Dog baths don’t have to be a struggle
Carolyn Cheney
Board of Directors
It’s that time of year when our dogs are in the house more and they may not smell the best, so it’s necessary to think about grooming time.
WebMD offers lots of great ideas how to groom and bathe our dogs. When you see your dog rolling on the ground licking his fur, he is doing his grooming. If your pet is not accustomed to grooming other than his own, keep the sessions short — at first just five to 10 minutes.
WebMD recommends you pet your dog all over including his sensitive areas, such as his tail, ears and feet. It is suggested grooming with a comb or brush removes dirt and distributes the natural oils throughout the coat, preventing tangles and keeping his coat clean and irritant free.
It’s also a good time to check for little black specks which can be fleas. Short-haired dogs generally can get by with once-a-week brushing, but long-haired dogs should probably be brushed daily to prevent tangles and unnecessary baths.
Over the years I have had four dogs, and I never bathed them too much; however, WebMD recommends baths about every three months or more if they get into something dirty or an encounter with a skunk.
The first dog we had acted so bad we had to bathe him outside with the hose. Our second and third dogs were totally against baths, but made a beeline for the bathtub when a thunderstorm hit. Apparently they felt a lot safer in the tub when thunder was nearby. Our present dog, Henry, is bathed about once a month as he has a peculiar odor. He is quite accustomed to the bathing routine now.
Recommendations include filling the tub with three to four inches of water, and be sure to use special dog shampoo and not your own. Getting the dog into the tub, especially if he is large, can be a bit problematic. Henry weighs about 75 pounds, so I lift his front end into the tub, and then he does the rest. I wash him from his head to his tail, making sure to check his ears for any problems and washing them gently with a facecloth, and then I spray him all over, being careful not to get the water in his eyes.
The next step is tricky. I have never known a dog to not shake for all he’s worth after getting out of a tub. I have a huge towel which I put over him after spraying, and then I lift his front out, and then again he gets the rest of himself out. I then wipe him down good and, keeping the towel around him, I usher him out the back door where he can shake to his heart’s desire. Of course the weather has to be warm.
Please visit us at the Central Aroostook Humane Society at 26 Cross Street (near the airport). We have so many beautiful dogs and cats, and they will have been bathed and ready to go.
