What is the best way for me to safely bathe my dog at home?

The best way to do that is to prepare ahead of time. If you start as a puppy, you want to start conditioning your dog to get used to the tub or the shower or wherever you're planning on bathing your dog. Have them begin to develop a positive association by having them enter that space, eat some treats and start to feel safe there before you even need to get to the point of bathing. Another thing to consider is good footing, as many bathtubs are not super comfortable for standing for dogs. Their nails and the surface don't make for good traction. Make sure to have a bath mat or some sort of non-slip surface in there. Worst case scenario, you can just throw down a towel, and once it gets wet, the towel provides a good surface for traction.

And then you want to make the whole situation as positive as possible for your dog, so pairing this exercise with food and doing your conditioning work leading up to bathing is essential. Also, do not get soap in your dog's eyes, and make sure the water temperature is comfortable. Dogs typically prefer water that's cooler than we would maybe find comfortable for a shower for us. If you find that your dog is getting stressed about bathing, or it's becoming a rodeo, touch base with us. We can help you troubleshoot and find a better solution.

Before I answer the question, I'm going to throw in a little bit of information. Some pet stores have do-it-yourself pet bathing. Those become quite popular because they'll often provide a towel for you, maybe $10 for a dog or something of that nature. So you take your dog, you bathe them there, so you don't have to deal with getting your own personal bathroom soaking wet, and the dog splatters all over the place, and you just have a big mess, and you have to bend over. These are elevated types of setups. So you get your dog up into this space or this tub area, and they provide the shampoo and towels, and it makes it so much easier for a lot of people.

However, if you're willing to do it at home, Awesome. I do have some customers who will walk into a shower with their dogs. That makes it really simple because their dogs don't mind being in there. Maybe the owners will put on a bathing suit or something like that, and they'll get down and get some knee pads so they can bathe their dog in the shower. They turn it off and turn it on when they need to. You've also generally got a handle, so you can use a little shower handle for bathing them. That makes it really simple. Otherwise, if you don't have that sort of a situation, or if your dog's timid about walking into the shower, then certainly don't hesitate to try to get them in the tub. Again, a lot of dogs don't like the bath, and a lot of it will be the intimidation of being in the tub as much as anything else. The bathing part, they usually don't mind. It's just that anxiety of being in this strange place and knowing something will happen to him. But there are ways of working around that.

To bathe your dog at home, put a non-stick or non-skid surface in the bottom of your tub, such as a towel, to make your pet feel secure and prevent slipping. You can use cups of water or a walk-in shower for larger dogs. Some pet owners bathe their dogs in the shower with them. To keep your dog focused and rewarded during the bath, you can put some peanut butter or squeeze cheese along the wall of the shower or bathtub.

If you have a small dog, it might be easiest to bathe them in a sink or tub at home. For larger dogs, you can do it in a tub or outside with a hose. It's essential to ensure your dog's safety by either leashing them outside or ensuring you're in a fenced area to prevent them from running away during the bath. If bathing inside, make sure there's no neck lead around them if they're up high in a tub in case they jump out.