How to wash a dog and what to use to wash it?

Question

Hi, i have a 3 month old siberian husky. i noticed that she has been smelling pretty bad. i have gotten her about a month ago and this is the 2nd time i will be washing her. i noticed when the first time i washed her she still smelled so im guessing i didnt do a good job and she was screaming, whining and running away when i was trying to apply soap to her. my question is how do u wash a dog

Answer 1

What does she smell of? Did she meet up with a skunk or something? Does she have a disorder? Could it be something in her mouth like a cracked tooth or perhaps an infection?

Have you checked her out to see if there is something wrong with her?

If it is something in her body then washing will not help. If it is something noxious than you may need something more than just regular shampoo.

Answer 2

Trust me I have 6 dogs so I know . Well first if it is hot and sunny out you should wash your dog outside in the grass . But if it is not you should wash your dog in a bath tub . Also it works best to wash your dog in a bath tub because first you can close the door so your dog doesn't escape because most dogs do not like water so if you are going to wash your dog outside you should have a leash hooked to a tree .Also if you wash your dog in the tub all the dirt is in the tub so that it can wash away . Well first when you bathe your dog you will need to first get it wet . So it is a good idea to have a bucket to fill with water to pour on your dog . Once you dog is wet you need to use shampoo and make sure you scrub your dog good by using a sponge . You should use flea and tick shampoo which you should be able to purchase at your local pet store . Then it is rinse time . You should then rinse your dog and then your done ! It is also a good idea to groom your dog after you bathe it . Also it won't hurt to shampoo your dog twice . Well that is the answer to your problem . I also think your dog may smell because if it is a puppy then it is common that it is a puppy smell . Another reason is maybe your dog rolled in something smelly and gross or it was just running through the woods and it has that woods scent .

Answer 3

Get a sprayer for your shower or do it outside..
Discipline helps. Don't go in for a bath the next time. Get some treats, or if your dog responds well to verbal praise, that would be best. Ask her to sit, and spray away from her. Ask her repeatedly to stay and be sure she doesn't move while you are spraying .. if she does, give an abrupt and deep punishment sound, push her rear end back down, and repeat "stay". This helps if she knows to stay in reegular conditions. Spray her body itself a little at a time, and after you can wet her completely, give her a treat or extravagent praise. The next time, do the same thing except soap her, and really scratch into those itchy spots, to let her enjoy it. Rinse her and treat her. Also be sure you are using an oatmeal based shampoo or something gentle, since alot of the time regular soap or the (NO NO!) flea shampoos can iritate the skin and even cause some major allergic reactions to sensitive skin. Good luck!!! And that smell is uaully from dry/irritated skin and skin allergies. Especially long haired dogs. If you see her itching alot, but see none or not many fleas, ask your vet to try a Depomedrol/Cortisone shot and see if that helps. Remember though: it usually only lasts 30 days, so when she starts itching again, she'll need another shot!

Answer 4

Because huskies have very thick fur, the smell just might be because of the trapped fur and dirt under the softer part. Try brushing your dog thoroughly and then start to get her to the bath. I don't know where you bathe her in.... so it might depend. And it also might depend with the type of shampoo you use. But it should be a better result if you try brushing her first.
And don't use soap when washing a dog - -;;. Use dog shampoo. Dogs aren't human and the soap might cause her to shed more. And don't make the water too hot because dogs' body temperature are higher than ours. But don't make it freezing. You should make it chilly in the summer and somewhat warmer in the winter.
And do not wash her more than 3 times a month. Since you got your dog a month ago, it might not have inhabited the "smell of your house" and you might find her accustomed smell weird.
Oh, I've found it easier to NOT USE A SPONGE or BRUSH while washing. Dogs hate it and it tangles their fur. Using your hands like you would wash your hair is much more effective. It keeps things neat and dog enjoy baths more if you use your hands.
And after drying her off, brush her again to get the loose fur off.
Hope this helped.

Answer 5

I have to ask, has your dog seen a vet? Perhaps she has a skin problem that is making her stink. I agree that pets have an odor but I wouldn't say it's a "smell" or that it's bad. Our yellow lab has a rash that he gets, the vet said it was completely normal so we use a special derm. shampoo that we got from petsmart whenever he rolls in mud... otherwise we don't wash him. When we do wash him, usually one of us just drags him into the shower with us in it. It's so much easier that way. Water 'em down, apply the soap everywhere but the face, scrub away, wipe the face down carefully, and rinse. Then run like hell when they get out 'cause they get fiesty.

Honestly, I'd ask Petsmart or a vet because I don't believe a puppy, who does have a natural puppy smell, should be smelling bad... Husky's fur is long, perhaps you're not rinsing all the soap away or she is rolling in something not nice.

Answer 6

First, I would do it in the house because when you use the hose really cold water comes out and with the heat right now it can cause seizures and strokes. If you can't wash her in the house set some buckets of water out to warm up. Tie her to a post where she cannot move a whole lot. Massage in the shampoo and rinse with the buckets. Then if you want apply conditioner and rinse again. This will make her hair soft and shiny.

It may be eaiser to put her in a plastic kids pool to do this.

If you don't want to go through the trouble of bathing her and she isn't really dirty, just stinky, they make pet sprays to put on them and make them smell good. They sell them at the vet most of the time. Groomers also have them. Taking her o a groomer may be a good idea because they are trained to give dogs a bath, even when the dog is resistant.

Answer 7

It is very difficult to get a husky totally wet to the skin, so I imagine this was part of the problem. Her no co-operating probably doesn't help. I groom at home, so I installed an eye hook in my tub to tie dogs to. If you don't mind it being there, I suggest it. To bathe her, start out be getting a bottle such as an empty dish soap bottle, and dilute some of the shampoo you plan to use in it at about 10 to 1 ratio. Start wetting your dog around the neck area, and drible some of this mixed solution over her neck, When her neck is wet to the skin, massage in some shampoo to a lather. Leave it there, and use the combonation of sprayer hose and diluted shampoo to wet the rest of her totally down. (The ring of shampoo on her neck prevents any fleas she may have that you don't know about from getting on her head, and the diluted shampoo breaks down some of her natural oils to make it easier to wet her to the skin) Once you gfet her totally soaked to the skin, massage the shampoo in to a good lather. I use a rubber curry brush to help. After she is completely shampooed, rinse rinse rinse. After you think you have all the soap out, rinse again, because you don't. LOL O(nce you are certain all the soap is out, you can towel dry her, or use a blower. NEVER use heat on the dryer. I use a hi-velocity dryer, (Metro Air-Force) but beware if you decide to get one. They plaster hair everywhere, so you might want to use it in a garage or outdoors. For a husky, it's a good investment because all the hair you blow out is hair that isn't left on your furniture, etc. Good luck.

Answer 8

Bring the dog in the bathroom and shut the door. Cover the floor with towels and the bottom of the tub with a rubber mat so she doesn't slip. Put him in the tub and spray him down with the hand-held shower attachment that's got a six foot hose. Use a dog shampoo available at any pet store and lather up and rinse. Then towel dry and done. It helps to have someone assist you especially when she is learning to behave in the tub. Your assistant can hold her in place by her collar while you do all the washing.

Answer 9

We put ours in the bath tub so it's harder for them to get away.. lol! Our dogs aren't big fans of getting a bath so, we just have to hold them in the tub while we bathe them and bathe them as quickly as possible! As far as what to bathe her with, you need to use doggy shampoo. You cannot use people products on dogs, you have to get a doggy shampoo that fits your dogs individual needs. We use an oatmeal shampoo on our dogs, it smells good and it' very gentle. Now, if you have had her for a month and you have already bathed her once, I would strongly suggest that you wait to bathe her. It's not good to bathe a dog more than once a month because it dries their skin out. You also might want to make a trip to the vet just to see if she has an ear infection, a skin infection, etc because normally those come with a pretty nasty smell. Good luck! : )

Answer 10

First things first. NEVER wash a dog more than once a month. I prefer once every two months. When you wash a dog, you strip her coat and skin of it's natural oils, then leading to skin problems, mange etc. I don't even bathe my dog. It isn't natural. I just grab a warm wet wash cloth and wash his feet and face, once a week and that's it. You should of known that the dog was going to stink before you even got it. Any animal stinks. Even cats do. Do what I do, spot clean and bathe with doggy shampoo once a month or two months. You can get the shampoo at your pet store. Good luck!