How to Wash a Dog in Cold Weather
Washing your dog when the weather is cold outside can take more thought and preparation than doing the same activity during the warmer times of the year. Because dogs are more affected by temperature than human beings, it is important that you are set up to keep your dog from getting too cold while they are being bathed and afterward before they are completely dry. It is best to wash your dog inside where the air is heated, but if that is not possible, you can bathe them outdoors if you are prepared to do it quickly.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Dog shampoo
- Dog brush
- Towels
- Wool blanket (optional)
- Hair dryer (optional)
Instructions
-
-
1
Prepare a warm area. It is best to bathe a dog indoors when the weather is cold. Turn the heat on in the bathroom that you will be using, or if you don't have heat controls in that room, you can hook up a small space heater. Fill the bathtub several inches with lukewarm water. If you must bathe your dog outdoors, try to hook up a hose to a hot water faucet so that you will not be dousing them with cold water in an already cold atmosphere.
-
2
Bathe your dog. If you are inside using a bathtub, soak the dog thoroughly before lathering with shampoo and then scrubbing deeply so that you get all layers of hair or fur as well as the skin. Be careful not to get soap into your dog's eyes or inside its ears. Pay attention to areas such as between the legs and under the tail. If you are bathing your dog outdoors, it is best to skip the soaking and go straight to lathering with shampoo and scrubbing down. Then rinse the dog as soon as possible, which will remove the dirt as well as the soap.
-
-
3
Dry your dog's coat. Once all of the soap has been rinsed from your dog, remove them from the bathtub and rub them down with a towel or a wool blanket. Pay special attention to the head, chest and neck area as these places are sensitive and can lead to your dog getting sick if it is wet in the cold air. If you bathed your dog outdoors, wrap the dog up tightly in a towel and bring it indoors as soon as possible. Leaving dogs to dry outside in the cold weather can lead to them becoming ill. Some dogs will behave while you blow dry their coat with an electric blow dryer -- set on low heat. Others will be too afraid to stand still for a hair dryer and must be rubbed down until their coat is dry.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
If you are attempting to blow dry your dog's hair, be gentle and patient with the dog as it may be afraid of the hair dryer. Pat the dog soothingly and talk to it in a soft tone of voice to help the dog remain calm.
If your dog has a long or thick coat, you should brush it several times while drying it, especially if you are toweling it dry. It can become snarled while wet so be sure to work out any clumps of hair as they form so that they do not dry into knots.
Do not leave the dog out in the cold to dry.
Consult your veterinarian before washing your dog outdoors in cold weather.
References
- Photo Credit SONY DSC image by gierczak2007 from Fotolia.com
