• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About Us
    • Meet Our Talented Team
    • Anti-hate Speech Policy
  • Terms Of Service
  • Free Printables
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us

DIY Home & Garden

A DIY & Gardening Resource

  • Home Page
  • DIY Projects
    • Upcycling
  • Home
    • Cleaning and Organizing
    • Holidays
      • Christmas
      • Valentine’s Day
      • Easter
      • Fourth of July
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
      • Memorial Day
      • Mother’s Day
    • Home Safety
    • Home Decor
    • Pets
    • Real Estate
  • Gardening
  • Herbal and Natural Wellness
  • Recipes
    • Baking
    • Breakfast
    • Salads
    • Venison Recipes
    • Home Canning and Preserving
      • Canning
      • Dehydrating
      • Freezer Recipes
  • Travel
Home » Dog Bathing 101: 8 Steps to a Clean Pup
Dog Bathing 101: 8 Steps to a Clean Pup

Dog Bathing 101: 8 Steps to a Clean Pup

01/20/2019 By Deborah T

Love us? Share us!

Let’s be realistic, dogs can’t look and smell good on their own. As a pet parent, it’s your responsibility to keep your furry friend clean so that he gets to stay adorable and healthy for the rest of his life.

Why dog bathing is important to your dog

Bathing is a crucial part of pet care. For most dogs, the common reason to bathe is to get rid of any unpleasant odors or dirt on their coat. But for canines with particular skin conditions, bathing is an important part of the medical treatment recommended by the vet.

How often you bathe your dog varies as it’s usually required when your pooch has accumulated dirt on his coat or already has an unpleasant odor. Keep in mind that if you bathe your dog too often, it may end up drying his skin and coat which may also cause health problems.

Below are the steps you need to take to ensure the proper bathing and grooming of your pooch.

dog bath
Is there anything cuter than this dog bath image? I don’t think so!

8 Steps to Giving a Dog Bath:

1. Train your pet to enjoy bath time

For a safe and enjoyable bathing time, teach your pooch to associate it with great rewards or something they love. Make sure to take things easy and slow so that your pet will feel relaxed and comfortable throughout the process. Give your dog plenty of praise and treats along the way to make every bathing experience a good one.

dog bath
Get your dog acclimated to bathing, and his dog bath will be a great experience.

2. Prepare bathing and grooming supplies

Unless you have another person to hold the dog for you while you fetch the shampoo and other grooming supplies, it’s much better to prepare them ahead of time. Buy some dog grooming products in advance so that you have everything ready the moment your pooch gets dirty or starts smelling bad.

3. Remove any mats or tangles

Prior to bathing, brush your dog’s fur to remove any mats or tangles. You can also trim off mats or knots that you can’t resolve with brushing alone.

4. Wet your dog’s hair

Use clean water and wet your dog’s hair all the way to his skin. Work from his chest or neck area down to the back and sides, then towards his tail. If you are using a bathtub, allow the water to run down the drain so that it won’t fill up.

5. Use a washcloth

Use a damp washcloth to avoid wetting the head area. This way, you can take care to avoid the eyes, ears, mouth, and nose which are the most sensitive parts of a dog.

6. Apply shampoo and conditioner

Once the body of your dog is completely wet, apply an adequate amount of hypoallergenic shampoo. Begin at the chest area first then gradually move out to other areas of your dog’s body.

  • Gently massage the shampoo onto your dog’s shoulder area, down to his sides, back,
    front and back legs, then the tail.
  • Once your dog becomes comfortable, quickly wash his underside as this can be quite ticklish for some canines.
  • After shampooing, gently rinse your dog with water using your fingers to make certain that you also get through your dog’s undercoat.
  •  If you want, you can apply a gentle dog conditioner following what you did when you shampooed. Depending on the type of conditioner you’re using, you may need to let it stay on your dog’s coat before rinsing it off completely.
  • In case you plan on trying a new shampoo, make sure you do a patch test first to make sure there’s no skin irritation.
    dog bathing
    A dog bath doesn’t need to be a bad experience–for a pup or owner!

7. Wipe down with a towel

Although your dog may instinctively shake off excess water, you still have to help him dry off using a towel. After wiping down your dog’s fur thoroughly, you can allow him to air dry naturally. Avoid making use of hairdryers as they can be too hot, and most dogs dislike the sensation of air blowing at them as well as the sound.

8. Give a reward

Don’t forget to give some tasty treats right after bathing time to reward your dog for his calm behavior. Make it a routine to give rewards at the beginning and end of the bathing process.

This will help your pooch develop a love for bath time, making the experience enjoyable for both of you.

Your dog is all set and clean!

The challenge now is to help your furry friend maintain cleanliness. As much as possible, let your pooch stay away from dirt and train him to stay inside his pet home.

 

dog bath pin
Love this idea? Please pin on pinterest!
  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Deborah T
Deborah T
Editor and author at DIY Home & Garden, a Word Innovations publication
Deborah Tayloe is a full-time blogger, children's book author, and freelance writer, contributing to large publications.

She has a B.S.Ed. in Secondary Education/English and a Spanish Minor. In addition, she holds a Certificate in Natural Health from a fully-accredited program and is a Certified Herbologist. She pursued these natural wellness certifications due to her love for herb gardening.

Despite freelancing to make a living, her love is "all things home."

Deborah grew up in a family that grew a large vegetable garden and a fruit orchard, helping her parents pull weeds and can home-grown foods as part of her childhood. In fact, she had no idea that she could purchase veggies and fruits in pre-packed steel cans until she went to college and made a food run.

Today, she lives in Bertie County, North Carolina, an agricultural rural area with more chickens than people. She lives with her husband and two rescue pets a sweet toy fox terrier and a cat who showed up one day and moved into the house. Together, they enjoy DIY projects, furniture refinishing, gardening, and canning.
Deborah T
Latest posts by Deborah T (see all)
  • The Explosive Truth of PYREX vs. pyrex - 08/15/2023
  • Viola, Violet, and Pansy: Close Relatives But Distinct Flowers - 08/11/2023
  • Purple D’Oro Daylily: A Regal Touch of Elegance - 08/10/2023
Tweet

Filed Under: Pets Tagged With: dog, dog basics, dog bath, dog care, dog care tips, dog grooming, dog health, dog shampoo

About Deborah T

Deborah Tayloe is a full-time blogger, children's book author, and freelance writer, contributing to large publications.

She has a B.S.Ed. in Secondary Education/English and a Spanish Minor. In addition, she holds a Certificate in Natural Health from a fully-accredited program and is a Certified Herbologist. She pursued these natural wellness certifications due to her love for herb gardening.

Despite freelancing to make a living, her love is "all things home."

Deborah grew up in a family that grew a large vegetable garden and a fruit orchard, helping her parents pull weeds and can home-grown foods as part of her childhood. In fact, she had no idea that she could purchase veggies and fruits in pre-packed steel cans until she went to college and made a food run.

Today, she lives in Bertie County, North Carolina, an agricultural rural area with more chickens than people. She lives with her husband and two rescue pets a sweet toy fox terrier and a cat who showed up one day and moved into the house. Together, they enjoy DIY projects, furniture refinishing, gardening, and canning.

Primary Sidebar

Click for details on our latest travel deal

book vip cancun travel

Here’s Why You Should Plant Sunflowers in the Garden:

https://youtu.be/ZwvPDTbs9U0

You Won’t Even Notice You Tossed These Cluttery Things:

https://youtu.be/z16ZRMC4wbE

Don’t Suffer, Try This Bath to Soothe Itchy Skin:

https://youtu.be/SUxl9UL7QDw

Footer

Amazon Affiliate Disclaimer

DIY Home & Garden is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

DIY Home & Garden does not constitute or intend to provide medical, health, financial, legal, or other professional advice. This website is for entertainment purposes only.

Quick Links

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Terms Of Service
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2023 · DIY Home & Garden

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in .

DIY Home & Garden
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.