bathing puppies

Bathing a Puppy: 8 Must-Know Facts & Tips (Crucial Guide)

For whatever reason, your puppy is covered in mud or worse, and the dirt isn’t going to brush out. Or your puppy has a distinctly unpleasant smell and needs freshening up.

Most puppies dislike baths, so how do you make it a pleasant experience?

What’s the proper way to bathe a puppy and keep it smelling fresh?

1. Should You Bath Your Puppy?

Young puppies less than six weeks old only get a bath in dire emergencies because a young puppy can’t regulate its body temperature, and you risk hypothermia or illness.

If your young puppy has diarrhea and you can’t clean it with a warm facecloth, you can give it a quick warm bath, but you need access to a heat lamp or heating mat to keep it warm afterward.

Depending on their coat type, most puppies need a bath between one and four times a year.

If you intend to make your puppy an internet star or champion of the showroom, grooming and bathing may feature more highly in your puppy’s life.

Bathing strips out the natural oils that keep your puppy waterproof and can cause skin irritation.

2. Coat Type and Bath Frequency

Your puppy’s coat type dictates how often you need a bath for coat maintenance.

Smooth Coats

Puppies with smooth coats include:

  • Bulldog,
  • Greyhound,
  • Great Danes,
  • Dalmatian,
  • Boston Terrier,
  • Boxer,
  • Beagle,
  • Rottweilers,
  • Dachshunds, and
  • Basset Hound.

A smooth-coated dog has short hairs sitting close to the skin and is one of the easiest to maintain.

Smooth-haired puppies don’t need to visit the grooming parlor (although it does help with professional bathing) because your puppy doesn’t need a trim, and the hairs are too short to mat or tangle.

Your smooth-haired puppy does need regular brushing (soft brush) to help spread the natural oils through its coat. A warm wet face cloth or wet wipes will deal with most grubbiness.

An annual bath around the time your smooth-haired puppy sheds its coat can help speed up the process and leave less hair on furniture and carpets.

You can bathe your puppy if it rolls in something stinky or encounters a skunk.

Double Coats

Puppies with a double coat include:

  • Akita,
  • Huskies,
  • Australian Shepherd,
  • German Shepherd,
  • Bernese Mountain Dog,
  • Newfoundland,
  • Retrievers,
  • Havanese, and
  • Pomeranian.

Your puppy doesn’t start with a double coat, but when the puppy fur grows out, not only does your puppy change color, but it changes the hair type.

The double coat means short, dense hairs close to the skin and longer guard hairs. These breeds shed twice a year and have a summer and a winter coat.

These puppies need brushing at least two to three times a week, and daily is better because the undercoat gets matted and uncomfortable.

Don’t feel tempted to shave your double-coated puppy – it looks terrible, and that undercoat is essential to keep your puppy cool in summer and warm in winter.

Puppies with a double coat benefit from two baths a year in spring and fall to match when they shed most.

Poodles

Poodles are in a unique class – curly-haired dogs with a reputation for not shedding.

The puppy coat is softer and wavier than the dense curls of the adult coat.

Your poodle puppy starts to develop its adult coat around nine months, and it can take up to nine further months to complete the changeover.

Although poodles don’t shed like other dogs, they drop hairs that remain trapped in their coat.

Poodles need more grooming than other breeds, including more regular baths – every two months or at least four times a year.

Hairless Breeds

There are a surprising number of hairless dog breeds (at least nine), and these include:

  • American hairless terrier – first bred in 1970 in Louisiana.
  • Peruvian hairless dog – also known as the Peruvian Inca Orchid.
  • Mexican Hairless Dog or Xoloitzcuintli.
  • Chinese Crested Dog.
  • Hairless Chihuahua – the result of a genetic defect.
  • African Hairless Dog or Abyssinian Sand Terrier.

Hairless dogs need twice weekly bathing to remove excess dead skin cells and prevent infection.

You need to follow up with a moisturizing conditioner to keep that bare skin in peak condition.

3. Why Do Puppies Hate Baths?

Not all puppies hate the bathing experience, but most find it terrifying and unpleasant because:

  • Water from an outdoor hose is freezing – more torture than pleasure.
  • Restraining your puppy ensures the experience feels threatening.
  • The bath surface is slippery underfoot.
  • The noise of running water is scary – a young puppy has several fears.
  • The spray or hose is too rough when rinsing.
  • The shampoo smells funny to your puppy’s sensitive nose.
  • The water may be too hot.
  • Previous bad experience gives terrible associations.

Your puppy doesn’t need to hate the bath if you spend time ensuring that the experience is pleasant and not frightening.

But you can always opt to have a professional dog groomer handle the bathing if you don’t like the mess and fuss.

4. How to Get Your Puppy to Enjoy a Bath?

Your puppy doesn’t have to hate bath time, and there are plenty of ways to make the experience more enjoyable for both of you:

  • Work up to the bathing experience to avoid a traumatic introduction to the bath.
  • Get the water temperature right – not too hot, not too cold.
  • Put a towel or mat in the bottom of the bath for grip.
  • Get the bath and all your equipment ready, and don’t rush your pup.
  • Use puppy-specific products – to avoid stinging eyes and an upset nose.
  • Consider bath toys – especially if your puppy generally likes water.
  • Have plenty of treats on hand.
  • Consider showering as an alternative to baths.

Working Up to a Bath

A bath is a potentially new experience for your puppy, and it is best to prepare the way for a positive experience.

If you bathe your pup inside your bathroom, start by getting your puppy familiar with the bathroom and sit it in the empty bath with treats.

By accustoming your puppy to the equipment, you can remove many fear triggers to accomplish a stress-free bath.

When your puppy is happy to sit in the bath or basin, you can add a little water – not enough for a bath, but enough to get your puppy’s paws wet and perhaps splash a bit.

The more familiar your puppy is with the bathing process, the less likely it is to panic during an actual bath.

Water Temperature

Some people choose to take cold showers and baths to improve their mental fortitude.

Even on a hot day, your puppy will not enjoy a cold bath.

It is probably best to bathe your puppy indoors where you have access to warm water and a warm place for your puppy to get dry, so it doesn’t catch a chill or become ill.

The best water temperature to bathe a puppy is tepid, equivalent to blood heat – when you put your hand in the water, it should not feel warm or cold.

Warmer water is comfortable for you in a bath but not for your puppy.

If in doubt, get a baby bath thermometer; they are inexpensive and mercury-free – but don’t let your puppy play with it because it is not a toy.

Avoid Slipping

A significant part of a puppy’s dislike of the bath is the feeling of being unable to move without falling over.

The simplest solution is to put an old towel down – it gets wet, but it provides a grip for your puppy’s paws and a more natural texture.

Alternatively, you can buy a non-slip bathmat.

Be Prepared

When you start bathing your puppy, you want to ensure everything you need is by your side.

It is an excellent idea to have a box with all your puppy bathing supplies to hand. Once you start washing your puppy, you want the process to be smooth and trouble-free.

Because your puppy can chill so rapidly, you don’t want to be taking it in and out of the bath while you go looking for something you need.

Puppy Shampoo and Conditioner

Before four months, don’t use shampoo; a rub over with a wet cloth while in the bath is all you need.

Shampoos for your puppy are PH balanced and contain less harsh chemicals than human products. The best puppy shampoos are plant-based.

After the shampoo, use a conditioner to help replace the natural oils lost during bathing.

Puppy Bath Toys and Treats

Some of your puppy toys may have bath play potential as a distraction – balls that float are an excellent option.

You can also buy suction treat dispensers to attract your puppy’s attention while you shampoo and rinse.

Bath Alternatives

Instead of immersing your puppy in bathwater, you can shower instead.

It would be best to be careful with the spray settings (not too harsh) and temperature control, but your puppy may prefer a shower to a bath.

If your puppy is from giant breeds, training your puppy to enjoy a shower will make life easier for you later when the puppy is fully grown.

You can use pet wipes or a dry shampoo that brushes out for quick clean-ups.

A wet cloth rather than complete immersion may be all that is necessary to clean a puppy under four months.

5. How Can You Keep Your Puppy Calm During Bath Time?

Your puppy will take its cues from your body language.

If you stress about your puppy resisting bath time, it will feel there is a reason to be nervous.

Ideally, you will spend some time training your puppy to be happy with the bath long before you try and bathe it for the first time.

If you keep the first bathing experience short (dip in and dip out) followed by treats and fun to reward calm behavior, then your puppy is likely to be relaxed about future baths.

Coax your puppy to move voluntarily to the bathroom rather than dragging it protesting and whining through the door.

However your puppy behaves, avoid shouting and remain relaxed. To promote calm in your puppy, you need to stay calm yourself.

6. Step By Step Guide to Bathing a Puppy

When you need to bathe your puppy, be methodical and take the process one step at a time.

#1 Get Ready

Assemble everything you need for a successful bath – have the right products for your puppy’s coat, toys, treat, and towels for drying.

You may opt to dry your puppy with a hair drier (cool setting and gentle air) or have a heat lamp for your puppy to stay warm while drying naturally.

#2 Fill the Bath

You need to check the temperature and remember the bathwater will cool down while getting your puppy ready for the bath.

A floating baby bath thermometer will give you a reading that lets you know that the bath is just right (37C or 98F) for your puppy.

A towel or mat at the bottom will make life more comfortable.

#3 Brush Your Puppy

If your puppy has mats or tangles in its hair, the water will make it difficult, if not impossible, to remove these later.

Groom your puppy before it goes into the bath to remove loose dirt and hair.

If your puppy has long hair, the hair needs to be tangle-free before you start bathing.

#4 Wash Your Puppy’s Face

Using a wet cloth and no soap to wash your puppy’s face before putting it in the bath means you don’t distress your puppy by pouring water over its head.

This approach means your puppy doesn’t get water or soap in its ears, nose, or eyes.

#5 Put Your Puppy in the Bath

If you’ve worked up to making bath time a fun experience, your puppy should feel minimal distress.

Don’t rush to wash your puppy but give time to engage with treats and toys.

#6 Wash Your Puppy

Below four months, there is no need for shampoo; simply wipe over your puppy with a wet cloth.

Don’t scrub hard; your puppy has sensitive skin and work in the direction of hair growth.

If you use shampoo, squeeze a small amount of shampoo into your hands and work it into a lather before rubbing it into your puppy’s coat. Start at the neck and work it into the hair from neck to tail and down the legs.

Massage the shampoo into the coat for about five minutes.

Rinse the shampoo from the coat until the water runs clear – use a jug of warm, clear water or a shower attachment. Rinse from the neck downwards and avoid splashing your puppy’s face.

Repeat with conditioner.

If you have a particularly mucky pup, you may need to change the bathwater between washing and rinsing.

#7 Dry Your Puppy

Remove your puppy from the bathwater and wrap it in a warm fluffy towel.

Use patting movements rather than rubbing to absorb excess moisture from the coat.

Be warned – your puppy’s first move when removed from the water and put on its feet will be to shake itself, splattering the surroundings with water droplets.

You can put your puppy in a warm place (preferably under a heating lamp or on a heating mat to dry naturally, or use a hairdryer with a cool setting.

Always work with the hair and not against it.

A dedicated pet grooming hair drier is inexpensive and ultralow noise. If you need to bathe your puppy regularly, you will find this ideal as it combines drying and brushing in one seamless operation.

#8 Brush Your Puppy

If you don’t have a dedicated pet drier, you need to brush your puppy with a slicker brush when its coat is dry to redistribute its natural oils through its coat.

Follow up with a soft bristle brush for a glossy finish.

#9 Clean Up the Mess

After your puppy is warm, dry, and comfortable, it is time to clear up the water splatters and wet hair.

Some dog breeds will generate more mess than others and need more effort to clean up.

To avoid hair blocking your drains, use a hair catcher to strain the water or empty the bath in the outside drains.

Alternatively, use a specialist cleaning product immediately after the puppy bath to avoid hair clogging the drains.

7. Why Does Your Puppy Shiver?

Although shivering and shaking can be a fear response, it is more likely a sign that your puppy is getting too cold.

You may need to turn up the heating in the bathroom or add some hot water to the bath.

Don’t add hot water while your puppy is in the bath because you may burn your puppy. Take the puppy out and wrap it in a warm towel before adding more hot water.

The younger the puppy, the faster you need to wash and dry your puppy. Young puppies can’t regulate their body temperatures, and older puppies get chilled in a short time.

If your puppy seems very cold, try warming it up with a heat lamp or cuddling it close so you can give it some of your body heat.

Don’t let your puppy go into a cold room or outside with wet hair – drying your puppy is an essential part of the bathing process.

8. Should You Bath a Sick Puppy?

Unless your vet recommends a warm bath, avoid bathing an ill puppy.

Your puppy is already fighting off illness, and chilling its body won’t help.

If diarrhea means your puppy is covered in poop and washing it off any other way isn’t possible, then bath quickly and warm your puppy up using your body heat or a heat lamp.

Bathing a sick puppy is a last resort when you have no other options.

Conclusion

Puppy bath time doesn’t have to be stressful, but if you want a calm, relaxed puppy, you need to put in some time to accustom your puppy to the bathing experience.

If neither you nor your puppy enjoys bath time, it is worth considering a regular trip to a grooming parlor.

Apart from hairless dog breeds, most puppies require infrequent baths.

Puppy bathing is more about human comfort and the desire for a clean house than a puppy need, and you can achieve most puppy clean-ups without immersion in water.

You can wash most dirt off your puppy with a warm wet cloth and a brush as it comes in from a walk.

Daily grooming and spot washing will keep your pup clean and fresh. But when the time comes to bathe your puppy, be prepared, be relaxed and be gentle.