Thursday

Safe Way to Bathing a Dog

Most of us have one of two opinions about bathing a dog. Some people believe you don't need to bathe dogs very often - maybe once a year. Others feel that their dogs should be bathed every month.
Bathing is good for dogs, but it can cause problems if you do it too often.

That's because all dogs have oils in their fur and skin, the same way as people do. Wash your dog too often and his skin will dry out. Your dog will itch, and may scratch and create sores. Remember there there are benefits to retaining the natural oils. They protect the skin from its own bacteria, for instance.
If you want to make bathing fun for you and your dog, there are a few things to pay attention to.
1. Take care of your dog's ears. Infections can occur when soap and water are able to enter the ear canal. This may be temporary, but it could also do some real damage. Infections harm the ear drum, leading to possible deafness. Not sure if your dog has an ear infection? He might if you see him shaking his head a lot, or if there's a discharge from the ear.
If you want to make sure this doesn't happen, plug your dog's ears with cotton. Do this gently - never force the cotton into the ear. Just place it securely at the entrance of the ear to keep water out. Dry the ears gently when the bath is over, too. This can be done using a cloth on your finger. You can also use a cotton swab, but don't do this too deeply. You could cause damage to the ear drum.
2. Use a shampoo intended for dogs. These are made to protect your pet's fur and skin. Soaps meant for people can be irritating and harsh. There's also a chance your dog will be allergic to the perfumes in human products.
3. How often you bathe your dog should depend in part on what breed he is. Longer haired dogs need more washing than shorter haired breeds. If you have a hairy dog, like a spaniel, baths should be scheduled once every two months or so. Different breeds may go as long as six to eight months. If your dog spends lots of time outside, he'll get dirty more quickly, so pay attention to this.
Starting your dog off right with routine bathing is important. Be compassionate and patient, since scaring your dog makes it a lot harder to bathe him. Make bath time fun if you can, since lots of dogs enjoy swimming or being sprinkled with water.
If you can, set up your bath outside. Encourage your pet to run through or sit in it. Use toys to distract your dog from the water. Once he's calmed down a little, start the bath. Some people put their pets on leashes to keep them from running away.
Have everything ready first, including soaps towel, a bowl for pouring water, and brushes. Water coming out of the tap might be a little cold, so let water in the bath warm up a little.
If you teach your dog that bathing is fun and enjoyable, he'll be excited about the prospect.
It's also important to look into the right dog training tools to make sure your pooch behaves like you want him or her to.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cliff_Stone

1 comment:

  1. Hi, just a moment back I was searching for the information on the same topic and now I am here. So much information, really well executed blog. This is really informative On Natural Pet Shampoo and I will for sure refer my friends the same. Thanks

    ReplyDelete