Bathing the dogs

[Lynda Kamrath]

So, now what to do with very dirty dogs!  We have a big walk-in shower with a shower stool, so we have tried using that for dog bathing....My husband undressed and got into the shower with the first dog.  He shampoos the dog, squeezes the water off with a shamwow, and towel dries the dog and sends him out to me.  I brush and blow dry Dog #1, while he bathes dog #2.  Then he comes out and finishes blow drying the first two dogs while I get in the shower with dog #3.  At the end of an hour, we have three clean dogs and two clean people.  I never thought I would like showering with dogs, but I get so wet bathing them in a dog wash area, that I might as well shower with them.

[Stacy]

I really thought I wanted to set things up to wash the dogs at home, I wouldn't even mind showering with them, I used to with the papillons. But my concern is that they *do* get so dirty that I'm afraid to put all that mud and dirt down the drain in my home. I'm not talking about just a normal bath, but an after the dog park filthy bath. I guess I would rather spend $14 to put all that gunk down someone elses drain! 

[Lynda Kamrath]

We have a dog self 'wash here also, so if they are too dirty (like after boarding for a month) we take them to the groomers and give them a wash.  Also there is a portable groomer who comes out to the house and will wash, cut and groom all three dogs in an afternoon.  She has a van with water.  We have her refill her water source with warm water after their grooming.  I guess we have the best of all worlds for the dogs here.  Each self wash here costs $20.

[DonMarie and Picco]

Picco looks at me like I'm crazy for getting into the shower every day!  He's not into water so a shower is unthinkable.  I have to drag him into the tub but then after in he doesn't fuss, he cooperates and tolerates it waiting for it to be over.  I can't imagine a blow dryer near him.  He has his water sucking robe and we'll cover him with warm towels and he'll just lay around like that for a few hours!

[Lynda Kamrath]

Can you believe we had a miniature poodle who loved his baths?  We lived in Germany and when he thought it was time for a bath, he would go into the bathroom, hop into the tub, and wait for someone to come give him his bath.  I would also wash him in the shower when I was pregnant and could not bend over the tub.  He was never really dirty so it worked out fine.  All of our dogs like the blow dryer but we just use warm air, not hot.  We start them with the blow dryer early and they are fine with it.  They don't like the blower in their faces so we cover their eyes with our hands while drying their heads.  Is a water sucking robe like a Shamwow?  Squeezeable shammies are the greatest for dog washing.

[DonMarie and Picco]

Some crazy dogs actually want baths!  None that I've ever had!  Yes the robe is like the Shamwow but I don't think it's as good.  I should buy it for after the bath to absorb more before putting on the robe.  When my husband bathes Picco he wrings him out so much I think he's going to break a bone!  

[Lynda Kamrath]

Funny!

[Andrea, Belle and Honey]

Yes to bath-loving dogs! My niece has a lab/beagle mix (labeagle? labragle?) who loves to swim in the pool at their summer house. He misses it so much back in Brooklyn that my niece fills the tub and he happily paddles around in it until she is ready to clean him. He would do it every day if she would let him. 

[Lynda Kamrath]

My kinda dog!

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

When they get really dirty we take them to the self wash dog wash in the PetPeople Pet store. We can only wash and towl dry because Daisy FREAKS out at the hair dryer. Didn't know that about her. When I asked our groomer she said "you mean Cujo"? Bahahahaha. She said she settles in like 30 seconds.

Regular baths are actually showers unless it's hot outside, then it's in the dog pool in the back yard.

[Lynda Kamrath]

Try the Shamwow towel.  They are great.  You just squeeze out the water and wring it from the towel.  Have you seen them?