Bathing a puppy can be a real challenge, especially when your pup uses every resource to thwart your attempts to get them clean. However, in order to stay on top of good dog health care, it is important that you bathe your puppy on a regular basis. The way you bathe your puppy matters because you are teaching them, here and now, exactly what bath time will be like for the rest of his days. Cleaning your dog can be a fun pet health process though, and if you’re planning on bathing your puppy, read on…
Before turning the bathwater on, make sure you have everything you need conveniently positioned next to you. These include a coat-conditioning spray (for long-haired dogs) and a natural-bristle brush during times of heavy shedding. Plus, you’ll need a large towel for your dog. Then you need to make sure you’re wearing clothes that you don’t mind about getting wet. It is advisable to bathe the puppy when he is hungry, as he will be more attentive then.
To make sure your dog behaves well, give him some treats when in the bath. Make it seem enjoyable to your dog. Then its time to get the brush out, which some dogs don’t like. Remember that tangled fur is hard to remove when wet, so always brush before the water gets turned on. Get some conditioner on the fur and brush this through all the way to the ends.
Pay attention to the areas behind your dog’s ears. Tell your puppy how good he is at having a bath and reward him with treats. Some dogs are more attentive if they have toy in the bath too. Use something gentle on a puppy’s head, like a baby shampoo. Also, check the temperature of the water before spraying it on your puppy. Now, thoroughly soak the coat with water. Avoid the eyes and ears, and keep praising. Apply some shampoo to your dog’s coat by massaging in circles for short coats, or massaging in long strokes with the growth of hair in long coats, to prevent tangling.
Providing you have a gentle brush, this can be used to massage the shampoo in all over the puppy’s coat. When you are sure you’ve rinsed out all the soap, do it again. There’s always more soap that needs to be removed. The final step is to condition the fur and rinse, and when this is complete its time for the towel to dry your puppy off.