Once your puppy is happy going into the bath, then run the water near them while rewarding with treats. Do lots of these sessions and gradually work up to wetting and bathing your pup. The time you spend doing this extra bit of training will save you time for the rest of your dog’s life, as they’ll learn to enjoy bath time.
Here are some tips to help you make puppy bath time a pleasant experience for you and your puppy.
- Use a mild shampoo especially formulated for delicate puppy skin and coat. Not all pet shampoos are suitable for young dogs so make sure you select the right product.
- It’s a good idea to have everything ready from shampoo to towels to avoid leaving your puppy unattended in the bathtub.
- Put a rubber mat in the bottom of your tub. Your dog will feel more secure if he/she isn’t slipping all over the place.
- If possible, have a helper assist you. Ask your helper to gently restrain the puppy so as he doesn’t fall or run away, while constantly rewarding them with treats for calm behaviour. Your helper can distract the puppy, while you get the job done as quickly as possible.
- Ideally, use a hand held nozzle with warm water running gently. Massage the shampoo into your puppy’s coat with slow circular motions.
- Add toys to the bath to make it fun to get wet. You can use your puppy’s favourite toy that he/she is only allowed to play with when in the tub.
- After shampooing, rinse well to avoid shampoo build up, which can leave coats dull and flaky.
- Towel- dry your puppy afterwards to avoid getting cold and your floors soaking wet. Then let your puppy shake any excess water off. Hair dryers may be too hot for delicate puppy skin but can be used on a very low setting if required.
- Praise, praise, praise your puppy throughout the bath for a job well done.
- Play a game at the end of the drying off process- this is a fun way to end the bath time routine and will help keep your puppy warm.
We hope our tips help you with your first bath time!