Ok, how many of us dread giving the dog a bath? Thankfully, the majority of mine understand I am not out to drown them. In saying this, how many out there have a dog who hates the bath and will run and hide? Better yet, how many out there simply have a dog who growls at the mention of the word “bath?”
I was watching America’s Funniest Videos the other day and there was one scene where the man mentioned “bath” to the dog and all I saw was a big mouth full of teeth bared at the man. I laughed so hard, especially when the man picked up the dog and the dog put his paws across the doorway. Does anyone have a dog like that? I would love to hear your story. So, back to the word “bath.”
I can imagine our dogs who hate baths saying, “Blasphemy!” when we mention “bath.” Ok, let’s talk about the worst dog to bathe. He/she is usually the largest dog. They tend to run and hide, sometimes placing their big body under the bed, raising the bed a few inches off the floor. In cases like this, sometimes the pet parent has to grab their dog by the hind legs and drag them out and to the bathroom (I hope no one has wood floors and if they do I hope the dog has their nails trimmed.)
Once the dog is in the tub, it does not end there. A smart person will have set their tub area up for the dog by having the shampoo or flea dip ready. If there is a bar in the tub, attach a leash short enough to hold the dog in place in the tub. The bather should know to save their back a lot of pain. Sit on the edge of the tub with your feet inside the tub with the dog. The bar will come in handy to catch your balance if the dog should try and push their way out. One more thing to know: a showerhead that detaches makes bathing a lot easier!
In my experience, if the dog is introduced to bathing early in their life, your life becomes easier later. When Alexander (Zeus’ father) was alive, he would deliberately go outside and lay in a mud puddle. Then he would leave me a trail of paw prints to the bathroom. I would be angry with him until I saw him in the tub waiting for his bath. So, it went that when he felt he needed a bath, he would cause me a lot of work. I miss him so much! One day I will see him again.
Now, I will leave everyone with this food for thought. In my experience, if there is a flea problem, it is safe to use Dawn dish soap or the generic brand to shock the fleas off your dog.
By: Joel Allen
