Bath time is another incredibly important part of looking after your dog’s health and happiness (even if they don’t seem to be too happy in the tub!). Past just getting rid of unpleasant odours, regular baths for your dog with proper dog grooming shampoo actually has a variety of essential health benefits.
These include:
- Reducing skin inflammation. A dog’s skin works in a very similar way to ours! Having pours that can back up and filled with nasty gunk that needs to be cleaned away. One of the best ways to do thi is through massaging a cleansing dog shampoo into their coats and skin.
- Removing potential nasties from the coat. Dog’s get around! When they’re out on their adventures it’s common to see your beloved pet rolling around in anything and everything their heart desires. Through this rolling and exploring your dog’s coat can pick up a variety of stuff that if left unchecked can lead to more serious problems. A regular bath with dog grooming shampoo (especially after a particularly dirty day) can help get rid of any unwanted nasties before they have the chance to develop into more serious issues.
- Health Check. Having some one-on-one time with your dog in the bath allows you to give them a proper look over to check to see if they have any problems developing. Whether that be the start of an infection or an unnoticed tick or flea. Catching these problems early will make most problems easily fixable, instead of allowing them to develop into bigger problems down the line.
So now we know why we should be bathing our dog’s regularly, let’s go through how best to do it and with what dog shampoo to use!
1. Get your pup in the bath!
Many people underestimate how hard it can be to get a dog to even get in the bath! For some dog’s they find the sensations of a bath to be a bit of sensory overload, this leads them to have some anxiety about bath time and have a negative relationship with the bath itself.
If you have a dog who refuses to get in the bath we recommend using a mixture of treats and positive reinforcement. Lure your dog into the bath with treats and sit there with them for a moment. Use this time to lay on the love and appreciation, making your dog feel safe and comfortable. Do this for as long as you need to until your dog is calm and relaxed.
2. Prepare your shampoo!
Most dog grooming shampoos come in a somewhat concentrated format. This means that when you go to use them they will need some diluting (in order to not irritate your dog’s skin). The great thing about concentrated shampoo is that even from a small bottle you can get 100’s of washes! Making them great value for money.
In terms of diluting your shampoo properly you need to pay attention to the dilution ratio. If you were using our pet owner friendly Avocado & Aloe Deep Clean Shampoo it would have a dilution ratio of 10:1. Meaning that for every 1 part of dog shampoo you would need 10 parts water. Depending on the size of your dog the amount of shampoo you need will vary. For a medium sized pup like a Border Collie we’d recommend using about 15mls of shampoo, meaning you’d need to dilute it with around 150mls of water (it does not need to be exact and you can always add more dog grooming shampoo if you need it).
To dilute the dog grooming shampoo, place a small amount into the bottom of a bottle (we recommend using a proper mixing bottle, but if you don’t have one you can use a big plastic water bottle with a nipple on top of it). Once your dog grooming shampoo is in, you just need to add the appropriate amount of warm water. Give the bottle a shake and you’re good to go!
3. Get your dog wet.
Now comes the tricky part for some, getting your dog wet. You’ll need to use nice warm water and begin soaking your dog’s coat from top to tail (being careful when wetting sensitive areas like the face).
Some dogs who aren’t a fan of the bath may find this sensation unfamiliar, so just make sure to take your time and give your dog treats and love if they seem anxious.
4. Time for some dog grooming shampoo!
Now your dog’s coat is properly soaked, it’s time to get to business! Bring out your bottle of diluted dog grooming shampoo and begin spraying around half the bottle over all areas of your dog’s coat (avoiding the face for now). Massage the shampoo into all areas to ensure it’s all nice and sudsy.
If you want to go the extra mile and give your dog an extra clean coat and a therapeutic treat you can use a bath brush. Our bath brush with rubber bristle helps you massage the shampoo into your dog’s coat whilst also massaging their skin. This massage helps increase circulation and can help dog’s feel calm and relaxed in the bath.
5. Rinse and repeat!
Slowly rinse off the shampoo from your dog’s coat, making sure to get out all the suds as you go. Then repeat the process again! Spraying most of the remaining shampoo over your dog’s coat and repeating the same massaging and washing process as before.
It’s important to wash your dog’s coat twice, as the first time around the shampoo binds to the dirt in your dog’s hair and helps lift it away. Whereas the second time you wash their coats the shampoo dives much deeper cleansing areas like the skin.
6. It’s face time.
After rinsing your dog’s body it’s time to tackle their face! A dog’s face is naturally a very sensitive area so you need to be very careful when doing this, as to avoid getting shampoo in eyes or ears.
To start with, apply a small amount of your remaining dog shampoo to a damp cloth (if you’ve run out you can always mix some more quickly). Carefully rub this cloth over areas of your dog’s face until you see a few suds (avoiding getting any in the eyes, mouth or ears). After applying the shampoo, rinse off your cloth with clean water and go over the areas again. Ensuring you’re removing every last drop of shampoo as you go.
7. Time to dry.
Well done, your dog is officially clean! But it’s not over just yet… Now it’s time to get your fluffy friend nice and dry. Get your dog out of the tub and begin rubbing them dry with a soft towel (they should love this part!).
After getting off the initial layer of water we’d recommend reaching for your hair dryer and giving their coats a good warm blast (be careful the dryer isn’t too hot!). This process of drying your dog’s coat can take a long time, especially if your dog has a thick coat like a German Shepherd.
In order to speed this up we recommend using some of our Super Fast Dry Spray, a new natural spray we sell that helps cut drying time in half! Just spray some on your dog’s coat as you are drying and gently brush through with your preferred brush (find our range of brushes here). Then their coat should be dry in no time!
8. Finishing touches.
After your dog is practically dry we’d recommend using our De-Tangle & Conditioning Spray. This spray will allow you to easily brush any tangles out of your dog’s coat whilst simultaneously conditioning their hair to feel soft and have a natural shine.
Simply spray a small amount over your dog’s coat and get out your slicker brush (find ours here). Then gently brush through your dog’s coat, you should notice the brush easily gliding through tough tangles, making your life 10x easier!
In Conclusion:
That’s it! Your dog is now clean, smells great and has a soft coat. All the products you need to achieve great bath time results are available to buy on our shop website here!
Do yourself a favour and make your next bath time a breeze by following our guide and using our easy to use products.
As always if you have any questions, comment below!