Dog gets stressed while being bathed

[mojobanana]

Hi all,

just wondered if anyone has any tips to try and stop my little pooch from becoming so stressed when I give her a bath. She goes into my bath and I wash her with the shower head at a warm temp and not too strong (rubbish water pressure here anyway). She gets upset when she knows I'm about to bathe her and I usually have to pick her up and take her.

When in the bath, she shakes, her tail is down and she licks her lips. She never used to be this bad, but I'm dreading giving her a bath and she really needs one! I hate having to do this for her and wondered if any one had any ideas on how to make it easier for her, or train her to not react this way.

Thanks
Mojo

[Ethel]

Try washing her a different way - with a soapy sponge in the garden.

[jules77]

Sorry, but I wouldnt take her out in the garden with a sponge in this weather.

However, if she will fit in a baby bath, or even the sink you could try the same method. What is her breed, and how often are you bathing her? I have a long haired breed, that I show, and I only bath them all over twice a year maximum and although I use a blaster dryer, I try to avoid the cold weather. In between, a good groom, with a fragranced grooming spray keeps them fresh. You can also use rinseless shampoo.

http://www.hubintsecured.co.uk/acatalog/No_Rin se_Shampoo.html

[paddywak]

A tip I was given years ago is that dogs are often stressed in the bath as the can't get a "grip" because of the wet surface of the bath/shower so put an old towel on the bottom so the dog can feel it's footing, It seems to work with Max (long haired GSD) but he's washed pretty much as Jules describes, unless he finds something particularly smelly to roll in

[thugulike]

I sympathise with Mojo. George the English Mastiff likes to get in my double width shower and was, in fact, banging his nose on the shower door to be let in this morning. I have a large rubber mat which goes in on the floor and gives a good grip and I have very large towels to rub him dry.

But he's just pervy and loves to be handled.

I agree with Jules, I wouldn't bathe a dog outside now, it's too cold.

[mojobanana]

Hi all,

thanks for the replies and no, I wasn't about to take her outside with a sponge...far too cold!

She's a shar-pei and has very short bristly hair all over. She doesn't have dry skin or anything and I wash her when she's smelly! Usually about every three months or so. Shar pei don't have an undercoat like most dogs do and she stays pretty clean and fresh smelling as she hates mud/water/puddles, etc.

She's about 18 inches tall at the shoulder, but weighs three stone and can be quite wriggly, so the bath and shower head's the easiest thing. I'm going to try putting a towel in the bottom of the bath to help her get a grip. I don't use a hair drier on her, she gets a bit annoyed by the noise (she doesn't like the vacuum cleaner or the lawn lower either!), I have a big microfibre towel especially for her.

Thanks everyone!
Mojo

[gravthedog]

Have you tried singing to it.

'hush little baby don't say a word.....'

Hope this helps

[gelda]

Like the new username Grav !