Any good tips on getting her interested?
2006-06-18 05:31:33 · 9 answers · asked by Patches 5 in Pets ➔ Dogs
Not all dogs like water. Try brushing her to keep her clean and stimulate natural oiling of her coat.
2006-06-18 05:35:59 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe she had a bad experience with water. This could be especially true if you got her from a rescue home, tho she could also have had bad experiences with her breeder.
Try and make water fun for her, not too much water - try a sprinkler or hose pipe games. Don't let anything else scare her which she could associate with the water - such as children screaming when they play with water.
Don't force her to have baths- that could just stress her more. Take her to a proper dog groomers which should be less stressing.
2006-06-18 05:37:35 · answer #2 · answered by casperpdavies 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hope you get an answer to this that works. My dogs hate the bath. My son takes them into the shower with him so they can't get out (plastic doors). When it rains outside or the sprinkler is on they wont go near it. I've had them since they were puppies and they never had a bad experience with water so it's just their personality. I have two pitbulls and a cocker spaniel so it's not a breed thing either.
2006-06-18 06:41:47 · answer #3 · answered by Mommy Pit 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Could be the mood of the bath giver being felt. Could be bad experiences in the past = getting "spanked" for not behaving. Could be an aversion to water. Soap in the eyes. Small dogs tend to not like water as much as big dogs -- no reason for this that I know of. We get into the tub with our dog and that seems to make all the difference in the world.
2006-06-18 05:35:23 · answer #4 · answered by rescuehearts.org 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tip One: Encourage your dog to swim. If you’ve a swimming pool or you can take your dog to the beach (not the best option for young dogs), encourage him to get into the water. You could toss in his favorite toy to coax him to swim. Once he gets over the fear, he will enjoy being wet. Then, the bath will not be so challenging. Of course, you should never “throw” your dog into the water and should never be forced into any of these situations.
Tip Two: Action begins in the bathtub. Start with just a few inches of water in the bathtub. Remember the level of water doesn’t go beyond his chest or he may be too afraid to get in especially the tub is slippery and may not get a secure footing. It would be wiser to have a rubber mat line the bottom of the tub to give him a sense of security; otherwise a bath towel will do just fine too.
Tip Three: Your behavior matters. If you are trying to give your dog a bath and he is fighting with you and if you begin to ruffle and fight with him, he is not going to cooperate with you at all. Instead, talk soothingly and calmly to your pet. Encourage him to relax by say reassuring things like “good boy”, “clever girl” and “good job” as these will show him that he is not being harmed as well as that he is behaving right. Once you begin to settle your dog through soothing language, he is likely to stay and relax while you begin to lather him with dog shampoo.
Tip Four: Make it fun. Once he begins enjoys the comfortable of surrounding water, you may want to increase the water level to a few more inches. Take a floating toy and push it to the bottom. Hold it there for a few seconds then release your hand. Your dog will be very excited to see the instant appearance of his favorite toy. Now do it again, but hold it much longer. He may duck his head into the water to retrieve it. If not, don’t despair. Not all dogs are born retrievers. Just don’t give up, he will soon learn to fun in water after a few more tries.
Tip Five: Make it relaxing. Your dog bath time should be comfortable, if not fun for him. Be gentle to scrub his coat and slowly work your way to his skin. Give him the best massage that you can offer. Gently wash his coat down to the skin and rinse him off. It’s not possible to keep the water out of his eyes, but what you could avoid is to flash water (either through showerhead or water bucket) directly onto his face and eyes. Instead you could rinse from head down as you work the lather off his muzzle, jaws and ears. Dogs enjoy being massaged and petted so make those hard-to-get-by areas pleasurable. This is what it will feel like in a proper bath.
2006-06-18 06:51:13 · answer #5 · answered by Halle 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She just hates having all her smell washed off. Dogs see with their noses, so a bath is like having your face removed and replaced with another one.
You want your dog to be interested in water? Some dogs hate it. Try turning on a sprinkler ( or get a wading pool) and see what your dog does.
2006-06-18 05:38:12 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
My ridgeback hated water. It was so bad, that when I took him out to relieve himself after a rain fall, he would "hot foot it" like he was standing on hot coals. Peeing and dancing at the same time.
Baths were a nightmare!
Today he still doesn't like water, but life is better. Very polite, but firm ... I am alpha and you are getting a bath. Took lots of care not to get any soap in the eyes, kept time in water as short as possible. After the bath, tons of positive reinforcement... GOOD BOY, followed by a very special treat.
My rott loves water, and enjoys a little kiddie pool. One day I discovered my RR, in the pool, fishing out a favorite toy that his brother had left there.
Good luck!
2006-06-18 06:40:58 · answer #7 · answered by Robin 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If she's a Husky or a Malamute, you'll NEVER get her to like water - it's a survival instinct among dogs bred to live in Arctic climates.
Most dogs don't really like baths. Try letting her play in the sprinkler.
2006-06-18 06:14:24 · answer #8 · answered by Danger, Will Robinson! 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
try giving her a cold water bath
2006-06-25 03:47:58 · answer #9 · answered by sweet 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋