How to - Wash a Dog

We often get asked how to bathe a dog – here are a few tips that might help.

Put your dog in a bathtub, sink or in the summer use a bucket of water and a hose. The water should be warm but not hot.

Start by wetting the hair around the neck and working in some soap. This provides a soapy ring that fleas won’t jump across ensuring they are washed out rather than finding refuge on the dogs head. Wet the rest of the body and work in the soap moving from the neck down and across to the tail. Massage the soap in – if you are gentle and work with the dog it will be an enjoyable experience. Slowly work your way over the whole body and down the legs.

Leave the soap on while you gently wash the face and ears with a cloth – a toweling facecloth is ideal. Wet the cloth well and put a tiny bit of baby shampoo on the cloth, still taking care to avoid the eyes. Rinse off thoroughly by wetting the cloth and repeating until no signs of shampoo remain.

Add more warm water to the body and gently massage again and begin to rinse off the soap. It is important to remove all residues of soap – take extra care under legs ensuring soap isn’t trapped.

Voila - nice clean smelling dog.