my dog hates to get a bath?

Question

my dog hates to get a bath, all you have to do is say the word "tubby" and she gets all huffy. now she will put up with the bath but don't like it. Is there anything i can give her to calm her down befor we go to the groomers?

we go to the local pet smart & she knows that it not alway for getting a bath. oh..her breed... $ yr oldChow/ sheba inu..we got her from the humane society, she had been there 4 months & was going to be put down,,we saw her pic on the news ( they were doing an special due to over crowding) we saw her & hubby & I said we want her..we to the H.S. & adopted her. most weel bahaved dog in the house,,,but is a real puller when it comes to walking. I think the cleaning of the cages with a hose there may of sared her ,we bought a small kiddy pool & this past summer i bathed her & my akita in it. she will let me do it but to get her inthe pool is the trick , the other one loves it! even when it rains out in thte past she wouldn't even go out. Now that i have the 10 month old akita who doesen't mind the rain she will go out & even play in the puddles.

oops ..she's 4 years old

Answer 1

As a groomer, I do not recommend giving ANY type of sedative to your pet for grooming/bathing unless she poses a threat to herself (risk of injury biting at clippers/scissors/ or stress to the point of making herself sick), or to the groomer (serious biter).
Sedatives, both prescribed and natural can cause negative side effects, and makes some pets worse because their senses become distorted and it makes them more scared. If you absolutely must do this then find a groomer at a vet clinic so the doc is there to care for your pet should she need it.
I suggest that you visit grooming salons in the area to find a petstylist that will work with your pet -- in shorter sessions if you have to (feet today, face tomorrow.....) -- to help acclimate her to the process. Hopefully your current groomer is already doing this. Wherever you choose to go, stick to one groomer that way your pet can get used to this person.
In the meantime you can help to get her used to the groomer and the salon by taking her there just to visit and providing lots of treats. Let your groomer know what you are trying to accomplish and have him/her say hi to your pet and give her some treats as well. Make it a FUN time! And by all means, don't be apprehensive about it yourself, she will build anxiety off your reaction -- kind of like when you say 'Tubby' and she gives the response that you know it will evoke.
I also suggest that, if you are not already, you work on grooming at home so that it becomes more familiar to her, especially brushing and gentle massage all over including feet, ears (inside and out), and face. I would also quit saying 'tubby' at home for bath time and use lots of yummy treats and/or peanut butter smeared on the side of the tub to distract her during the bath.
Good luck and again look for a compassionate groomer who will not just automatically take the easy way out (giving the pet a sedative).

Answer 2

There are a couple of over the counter products available at petstores that you could try, however they are not very likely to calm your dog down too much and are usually sold as a calming aid for long car/plane rides. If it is really that bad then you should have your vet perscribe something usually in pill form that takes about 1/2 hour to take effect. It also helps to use the same groomer with a difficult dog that way they have some sort of consistancy in an otherwise stressful ordeal.

Answer 3

I have found that if I give my dog half of a benedryl, she seems to calm right down. Actually makes her a little sleepy. Good luck.

Answer 4

I let my dog take a bath with my kids... he loves 3 people rubbing shampoo on him... when I tried to get him to go in on his ownhe cries... really pathetic...

Answer 5

Instead of drugging your dog, try some canine behavior therapy. First, always remember that dogs take thier behavioral cues from the owner...nervous, jumpy owners make for nervous, jumpy dogs and relaxed, assertive owners make for relaxed, submissive dogs. However, naturally being pack animals, dogs need leadership and direction; they need to know know and establish where they stand in their family or pack and what behavior is and is not acceptable in this pack. That being said, if when you say the word "tubby", you expect trouble from her, she'll read your behavior and posture and give you trouble. You should start these sessions, especially in the beginning, when the bathtub has an unpleasant conditioned association with a nice, long and TIRING walk. You didn't mention her breed, so if she's a big, working dog that needs a lot of exercise, use a doggie backpack with something in it to help tire her out. Remember to establish your alpha, leader position during the walk. Invite her out, and YOU lead her on the walk, never letting her attention stray anywhere but on yourself, then invite her back in to YOUR house. Remember, in a natural pack, be it wolves or dogs, the alpha just goes where he decides and does what he decides and fully expects the his pack to follow, so, that's what you've gotta do. After your walk, Take her to the threshold of the bathroom, without speaking or any fanfare, and make her sit and calm down at the threshold. If she tries to get up and walk away, a quick correction and make her sit again. It's important that she sits and submits to you and you making her sit. Once she's calm and she submits to you at the threshold, lead her in without any speach or fanfare. Remember, she's gotta do what you want to do and go where you want to go, no questions asked. So when you lead her, lead her in a deliberate but nonforceful manner. Just walk in and lead her. After she's in the bathroom, repeat the sit and submit procedure. As soon as she looks to get up, correct her and make her sit and calm down. You don't have to talk to her or try and soothe her just correct her and wait for her to acclimate and calm down. Once she's calm, you can pet her but you needn't say anything. As she calms down in the bathroom, take her into the tub and calm her down. ONLY AFTER she's calm, pet her on her muzzle or along her body (just like mamma dog would do to her puppies) and give her a treat (ONLY AFTER she's calm!). She might fight and whine as you wash her but don't say anything, don't get upset or frustrated because all of this is for her own good, and especially don't give in (most important!). After she's calm and acclimated to the bathtub, start to wash her without any speech or fanfare. If she gets nippy or starts to growl and bare teeth at you, correct her right away with a quick, sharp "NO!" and a tap to her neck, collar or muzzle and make her submit and don't back down. Once she calms down, you can pet her on her muzzle or behind her ear to calm her down further. At first, you may want to muzzle her or use a piece of cloth as a makeshift muzzle if she's the nippy type. At first you also may want to get help while washing her; you calm her while a helper washes. When you tke her to the groomers, for the first few times, see if you can assist the groomer, just to keep your dog calm. Follow this routine when you take her to the groomer as well. Before you take her to the groomer, follow the same ritual as you would before going out for a walk. Make sure she's calm and submissive to you. Without any excitement or fanfare, lead her out and to your car, then take her to the groomer in the same manner. When you hand her over to the groomer, make sure she's in a calm, relaxed state and totally following your direction. Hand her over without any speech, excitement or fanfare, wait as the groomer takes her away, then leave. As with any behavioral issues, if your dog gets overly aggressive or defensive, the best thing to do is consult a professional. Hope it all works out with the pup!

Answer 6

My parrot is the same, hates water in general and i don't know what to do....