Bathing your Puppy
Puppies love experiencing new sensations and the best time to introduce your new pup to the pleasure of taking a bath is now whilst he/she is still young.
Ensure your puppy is at least four weeks old before receiving the first bath and you can always check with your vet if you are unsure.
Whilst your pup is still small it is advisable to bathe them either in a sink or a small bowl, this way they are not fazed by the big expanse of a bathtub or standing in the middle of a huge shower cubicle all alone.
Do not involve any water to begin with, just simply place your pup in the dry receptacle and praise them for staying still, make this a ‘happy’ place to be. Your pup needs to feel relaxed and calm in order for you to bathe him/her with the least amount of fuss possible. Give your pup a nice tasty treat and make a big fuss.
Then gently with a damp flannel or soft cloth wipe your pup’s back and legs, finish up around the head taking special care around the eyes, ears and mouth.
If your puppy seems to be quite relaxed so far then progress to using some water, do not be tempted to pour any over him/her but just run some in the sink or bowl and then splash it gently onto the pup’s legs.
You can work your way slowly up the legs until the pup is wet all over and then add a small amount of shampoo. Pop this in your hands and rub them together to form a lather then gently rub this onto your puppy. A good shampoo to use is Johnson’s Puppy and Kitten Shampoo as this is especially mild and formulated for the gentle skin of puppies and kittens.
Do not use any shampoos intended for human use as they will be too harsh for your pup’s delicate skin. Always use a specifically designed puppy shampoo.
Then when you have lathered the shampoo sufficiently slowly rinse it away again taking great care around the pup’s eyes, ears and mouth.
When you are certain all the shampoo is rinsed away it is time to dry your puppy, now even when they are this young they will wish to shake themselves off to rid their coat of all the excess moisture. It is not unusual for them to topple over when they do this for the first few times as they become dizzy! I would avoid the use of a hairdryer until he/she is more used to being bathed, so for the time being just rub your pup with some soft towels. Ensure to keep him/her warm afterwards and do not let your puppy out in the garden for approximately thirty minutes to enable the coat to dry.
To bathe your adult dog is much the same as a puppy. If you brush their coat prior to a bath it will help to remove any knots and mats. Johnson’s offer a whole array of dog shampoos for varying coat types and are one of the best ranges to use.
Take care again around your dog’s ears, eyes and mouth and ensure you rinse all traces of the shampoo away. If you inadvertently leave shampoo on your dog it could lead to an allergic reaction.
Then dry your dog thoroughly if they are used to a hairdryer then that is an advantage if not it does not matter just ensure you towel dry them as much as possible and then keep them warm.
