Bathing

Love Sophia · 07-14-2009, 01:07 AM

Hi guys,
My puppy is around 9 weeks. How often should I bath her to get used to it? She HATES being brushed and just bites the brush...not sure what to do about that. I gave her her first bath today in the sink. Of course, she tried to jump out and hated it as well. I gave her treats before and after because she actually did better than I thought she would. Also, what's the best way to handle washing their little faces (she is a Yorkie)?

sirilucky · 07-14-2009, 07:37 AM

A dog should be washed a maximum of once a fortnight and ideally once a month, Unless it gets into something like mud,or trash or things such as that. some dogs with very short fur need as little as every 3 months and other breeds like Huskies maybe only every 6 months. If a sponge bath would suffice, then do that instead. It is very important that you keep the puppy warm so use lukewarm water and mild baby shampoo for the bath. Afterwards, make sure that you dry him off completely.
I wash my dogs with ONLY water every week and whenever they get dirty.

Tankstar · 07-14-2009, 08:13 AM

Offcourse she hates the bath and brushing, Im sure we all did when we were babies too. You need to get her used to it. Dont try and do it all at once and then freak her out. Start slow, do bruhsing for a min while she is calm, treat and release ect, work her up to a long sitting. being a yorkie she needs to get used to it now, instead of 6 months from now when sh eis in dire need of a grooming.

GroovyGroomer777 · 07-14-2009, 11:46 AM

I agree with Tank, you better nip this in the bud or your dog will go home completely shaved down every time she is groomed.

The number one answer for matted dogs is "She/He won't let me brush her." If she isn't going to let you, chances are the groomer won't have much luck either. But you have the power to train her and be consistant, we do not.

Brushing should not hurt or be uncomfortable in any way if your dog doesn't have any knots in her coat. Keep trying. And don't give up. A yorkie needs to be brushed as much as possible.

Go to your local groomer and ask for her to show you how to brush your dog and what tools to use. Then make an appointment for your pup as soon as she is done with her vaccines.

Love Sophia · 07-14-2009, 01:58 PM

Exactly! I do not want her to be a pain at the groomer, and I definitely do not want her to get mats. I have been doing short little brushing sessions with her every night, so we'll see what happens! Should conditioner also always be used after the puppy shampoo?

comix · 07-14-2009, 05:08 PM

try bathing her more often.

but dont use any shampoo (as others have written, bathing too often can damage skin, hair, etc due to the effects of shampoo or soap).

However, simply getting the dog used to soaking and relaxing in nice pot of warm water should cause minimal damage.

towel dry and condition.

p.s. the dog should only be alarmed if the pot of water also contains sliced vegetables.