# dog bathing questions



## JSporty1 (Jun 28, 2009)

I'm new to this dog bathing/grooming thing. I have a 2 1/2 year old pit bull mix. Before I buy a shampoo and bathe her, I was wondering if there are any brands I should stay away from, and any I should look for.
My second question is how often should I bathe her (assuming no major mud incidents or other doggie disasters)? 
Any other doggie bathing advice? In the past I've always used a damp towel to spot clean her if she's gotten mud on her feet and belly, but I want to give her a proper bath.


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

I like the Nature Bath products myself. But as long as it's a mild dog shampoo anything should be fine.
I taught my dog to get in and out of the bath WITHOUT a bath happening, rewarding for getting in on her own so that it's not stressful.
I always clip nails and clean ears on another day prior to bathing (to reduce stress).
I also do a good rub down with a hound glove (rubber brushing) to loosen hair (my girl is also smooth coated, but she sheds a lot.)
Make sure there is a bathmat or non slip surface for the dog to stand on comfortably.
A hand held shower head is handy.
I put a bit of polysporin ophth in the eyes to protect from getting soap in them.
Make sure you have at least two good sized towels, rinse well and expect to get 'shaken' with water several times. LOL
Close the bathroom door before you start if you can, so pup can't escape full of soap and water.
Be prepared for crazy zoomies apres bath too!


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## JSporty1 (Jun 28, 2009)

Thanks! I will definitely expect pit bull zoomies once she's done


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## Sighthounds4me (Nov 7, 2010)

It's easier with a short-coated dog, for sure.

For shampoos, you may need some trial and error. Find something you like, and that works for your dog (some are too harsh, for example, and cause dry skin). Stay away from human shampoos - they are designed for a different Ph.

There are so many shampoos out there, there may be many you like. I have found that Nature's Specialties are among my favorites. My "usual" shampoo is Plum Silky: smells amazing, cleans fantastically well, and a 16 oz. bottle dilutes into two gallons! I really like the Aloe Remoisturzing conditioner for my Greyhound, too. I also recommend the Quicker Slicker conditioner spray too, even for a short-coated dog - it prevents the dry skin afterward.

For the Greyhound, I usually just pop her in the tub, place a nylon kennel lead around her neck, and attached to the tub filler nozzle. I put cotton balls in her ears. I use a rubber bath mat so she has sure footing, and a hand-held shower head, and shower her rather than fill the tub. I use lukewarm to slightly warm water - too hot, and it can obviously burn, but hot water can also lead to dry skin. Then I wet her down, starting from the top down. Then soak her in shampoo, again from the top down, massage it in, rinse, rinse some more, then rinse again. If I think I have all the shampoo out, I rinse one more time. Then apply conditioner, and allow to sit for at least 5 minutes. Rinse the conditioner.

Then rub down vigorously with several towels. I even go so far as to pick up each foot, and dry between the toes - that will mean she has surer footing again. Don't forget to remove the cotton balls from the ears! Then I clean ears, in case water did get in there - less likely to cause problems if you use a good ear cleaner.

Unless the dog gets into something, you should not need to bathe more than once a month. probably not even that often,

Between baths, you can use a self-rinse (also known as waterless) shampoo. They work really well on short coated dogs. Just soak, massage in, and towel dry!

And no, I am not employed by Nature's Specialties! I have just found that I like almost everything I have tried from them!


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## RinseAce (Aug 16, 2010)

Have fun with bathing. A Pet Shower really helps. This is basically a flexible hose and sprayer that you can attach to the shower arm to be able to spray the dog without having to fill up a tub of water and then have it be all dirty and soapy when you try to rinse. The purpose of rinsing is getting all the soap out so you can't do that with a tub full of water. Dogs are usually scared of the noise that the shower or tub faucet make and the flexible hose and sprayer help with that too as it's much quieter.
A tub mat to protect the shower and prevent slips, a nice microfiber towel to dry your best friend well and a hair snare to catch all the loose hair and you should be able to have a lot of fun. If you want to give a little massage as well a shampoo mitt with flexible nubs is nice to rub the dog all over! Several pet showers are on the market and should be available at the larger pet stores in your area.


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## BrittanieJo (Sep 23, 2010)

I totally agree with getting a removeable shower head. We got one and it's made bathing a million times easier (and we got a fancy one for Mom and Dad so we enjoy it much more than the regular showerhead as well! Cheap too, 9 dollars at walmart!). I have a pitbull/lab mix and I actually use dawn soap with white vinegar (2 to 1 mixture) add water and it does AMAZING. She had been very itchy and the oatmeal shampoo wasn't working for us so after some research we decided to try this and it works great. Her coat looks great she's not itchy and she stays smelling nice for much longer than before. She gets a bath whenever she needs it, usually every 2 weeks or so since we are outside a lot and active ie MUDDY lol.


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