How To Properly Bathe Your Dog

The rules on how often you should bathe your dog are different from one dog to the next. Various breeds as well as various types of coats determine how often the dog should be given a bath. For example, the Poodle should be bathed every four or six weeks.

On the other hand, the Pointer can go three or four months between baths. Other breeds which have harsh long coats, such as the Pomeranian, Samoyed, and the Norwegian Elkhound require less frequent bathing because it tends to soften the coat. However, dogs that are kept in the house most of the time have to be bathed more frequently to keep them clean.

Bathing the dog is important in order to keep the coat and skin clean and healthy. The coat should always be brushed thoroughly before the bath. This will help to remove all dead hair and all mats from the coats of long-haired dogs.

The next step is to prepare the materials you are going to use before the bath. The following is a list of supplies you will need:

1. Shampoo (regular or special shampoos for conditioning, color, coat, etc.)
2. Bristle Brush
3. Sponge
4. Rubber Tub Mat
5. Two Thick Bath-size Towels
6. Chain and Choke (to secure dog)
7. Spray Hose
8. Cream Rinse (long-haired breeds with the exception of the Poodle and Terriers).

Always remember to secure your dog safely in the tub. A chain and choke is necessary for this, giving the dog about a foot and a half of slack. This will make sure that the dog cannot jump from the tub and injure himself. A rubber tub mat is also a good safety precaution.

Using a spray hose, wet the coat thoroughly with warm water. Next, apply the shampoo to the dog’s coat with a sponge, paying special attention to the ears, rectum area, and pads of the feet. These three areas are usually neglected by most groomers when bathing the dog. A small bristle brush may be used to scrub the head, ears, pads of the feet, and other extremely dirty areas of the coat. When the coat is thoroughly soaped and scrubbed, rinse it with warm water.

When rinsing, place the thumb over the ear opening to keep water out of the ears. Also keep a hand over the eyes to prevent any soap from getting into them. Since every dog should have a double bath, repeat the soaping and rinsing process. On the last rinse be sure to get all of the soap out of the coat.

Gently squeeze the hair on the legs, tail, ears, and all parts of the dog’s body with your hands to remove excess water. You must first towel dry before using a dryer.

The Poodle’s coat consists of two types of hair. The outer coat should be thick, wiry and curly. The undercoat must be soft and woolly to provide warmth. Puppies, however, are exceptions. Poodle puppy coats are soft and fine with little or no curl, but often with a slight wave.

As the dog matures into adulthood, the coat develops a thick, curly quality. The best way to judge a puppy’s potential adult coat is to look at the parents. If they carry good coats, theirpuppies will likely possess them too.

Ever since the first hunters trimmed their retrieving dogs to prevent drowning, the Poodle hairstyle has been a favorite topic of conversation among dog people. Initially, Poodles sported either a Continental clip or an English Saddle clip. Now, hundreds of years later, these are still popular as they are required clips for show dogs.

Puppies under one year of age are shown in a simple trim known as a “Puppy clip”. Only the face, throat, feet and base of tail are clipped. The tail displays the characteristic pompom at its end. The body coat is lightly trimmed to give it a neat unbroken line for a pleasant appearance.

The “Continental clip” has full hair around the chest and rib cage, with shaved hindquarters and legs. Large pompons are sculpted over each hip above the area of the kidneys (optional) and around the ankles for protection from the cold.

The “English Saddle clip” permits a short mantle of hair over the hindquarters and fullcoat from the waist to the topknot and ears. The ankle and knee joints are also protected with pompons.

All Poodles are given a topknot of hair over the skull that is brushed out and groomed to stand erect in a rounded pompon. Adult dogs must be shown in either the English Saddle or Continental clip; the only exception being competitors in Stud Dog classes, for which a Sporting clip is permitted. The English Saddle and Continental are the clips of choice for the conformation ring around the world, except in the UK, where the Lion clip is preferred.

Pet Poodles and those not being shown in breed conformation classes at dog shows are usually groomed in styles designed for ease of maintenance. Often the body hair is clipped short, with the legs trimmed a bit longer. Some male Poodles sport tiny mustaches around the muzzles.

The pet style is usually determined by the owner’s willingness and capability to maintain the coat in a well-groomed fashion. In addition. Poodles that spend a lot of time outdoors are usually kept shorter because it’s easier to keep the coat clean when the hair isn’t too long.

1. Sometimes getting a job done is as simple as having the right tools, and bathing your dog is no exception. An indoor pet spray that attaches to your sink faucet or shower head makes bathing your dog easier to manage. The spray is gentle enough for a small dog.

2. If you must bathe your dog indoors, getting him into the tub may be a job in itself, let alone bathing him once he’s there. To help in the effort, purchase a dog bath helper that has a mini lead attached to a suction cup that sticks to the bottom or side of the tub. The suction cup can be easily removed once your dog is squeaky clean.

3. When rinsing the soap from your dog’s coat, use a one part vinegar to four parts water solution to leave his coat shiny and clean.

4. If your dog just doesn’t like the water, use a waterless shampoo that must be applied then lathered into his coat until a foam appears. Brush and towel-dry with a blow-dryer.

5. If you prefer, give your dog a dry bath to remove any odors when it’s too cold to bathe him. Rub some baking soda into your dog’s coat, gently massage it in, then brush it out.

6. To help give a small dog a bath, place a small window screen across the sink in which you want to bathe him. The screen will give your dog something to stand on, and, because the bath and rinse water flow beneath it, will prevent him from having to stand in water.

7. If you want to give your dog some extra help in the self-cleaning department but don’t want to stress him by subjecting him to a bath, use pet cleansing wipes to remove dander and
saliva from his coat. The product, made from all-natural ingredients, leaves your dog’s coat clean and healthy looking.

8. If your dog comes into contact with chewing gum, remove it by rubbing an ice cube on the gum until it hardens and can be pulled out, then wash the area thoroughly.

9. If your dog walks on tar, remove it by rubbing butter or margarine on the tarred area until the tar softens and can be pulled off. Repeat if necessary, then bathe your dog’s feet.

10. If your dog rubs against oil-based paint, wipe it off immediately with a dry cloth, then bathe him. If the paint has dried and hardened, cut it out, then bathe your dog.

11. If your dog doesn’t like the sound of spray conditioner after his bath, spray the conditioner on a brush, then run the brush through his hair.

Dog Washing Tips

Cleaning up body discharges using natural ingredients

Often times a disease will cause discharges from different body orifices, including the eyes, ears, nose, and anus. Many sick dogs are left feeling miserable by the accumulation of the discharge that they cannot remove and can irritate underlying tissues.

Here are a few easy cleansing methods that offer great relief to your pet:

Eyes: In order to clean crusts and secretions from the eyes and eyelids, you can make a natural, non-irritating salt solution by mixing ¼ teaspoon of sea salt to a cup of filtered or distilled water. Stir the mixture well and use it to clean the eyes using a cloth or gauze. Once the eyes are clean, apply one drop of one of the following natural treatments in each eye: You can use almond oil for a mild irritation, castor oil for more irritated and inflamed eyes, or cod-liver oil for eyes that are extremely dry or ulcerated.

Ears: For ears that contain too much oily or waxy secretion, drop about ½ teaspoon of almond oil into the ear hole. You can do this by using a dropper or a squeeze bottle. To start the procedure, warm the oil in a cup that is partly immersed in a sink or a bowl of hot water. Gently but firmly lift the ear flap or tip. Have someone help you hold the dog’s head to keep it in place and also keep the dog distracted. If you let go or the dog pulls away before you finish with the procedure, he will shake the oil all over you. Make sure the almond oil runs down into his ear for a few seconds. As you are holding the ear flap, reach down with your other hand and gently massage the outside of the ear canal at the bottom of the ear opening. It will feel like a firm plastic tube that you can compress as you massage. When done right, you should hear a squishy sound. This procedure loosens up and dissolves the lodged wax. Use a tissue to remove the excess oil and debris. Use a cotton swab to wipe around the ear opening, but never inside the ear canal.

Nose: Carefully clean the secretion using a cloth or gauze saturated with warm water. This procedure takes patience because it involves waiting for the debris to soften so you can easily remove it. It may be necessary to have two or three short sessions instead of a single long one. Once the nose is clean and dry, gently smear the area with almond oil, either alone or mixed with vitamin E oil from a capsule. Repeat the process two to three times a day.

Anus: The anus will often get inflamed because of excessive diarrhea which causes the surrounding tissue to become irritated and get infected with bacteria. When the dog is suffering from diarrhea, you can keep the anus clean by dabbing it gently using a damp cloth. Do not rub the area to avoid further irritation. Pat it dry and apply calendula ointment two to three times a day.

Dog Discharges

When it comes time to brush up on your dog’s grooming, here are some helpful hints.

1. Select a brush that is intended for your dog’s hair type. Brushes with bristles that are farther apart, such as pin brushes, are useful on dogs with longer, thicker hair, while brushes with shorter, harder bristles are useful on shorthaired dogs.

2. If you’ve purchased your dog from a breeder, ask the breeder what kind of brush is best to use on your breed.

3. Wire brushes and slicker brushes help remove dry, dead skin from your dog’s coat along with the excess hair. Getting the hair out of the wire brushes and slickers once you’ve groomed your dog can be difficult if not impossible. To help remove the hair deposits on the wire brush, use a toothpick between the bristles.

4. An alternative to a brush is a grooming glove that you wear on your hand. The tiny prongs on the glove’s surface remove dead hair as you gently stroke your dog. Pull the hair off for disposal in the trash.

5. An undercoat rake will help remove the undercoat of hair on your pet that typically knots up. Note: If you are showing your dog, make certain that removing the undercoat of your dog’s coat is acceptable for the show ring.

6. To remove excess loose hair from your dog, wrap masking tape around your hand and run the tape lightly over his coat.

7. Massage your dog with dampened hands after you take a shower or bath to remove excess hair.

8. A damp rubber glove will help remove excess hair from your dog as well as your furniture.

9. If your dog enjoys being massaged, purchase a battery-operated massager or one that also functions as a brush and a way to collect loose hair. The gentle sound relaxes tension and the massage soothes sore muscles as you groom your dog.

10. Vacuuming hair from your dog helps when shedding season arrives and prevents some of it from attaching itself to your furniture. Some dogs like the vacuum cleaner; others don’t. To accustom your dog to the vacuum being gently run over his coat, begin using it when he is a puppy.

11. If burrs have become tangled in your dog’s hair, crush them with a pair of pliers before brushing them out. Another method of removing burrs is to first saturate them with white petroleum jelly or mineral oil, then work them out of your dog’s hair with your hands.

Dog Grooming

Routine grooming serves three major purposes: First, it keeps your dog’s skin, coat, teeth, gums, and nails in a healthy state. Second, it helps you detect any signs or symptoms of problems or abnormalities. Third, grooming allows you to spend quality time with your pet which helps create a special bond between you and your dog. It is therefore important to establish a daily or weekly grooming ritual that both you and your dog can enjoy. If your dog refuses to be groomed, command him to sit and stay. In addition, grooming should always involve a reward for your dog.

Below are 3 simple steps to properly clean your dog’s face:

1. Gently wash the skin around the eyes using a fresh piece of moistened cotton for each one. If you notice any discharge or inflammation, contact a vet for advice.

2. Hold open the ear with one hand and gently clean inside the flap with a small piece of moistened cotton. Use a fresh piece for each ear. Do not probe too deeply into the ear canal.

3. Loose facial skin must be cleaned regularly with damp cotton. This prevents dirt, dead skin, and bacteria from collecting in the folds and causing irritation and infection.

A clean Pit Bull makes for a happy Pit Bull.

Nail trimming should be done starting from the time your Pit Bull is a puppy. You will need to get your Pit use to having it’s feet touched. Start by carefully cutting just the tips of the Pit’s nails every week. Make sure you don’t cut the nerve endings as this will make him/her very nervous when the clippers come out.

Not only will you need to brush his coat on a regular basis he will also need to be bathed. If he seems scared of the bath tub you can trick into thinking this is a fun time by bringing treats into the tub with you.

Using cotton swabs is a no-no. Cotton swabs can irriate the skin and pack debris into the ear canal. Don’t use powder in the ear which will cake together or use hydrogen peroxide which leaves the ear moist and ready for infection. If you see a build up of debris in the ear only use a cleaning product that is made for that purpose.

Pit Bulls generally don’t have eye problems. However, just like all dogs they could suffer from eye problems that can rob them of their vision if left ignored. Examine your dog’s eyes and check for signs of abnormalities or discharge.

Try to brush your Pit Bull’s teeth once a week using a child toothbrush and dog toothpaste. If he won’t let you brush his teeth your vet has cleansing solutions that helps kill plaque forming bacteria.

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