Puppies love to run around! They get sweaty and a bit stinky sometimes, which is expected. When that happens, you know it’s time for a wash.
Attention!
If your puppy is under eight weeks old, it should preferably be wiped down using a soft, warm piece of cloth to stay clean as its body is not ready yet to self-regulate the body temperature.
Bathing puppies that are eight weeks old and over
Before bathing your puppy, you must consider the following highlighted points:
The season– Whether it be summer or winter
Outdoor activities– How often or how long your puppy spends outside the house
Body coat – Whether it has long fur that gets easily messed up compared to the short-furred breeds
Ideally, you should bathe your dog once a month but, if it rolls on mud, you can wash it as often as needed. Take extra care if your puppy suffers from dry skin. Try and bathe it less often using a gentle puppy shampoo.
11 Tips On Washing Your Puppy:
#1. Begin soon– The sooner you start getting your puppy used to having a bath, the better. Praise, pet, treat your puppy regularly as you do this so that it can begin to associate bath time with fun.
#2. Choose a location – Depending on the weather. If large enough, the bathroom sink is an excellent place to bathe your puppy, especially during the winter but in the summer you can use the hose or a shallow children’s pool in the back garden.
#3. Prepare items – Make sure you gather your items such as the towel, puppy shampoo, a soft piece of cloth and a brush before starting the procedure to avoid leaving your dog unattended. You do not want to end up chasing your wet puppy around the house or garden.
#5. Use lukewarm water and wash the head last to avoid your puppy shaking off the water and wetting you.
#6. Make it an enjoyable time for your puppy.
Put its favorite toys in the water to encourage it to comply and look at the process as a fun time. Shower it with lots of love too.
#7. Massage the specially formulated puppy shampoo onto your puppy’s fur and work it into a lather then give it a good rinse, leaving no shampoo on the hair. Avoid getting water into the eyes and ears
#8. Leaving the shampoo on your puppy’s fur can cause dry, flaky and irritated skin. Do not use human shampoo as some ingredients in it can cause irritation to a puppy’s skin.
Aah, This Is The Life!
#9. On finishing bathing your puppy outside, move aside to avoid getting soaked from the shake as puppies love shaking themselves dry after a bath. To prevent water from messing up your wall, use a towel and wrap it around your puppy, drying it well.
#10. In cold weather, keep the puppy in the house until it is completely dry. Use a dog hairdryer to help speed up the drying process in a cool or warm setting.
#11. To prevent your puppy’s fur from getting tangled, brush it regularly between baths.
