Bath Time

Rub ba dub dub

Picture
Kids will be kids - and puppies are no different!They do get dirty and they do need baths.If the puppy is very young, you can bathe him in the kitchen sink.After that, you'll have to kneel beside a bathtub with a non-slip bath mat in it and a shower hose available. Buy a dog shampoo in the Pet department of your supermarket or department store.Human shampoo is NOT acceptable or desirable. The Ph (acid/alkaline balance) of dog skin is different from human Ph. and therefore needs special products. Dogs feel heat more strongly than we do, so make the bath water about 100 degrees Fahrenheit.Test it the way you would a baby formula using your wrist or elbow. If it feels warm, it's too hot! If you wish, you can put some small pieces of cotton into his ears. The following is my method for bathing a young puppy - up to about 12 weeks of age, depending on the size and breed of dog. Gently immerse the puppy into the sink, keeping his head above the water, but getting his body wet all over.You will wash his head last. Pour the shampoo into your cupped hand and drizzle it over the pup's wet coat and work it in with your fingers and palms.Don't forget to wash the tail! When you have got the body all soaped up and the lather worked into the coat, drain out the soapy water and refill the sink with clean water to rinse away the soap.Drain the sink again and fill the sink and rinse one more time. It is very important that all the soap is removed from the coat. Remove the pup from the basin and wrap him well in a towel, leaving the head exposed. Gently pour warm water from a cup over his head, from behind the skull, tipping his nose down so that the water runs down and away from his nose and eyes.Put a small amount of shampoo onto his skull and work it around his ears and neck and under his chin, keeping the soap out of his eyes and mouth. Rinse his head twice with warm water from the cup, again pouring from back to front, as before.Now with another small towel dry his head and face. Remove the cotton from the ears. The reason we wash the head last is because water on the head results in automatic shaking of the whole body. Since the pup is secured in a towel while you wash the head, you avoid having water sprayed all over the house when the head gets wet. You can dry the puppy with your hand-held hair dryer set on low, never medium or hot in an area away from the sink and wet floor. Keep the air flow about 12-14 inches away from the puppy, remembering his sensitivity to heat.It is very easy to burn a puppy with a hair dryer so be careful. We usually brush and blow dry the puppy on the grooming table. Don't bathe the puppy unless he is dirty or very smelly. Too much bathing strips the protecive oils from the coat.Don't be surprised if you see 'dandruff' while you dry and brush. Dandruff is a normal reaction to a stressful situation and means nothing, so don't panic!