, too -- 8 feet is best.)
We recently replaced it with a Black&Decker-branded one that we got at Lowe's, which is palmable, has a rubber strap that wraps around the back of your hand, has single-stream or shower settings, and included a short brush attachment for thicker coats, but we don't need that for our AmStaffs. :)
For shampoo, we swear by Kelco Filthy Animal (bought in concentrate, which lasts *forever* when diluted) for general cleaning, and Plum White for white fur.
Oh! And we got a large tub mat (rubber, suction cups across the bottom) for grip, which they like -much- better than a bare tub floor.
None of them like water sprayed on their heads, though, so I use a wet washcloth to rinse their heads.
Also, we have a tether that suction-cups to the floor or wall of the tub, for the ones who'd otherwise hop right out.
Alternately, my wife can take a dog or two to work with her and use their elevated, multi-sprayer, water-recirculating dog bathing tub. :D
Huzzah!
These are (as usual) awesome pictures. I wash my dogs in a good-sized, step-in shower (not a tub) in my basement with a hand shower. The dogs hate it, but it's a relatively good way to do it. The glass door keeps most of the big shake offs from spraying the bathroom. Silly question, where do you buy a hair catcher for the drain?
After our 5 year old pittie dealt with skin allergies, alopecia, and a staph infection on the skin, we were told by our amazing vet to wash him once a week in Murphy's Oil Soap. I was shocked at first but ever since we started that in February, Pickles has been extremely shiny and loves getting baths! Turns out Murphy's Oil is 98% vegetable oil. We haven't had any issue with his skin becoming overly dry (although he does get a scoop of coconut oil on his food daily).
They get bathed about every other month. Sasha, our elderbull, is great. She will hop in and out of the tub, stay when I tell her (even when I have to run to get a towel or something else, she stays put). She doesn't really like baths, but she listens really well, so it makes it easier. She's 60 some lbs, and I can bathe her by myself at any time.
The puppy, well he's good for the most part. He likes to lean all the time, so I constantly have to push him away so I can actually bathe him! He will try to hop out, so I have to keep an eye on him. He hates baths, shakes the whole time, but he has gotten better each time
Bathing our 100 lb cane corso Enzo is a breeze.... now. When he was younger it would take 20 min just to get into the tub. One day we were all in the bathroom and I saw him eyeing the tub and encouraged him to jump in, and he did! After several occasions of making a game out of jumping in and out when we weren't going to give him a bath soon he came to enjoy jumping in and out on his own, and stays there without problem. The other thing is that I give him daily massages and say "massage!" as I do it. He LOVES his massages. So when we are shampooing him I say "massage!" and that seems to help too as he associates the bath with something positive and stands completely still until we ask him to jump out of the tub. Treats during the bath can help too.
Fortunately Rosie LOVES taking a bath. I just start the water and take off her collar and she jumps right in! I guess Im lucky. Although she is eager to get out and zoom herself dry!
I try to keep Ray on a once a week bathing schedule and ever since his first bath, I smear peanut butter on the side of the tub. Now when he sees me put peanut butter on the "bath lid" (tupperware) he gets excited, and I say bath time he runs upstairs and hops into the tub.
www.peaceabull.blogspot.com
A smear of peanut butter on the wall to occupy the dog during the bath. Some dogs like it, others don't. I also spend time putting water in the bath tub, then tossing toys in there and having a play session. The dogs are more likely to associate the bath tub with fun then.
Their faces are priceless! I have a big jacuzzi tub too, and at first only the dogs used it...and hated it. I now take them in my small stall shower with me so they cannot escape, and take the head off the shower (it's a hose one). They are much more content in the shower! I think it's because there is nowhere to go so they just stand there. Works tons better!
I brush 'em before bathing - it helps (a little) on all the hair cleanup afterwards. And I bathe Sadie first 'cause she's the best and her calm acceptance of the bath makes the other two think maybe it isn't so bad and worth a few treats after all.
And I blow dry them a bit - it helps keep wet dog from running all over the house. Sadie loves it, Maggie hates it and Hurley warms up to it after he realizes that it's not a torture device.
Love the pics! We will have to start using cotton balls with Pauley. All of our dogs hate getting a bath & believe it or not, the 3 foster dogs do much better during bath time than our own dogs do :)
I've always bathed my big dogs at home in the shower with warm water and a hand-held shower massage.
But due to a shoulder injury, yesterday I took one of our dogs to Petco for a bath and I must say, it was wonderful: bathroom, shower, towels are still clean and dry and I am, too. I could get used to this...
Its called a bath chamber
Benny & Lily
Bathing multiple dogs? You're brave!
Our tub is kind of cruddy, not the swank digs you have ;)
To bathe Elka, I put her in the tub, sit on the side with my feet in, and wet her down, shampoo her, and rinse her, while all the while she's complaining in my face like we're on Jerry Springer and I'm her baby daddy.
"Baby" Hades shakes the whole time so our trick is just use the shower head and go as quick as possible. If he hears a tub running he will run to a crate or a corner of the bedroom. What a little wuss. Braylon will run in because she knows she gets a treat but once you shut the bathroom door she suddenly realize it's not just time for a treat and becomes less enthused but she tolerates it.
Don't forget the non-slip mats in the tub! Paws/nails will easily cause a great deal of anxiety without grip.
The photos make me *melt*...
You bathe them all at the same time?!
We got a rubber bath mat to put in the bottom of the tub. Darwin seems to like that more than just the empty tub. She willingly will walk in the tub, but will stand perpendicular to it (butt at the wall, face hanging over the edge) which makes it tough to wash her face. We've just put towels (we have designated dog towels) on the floor to soak up water that inevitably gets outside the tub.
I have yet to take any bath-time photos of my pups but I think it's a good idea...those are some sad faces! Esp. Miss M. I bathe my dogs in the tub and they hate it but put up with it all the same.
Many dog owners opt to save money by washing their own dogs. It's a little tricky to clean up a canine, especially the first time. With practice, however, it can become much easier for both hound and human. Here are 10 steps to help you bathe your own Basset, Beagle, Bichon Frise, Bloodhound, Boxer or other breed.
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