What dog doesn’t love splashing through a puddle or rolling around in mud? Here are a few steps showing you how to give a dog a bath which will help them maintain and a healthy skin and coat and keep your house nice and clean too!
Washing your dog at least once a month is a good rule of thumb, but once a week is fine if they get dirty often. It all depends on the breed of dog, their activity levels and the environment. A toy breed may be less adventurous (and therefore get less muddy) than a Spaniel or Beagle; a city dog may need fewer baths than one in the country; and a short-haired dog won’t pick up as much muck as a long-haired breed.
Another factor to bear in mind is that dogs secrete natural oils that help them maintain a healthy coat. WildWash is gentle to the skin and coat and does not take away their natural oils. For breeds such as Border Collies, Cocker and Springer Spaniels, Golden Retrievers and Bassets, which produce a lot of these oils, it’s especially important not to harm the natural waterproofing qualities.
Your dog instinctively does a pretty good job of self-cleaning, even if they are not quite as meticulous as a cat! Canine saliva contains useful antibacterial chemicals, and dogs will groom dirt and debris out of their fur by licking or nibbling themselves wherever they can reach. An enthusiastic shake and a bit of rolling around are also natural cleaning habits in dogs.
Keep a watch for obsessive, constant self-cleaning, however. This might be a sign of an underlying health or behavioural issue, so it is worth getting checked out by your vet.
Quite simply, let your nose be the guide. If your dog is emitting a powerful pong, you know it’s time! Bathing your dog is also a great opportunity to check them over for parasites like fleas or ticks, skin infections, wounds or suspicious lumps that need medical attention. Double-coated breeds, such as Samoyeds and Chow Chows, are best bathed during their shedding season.
Bathing indoors in a sink, bathtub or shower is the best place for most dogs. You could pop an old towel on the floor in the tub to make them feel secure. If your dog is truly filthy you could hose them down outside, but remember dogs don’t like being cold. This is best for the occasional shower in the summer months perhaps or if your dog is so dirty they can’t possibly go indoors!
Many humans love a relaxing bath, but our four-legged pals are often rather less keen. Being plopped into a sink or bathtub and doused or hosed with water can be a startling experience for dogs, and even the most compliant pet often wears an expression of resignation! Make bath times as stress-free as possible for both of you:
1. Place your dog in the tub or wash station. Treats are a great way to get the process off to a positive start!
2. Dilute the shampoo with water. Try adding some to a bowl full of water, or put the shampoo in a dispenser that contains water. Diluting shampoo helps it suds up and spread better. The WildWash shampoo is thick and concentrated, and adding water can make it easier to use.
3. Wet your dog using warm water. Checking the temperature with your hand is just fine.
4. Shampoo the dog twice. The first time, the shampoo binds with the dirt and helps get rid of it. The second go-around, you’re really washing the skin and pulling out all the remaining dirt and oil in the hair. Be sure to not overlook places like the pads of the feet, armpits, and bellies. Above all, make it an enjoyable experience. You can use your hands to really massage the whole dog. And if you’re doing that, and you’re using warm water and the dog is someplace where it’s warm, it should be a fun experience for the dog.
5. Use conditioner. Leave it on for a few minutes and then rinse away.
6. Rinse well until there is no more product on the fur. You want to scrub them really good, but you also want to make sure that all of the soap is out. That’s probably the most important thing. Because if you don’t get all the soap out, then the soap will stay on the skin and irritate it. It’s worse than not giving them a bath.
Follow our ‘How to Give The Perfect Dog Bath’ guide for a more detailed explanation.
They may feel like a member of the family, but dogs shouldn’t be washed with human shampoo. Even baby formulas can be too harsh for canine skin. Instead, choose a shampoo specifically formulated for dogs, which works with their more neutral skin pH. If you don’t know which one to choose from, don’t hesitate to contact us as info@wildwash.co.uk and we will be ready to answer all your questions and advise you for the best shampoo, depending on your dog’s breed.
The quickest way to dry your dog? If you have washed your dog with WildWash Shampoo their coat will dry quicker than with a regular shampoo. This is because WildWash Shampoos do not contain sulphates. Sulphates create a lot of foam and bubbles and this is hard to wash out of the coat. It leaves residue in the coat and makes the drying time much longer. WildWash Shampoos have a low natural lather and rinses out the coat easily and quickly, leaving no residue and the coat will dry much quicker.
Dogs can shake up to 70% of water from their coats by themselves. That means it’s 70% less work for you to do later if you leave your dog to it. However, dogs won’t just shake on command, so you’ll need to be patient and wait for them to do it.
We recommend a microfibre towel, as they can absorb a lot of water and won’t drip on your floors. Absorption is the main factor when it comes to drying dogs after a bath, because regular “human” towels will not work for many breeds (or you’ll need far, far more towels). Our new WildWash Microfibre Pet Towel is perfect for use after wet walks or bath time, the large size (140 x 70cm) makes it easy to wrap your pet keeping them warm and getting them dry quicker.
If you’d like to find out more drying techniques, visit our ‘The Quickest Way to Dry Your Dog’ blog post.
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