I look outside and see another truly beautiful British day. Yes to me, even though it’s grey, damp and cold outside it’s still a beautiful day. Remember every day is a gift that’s why it’s called the ‘present’ day.
However, I appreciate that these types of days/weather are not so great for some humans but our dogs they love a good walk no matter the weather and this time of year they can end up rather dirty.
A very dirty LJ
The general rule is dirty, wet spaniel = happy spaniel, if you have Spaniels you will understand. So after each walk, LJ gets a ‘bath’ but not the full grooming salon experience. Sometimes it’s a quick squizz with the shower head and sometimes she gets shampoo. LJ would rather neither but we try and keep our house a little clean(er!) by washing off that mud.
Let’s get clean…….
We generally wash LJ in our bathtub. I pick her up and carry our not-so-light pooch (18kg of pure awkwardness!), from our conservatory into the bathroom and put her straight into the bath. No dirty pooch shaking her booty as she enters our house that way. It’s also at this point I start talking to LJ in a calm soothing tone and manner, to reassure her that all is well. Even though she loves hunting in water-filled ditches, ponds and generally water-filled muddy areas, she does not enjoy a bath!
Tip #1 – Our bathtub is slippery, and therefore like an ice-skating rink for LJ. To keep those muscles and joints safe – I use a non-slip mat in the bottom of the tub. The same goes if you use a shower stall by the way.
Tip #2 – I purchased one of those old-fashioned shower hose attachments for the taps in our bath and I get the water running beforehand so it is at the right temperature, tepid. Dogs find the sensation of water sprinkling on their back/skin strange, so hold the hose/shower head close, on the body or use a jug.
Tip #3 – Wet the coat, start at the back of the neck and let the water run down the sides. Get your hands in to release the dirt from the coat. I generally don’t put water over LJ’s head unless she has rolled or needs a flea treatment. It’s important to avoid getting water into the ear canal of your dogs or the eyes – these could cause infections.
Tip #4 – Using shampoo? Well, I rinse first, get that debris, and dirt off the coat and make sure the coat is full wet to the skin. Shampoo next. Never human shampoo the pH is all wrong for a dog’s skin. Get a good quality, hypoallergenic, natural ingredient DOG shampoo. I’m not a fan of the false-smelling shampoos for dogs. If I can smell it, it must be overwhelming for dogs. Yuck!! Water down the shampoo in a jug / squeezy bottle first and then apply over the body. Get a better distribution that way. Get scrubbing with those fingers – no circles but get deep to the skin.
Tip #5 – Rinse again – neck to tail. No head. Then rinse again to make sure no shampoo is left as this can irritate the skin. A good test to check that all shampoo has gone is if the coat ‘squeaks’ when you squeegee the coat, then all good. By squeegee, I mean sluice / remove excess water from the coat with your hands.
Tip #6 – This is a good point to sneakily remove any fur mats from your dog – under the armpits, under the ears, back of the legs and inner groin area. Use dog-grooming blunt-ended scissors if you’re confident enough. They can’t escape in the bath and are generally feeling sorry for themselves (well LJ does at this point) so take the opportunity to trim their mats out, being careful not to catch the skin.
Tip #7 – Before I get LJ out of the bath, I’ll give her a quick towel dry. I ask LJ to jump out of the bathtub, onto the bath mats so she doesn’t slip or you can hoist your wet dog out at this point! Mind your back.
Tip #8 – Drying your dog. I use towels, starting at the head, in a back & forth motion – Never ever in a circle / rough it up kind of way – this is a sure way of creating mats and tangles in your dogs coat. Mats are very sore for a dog, very sore indeed and can alter their behaviour & gait. Mats are bad. If you’ve ever had a ponytail tied up with an elastic band – tight to your head……..ouch!!!
Tip #9 – I then pop on LJ’s drying coat.
The drying coat that LJ is wearing is a dog jumper but I use it as a drying coat. It’s from Rydale, they were recommended to me by a client who has five Springer Spaniels. These coats are brilliant and of great value. Fleece Dog Jumper UK | Fleece Dog Coat | Rydale
To put this type of coat on a reluctant dog (as my LJ is), do the zip up a little first, pop over the head, place forelimbs in and zip up – easy peasy (thanks Kate – this tip was life-changing I can tell you!)
Done! Clean and dry dog. I’ve got this routine down to about 10 minutes now. Mind your back if you’re leaning over the bathtub. My back always aches, so I adjust my posture.
In summary (or for those who don’t want to read the whole blog!!):
Top 10 tips
- Frequency: A rinse after a walk is good, doesn’t need to be a full-blown shampoo bath.
- Slippery surface: Use a non-slip mat at the bottom of the tub.
- Shampoo: Never use human shampoo and water it down.
- Hosehead: Tepid water & hold the hose/shower head close to the body.
- Ears & eyes: Avoid getting water and/or shampoo in the ear canal or eyes – Bad.
- Squeak test & squeegee: Check all shampoo gone & sluice that excess water off
- Drying: No to circles and yes to back & forth.
- Drying coat: Great investments.
- Cadbury’s Caramel Bunny voice: Calm soothing talk to your pooch, to reassure them.
- Preparation is key: Water temp, bath mat, shampoo watered down, towel to hand, coat zipped and ready.
Thank you for reading as always
Namaste
Love Lou xx