How to Bathe Your Puppy

A puppy in a bathtub might be one of the cutest scenes to grace this earth. However, bathing your puppy actually takes some preparation, especially when it is your pup's first bath. Follow these steps to make your puppy's bath experience goes as smoothly as possible.

EditSteps

EditGetting Your Puppy and the Tub Ready

Know when you should bathe your pup. Puppies should really only be washed once a month. While we have a different standard for what is clean puppies are actually constantly ‘cleaning’ themselves by rolling in grass and licking. If you give your pup too many baths, you can dry out your pup’s skin, causing irritation and potential fur loss. Keep in mind that the first bath can be a scary time for your puppy so be as gentle as possible.^[1]

Prepare the tub. This means waterproofing the bathroom or area where you will be washing your pup. For most puppies, a bathtub will work just fine for bathing. However, smaller puppies may feel more comfortable in a sink or plastic tub. The water should be cool to lukewarm in temperature. You can fill the tub up with four or five inches of lukewarm water if your puppy is OK with getting into water and won’t be scared.^[2]
- If you don’t want to make a horrible mess indoors, you can wash your puppy outside on warm, windless days. Place a plastic tub out in the backyard or have a helper hold your puppy in place. In this instance, you should use a hose on a very low water pressure to rinse your pup.

Choose the right shampoo. Choose a nice, mild shampoo made for dogs. Do not get one that only smells nice. It should smell nice and have something else to offer like moisturizing effects, or promoting coat shine. Never use human shampoo--dog skin is actually much more delicate than human skin and using shampoo made for humans could cause your pup’s skin to become irritated or flaky. Detanglers and conditioners can be used on puppies that have medium to long hair.^[3]
- If you do not know which kind of shampoo to get, or are concerned that your puppy has very sensitive skin, consult with your vet about which brand of shampoo he or she would recommend.

Wear clothes you don’t mind getting wet. As you may have guessed, washing a puppy can be a fairly wet experience. Puppies tend to wiggle around a lot and get water everywhere. Some puppies might also become afraid when getting a bath and will splash around. Because of this, you should wear clothes that are able to get wet without getting ruined. If its a warm day, consider giving your pup outside while wearing your bathingsuit.

Brush your puppy before bath time. Brushing your pup will help to get rid of excess dirt that might be caught in your puppy’s fur. It also helps to untangle the fur and make it easier to brush after the bath. You should also check your puppy for any matted fur (fur that has become so entangled that it has formed a ball of hair.) These mats can retain soap and cause your puppy to have irritated skin. You should cut mats out of your puppy’s fur.

EditWashing Your Puppy

Put your puppy in the tub. Talk soothingly to your pup and stroke her encouragingly. Your puppy may whine or act nervous--that is because some puppies really don’t like getting wet. The earlier you begin washing your puppy in her life, the more she will tolerate baths.^[4]

Suds your pup up. While continuing to pet your puppy with one hand, you should start to get her head and neck wet, and then work your way down over her body. Try to avoid getting water into your pup’s eyes. She should be completely wet before you put the shampoo on her. Slowly work about a dime’s worth of shampoo into her fur. Make sure you get every inch of her--her paws need to be washed just as much as her neck. Your puppy should like a cuter, smaller version of the abominable snowman by the time you’re done.^[5]
- You should use a washcloth dipped into lukewarm water to wash your puppy’s face. Gently rub her face with the washcloth, avoiding her eyes as much as possible.

Rinse your puppy. Drain the soapy water and begin rinsing with clean water. Rinsing is one of the most important parts of the bathing experience. You will have to rinse your puppy more than once. Pour water over your pup until no suds are left in her fur. You want to make sure to get all of the soap because any shampoo that is left over could cause skin irritation.
- If your pup is very wrinkly or has a long coat, be extra attentive when it comes to rinsing out all of the shampoo.^[6]

Dry your pup. Take a large, soft towel and give your puppy a good rub down. Your pup will not be fully dry but you can keep rubbing her with the towel until she is as dry as she is going to be. You can also use a blow dryer set on a low, cool setting after you have used a towel. However, be prepared for the fact that your puppy might get scared of the blow dryer.^[7]
- If you are outside, you can let your pup shake and roll around on the grass in order to get dry.

Give your pup some love. After the whole bathing experience, it is really important that you tell your puppy how good a dog she is and reward her with her favorite puppy treats. This was most likely a startling experience for your pup so showing her how much you love her and doling out a treat or two will calm her down and will allow her to associate bathing with getting love and treats.^[8]

EditTips

Pet your puppy and speak soothingly to her throughout the whole bathing process. Doing this will soothe her and will keep her from splashing around as much.