BEHAVIOUR
How to Bathe a Dog That Hates Baths: A Dog Trainer’s Guide!
Does your dog hate baths? Dog expert Chaitra WM shares insights to help reduce your dog’s anxiety during bath time.
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Does your dog love splashing in puddles or taking a dip in the swimming pool, but tuckers and hides when it is bath time? Or is she not fond of water or getting wet, in general, making bath time a nightmare for the two of you?
Bathing your dog is a crucial part of maintaining their overall health and hygiene. However, if your dog hates bath time in general or certain aspects of it, the entire experience can be stressful for both the dog and the pet parent. But have you wondered why your dog hates baths so much? And how can you help them overcome their anxiety during bath time? In this article, let’s explore and understand some possible reasons why your dog hates baths, along with effective strategies to make bath times a breeze for the two of you.
Bathing your dog is a crucial part of maintaining their overall health and hygiene. However, if your dog hates bath time in general or certain aspects of it, the entire experience can be stressful for both the dog and the pet parent. But have you wondered why your dog hates baths so much? And how can you help them overcome their anxiety during bath time? In this article, let’s explore and understand some possible reasons why your dog hates baths, along with effective strategies to make bath times a breeze for the two of you.
Why Do Some Dogs Hate Baths So Much?
Before diving into solutions, let’s first understand why your pooch may be so aversive to the idea of being bathed, an activity may feel rather routine to us.
- Unfamiliarity: Unlike humans, dogs don’t naturally gravitate towards water for cleansing, so being doused with water can be an unusual and discomforting experience.
- Heightened Senses: Dogs possess a keen sense of smell, so the new scents of shampoos and soaps can be overpowering.
- Touch Sensitivity: Some dogs are naturally sensitive to touch, making the act of being scrubbed or drenched with water overwhelming.
- Past Negative Experiences: Bad memories, such as slipping while being bathed or the water being too hot or cold during previous baths, can make dogs hesitant to return to the bathroom.
- Loss of Control: When bathing our dogs, our focus is often to finish the task as quickly as possible, especially if the dog is uncomfortable. The inability to step away and the feeling of being trapped in that situation can be traumatic for our dogs.
How Do You Desensitize them to Bath Time?
To desensitize your dog to this experience, break down the overall experience into its smaller components and work on building their confidence with each in multiple short sessions before bathing them.
- Desensitizing to Touch: Ensure that your dog can tolerate and is slowly comfortable being touched everywhere on their body when they are generally settled at home. You can help them be comfortable by dedicating ten minutes every day to sensitizing them to human touch while monitoring their body language for subtle signs of discomfort.
- Familiarizing with the tools: The fragrances of a lot of cleaning products can be quite strong for our dogs. Switch to a milder, gentler shampoo if that is the case with your chosen product. Introduce the bottle to them with the lid open and scatter feed treats to get them accustomed to the smell and to build a positive association with it. If you use brushes during bath time, introduce them to the texture and movement of the tool gliding over their skin while offering treats.
- Reintroducing the bathing area: Be careful about the place where you pick to bathe your dog. While we don’t want them to feel confined in a small area, bathing them outdoors could also increase the chances of your dog feeling cold easily. Once you pick up a suitable location, start by getting your dog accustomed to it by allowing them to explore the area at their own pace. Once they seem comfortable being there, you can offer them an enrichment toy like a peanut butter-laden licky mat or scatter feed some treats or kibble to encourage them to spend some time there. Allow them to walk out as soon as they are done. If your dog does not like water or being wet, you can take additional measures by desensitizing them to the sounds of water with a water mug or a low-pressure pipe hose while keeping them engaged with an enrichment toy.
Prepping Tips for Bathing a Dog Who Hates Bath!
Congratulations! By now, your dog should be comfortable with each component of the bathing experience and ready for the bath! Here are some key prepping tips to ensure that they enjoy the experience:
Bathing your dog doesn’t have to be a stressful ordeal. By introducing it gradually and with lots of positive reinforcement, you can help your dog overcome any fears or anxieties. Remember to make the experience as positive as possible, and soon your canine companion will come to associate baths with love, treats, and a clean, happy feeling.
Happy Pet Parenting!
- Prep well: Before you get your dog into the bathing area, ensure that your bucket of water is filled, and your shampoos and towels are already in place.
- Use pet-friendly products: Ensure that the bathing products are pet-friendly and are gentle on their skin.
- Prevent slipping: If you’ve ever slipped in the shower, you know that sliding around can not only be painful but anxiety-inducing. Place non-skid mats or thick, wet towels in your bathing area to provide your dog with a comfortable surface to stand on without slipping.
- Test the water temperature: Ensure that the temperature of the water is lukewarm by dipping your elbows or hands for a few seconds. Extreme temperatures, whether hot or cold, can be quite uncomfortable for your dog.
- Avoid pouring water around their face: Soapy water getting into their eyes, ears, nose or mouth can be irritating for your dog. Use your hands, clothes, or small mugs to clean around their face.
- Drying: A lot of dogs dread bath time simply because of what comes next- the blow dryer. Work on desensitizing your dog to the blow dryer or opt for towel and sun drying.
- Make it pleasant: Include licky mats, treats, and praise during bath time to make it a positive experience for your dog. You can also play calming music for dogs to alleviate stress.
Bathing your dog doesn’t have to be a stressful ordeal. By introducing it gradually and with lots of positive reinforcement, you can help your dog overcome any fears or anxieties. Remember to make the experience as positive as possible, and soon your canine companion will come to associate baths with love, treats, and a clean, happy feeling.
Happy Pet Parenting!
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