While your dog might not particularly enjoy their bath time, it’s very important that they are bathed and cleaned regularly. Especially during the monsoons when they run around in dirt and mosquitoes and ticks and other creatures can get stuck in their fur. So instead of making baths something that is required for them, making it more exciting and inviting. Often, puppies are the ones not ready to have a bath or even bother to get cleaned up, but you need to put your foot down and make sure that they are clean. And here are some quick tips on how to make it more enjoyable.
- You need to let your puppy get used to the idea of water. Very often, puppies are afraid of being doused in water and you need to introduce it into their lives slowly. It’s obviously not the same as a bowl of water to drink from, but it’s a process. Start small and then get the water amount bigger as you go, so that finally when they’re in the tub for a wash, it’s not alarming.
- Take some time out of your day to let your puppy adjust to the water by either playing around or relaxing. Let them adjust to it on their own instead of you forcing them to do things a certain way. And if it’s been a warm day, the idea of cool water will entice them even more.
- Obviously the most popular method would be through treats. For every big step towards the bath, your puppy gets a snack. Treats are always a big encouragement and get your puppy interested in doing something to get more treats. Keep the treats small, but enticing enough.
- The water should not be too cold or too hot, lukewarm water is a good place to start. You don’t want your puppy freezing or yelping because of the temperature, so lukewarm has a good balance. And it’s also closer to the body temperature of your puppy, which will definitely help them adjust easier.
- Play with your puppy while you’re bathing them. Make it a fun activity. Obviously your bathroom is going to be absolute mess when you’re done, but it will be worth it. Making it fun makes it more exciting for them to try again later.
- The most important thing to keep in mind is that you DO NOT force your puppy into the water. This whole process might take you longer than you’d like, but if you or your puppy is not comfortable with the way things are going, it will only make things harder. Find what works best for you and your furry buddy, because that’s the only way it will really work.
