What is the best way to bath your dog? I use herbal soap free shampoo but is there anything else I can do?

Question

Are you supposed to wash the dogs head? My dog really doesn't like it but I do it anyway. Any advice appreciated

Answer 1

Use whatever soap you are comfortable with, but dog shampoos and conditioners are specially formulated for your dogs skin and hair needs which are different from ours, so i would not recommend people shampoo. We lightly wash our dogs head and rinse it very well, being careful to avoid the eyes and ears. We use doggie face wipes to clean out his ears and wipe the nose and eyes after every bath.

Answer 2

Before bathing I always brush the dog real good to remove any dead hair, check for burrs and mats and trimming if it needs it. Also check for fleas and ticks and any cuts or sores. If you use Frontline you won't need that harsh flea shampoo. I also clean the ears with a little vinegar and water with a cotton ball then dab it dry.

In the winter a good conditioner for dogs helps keep the coat from drying out. As far as bathing your dog's head with soap, I just wouldn't use much soap up around the eyes. You really don't need to use soap on the face nor spaying water on the head. Just use a wash cloth on the face and clean around the eyes any discharge but very carefully.

I start with the head first then lather up th neck, shoulder, chest, back, belly, tail area and leg and paws. Lather twice if real dirty. Then rinse well and apply conditioner and work in well and rinse again.

Be careful not to get water in the ears. You can put cotton in the ears before bathing to keep water out.

Dry the dog off with nice thick terry towel and if you want use a hair dryer on low heat. Don't hold it too close to the dog. I brush the hair while drying. On long hair dogs the hair doesn't look so wild and out of control if you brush it as the hair is drying. Do it gently so you don't break any of the hairs.

After bathing it is a good time to trim the nails. Your vet can show you the proper way to do it and the best clipper for your dog. Your dog will look like a show dog by the time your are done.

Just remember to talk to your dog in a nice calm voice while you are bathing and caring for him. I'm sure he will start to not mind it so much. Have fun!

Answer 3

I like the oatmeal soap for my dogs and then I use a conditioner because they have long hair.
I wash the head first, to get it over with, so they can enjoy the rest of the bath knowing the bad part is over.
My dogs prefer to have a bath in my bathtub with me and the water pick, I can put the water pick under their tummies and around the face without getting it in their eyes. They actually love the bath now that I am doing that way with the warm water. They can also shake...and it doesn't make a mess.

Answer 4

Well I can only tell you from experience.. like 50 years of it.. bathing my dogs and puppies.. Use tepid or slightly warm water. I wet the first half of the dog and wash the face and head with baby shampoo.. then wash the neck with flea or dog shampoo, then the front shoulders and chest with flea shampoo... then rinse the face and neck and lather up the rest of your dog with the flea shampoo.. rinse the neck again and then proceed to shoulders and chest. when you have made sure the face head and shoulders are clean and rinsed.. go on and rinse the rest of the dog.. have a couple dry cotton towels ready. Dry the dog and wrap with the second dry towel for a few minutes because the dog will want to shake the water off and it will be going all over you and the house.. when the dog is dry you can use a flea collar or flea drops.. or if you get flea tablets use them only according to the vets directions for your size and age dog. Confidentially, dogs love to nap under a pine tree and lore has it that flys and fleas don't like to be around a pine tree.. but I don't know since I have never napped there. :) You can find good dog care books at your local library for an experts opinion on many facets of dog care. You can read the info there and make copies for a few cents of any page you might want to keep. good luck

Answer 5

I bathe my weimaraner about once a month with oatmeal based shampoo from the dog store,I do wash his head too,but very carefully as he doesn't like that either,I always put cotton balls into his ears and after every bath I do his paws,put some cream on it if it's dry,especially in the winter and then I do his pedicure.He doesn't like it much,but he's use to it since he was a puppy so he holds of course he gets a treat after it all the time for being a good dog :-)

Answer 6

i used to bathe dogs in a grooming shop and we used to wash their head first and always hold the dogs head up when you are rinsing the soap. be careful to keep water out of their ears and eyes. in the groomers i worked at: for a dirty dog they will use diluted sunlight dish soap first and let that set. then they would either a second round of sunlight or an oatmeal soap followed by a conditioning treatment that made tangles easier to comb.
When you are done with the bath give your dog a treat and tell hm he was a good boy or whatever praise you use. he will learn that he will get a reward for good behavior in the tub. i have a newfoundlander and the treats really help me get her clean!

Answer 7

NOO, you shouldnt wash your dogs head. Just use a damp face cloth with no soap and scrub him/her. Its not good if water gets in their ears (infections). Dog shampoo can be expensive and because you only give a dog a bath so often it might not be worth spending so much money. You can use mane and tail shampoo it was created for horses but now humans use it and it is safe. It states on the bottle that its also safe for Dogs! Pretty Cool and it smells good!
All the best

Meesa

Answer 8

I have 2 dogs which were prone to dandruff from a commercial shampoo - I found a fab product from Perfect Potion I think its called furry animal shampoo. Its all natural and smells great and you can wash the face and head! (Just dry ears well and clean with cotton buds I use a vet approved ear cleaner)

Answer 9

Use dog shampoo,I use ppl shampoo, and conditioner, put cotton wool in the dogs ears,just wipe his face with a wet cloth,and be sure to rinse thoroughly.Make it quick some dogs do not like it. talk to him all the time reassure him, tell how good it is. lol
Good luck
Breeder and shower of Whippets

Answer 10

I have a 7 mo cockapoo who of course is long haired. when we first got him he was 6wks and I would bathe him almost daily because I didn't realize puppies have a "smell" for the first couple of months. When I told the vet this she advised me to only bathe him if possible once monthly and to use an oatmeal based shampoo. this helps keep their skin from drying out or getting itchy. I completely cover my dog with lather even around his eyes to get the eye boogers out of his coat. He doesn't like it but he needs to bathe!! hope this helps.