How to wash your dog: 8 things that make the process easier

For many pet owners, especially new pet owners, the thought of bathing their pets is daunting. However, if you know what is best to use during washing, bathing will become enjoyable for both of you. Below is a handy list of things to wash your dog at home and tips on how to properly wash your dog.

Bucket

A bucket is a must for two reasons. Firstly, it is convenient to store all the necessary things for bathing in it: if the dog gets dirty somewhere on the street, you have everything at hand. Secondly, the bucket can be filled with clean, warm water for rinsing if you don’t have a shower. However, strong water pressure can be unpleasant or even painful for small pets. In addition, if you use the shower, you can splatter everything around (assuming you wash your dog indoors).

Comb for dogs: comb or slicker comb

If the dog came from a walk in the mud, this item will have to be skipped. Go straight to washing. Before regular bathing, brush your dog with a comb or slicker brush. This will help to remove the overgrown undercoat, and at the same time you will check if your four-legged friend has fleas or ticks.

Bath

Wherever you choose to bathe your dog: in the bathroom, outdoors, or in a special dog wash, make sure that the bath is not too crowded for your pet, but not too spacious, because you should be comfortable bathing the dog and controlling it. movement. Many online stores offer special baths for washing dogs.

They are great for large breed or older dogs, because a pet can go into such a bath, and he will jump into a regular one, splashing everything around. The dog bath is easy to connect to the water supply and can be used both indoors and outdoors. If you have a small dog, or if he gets dirty all the time during walks, consider washing him in a dog washer. There are more and more such car washes, as well as self-service car washes.

Plastic hair trap

Hair traps are a wonderful invention: water drains into the sewer, and hair and wool remain in special nets, from where they can be easily removed later. Thanks to this, after bathing there are no blockages from wool. Match the trap to your type of sewer pipe. Plastic traps tend to be easier to remove dog hair than metal traps, but this also depends on how thick your pet’s hair is.

Shower

When washing a dog, you can do without a shower, but with it the process will become more fun. Make sure the hose is long enough to wash your dog’s entire body. The shower is especially useful for washing the hind legs and the area under the tail, where normal washing can leave soap and dry the skin.

Soap

If your dog has sensitive skin, be sure to choose a natural dog shampoo free of dyes and fragrances. Some dogs that suffer from dry skin work well with a honey-oatmeal shampoo. If standard solutions aren’t for you, according to pet care portal PetHelpful, you can make your own dog shampoo. You will need simple products that you probably already have at home. These are, for example, honey, oats, rosemary and baking soda. Shampoo from them will turn out safe and relaxing.

Towel

Before bathing your dog, prepare some old towels: this will make cleaning up after the procedure easier. Lay a couple of towels on the floor and keep one handy to dry your dog as best as you can when he jumps out of the tub. Remember that after bathing, pets like to shake themselves off, so it’s best to keep a towel in front of you so that you don’t get splashed.

Oils

After drying the dog’s coat with a towel, you can use essential oils. Thanks to them, she will smell delicious and will not suffer from parasites. For example, rose geranium oil and lemongrass oil repel ticks. According to the Pet 360 portal, peppermint will also help get rid of ticks for a long time. Apply a few drops of oil to your dog’s back. Do not use oils if the pet is under one year old.

Now you have everything you need to wash your dog at home. Be patient during the first water procedures. After bathing, it would be nice to give the dog a treat: he also showed endurance, so he deserved a treat. Sooner or later, you will establish a bathing routine, and water treatments will be a great opportunity to strengthen your relationship with your pet.