Bathing A Dog? - Make It A Spa Day!

Bathing a dog can either be seen as a necessary chore, or with a little imagination, Rover's bath day can be transformed into a Spa experience to make it more pleasurable for both you and your pet. If this idea appeals to you, keep reading and I'll give you some dog bathing tips to help you pull it off.

Bathing A Dog - DIY Dog Spa

While it's true that upscale dog salons really know how to bathe a dog and pile on the pampering, there's no reason your pet can't receive the same special attention right at home. In fact, when you're the one giving your dog a bath, he's bound to feel less stressed and be more likely to relax. At the very least he will enjoy getting your one-on-one attention!

Or, on the other hand, having a Spa day can be an option when you're off on a trip and really want Rover to look, feel and smell his best, but can't get an appointment at the groomer. Whatever the reason, you don't really need an excuse to give your best furry friend an extra special dog bathing experience filled with TLC - do you?

Insiders Secret To Bathing A Dog - Great Grooming Products

When your dogs come home fresh from the dog groomer spa, they smell and look great. Part of a salon's secret is that they use specialized pet products when bathing a dog.

As it turns out, now you can tap into the groomer's secret and get similar results at home.  With so many great pet shampoos and conditioners that are currently available, it's easy.

We've featured some of these high quality products for bathing a dog on this page to help you find the supplies to set up your dog's at home Spa. The ideal grooming kit would include:

• specially formulated dog shampoos

• conditioners, 

• finishing sprays to suit your dog's coat

• combs, brushes and

• absorbent doggie towels.

Selecting The Best Dog Bathing Supplies

Seek out the organic and botanical formulas as a good starting point for your pet's bath. If you have a pet that is prone to skin problems or itchy allergies, try a hypoallergenic dog shampoo. These are ph balanced for a dog's skin and contain gentle non-soap cleansers and anti-inflammatory ingredients.

However, when selecting products for bathing your dog, don't be fooled by pretty packaging. There are many "so-so" dog grooming products on the market. Some contain chemical ingredients such as parabens, artificial dyes and sulphates, that can cause adverse skin reactions to a pampered pooch - the very opposite of what you want! Fancy labels can be misleading.

Do read the ingredients when selecting bath time products for your dog's special day of pampering.

Look for natural cleansing agents and essential oils - both are soothing to a dog's skin and helpful in making the bath time a relaxing experience. And choose products suitable for your dog's coat and skin type, because each dog breed is unique - but you knew that didn't you!

So let's begin...

How To Bathe A Dog....Spa Style

Before bathing a dog, put him or her in a relaxed state with a calming massage. If you've never done this before before, he is in for a real treat, but take it slowly until he gives you a happy face.

The video below will give you some idea of the massage techniques and you'll notice how pleasurable a massage is to a pet.

If you find you enjoy giving your pet massages, here are some reliable dog books and videos you may want to have on hand as a ready reference. There are also classes available in most communities especially designed to teach pet massage. Believe it or not, there really are certified massage therapists for animals too!

Get Your Dog In The Mood!

To set the stage for bathing your dog, include a little aromatherapy. Prepare the room by burning a candle with a fragrance that has a soothing effect, like Lavender. It is known for calming, relaxing muscles, lowering tension and promoting a very restful feeling. Plus lavender also acts as a deodorizer when included in doggie sprays, as well as an insect repellent. So you might want to put some in your dog's bedding for a nice after bath stay fresh touch.

Music is another way to keep the atmosphere more serene - it's actually been proven that music has a relaxing and stress reducing effect on pets! So in addition to the aromatherapy, put on a little Pet Music. My dog always likes soft piano music which I select through a music app.

Before bathing your dog give him a good brush to get out the loose hair and tangles. In my view, it's so much harder to get out "wet" tangles after the bath. The Zoom Groom is a great product to use before a dog's bath and every day for that matter. This unique grooming tool has short rubber nubs that gently massage your pet while working like a magnet to remove loose hair. Two of them used together also work very well to lather up your dog with a stimulating sudsing.

Bath Water - Not Too Hot, Not Too Cold, But Just Right

Getting the perfect water temperature is an important step in bathing a dog. Prepare the bath water pretty much the way you'd like it yourself.

• Test the temperature to make sure it's warm enough, but not too hot.

• Place a rubber bath mat or towel in the tub to keep your pet stable and relaxed.

• Add a colorful rubber duck to the bath if he needs some enticement to step in.

• Rover's ears will also need some cotton balls to keep out the soapy water.

Dogs' ears are fragile and best cleaned separately and gently using cotton balls moistened with mineral oil, witch hazel or a specific doggie ear wash. (Stay away from swabs to be on the safe side).

• Oh, and don't forget to put on your rain gear before you start..you didn't expect to stay dry on this dog spa adventure did you?

After you've given your dog a good soaping, make sure to rinse him really well and follow with a conditioner. At the end of it all wrap your pet in a great dog towel. The Soggy Doggy towel shown below is good one to give him a thorough rub down which he'll love, then finish off with the hair dryer on a low heat setting. If you plan to do Dog Spa day often, you might want to get a pet dryer designed especially for pet hair.

Bathing A Dog - Finishing Touches

Comb and brush out Rover with a conditioning dog coat spray to keep the coat lustrous looking and healthy. In between Spa days, you can maintain that fresh look and smell with a heavenly lavender scented spritz that not only removes pet odors in a wink, but also re-moisturizes the coat and skin and imparts a healthy shine.

And, your dog's spa day is done... ...unless of course you have the expertise to handle a doggie pawdicure - very classy!

Now that you finished bathing your dog spa style and Rover looks amazing, why not take him out on a date or just for a walk with your special someone!

Related Grooming Pages

Grooming Tools	Shampoos, Sprays & Conditioners
Organic Shampoos	Paw Care
Skin Allergies	Dealing With FLEAS
Treating Hot Spots	Skunk Odor Removal

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