How to Wash Your Dog in 10 Easy Steps

We all love our dogs, but they can get pretty messy! A simple, cost-effective way to fix this is to give them a bath at home! Bathing your dogs at home can ease their anxiety, make them more cooperative because its a familiar environment, and its cheaper than getting them groomed or using a wash station at a pet store! Any interested in learning how to effectively wash your dogs at home, keep scrolling!

Before washing your dog(s), gather all your supplies. Your going to need;

1. A brush

2. Some dog-specific shampoo and conditioner

3. Lots of towels

4. A kiddie pool.

The kiddie pool is optional, but also highly recommended! Another suggestion would be to wear old or waterproof clothes, because this is probably going to get messy!

Some dogs get anxiety from bath time. One way to ease this anxiety is by giving them lots of treats before and during the bath. Another way is by talking to them in a calm and soothing tone. If your dog responds to something else better, feel free to do that.

By now your dog (or dogs) probably know that something is up. And if they didn't before, they definitely will when you start filling up the kiddie pool. My dogs get washed in the backyard, so we use the hose to get all our water for bath time. Fill the kiddie pool up a little under halfway, and check to make sure that the water is a warm temperature.

Now your dog definitely knows something bad is happening, and they are probably running away from you. Once you corner them and can get them over to the pool, take an old leash and clip it to their collar. Tie the rest of the leash somewhere close to the pool, so they have enough freedom to move but not enough to run away.

To make your dogs coat thrive, brush all the excess hair out! The hair will get washed out after the first rinse.

Take your hose and put it on the mist setting, so your dog(s) remain calm. Carefully mist all over them to make them thoroughly wet. Now their ready for step six!

​Time for some bubbles! Get your dog shampoo mentioned in the Supplies List, and put about a quarter size in your hand, depending on your dogs breed. Rub your hands together to make a lather out of the shampoo. Now take that lather and very gently massage it into and under your dogs fur. Be extremely cautious about getting the shampoo into your dogs ears and eyes, doing so could hurt them a great deal. 

Now take your hose and put it back on the mist setting, and rinse the shampoo out. To make this go by faster, use your free hand to massage under your dogs coat to get all of the shampoo.

Just like us, dogs benefit from using a conditioner! Double check that all the shampoo is off your dog(s), and get the dog conditioner from the Supplies List. Take about a nickel size amount, depending on your dogs breed, and rub it between your hands. After a decent lather is made, massage that into your dogs coat. Leave the conditioner in for about five minutes. Being careful once again to avoid their ears and eyes.

By now your dog has resigned themselves to their fate. So be extra gentle and praising towards them. Double check for the last time that your hose is on the mist setting, and rinse out all the conditioner. Use your free hands to help massage it out if you wish.

Carefully take your dog out of the kiddie pool, and over to a dry area. Grab the plethora of towels you brought, and start patting them dry. Pay extra attention to their ears, so that ear infections are avoided. If at all possible, don't cover their eyes with the towel during this process. This can make anxious dogs very scared, so be cautious.

Yay! You successfully washed your dog at home! Congratulations!