Dog Care/Grooming

This is part of the Dog Care Wikibook.

Bathing
Bathing is an important part of the overall grooming process.

Brushing is often recommended before bathing, to remove dead skin and loose hair. Human shampoos are generally not recommended, due to pH differences between humans and dogs.

Here are some general steps:


 * Rinse the dog completely.
 * Apply the shampoo on dog's back. Lather well. Repeat for belly, legs and tail.
 * Short-haired dogs can be scrubbed in a circular pattern. It may be easier to wash medium-length haired with a back-and-forth motion; longer-haired dogs in the direction of hair growth.
 * A washcloth can be used to wash the dog's sensitive head and face.
 * Rinse again, holding the water with one hand as you work out the soap with another.
 * Run your hand all along the dog to remove excess water. Squeeze longer hair to remove excess water.
 * Towel-dry. Use a hair dryer on longer haired dogs, but use a very low heat setting because of the sensitivity of the dog's skin to heat.

Many use an indoor tub for dog bathing. For many home owners this can be burdensome, especially with large dogs. If you have an outside dog, chances are they may be particularly more dirty than an inside dog. Getting your large, dirty dog inside can be difficult and messy. You can always wash your dog outside with a water hose. It is important to be conscious of the outside temperature and the temperature of your outside faucet water.

It may be useful to purchase an elevated dog bath tub that brings the dog up to the level of the human, not vice versa. The ability to wash your dog without bending down or getting on your knees is not only convenient, but less stressful on your body. Many tubs also have straps to hold your dog inside the tub and prevent them from slipping and hurting themselves. A simple search for dog bath tub will reveal many providers of quality tubs especially for bathing your dog. They can also substitute for a grooming table.