Don’t use human shampoo on the dog; instead, purchase specially formulated canine shampoo at your local pet store.
If you’re bathing the dog in your bathroom, make sure the door is securely closed after you bring the dog in. If you’re bathing the dog outdoors, try to do it in an enclosed area, like your garage or a fenced-in yard. You could search online to see if there is a dog wash in your area. Some pet stores or dog grooming businesses offer facilities where you can easily bathe a dog in a dog-friendly setup for a small fee. If none of these options are available to you, make sure you securely tie the dog to something so it can’t get away from you. You might want to use a leash that you can hold or a chain that you can stake to the ground. While you are securing the dog, talk to it and make sure it is comfortable. Comfort the dog before its bath by brushing, petting, and soothing it for a few minutes. You should keep a leash on the dog so you can have control of it. Consider having treats on hand to make the dog’s experience more positive.
Put some towels down on the floor and around the bathing area to soak up any soap and water that the dog may shake off. Use a nonslip surface in the bathtub so the dog doesn’t slip and send more water flying if it tries to get away. Try to ask a second person to help you hold the dog while you’re bathing it. This way, the dog will move less and won’t shake as much water around.
Try to keep a distance between yourself and the dog during the bathing process.
Be careful not to get water directly in the dog’s ears, eyes, or nose. Always soak the dog in water before you begin using shampoo.
Throughout washing, soothe the dog by talking to it in a quiet, calm matter. Every so often, you should scratch and rub under the dog’s chin to let it know that it’s fine and that it’s still loved.
During all of this, you shouldn’t let go of the leash, but you can still rub the soap out while holding the leash.
Sometimes, a dog will shake back and forth to dry itself, but this can be a bit messy. If you don’t want the dog to shake, try to get a towel on it as soon as you are done bathing the dog. A stubborn dog will probably dislike a hair dryer being blown on it, so it’s probably best to just let the dog dry itself after you towel it off.
If the dog is extremely stressed or if you are becoming very frustrated, you may consider taking a short break. As long as the dog is safe, step back for a few moments and let the situation cool down before slowly resuming the bathing process. Provide lots of love and affection to the dog after washing it. Even though it might not enjoy being bathed, giving it lots of attention will let it know that it wasn’t just receiving a punishment.
Stay away from the dog’s head whenever possible to minimize the possibility of it biting you. You can also consider using a muzzle if you are afraid that the dog will bite you.
