How to give a dog a bath

Getting Fido clean can be a challenge. And, he doesn't always make it easy. Here are some tips to get a fresh smelling dog without the headache.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Dog treats
• Lots of towels
• A tub or hose
• A leash and collar
• A large cup or bowl

1. You want to be prepared before you try to get Fido to the bathing area. Get a bunch of old towels and lay them down in the bathroom or other area that you are going to wash the dog. Have a large cup (preferably something unbreakable) handy, in addition to dog shampoo.
2. If your dog is difficult - meaning resistant, not mean (if he's mean, don't attempt to bathe him if he doesn't want it) - you might want to slip a collar and leash on him to coax him into the bathing area.
   
   Once he's in there, try to get him into the tub or under the hose. If he won't jump in (this is where treats will come in handy), gently lift him in.
3. Wet Fido down well, the plastic cup will help move this along. You may need someone with an extra set of hands to hold him inside the bathing area. Once he's good and soaked, lather him up with dog shampoo. Make sure you read the bottle, because some flea and tick shampoos require that it stay on the animal for a certain period of time.
4. After he's good and lathered and you've followed the instructions on the bottle, rinse him very well (another good time for the plastic cup). Make sure to get the soap off all of him, as it can dry out his skin.
5. Now comes the tricky part. Try to towel off all the excess water you can, before Fido leaps out and drenches the floor. Just in case, have a bunch of towels laid out to try to catch some of it.
   
   Now you can either help him jump out or let him do it on his own. Stand back, because he's gonna shake a couple times to get off all the water.
   
   Once the wet dog smell passes, you will have a fresh Fido!

Tips & Warnings

• You may want to ask your vet for the best brand of shampoo for your dog breed. You don't want to do anything that is going to cause illness in your animal.
• If your dog is aggressive or mean when you attempt to bath them, back off and call the animals veterinarian. Do not put your self in a situation that would cause harm to you or your animal.