How to Give a Dog Bath

Bathing your dog too often will strip the skin and coat its essential oils. A dog bath too often will also dry out the skin. You should judge on how often to give your dog a bath by how much time do they spend outside and in situations where they are exposed to dirt or water.

If you have a puppy get it used to being handled and the idea of a bath prior to giving it a bath. Let it hear running water, handle paws every chance you get, look in and clean ears. All of these will let your puppy learn to trust you and is good practice for veterinarian visits.


Do some regular dog grooming in between baths. Preferably daily, brushing will clean dirt; help spread oils evenly and keep your dog smelling better. When the weather starts to get warmer brush out the dogs undercoat before giving it a bath. A good brushing helps keep the shedding in the house to a minimum also. Brush thoroughly prior to giving your dog a bath getting tangles and knots out. If you run against a particular stubborn mat some petroleum jelly or soaking in mineral oil will help. Dawn dish detergent works as well. You may need to trim out mats. Remove all ticks with tweezers if you see any. Trim the dog’s nails before the dog bath will help with gripping in a tub if you are inside during the bath.

Wear old cloths you will get wet. Have all your supplies handy before you start the bath. Two towels for drying, one spread out on the floor to keep things neat, your dog shampoo, conditioner and any brushes or combs. Use only a shampoo made for dogs. These are specially ph balanced for a dog's skin. Pick a shampoo based on the type of coat your dog has. Cotton balls in the ears to protect from getting water in them. Making sure the cotton balls are large to not get stuck in the ear canal. Petroleum jelly or mineral oil around the eyes may protect from water also. Choose a place to bath and dry that is draft free and warm.

Make sure water is warm not hot. Wet the dog’s body but not the head and face. Use a wash cloth to wash head and face. Lather the shampoo up on the dog from head to tail making sure to lather to the skin. Lather up the underside getting under legs, paws and the rear. Rinse thoroughly making sure to get off all the shampoo as residual may dry the skin. If you are using a conditioner now is the time to put it on. There are a bunch of makers that have a leave in formula, if not rinse thoroughly.

Let the dog shake the water and then start to dry. Remove the cotton balls if you used them and dry the ears and face. Moisture in the years can lead to infections. Dry your dog the best you can. They are going to be feeling so good right now they will just want to run around possibly finding some dirt to roll in.


Remember do not bath too often, use only dog shampoo chosen especially for your dog’s coat and any skin conditions. Have fun and enjoy that clean dog while you can. They will be into something dirty real soon.