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It's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it. (Ha ha.)
Two factors make giving your dog a bath a huge undertaking:
- The size of your dog
- How much your dog likes (or hates) water
I have two dogs. The smaller dog, Miss Bee, weighs about fifty pounds. I can actually pick her up and haul her into the shower with me when she needs a good scrubbing. She doesn't like it, but it can be done in emergency situations -- like the time she rolled in something really gross and stinky at the park.
My big dog, Nerman, is closer to a hundred pounds. He loves water, which is good and bad when I'm trying to give him a bath. During the summer, I tie him out to the back deck and hose him down when it's bath time. And he loves it! His favorite part is trying to bite the hose water, which just cracks me up.
But it is probably easiest to bathe your dog if you have a bathtub (or a large utility sink, for smaller dogs). Fill the tub up a few inches with warm (not hot!) water and get the pup in. A detachable shower nozzle is a delightful luxury when it comes to dog washing -- you can spray what needs spraying with ease. However, you can also just use a big plastic cup to dump water all over your pup.
Like other dog grooming tasks, bathing your big dog is much easier if you have a helper. Firstly, because it makes the scrub go faster; secondly, they can help hold the dog in the tub if your dog wants to make a break for it.
Once your dog is wet, it's shampoo time! For dogs that don't have skin problems, you can use a gentle baby shampoo. However, my dogs always seem to have dry/flaky skin, so I use oatmeal based shampoos. Scrub em up, then rinse em down. Don't get water in their ears; I usually avoid pouring water over my dog's head entirely.
Then it's time for the fun part: trying to keep your dog from shaking while you dry them off. Two towels (one covering the head) are better than one, and this is another time when a helper will be much appreciated with a big dog. If the dog manages to shake, you're going to be cleaning water and hair off the bathroom walls!
Keep in mind that when you bathe your dog, you're probably going to end up soaked yourself. It's just a fact of life! Put on your bathing suit and have fun with it... if you make bath time enjoyable for your dog, it will be less of a chore.
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