Time for Blue's first bath

[skyblu]

Okay, it isn't his first bath, he's 1 year old! But it's his first bath WITH ME. Basically, other than my tiny dog when I was a kid (whom we washed in the laundry sink), I've never given a dog a bath. And Blue's quite big (a 60-lb. Weim).

Blue's old owner told me she "hosed him down" in the yard. But my yard is a) small, and b) muddy (from many days of high humidity).

So, I decided to take him to one of those do-it-yourself places where they basically rent you a big tub, sprayer, and dryer.

I'm looking for tips from you, O Experienced Fur Mommies of CC! I'm nervous about this!

Specifically:

What shampoo do I use? A friend of mine uses baby shampoo on her dog. Is this a good idea?

Should I attempt to clip his nails myself? That sounds way scary.

How about his teeth?

And, the big question of the day (please don't read if you're easily revolted): I read in my new dog owners book that, each time you bathe your dog, you're supposed to "empty his anal glands". Whaaaaaat? Do I really need to do this?

Thanks for your help, guys! A slightly stinky Blue thanks you, too!

[Jane&Andy]

Experienced dog bather here to help! I spent 5 1/2yrs working at kennels and vet offices so I've bathed hundreds and hundreds of dogs.

As far as where to bathe the dog - I have a shower that has a handle held nozzle - so I just climb in with my dog (66lb golden retriever) and bathe him in there. I've done hose baths outside too but that only works when its not too cold out. You can also stick them in a bath tub but I didn't have a sprayer in there so I had to rinse with a big plastic cup and that took forever.

Shampoo? I use dog shampoo. I know human shampoo isn't great for them but I'm not sure why (pH differences?). I always buy a moisturizing shampoo to help keep his fur from drying out. I just buy whatever smells good at Target or Petsmart, I don't favor one particular brand.

Nails? Its not hard to do if your dog doesn't mind having his feet handled. Does your dog white nails or dark nails? If they're white then you can see the quick (pink portion) and then the white at the ends. Only cut the white. If you cut the quick they will bleed (they sell powders to mush onto the nail if that happens but plain old flour works). If they are dark then you can't see the quick - just nip the tip. If you walk your dog on pavement a lot they won't need to be trimmed too frequently - especially the back nails (they tend to wear down faster). If you aren't comfortable doing this then ask your vet to show you how. Or perhaps someone at the do it yourself place would show you how.

Anal glands? ugh, I never was very good at those. Its more of an issue for smaller dogs and when you see them scooting their bottom across the floor - chances are their anal glands are too full. Big dogs are better at expressing them themselves (when they poop). So unless you have reason to believe they're bothering him I wouldn't worry about it.

Teeth - you can buy dental products at Petsmart. I haven't been brushing my dog's teeth but I know I should.

And something you didn't ask about - ears - dogs with floppy ears are more prone to ear infections (b/c the floppy ears prevent air from getting in and the moisture builds up). So its good to clean their ears out. Your vet will sell cleaning solution or you can buy it at Petsmart/Target, etc. Just put some on a cotton ball and wipe down their ears. As long as you don't go jabbing your finger down the ear canal you won't hurt them.

Good luck!

[skyblu]

THANK YOU! Jane, you are a godsend. You should write an "Everything You Need to Know About Bathing your Dog" book!

Good point about the ears! I did read about it but forgot to ask. Well, I guess I could bathe Blue at home, since we have a handheld showerhead, but where does he "hang out" to dry?

I'll skip the anal stuff this time, he seems fine. Oh, and he has gray nails and I can see the quick, so it shouldn't be a problem. I'm off to PetCo to get my supplies!

THanks again!

[Jane&Andy]

You're welcome.

I put my dog in his crate to dry and then stick a fan in front of him. He's pretty furry so it takes awhile. I usually try save the baths for right before bedtime so that he dries overnight.

I didn't crate my old dog so I just left him loose in the house while he dried. He liked to rub against things right after the bath so I'd close the bedroom doors to keep him off the beds and then I'd give him a rawhide to keep him occupied for awhile.

Have fun and good luck!

[katmg]

Hi - I'm a Weimie mom too.

Typically, my DH bathes Beau and most of the time in the front yard with the hose. However, in the winter we have bathed Beau in the bathtub. We use some sort of orange shampoo. Although, we have used our shampoo in a pinch. We let him dry in his kennel w/o the kennel mat in there. Occassionally, if he's not drying fast enough or we're afraid he'll be cold, I'll blow dry him. That is quite a sight to see. :p He doesn't think he likes the blow dryer, but then I think it feels good to him so he'll rub up against me as I'm drying him.

We have done the ear cleaning. Beau is not a fan. He's also not a fan of having his feet handled. Which leads me to my next tip: you can take Blue to Petsmart and for $15 they'll bathe him, clip toenails and clean the ears. Quite the bargain, imo. We call it the "doggie spa."

Good luck! Let us know how the first bath goes!

[kam]

Another tip if you are weary about clipping nails - we use a dremmel that you can purchase at pet stores. It's like a high-powered nail file. That way hitting the quick is very tough to do.

My vet said that anal glands only need to be cleaned once or twice a year unless there's an issue. Maybe just have them checked at your pup's next appointment - it only costs $10-$20. Well worth me NOT draining them in my opinion!

[skyblu]

Hey all, and thanks for your tips!

I took Blue to the vet today for his shots, and he looked in his ears (they are perfect, he said dn't mess with them until his next appointment), and told me not to worry about the anal glands unless, like you all said, they become a problem. He also mentioned that it's usually small dogs that have issues. Yay!

So, I went to PetCo (they wanted $85 to groom him!) and got the nail clippers, styptic powder, doggie toothbrush/toothpaste and an oatmeal shampoo and conditioner. I think we might try it tomorrow. Blue doesn't use a crate, so we'll do the first bath at the Laundro-mutt (isn't that a cute name?) and see how it goes. We might do the next one at home, if all goes well.

If I wimp out on the nails, I'll find a PetSmart near me (there's got to be one, right?) and have them do it. Thanks, fellow Weim mom katmg!

Kam, I read about the power file. I didn't get one this time because I'm not sure I'll be comfortable doing his nails at all (I went with a minimum-investment: cheapish clipper), but if all goes okay with the clippers, then I'll invest some more and do it with the file next time.

And thanks again Jane for all your info! I'll let you all know how it goes tomorrow.

[katmg]

I've read some about clipping dogs' nails, especially if they're skittish about their feet. You might try just touching the feet at first to see his reaction. Play with them - look at the pads, etc. Just get him used to you touching his feet and realizing it's okay. Reward with treats. Then later, like maybe tomorrow bring out the clipper and touch his nails with it. If he's okay with that go ahead and clip a nail. Reward with treats.

Anyway, the point is to ease them into the clipping so that you don't scare them about it.

[myshel]

I might be too late but wanted to add a few nail clipping tricks that DH and I use. First, our fur son, Bernard, hates having his nails clipped but has gotten much better about it because we do the same thing every time. To keep him from running away and at a level we can see his paws easily, we place him on our dining room table (for the record, Bernis 75 pounds). He is always less likely to jump if he's up there.

Next, while DH clips his nails, I distract him with cut up doggie treats. I cut them up so they're really small and can be easily shoved into his mouth. He likes that a lot.

The other thing we do is constantly talk to him. DH will praise him, tell him how many paws are left, etc. We also use the same command when we pick up his feet as we do when he comes in from a muddy excursion and we wipe his paws off with a towel (we use "paw" and that works).

Good luck!

[skyblu]

Thanks, katmg and myshel for the additional clipping tips!

Well, it all went down yesterday, and it was a success! Josh (my boyfrined), who used to own a Weim too, cclipped Blue's nails right there on the couch while I distracted him with a chewie and praised him. We only had to do the front ones, since the back ones get filed down from walking on the sidewalk, like Jane said. We had styptic powder handy, but we didn't need it. Whew!

Then I did his teeth. He didn't mind much, but it was hard to get proper ""brushing" motion because all Blue wanted to do was chew on the brush and eat the toothpaste. :rolleyes:

Next, we headed to Laundromutt. I came armed with my own shampoo, towels, treats and brushes. As it turns out, they provided everything! It was so easy, and Blue, although a bit shaky at first (we had gone to the vet the day before and I think he had doggie flashbacks), relaxed when the water hit him. I lathered him up and "massaged" him with this nubby rubber brush they have, then gently washed his face, and between his toes (where the crud lives). He sat still, lifting his butt up when we asked, sitting back down when we asked, just perfect! I won't say he loved it, but he behaved very well.

Then we dried him with a chamois forst, and with one of the towels they provided after. We could have paid extra for blow-drying him, but it was hot and his hair is so short, that we decided not to. Then we got back in the car, and he was barely damp already by then.

His coat is usually soft and silky, and he's not a dog who ever gets too smelly, but the soupy, humid days we'd been having made him slightly stinky, and our hiking adventures made him slightly (well, not slightly) dirty.

Today, I have a shiny, silky, yummy-smelling dog!

Here's a photo of wet doggie:
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b374/skyblu2/Blue/CopyofDSCN2005.jpg

[Jane&Andy]

I'm glad it went well. Blue is such a cutie! :)

[katmg]

So glad it went well! I love that pathetic, wet doggie face. What a cutie! I love the way they shine when they're all clean and pretty!

[myshel]

Yay! Doggie bath success! I took pictures of Bern's first bath (with us since we adopted him when he was a year old) too. Don't you just love cuddling a freshly washed dog?

[oneday someday]

Blue is such a beautiful pooch and he's SO lucky to have such a wonderful mommy! It sounds like you (and Blue!) had a great time. The pic you posted of him in the tub is precious!