if your dog hates to be bathed...what have you found that helps?

[melsmel]

Baxter HATES to be bathed - shakes like he is being abused - we have tried several things to try to calm him down & nothing seems to work. If your dog is / was the same, what have you found that helps?

[Deb's Tiny Dogs]

Originally Posted by melsmel

Baxter HATES to be bathed - shakes like he is being abused - we have tried several things to try to calm him down & nothing seems to work. If your dog is / was the same, what have you found that helps?

We had a GSD who was a wreck when we tried to bathe him. We tried everything we could think of. Eventually, he needed a bath and I just couldn't deal with him any more so I took him to a groomer. All I said was, "He gets a little nervous" (I was afraid if I said more they wouldn't even take him).

Well, when I came back to get him I asked sheepishly, "So, how was he?" I was thinking I was about to get an earful. She said, "He was a perfect gentleman." I said, "What, he's a horror at home to bathe!" She said that sometimes when they get with a groomer (friendly, but a stranger, and away from home) that they stop this nonsense and don't act up nearly as much.

So, anyway, for us, we just took him to the groomer for his baths and all was fine.

I'm sure others will have lots of different ideas for you.

[merrow]

lol that happens whith alot of dogs we do especally with the larger breads

i would say take him to a groomers and let a professional deal with him once they r on there own they star to chill out and is there any reason he has to be scared of a bath and my dog hate it at home in the bath but loves the hose pipe in the garden but he is fine when i take him to work and put him in the bath there.

dog reallly can fool u if they dont want to have it done

and if u also fretting coz he is worried he well sence it and it will make him worse try not to give him wrong infomation

[rottiegirl]

I agree with Merrow, tell a groomer that he is afraid and go there once or twice a month, just untill he gets used to it. Being handled by a proffesional WILL help!

Honestly when my dogs are pupppies I bring them into the bathtub with me... Dog that I get as adults I let them sit in the tub without water, and feed them cookies, I make bath time fun.

I reccomend you play with him, and feed him cookies!

[Dax]

I had a shepherd who almost drowned as a puppy and feared any water (in tubs, lakes, etc).

I could never get her in a tub to bath her. What I finally did was attach a hose to my washer/dryer connection and use warm water outside with a hose. It meant no baths in the winter but a couple of snow baths usually took care of it anyway.

By bathing her outside standing on firm ground, she was much calmer. Making it a fast/painless experience will help. Doing it often in the summer and praising will also help.

Merlin came to us also hating the bath tub. I have been desenitizing him without water. I held him in my arms for a few seconds-praised. After a while, I put him in an empty tub for a couple of seconds. Praised. Now we are up to letting a little water run. A wet washcloth over the messy areas will be sufficient for now.

[LuvLabs]

I like the idea of feeding the treats in the tub. Thats what I did with mine but they started as puppies so I kinda have an advantage. Also my voice changes during bath time. Its my good dog voice, I say stupid stuff like scubb a dubb dubb just to talk to them and comfort them. But the more you do it chances are the more they will get use to it as long as you make it fun. I always blow dryed my girls as pups and now they LOVE IT. LOL every time they hear the blow dryer they come running. Good luck!

[whimzikal]

I can't speak of the problem personallly since mine LOVE bath time, but my mom's dog has this problem and her answer was "Do it real fast" LMAO

I'm with Rottiegirl on this tho, all my dogs have been either in the shower or bath with me or my son. Joe is now roughly 85lbs and he jumps in the shower like it's PARTYTIME! (He also likes to be vaccumed, I think he has issues)

[IcyMist]

Penny still doesn't enjoy a bath, but I learned the hard way that when I bathe her, I have the bath tub filled with water BEFORE inserting Penny. As long as the water isn't running while bathing her, she is fine. Unfortunately when it is time to rinse her, I end up having to use the sprayer attachment. She really doesn't have time to get scared and she is no longer shaking when I take her out of the tub, but still not her favorite thing. I think part of it is just show because she will come in the bathroom and watch me filling up the tub and she doesn't run and hide like she does when I get her leash.

[Suz]

being a groomer i have to agree - our customers are often surprised how good there dogs can be for us!!! mind you out of all the dogs we do gsd's seem to dislike it the most!!!

[IcyMist]

Welcome to ProDog Suz