I have a 8 week old black lab/chow mix who I adopted yesterday... Please read and help me its about bathing!?

Question

I got her from the pound, and she smells really bad. Can I give her a bath? And if I do, can I use Johnson and Johnson Baby Shampoo? And how should I bathe her? Thank you!

Answer 1

yes you can give her a bath just make sure the water isn't to hot and once you wash her make sure you get all of the soap off of her and try to dry her as much as possible and don't let her outside until she is fully dry. Have fun!!

Answer 2

yes you can. I give my small dog a bath once a week using baby shampoo and have yet to see any bad results come from it. In fact his hair is very soft and shiny. I bet most people don't even know what the heck a "pH balance" is. You should use warm water and heat the bath room up really warm. Dry her well with a towel and DO NOT use a human hair dryer on her. They are too hot and harsh and it will scare her.

The only human shampoo that is too harsh for dogs is medicated shampoo. Baby shampoo is good because it is tear free.

Answer 3

Don't use Johnson and Johnson, it can strip away essential oils in the dogs skin and coat. Go to your local feed or pet store, and purchase a "doggie" shampoo. Doesn't have to be anything fancy, I think even Wal-Mart sells it. I would just get a gentle shampoo for her.

Since she is 8 weeks old and has probably never had a bath, you are going to have to teach her all about it. This initial bath is going to take some time. Make sure she goes potty before you give her her bath, because you want to avoid bring ing a wet dog outside for obvious reasons.

If you are not sure what you are doing, please bring her to the groomer for her first "bath". Then ask them if they wouldn't mind you asking some questions so that the next time you can give her a bath yourself...

Here are some sites with information on bathing, in case you still want to do it yourself.

http://animal.discovery.com/guides/dogs/dogcare/bathing.html

http://www.akc.org/public_education/grooming.cfm

Here is an excerpt from the bathing part of the AKC's website:
Bathing - Your dog should have regular, but not frequent, baths, depending on the breed and coat of your dog. Too-frequent washing removes natural oils and causes the coat to become dry and harsh.

When necessary, use a mild shampoo formulated for dogs. Stand the dog in a tub or basin, and put cotton balls in his ears and a couple of drops of mineral oil in his eyes. Wet the dog with warm water and apply shampoo from the neck back. After lathering and scrubbing, rinse your dog thoroughly with warm water. Rub vigorously with a towel (he'll help you with vigorous shaking!), and then blow-dry if necessary. Comb or brush as required."

Good luck and remember a puppy is a huge responsibility!

Answer 4

Buy a dog shampoo from a Pet store.
Human shampoo is NOT acceptable or desirable for bathing puppies or dogs because the Ph (acid/alkaline balance) of dog skin is different from the human Ph.level.


Here are some items you'll want to have on hand:


A veterinarian-approved dog shampoo (people products can cause allergic reactions)

Mineral oil and/or cotton balls

Washcloth or sponge

Towels (the bigger the dog, the more towels you'll need)

A warm, draft-free area

A bathing tether if you're bathing him in a tub. (If you're bathing him outside, a tether to a fixed point will do.)

Brush and comb for his coat

A soft brush for between his toes and on his nails

A rubber tub mat

Before bathing, comb and brush out all mats. Otherwise, the water will turn the mats into solid masses, which will require clippers to remove. If your dog's hair is matted with paint, tar or some other sticky material, trim with clippers or soak the area with vegetable or mineral oil for 24 hours. (You may want to speak with a professional groomer if the tangles are difficult.)

Now it's time to prep your dog. Put a drop of mineral oil in the eyes to protect them from suds. Some people use cotton balls in the ears. If you use cotton balls, make sure they're the right size for your dog's ears; if they're too small, they may slip down the ear canal.

If you're using a tub, fill the water to the level of your dog's knees. The water should be about his temperature; around 102 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Bath

Bring your dog into the tub. If you have a bathing tether, attach one end to his collar and the suction cup to the bathtub. Ladle the warm water over him. If you use a spray, use it on low and hold it gently against his coat so the spraying action doesn't scare him. When he's thoroughly wet, apply the shampoo on his back and work it gently through the coat for about 10 minutes. Be careful not to get soap in his face or mouth. Use the washcloth or sponge to clean and rinse his face, and the soft brush to clean the paws, between toes and on nails.

When you're ready to rinse, don't forget to drain the tub first. The rinsing cycle, by the way, is very important. You want to do it twice to make sure all the soap is rinsed off. Leaving soap on the dog can cause an allergic reaction.

If necessary, drain the tub again so your dog isn't standing in water while he dries. Now, you'd better back up; your dog has been waiting to shake off the excess water since you began.

Gently squeeze out excess water (don't forget to remove the cotton from his ears) and finish drying him with the towels. If you use a hair dryer, keep the heat and blow force on low. Remember to dry the ears with cotton balls to prevent infection.

Keep your dog away from any drafts until his coat is completely dry.

Answer 5

NO NO NO NO NO people shampoo, acidic. Dogs have very sensitive skins and the junk they put in our shampoo causes skin problems. Get something from the vet for dogs. Horse shampoo are good because horses also have very sensitive skin.

Be sure you do it in a warm place and dry, really well, with towels and hair dryer (not too hot on the dryer) Remember dogs have normally higher temperatures. There is a dry powder you can put into their hair and brush out that helps between baths...when it is cold or wet and cold.

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Answer 6

No even baby shampoo is too much for a puppies skin. Go to walmart or petco and get a puppy shampoo. I bathe puppies in the kitchen sink because it's faster when you use the hand held sprayer. With only lukewarm water, bordering on cool. Too hot water will dry out the skin. Use a towel to get as much water off as possible and then attempt to blow dry the puppy with a blow dryer on the lowest settings. If that freaks the baby out too much try putting her in a crate in the laundry room with the dryer going and hold the blow dryer up to the crate door. I put already dry towels in the dryer before I start and pull one out just before I start to wrap them in, I turn the dry back on keeping the laundry room door closed while it's going and plug in the hair dryer before hand, when I'm done in the sink i wrap in a towel and begin rubbing as I'm walking to the laundry room and grab another towel out of the dryer. Keeping her warm is the most important thing. But she's not too young to have a bath.

Answer 7

The baby shampoo will work. Put her in the bath tub or use a hand held shower if you have one. Be very careful not to get soap in her eyes.

Easier yet, find a do it your self dog wash. They will have the shampoo and conditioner already there, plus a leash so she will stay in the tub. Conditioner will help with that Chow coat. You may need to shampoo and rinse her more than once to get the smell out. It would be a good idea to use the dryer to dry to coat because it may need to be combed out depending on the texture.

You did a good thing - best of luck