how to bathe a dog properly.

Between-grooms know-how from scruffyboy

Most of this site argues for fewer baths, and stands by it. But when bath day genuinely arrives (he is filthy to the skin, or he rolled in something unspeakable), it is worth doing properly, because a bad bath is how you get a dog who fights the tub for the rest of his life, and a half-rinsed coat that itches for a week.

before the water goes anywhere near him

• Brush him first. Loose hair and mats get dramatically worse when wet. A matted coat should be dealt with before the bath, not after; water tightens mats like knots in wet rope.
• Lay everything out in reach. Shampoo, two towels, something non-slip for him to stand on. The moment you leave a wet dog to fetch a towel is the moment he redecorates the bathroom.
• Use an actual dog shampoo. Human shampoo, even baby shampoo, is balanced for the wrong skin. What to look for is covered in the shampoo guide.
• Tire him out first if you can. A walked dog is a compliant dog. A fresh one is an eel.

the wash

1. Lukewarm water. Cooler than you would shower in. Dogs run warmer than us and hot water is uncomfortable on their skin, which is half the reason some dogs hate baths.
2. Wet him from the neck back. Head last, and ideally barely at all: a damp cloth around the face beats pouring water over it, keeps soap out of the eyes and ears, and keeps the panic down. Water in the ears is genuinely worth avoiding, so a bit of cotton wool just inside the opening helps if he tolerates it.
3. Lather back to front, top to bottom. Neck, back, sides, then legs, belly and rear, so the dirt runs down and off. Work the shampoo to the skin with your fingers rather than piling foam on top of the coat.
4. Rinse for about twice as long as feels necessary. This is the step everyone shortcuts and the one that matters most. Shampoo residue left at the skin is a top cause of the post-bath itch, and it collects grime like glue. When you think he is rinsed, the water running off should be completely clear; if in doubt, keep going.

the drying, which is not optional

Let him shake first (it removes a startling amount of water, and he was going to do it anyway). Then towel him properly, pressing and squeezing into the coat rather than scrubbing circles, which tangles. Get down to the undercoat, the armpits, the ears and between the toes. A bath that ends with a damp undercoat is how you get a dog who smells worse after the bath than before it. In humid weather this step is the whole game; the drying guide covers it.

make it boring, keep it rare

Calm voice, steady hands, something to lick if it helps (a smear of something safe and tasty on the tub wall is an old groomer's trick), and done in fifteen minutes. The less dramatic the bath, the easier every future one gets. And then do not book another for a good while: the case for restraint is in how often should you bathe your dog, and everything in between is what the between-grooms routine is for.

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scruffyboy makes the gear for every day that is not bath day: the waterless wash, the funk fix, the boot-of-the-car kit. Join the list for first dibs, or read the other guides.