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Bathing A Dog

"How To Bath Your Cocker Spaniel Without Tears And Tantrums!"

Bathing a dog can be stressful for you both - especially if your Cocker Spaniel decides he doesn't want to be bathed!

However, giving your dog a bath from time to time is necessary in order to keep his coat clean and shining, his skin healthy, and help to prevent him from smelling of things he shouldn't!

Bathing a puppy should always be carried out after he's been brushed - Photo reproduced courtesy of Chris Lester at Flickr.com

This article covers the following topics:

Why you should always brush your dog before bathtime

How often you need to bath your dog

The best place for bathing your dog

Bathtime essentials for your Cocker Spaniel

The 'How To' of bathing a dog

Always Brush His Coat Before Bathing Your Dog

Always brush thoroughly before bathing a dog, to remove dirt, shedding hair, and tangles from his coat and undercoat.

Gently tease out all knots and matting before bathing a dog as these, left in his coat, will trap shampoo and dirt and simply make matters worse by tightening the tangles, and possibly aggravating skin complaints.

Follow this link for more information on brushing your dog.

Bathing A Dog - How Often?

The lifestyle of your dog can determine how often you need to give your dog a bath.

Your Cocker Spaniel may be very active and free to run around in the countryside picking up burrs, leaves, bits of twig, and other debris of dubious origin.

He may be free to swim in rivers, ponds, and romp through muddy puddles, all of which may mean that bathing a dog will need carried out fairly frequently - it can also depend on what he finds to roll in!

Conversely, your Cocker Spaniel may be fairly sedate, owing to old age perhaps, or he may be a small dog content with a little gentle exercise in the garden, or a short walk along the pavement - in which case, bathing a dog may only be required once every three months or so. (Lucky you!)

Type of coat is another factor involved in determining how often you should be bathing a dog. If his coat is heavy or thicker than normal, your Cocker Spaniel may need frequent bathing to keep him clean. Dogs with short smooth hair may not need to be bathed so often.

Some dogs' coats are naturally water-repellent; in this case, bathing a dog too often could be harmful and should be kept to a minimum to preserve the essential oils which keep his coat waterproof.

In any case, bathing a dog should be kept to a minimum as a general rule, as frequent bathing may strip his coat of its essential oils, causing irritation or drying out of the skin.

If you have any doubts about when to wash your dog, try the sniff test - if he smells bad - it's bathtime!

The Best Place For Bathing A Dog

It's important to use luke warm water when bathing a dog. Hot water can burn your Cocker Spaniel's skin, and can cause irritation. Cold water can chill him. Either way, water that's too hot or too cold can make bathing your dog a miserable experience for him.

If the weather is warm, bathing a dog can be carried out in the garden in the summer, using a hose, if convenient.

Using a garden hose in winter is fine if you're only hosing down your dog's paws and legs to clean off any mud, but not to wash all of him.

You could consider buying a special dog bath. Whilst effective, these can be very expensive, and you may need access to an internal water supply.

The bathroom is ideal; even better, a utility room. They're both good sources of warm water and can be easily cleaned afterwards.

We have, on occasion, taken our Cocker Spaniel into the shower, where he can shake himself as much as he wants to - all the muck, soap and water is contained within the shower - keeping the rest of the bathroom clean!

It does mean, however, that you have to take a shower with him!

Bathtime Essentials For Your Dog

Shampoo

There are many types of dog shampoo products available for bathing a dog; medicated, treatments for fleas or skin conditions, fragrant shampoos, shampoos with aloe vera, conditioning shampoos, and many, many more.

Bathing a dog with a good quality, tear-free, dog shampoo or conditioning shampoo will help to keep your dog's coat clean and healthy.

Don't be tempted to use shampoos formulated for humans, except perhaps for no-tears baby shampoo, as all others will be far too harsh for your dog and may cause skin complaints.

If you're unsure, or if your dog has skin problems or irritations, ask your vet or your dog groomer to recommend a shampoo for your dog.

If you're using a medicated shampoo, only use as prescribed by your vet.

Alternatively, you may like to consider using a homemade dog shampoo to keep your dog's coat clean and shining and in tip top condition.

When bathing a dog, always dilute the shampoo with water before using it on his coat - it will lather up much more easily and will last longer too. Use an empty bottle to mix it - approximately 10 percent shampoo and 90 percent water.

Don't dilute medicated or flea treatment shampoo, however, as this will reduce the effectiveness of the shampoo. Use as recommended by your vet, or by the instructions on the packaging.

Bath Mat

When bathing a dog, you'll need a non-slip bath mat to stop him from slipping and sliding in the bath - apart from making your dog feel safer, a bath mat could also stop him from hurting himself.

Towels

A couple of towels will be necessary; one to dry him off with, and another to wrap him in, or to lay on later, until he's fully dry.

Dog Treats

When bathing a dog, it's advisable to keep a couple of treats handy; giving him the occasional treat may help to keep bathtime fun and rewarding for your Cocker Spaniel.

Shower Hose or Jug

A shower hose on your bath will make it easier for you to rinse your dog, but a large plastic jug will do just fine.

Sink-Hole Protector

If your Cocker Spaniel's coat is heavy, or moults quite a lot, it may be a good idea to buy a sink-hole protector to catch fur and hair, otherwise you may create a blockage.

Bathing A Dog - A Simple Checklist

Before bathing a dog, collect everything you need, towels, shampoo etc., and place them within easy reach of your bath.

Collect your dog, bring him into the bathroom and close the door behind you. Close any open windows.

Place your Cocker Spaniel in the bath on a non-slip bath mat.

If he's not yet familiar with being bathed, or is still a puppy, you will need to introduce your dog or puppy to bathtime.

If you wish, you can place a short nylon lead and collar on your dog and link it to a handgrip (if your bath has one) or to a tap. This will allow you the freedom to use both hands whilst bathing your dog.

Please note, when bathing a dog using a lead, it's very important that the lead is short enough to make it impossible for your dog to jump out of the bath; if it's not, it could cause a very nasty accident.

Some owners place a cotton wool ball inside their Cocker Spaniel's ears to help keep water out of the ear canal. However, we believe the cotton wool can act as a wick and don't recommend it. Instead, we would advise that you take extra care around your Cocker Spaniel's ears when rinsing.

Gently spray your pet with warm water - never use hot water as it could burn his skin or cause irritation. Begin spraying from the neck and continue down to his tail.

Don't wet his head and ears at this stage of bathing your dog as he will only shake himself and cover you with water!

Shampoo his hind legs first, then his bottom and his tail.

When you've done that, move on to the body, underbelly, chest and front legs - don't forget his paws and in between his toes.

Only shampoo your dog once unless he's really, really dirty.

Don't use the shower spray directly on your Cocker Spaniel's face or genitals unless the water pressure from the spray is very gentle.

Smooth the shampoo into the coat in the direction that the hair grows and gently massage. Be careful not to rub too vigorously otherwise you may create knots and matting.

If your Cocker Spaniel has short hair, (ie, his coat is trimmed using trimmers and not hand stripped) you can massage and lather the shampoo as vigorously as you need to in order to get his coat clean.

Bathing a dog should be fun - not a stressful exercise for either of you.

Praise your dog quietly as you work. He may come to enjoy his bathtime, and it may help to strengthen your bond with your dog.

Now you can wet his head, face, and ears. Apply the diluted shampoo solution carefully and lather those areas well, but be gentle.

Don't forget to soap behind and under his ears, and under the chin and take care not to get soap in his eyes - even if using a no-tears shampoo. You could use a small cloth for washing his face if you prefer.

Thoroughly rinse the soap from your Cocker's head and ears and then follow up with his body and his legs, not forgetting his underbelly.

Never spray water into your dog's ears.

When you've rinsed him, rinse again. If there are any signs of lathering as you glide your hands over your dog's body, his coat is not yet fully rinsed.

Continue spraying with warm water until the water from his coat runs clear.

Soap left in your puppy's coat can cause skin complaints and irritations.

When you've finished rinsing, squeeze as much water out of his coat as you possibly can.

When you've finished that, quickly throw a towel over him to stop him from shaking the water off his coat.

Dry his head and ears first - this may also stop him from shaking himself.

Towel dry thoroughly, but don't rub too vigorously otherwise you may cause matting.

Try squeezing the feathers and his fur in the towel as this may help to absorb excess water.

Use the dry towel to pick him up and take him into another room where he can be warm and lie on the towel to dry off.

Some dogs go crazy after having a bath - dashing and rolling around. For this reason, it's important to keep your dog inside otherwise he'll end up dirty again!

Max, (our golden Cocker Spaniel) pushes his face along the floor - alternately rubbing each side of his muzzle on the towel or carpet - with his bottom stuck up in the air, and will then roll around on his back, kicking his legs in the air - this is quite amusing and endearing to watch.

Most professional groomers use hair-dryers on their dogs after bathing.

If you choose, you can use a hair-dryer (on a cool setting) to dry your dog - Max loves it and will lay on the floor in ecstacy whilst being blow-dryed!

After following our advice on bathing a dog, we hope you'll be more confident about the whole process. However, if you're still unsure about any aspect of how to bathe a dog, you should consult your vet or speak to your dog groomer.

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