# do you shower or bath your dogs?



## dogclass (Feb 16, 2011)

Do you shower or bath your dog?

My dog is 46lbs, long hair collie mix. I shower him in our basement bathroom shower stall. I've never bathed him before, and to be honest I'm not sure how I would do it with the equipment that I have. The only thing he fits in is the full-size bathtub upstairs.

So, do you shower or bath your dogs? Does the size of your dog effect how you do it?

I've always thought bathing might be nice for getting a good rinse to make sure all the soap is washed away.

[EDIT]: I use a handheld attachment in the shower. I'm not sure it's possible to shower your dog without the handheld part.


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## hamandeggs (Aug 11, 2011)

We wash our dog in the shower, but with a handheld attachment. If we didn't have that, I think I would take her to one of the DIY dog wash places.


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## ChaosIsAWeim (Feb 12, 2011)

I have a sheep bathing/shearing tub in my basement that is all set up for the dogs. We use a shower head to bathe them with. So it's kind of both I guess lol.


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

Bath. I just drop 'em in and use a cup to wet them down and rinse them. They're small dogs though - biggest @ 25lbs, and the smallest is the only one with any fur to speak of (@ 10lbs).


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

Bathtub.  65 pound Abbylynn even. I use a cup to wet them down and a hand held sprayer attached to the showerhead to rinse. I brush them very very well before bathing ... less hair down the drain.


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## dogclass (Feb 16, 2011)

Abbylynn said:


> Bathtub.  65 pound Abbylynn even. I use a cup to wet them down and a hand held sprayer attached to the showerhead to rinse. I brush them very very well before bathing ... less hair down the drain.


Yeah, that's more like a shower for me. I mean, you're in a bathtub, but you're washing and rinsing with the shower head attachment. I should've been more clear.

I wonder if having a tub full of water has any advantages for rinsing off clean?


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

dogclass said:


> Yeah, that's more like a shower for me. I mean, you're in a bathtub, but you're washing and rinsing with the shower head attachment. I should've been more clear.
> 
> I wonder if having a tub full of water has any advantages for rinsing off clean?


I don't know .... As a human I never feel like all the soap is off and I am really clean unless I shower. I think using the shower head rinses more thoroughly ... Less chance of leaving residue in the coat and on the skin. Just my thoughts though.


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## zhaor (Jul 2, 2009)

The thing about an actual bath is you don't get to rinse with clean water. It's easier to get a clean rinse when you're using fresh clean water instead of soapy dirty water.

Even with people, I feel like bathes are more for relaxing than for cleanliness.


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## Canyx (Jul 1, 2011)

Hose and dog shampoo. Though my dog never gets washed unless he actually gets dirty, and often it's just a hose down to get the dirt off. I haven't used soap on him in over a year and he smells great.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

Hose outside. Maybe 2 times per year? I use a natural flea repelling shampoo when I do bathe him. 

If he HAD to get bathed in the winter, I'd go to the local pet store where for $10 they have stand up tubs with spray attachments, blow dryers, towels and shampoo all at the ready. It is worth $10 not to have to scrub my tub, bend over the tub (ouch for the back) and run a load of towels in the laundry.


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## jax's_mommy (Oct 13, 2012)

i bathe mt puppy. Its easy enough since right now he is only about 4 lbs


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## Hallie (Nov 9, 2008)

I'm a perfectionist, and thankfully I manage a pet store with access to our grooming facility. I shower, shampoo, condition, rinse, and blow dry my dogs. It takes about 40 mins for just Hallie, but it's well worth it.


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## GrinningDog (Mar 26, 2010)

Usually outside with the hose. When we're done, we play ball in the yard to help her dry (running around in the wind). 

During the winter, Gypsy gets a bath. Several inches of warm, standing water in the tub. I scoop some water on her with a tupperware container, soap her up, and rinse her down.


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## dagwall (Mar 17, 2011)

Getting Jubel in the tub usually means picking him up as he isn't a fan of getting a bath but doesn't fight it other than looking pathetic. Use a hand held shower head to soak him, shampoo and scrub all over, rinse. I agree a bath in standing water sounds like it'd not rinse him well.


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## beretw (Sep 25, 2012)

My dog, since he was a puppy, has always pitched a fit when I shower and he's locked out of the bathroom. I never nipped this behavior in the bud, and now he just jumps in when I shower. It's convenient.


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## mcdavis (May 1, 2012)

Whatever's available - we've lived in a few different places plus travelled quite a bit so Hamish has been bathed (tub + jug), bath / showered (handheld attachment), showered with me (not recommended!!) and put in a variety of kitchen and garage sinks...... and he absolutely hates bathtime 

Have to say we saw a 'self dog wash' store the other day - could just imagine sending him in with his shampoos and towels and him emerging with them unused :eyebrows:


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## Billie Sun (Oct 30, 2012)

Not all dogs love baths! But it seems that your collie has adjusted to being bathed! Not all dogs need to be bathed it truly depends on your own preferenec and sometimes the weather! 

Too be honest, the best way to do this would be outside. So grab a bucket fill it with warm water (comfortable enough for your dog - not too cold or too hot) and get a comb. Tie your dog up with a leash so you can stay in one place rather than having your dog make a game out of it! Then take the comb and run it through your dogs hair! If you want to use soap go to you local dog store and try an environmentally friendly one! It will keep chemicals away from your dog especially while you wash her!



dogclass said:


> Do you shower or bath your dog?
> 
> My dog is 46lbs, long hair collie mix. I shower him in our basement bathroom shower stall. I've never bathed him before, and to be honest I'm not sure how I would do it with the equipment that I have. The only thing he fits in is the full-size bathtub upstairs.
> 
> ...


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## Mack Maya Iowa (Oct 2, 2012)

I have bathed my 70 lb Golden both ways, in the bathtub using the cup and now with a spray attachment that I got to tie into my shower head. The trick with bathing with the cup is to fill the cup with water from the faucet when rinsing, although I find it much easier now with the attachment, since he is so big  I do not bathe him unless he is dirty though, because it can dry out their skin on some breeds. He will be getting a bath once I get his ear infection under control though because his ear always gets greasy with the medication. My Blue Heeler Mix will probably end up getting a bath about once a month or so because her coat is primarily white with black specks, and the white starts turning yellow-ish after a while.


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## Mack Maya Iowa (Oct 2, 2012)

beretw said:


> My dog, since he was a puppy, has always pitched a fit when I shower and he's locked out of the bathroom. I never nipped this behavior in the bud, and now he just jumps in when I shower. It's convenient.


Haha, I used to lock Mack in the bathroom with me when I showered when he was a pup so that I could keep an eye on him without putting him in his crate, until he started joining me! I had to start locking him out, because it would be a little bit of a squeeze in the shower with him now


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## amosmoses89 (Jun 19, 2011)

LOL I would guess I'm in the minority on this one. I just get them both in when I get in the shower myself. It makes for some fun maneuvering but they both just stand there mostly. I'll wet them with the detachable shower head and soap them up then let them soak while I get my clean on. Chloe sulks in the far end of the tub away from the water but Sydney likes to stick her face in the water and always ends up behind me. Then I'll rinse them off and call in my SO to dry them off while I clean all the dog hair off me and finish up my shower! We do have a tiny bathroom but the shower tub is a little wider than conventional ones I think, so it works well. If I'm by myself I just tell them to stay in the shower while I dry off then I'll get them out and dry them off. 

Its definitely an adventure and I'm glad we don't bath them that often!!


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

All of mine + fosters get baths at work in our grooming tubs. The perk of working at a dog park is having a tub right there to bathe them! Recon has been getting baths or rinses at least once a week or every other week because he gets so nasty playing in the park... Warm water, much less mess, and a forced air dryer are the way to go for sure! I will never bathe my dogs at home again. These are the tubs in our grooming room...


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## Jacksons Mom (Mar 12, 2010)

It's times like these I appreciate a small dog, lol. I stick him in the kitchen sink with the sprayer and bathe him.


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## zeronightfarm (Jun 15, 2011)

I wash mine as needed in the tub, with a handheld sprayer.


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## jersey_gray (Dec 8, 2011)

The puppy took baths with my girls (no soap, just water) but she's to big now to fit in the tub with them. Made for some good times!


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## lil_fuzzy (Aug 16, 2010)

I've always showered them. Bathing seems weird to me, they'd stand there in soapy water and in their own dirt, and rinsing off would take ages.

Our shower is the European style, where the shower head is detachable.


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

I wash mine in the tub with a jug, since FI ignored my request to put in a hand shower when we redid the bathroom. Although, we've only given Snowball 2 baths since we got him because it doesn't matter how dirty he gets on group walks, he seems to be magically white again when we get home. I also put him in the tub to wash his feet when they get dirty.


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## Muffins-Mummy (Nov 26, 2012)

I was my dog at the dog wash part of the car wash here in town, its really well set up and only costs $5 and shampoo conditioner flea rinse blow dry etc is included, although i don't bother with the flea rinse because i get good flea stuff so they are never a issue.


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## Tankstar (Dec 30, 2006)

shower. although I normally take them to work, they are in a tub, but with a hose. a dog grate and a drain, so no reuseing of water

Whats the point of a bath? the water is just dirty and soapy and now you are rinsing with it?? pointless, and leaing soap residue on he dogs skin, which will cause issues


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## sclevenger (Nov 11, 2012)

Depends on the dog. When I was younger and had smaller dogs, like my beagle, I put him in the tub and used a cup, drain the water, and then re rinse. My past sheltie she was so small that I put her in our sink(I cleaned my sink well after) because she was so small it was hard to bend down in the tub. However, when I got Aussies, I put them in tub and used a shower attachment. So, I think different technique work better for different dogs.


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## twittle (Nov 10, 2012)

I have never seen a car wash that has the dog wash with it. $5 seems like a pretty decent deal though. I wish we had them around here.


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## metal-otaku (Nov 14, 2012)

i have a lab/basset mix. we fill the bath and make him sit. if he doesn't sit in it the water just beads off. cup to finish what's not in the water. soap him up and then rinse with shower head. we also brush before after and during. so hair doesn't go down the drain.


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## Teds-slave (Nov 14, 2012)

I use the bath tub but I shower Ted. He gets a rinse off after every walk, since we live in rainy England lol! but I only bathe him with shampoo once in a blue moon like every couple of months


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## kbt_guy (Dec 2, 2012)

In the tub with an inexpensive hand held shower I bought at a pet store. It works well. Then, scrub the tub out and rinse it down with the hand held shower before I detach it.


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## Canaqua (Sep 27, 2011)

We wash the dogs in the bathtub, with a hand held shower attachment...this is by far the easiest way I've found. One dog NEVER needs to be bathed, she's a BC mix and has the nicest, easiest care coat...it just seems to repel dirt, water, smells, etc...she doesn't have a doggie smell at all. The other dog needs bathing, she has a heavy coat and oily skin and will get quite stinky, even without getting dirty. We try not to wash her too frequently, just when she gets smelly enough that we don't want to sit next to her any more . Both dogs get brushed regularly.


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## cookieface (Jul 6, 2011)

We just gave Katie a bath - in the tub with a handheld shower attachment and plastic 8-cup measure. The difference in the amount of dirt that comes off her when we scrub and rinse with plain water compared to scrub and rinse with shampoo is amazing.


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## ShelterPups (Jan 3, 2013)

DJEtzel said:


> All of mine + fosters get baths at work in our grooming tubs. The perk of working at a dog park is having a tub right there to bathe them! Recon has been getting baths or rinses at least once a week or every other week because he gets so nasty playing in the park... Warm water, much less mess, and a forced air dryer are the way to go for sure! I will never bathe my dogs at home again. These are the tubs in our grooming room...


 WOW! I'd LOVE to have one of these in my home! While we lived in Kansas city, Missouri one of the pet grooming shop had tubs similar to these and the bathing process was much easier. We had only one dog at that time and he was a large yellow Lab.


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## Daenerys (Jul 30, 2011)

I used to bathe my dogs in the bathub, but I wouldn't fill it with water. I'd just leave the water running and use a cup to wet them and then rinse. Now that I work at a place that does grooming my boss lets me bring my dogs to work to bathe using the equipment there, so they get washed in a tub with a shower type attatchment and then dried using a high velocity dryer. They look so nice and fluffy afterwards.


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## Kayla_Nicole (Dec 19, 2012)

We bath her. I just use a regular cup to rinse her off. She hates getting a bath and I'm pretty sure the spray of the shower would make it worse.


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