Do Dogs Need to Take Baths?
Does your dog actually need regular bathing? It depends. Much of the reason for bathing dogs is simply to make them easier to live with. You dont want your dog tracking mud everywhere, nor do you enjoy cuddling a stinky pup. Short-haired breeds with healthy skin dont actually require bathing for their own benefit, and they dont really need to take regular baths, unless they tend to get dirty a lot. In many cases, wiping them down with pet wipes might be all thats needed. However, if you have a wrinkly breed like a pug or shar-pei, you should also be sure to wipe the folds between their skin regularly.
Long-coated and curly-haired breeds, on the other hand, benefit from regular shampoo and conditioning to help keep their fur from matting and becoming unmanageable, although daily brushing can also help. Hairless breeds like the Mexican hairless need regular baths to prevent their skin from drying out. Conversely, dogs with oily skin, like cocker spaniels, also need frequent baths to prevent oil buildup.
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Your pooch loves to splash in puddles and wont stay out of the pool, but when its time for a bath, they tuck their tail and hide. Why do dogs hate baths so much? If its not the water, what is it about getting clean that makes so many dogs shiver and whine? Discover what might be behind your dogs fear of bath time, and keep reading to learn how to bathe a dog who hates baths.
While its true that not all dogs like to play in water, this doesnt necessarily explain why your dog doesnt like to take baths. Even water-loving breeds like Labrador retrievers often balk at being bathed. So if its not about the water, why do dogs hate baths? A number of factors could explain why your pup hates going near the tub or sink.
Just one bad experience associated with bathing can traumatize your dog and teach them to fear baths. Getting scalded by hot water, slipping and falling in the tub, getting water up the nose or getting stinging shampoo in the eyes can all make your pup feel like baths arent safe. Even upsetting experiences with other grooming activities, like pain caused by getting their nails clipped too short, can create bad associations with bath time if theyre done in close conjunction with baths.
When your dog goes swimming or splashes in a stream, its a fun activity they choose to participate in. Baths, on the other hand, are typically forced on dogs, and involve being handled and having their bodies moved around in ways they dont like. This loss of choice and control over what happens to them can be very upsetting to a dog.
Dogs who are new to baths, or who arent bathed as often, may simply be freaked out by the unfamiliar experience of being plunged into a tub of water and soaped up with shampoo. This, in turn, can create negative associations that make them fearful of future baths.
Sometimes, dogs arent the only ones who hate their bath times. Dogs take their emotional cues from their pet parents. If you treat the bath like a stressful experience, your dog will follow suit, points out Dogster. Shouting at your dog, handling them roughly and hurrying through the bath all teach your dog that baths are something to fear. Even if youre gentle with your pup, if you bathe them while youre frustrated with them, theyll be able to sense your frustration, which can be enough to make them dread baths in the future.
Because dogs should be bathed or showered with warm water in a warm environment, giving your dog an outdoor shower from a garden hose generally isnt preferable. This type of water typically comes out unheated, and even on a warm day, the frigid water can be uncomfortable for your dog. If its a breezy day, the combination of cold water and the wind can make your dog not just uncomfortable, but potentially dangerously cold, so resist the urge to simply take him out back and hose him down.
All dogs are different, and that includes their varying preferences for showers or baths. While some dogs find it fun to be showered with clean water and will splash around, others become severely anxious when it comes time for grooming. Generally, dogs who are nervous about grooming prefer the relatively quiet, subdued bath to the comparably loud, high-energy shower. If youre trying to introduce showering to your dog, start small, such as by using an extendable showerhead to rinse him when you give him a bath.
No matter what the water temperature is, if the room is cool, its going to chill your dog—probably to an uncomfortable degree. Before you get the tub or shower ready, make sure that the room is warm and free of drafts. Close the window and any vents that may be blowing cool air, as your dog is going to be susceptible to losing body heat once his skin and fur is wet—even if the water is warm.
Tom Ryan is a freelance writer, editor and English tutor. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in English writing, and has also worked as an arts and entertainment reporter with “The Pitt News” and a public relations and advertising copywriter with the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.
Not all dogs like taking showers, but whether they prefer the spray of the shower head or a pre-filled bathtub, the temperature needs to be comfortable. Water thats too cold or too hot can be uncomfortable or even painful for your pooch, so make sure that both the water and the environment are just right for your dog. When you do, you may find that he doesnt mind being cleaned up as much as he used to.
Doggy Doesn’t Like Bath Time
It’s a Friday night and you’ve just let your dog out before going to bed. As your perfect pooch approaches the door, a smell emerges. Skunk. The only logical solution is to get your dog into the bathtub as fast as possible to rid your house, your dog and your nostrils of the stench.
A scenario like this is the most common time to give your dog a bath, but should you be washing your pet on a regular schedule? Here’s the how, why and when of bathing your dog.
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