It’s not feasible for your clients to bring their dogs in to you for every bath, but of course, you can encourage them to do so! For those crazy days of muddy paws, dirt-digging, or rolling in something unpleasant, most dog owners will opt to hose down their pup at home. As you know, it can be a daunting task to tackle! You can help ease their stress - and the mess- by offering an easy-to-follow flyer or a simple how-to pep talk for them to follow in between their grooming visits.

Remember, the simpler the better.

Help Your Customers: Washing a Dog at Home

Tell your customers:

Remember that professional groomers are a must for certain breeds, such as Poodles, Yorkies, Maltese, Springers, and others with hair that grows long!

Don’t hesitate to call for an appointment with your groomer. Your pup will be pampered and spoiled as he is cleaned. (This tip is great for dogs who truly hate bath time, or for furbaby parents who hate puppy bath time.)

Some dogs are born loving water, including baths. If this describes your dog, your biggest concern is an overly-excited, mess-making, crazy bath time. If your dog is the opposite, skittish and fearful of water, you are also looking at a mess, but it’s struggling with your pup’s anxiety that is the worst. Either way, the following are great ideas to keep your dog calm and get him clean - quick. 

According to Dog Time:

Prepare for bath time. Follow our guide to getting set-up to make every at-home bath as easy as it can be. 

Brush your dog before a bath. Matted hair holds water, leaving your dog with irritated skin. (If you can’t brush or cut the mats out yourself, take your dog to a professional groomer.) Put a cotton ball in each ear to keep water out. It helps prevent ear infections and irritation.

Use lukewarm water. Dog skin is different from ours, and hot water can burn dogs more easily. Bath water should never be hotter than what you’d run for a human baby. Keep it even cooler for large-breed dogs, who can easily overheat.

Talk to your pet in a calm and reassuring voice. Some dogs will eventually learn that you’re not torturing them, although others will continue to hide under the kitchen table whenever you get out a towel.

Use a good dog shampoo. It dries their skin less than people shampoo. Work the shampoo into a gentle lather and massage it all over your dog’s body, being careful not to get soap in her eyes or ears.

Rinse well. Any soap left in her fur can irritate your dog’s skin once she’s dry. Rinse, rinse, and repeat the rinse.

Air-dry. Hot air from a human blow-dryer can be too hot for their skin. Either air-dry or use a blow-dryer designed for dogs; its lower temperatures won’t cause itching or dandruff.

Reward your dog. Follow up with abundant praise, petting, or play. Many a damp dog loves to vent her frustration over bath time by playing exuberant tug-of-war with the bath towel — or just running away with it–when it’s all over.

Remember that your dog needs washed once every month, and more often if he has an oily coat or a matted mane. If your dog has a short-hair, smooth coat, a double coat, or a water-repellent coat, you can get away with fewer washes… unless your pup loves the mud, of course.