Bathing is one of the most important necessities in canine care and skin health. Regular bathing helps to maintain clean and fresh appearance and smell of the dog, as well as general hygiene of the family and the dogs environment.
We must teach our dogs to enjoy or at least tolerate the bathing process, in order to do this, we must learn the proper routine of the bathing process.
Each dog will have individual needs, so we must adjust according to the requirements of the skin and hair of each pet . The overall bathing routine also depends much on each pet’s lifestyle. A dog that lives in the house requires more frequent bathing than those who live in the yards or spend most of their days outdoors.
The type and condition of the dog’s skin and hair determines which products, tools and techniques need to be applied, each case is different.
Why?
Bathing maintain a dog’s skin and coat in good condition.
Bathing is the basis of everything. Without a clean shining coat with a fresh healthy odour, you will not be able to fully enjoy the relationship with your dog, because constant shedding, dirty hands after contact, dirty linens, unpleasant odors in the house, simply DOES reduce the enjoyment the relationship between man’s best friend, these SMALL things make a BIG difference
When?
You can bath your dog once a week if appropriate bathing products and techniques are applied, in order to improve the dogs overall condition of skin and coat.
Where?
The dog should placed in the bath, but before you begin with bathing, secure the bathtub with a rubber bath mat, so the dog cannot slip.
How?
The shampoo is applied to the hair and massaging into a rich lather not only to clean the hair, but also to stimulate the skin and remove all excuse accumulated dirt.
During bathing, when massaging the shampoo and conditioner into a rich lather extracting all the dirt accumulated, we actually reinforce the relationship with our pet, because the quantity of endorphins, which increases in this case, it is beneficial not only for the dog but also for our relationship. It should be a very therapeutic process in which both benefit.
It is therefore very important that dog becomes accustomed into liking the process..
Bathing Tools
A rubber Brush is the perfect tool to use during bathing, with a technique that depends on the condition of the hair, season and lifestyle of your dog ...
The process of bathing
After placing your pet in the bathtub on the non-slip surface,
Before you turn on the water to flow, pat your dog on the head, to encourage positive emotions. Have treats with you, so you can praise him during the process.
Basic steps of bathing
Always apply shampoo on the body first, so that shampoo covers all of the hair and then go up to the head.
In this way, the use of shampoo has a purpose, because you have plenty of time to adjust the amount used on the body and cleanse it. re assure your dog while shampooing, but also react if the dog starts to shake off the water, then it is best to turn the the tap off.
Remember when dogs are wet they shake their body, from head to tail, thus if you want to avoid being sprayed, go to the front of the dog and support their head as they shake the water off. intense rubbing movements into the dogs coat, applying shampoo and conditioner and flushing out dirt, is a method that is applied when bathing any short haired working breed like the Dobermann.
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The process of shampooing
* Wet the dog’s hair with water, in the direction of its growth and in the opposite direction;
* Apply shampoo, also in the direction of the hair’s growth and in the opposite direction;
* Rub shampoo into the hair, whether using your hand or with a brush for scrubbing;
* Rub dog’s hair well to remove as much as possible of fallen hair and dirt;
* Repeat the process as many times as needed, until the foam that comes off the dog is completely white.
The process of flushing
* Apply water all over his body rubbing in the direction of hair’s growth and in the opposite direction;
* Rub your dog’s hair well, to remove as much as possible of fallen hair;
* Repeat the process as many times as necessary, in order to rinse all the shampoo from hair;
* Rinse your dog’s hair as long as water that runs-off from the body does not contain shampoo foam.
The process of applying conditioner
* Apply the conditioner to the hair, rubbing in the direction of growth and in the opposite direction of hair’s growth;
* Rub conditioner on the whole body, using your hands or with a brush and massage. - Rub the hair well, to remove as much as possible fallen hair;
* Rinse your pet with water, as long as you don’t feel the grease of the balm under your hands.
I'm 100% sure that many of you, when you read the last paragraph, have asked yourself:
Why should I put conditioner on the short haired dog, well it is not on a poodle...??
But thats the key to a beautiful, shining,clean ravishing coat.
Summary
The Natural pH value of a dog’s skin ranges between 6.8 - 7.2, depending on the living conditions and nutrition, but that fact shows that pH value of the skin varies in the range of pH neutral environment.
To restore these natural oils we use conditioner, because besides this preparation it helps with closing the cuticles of the hair, which have opened during the shampooing process.
In this way we’ve provided a closed circle in which the hair opens the cuticle in the process of shampooing and was cleaned from dirt that affixed to the skin grease. This problem is resolved with applying the balm to the hair of the dog, which besides returning washed away grease, tightens the hairs cuticles.
therefore, we’ve returned to the natural state of the skin and hair before bathing, and such hair can live out their full cycle.just without the dirt that we dont need!
ONLY if you use conditioner after the shampooing we can talk about the process of bathing, which is absolutely not harmful to the health of the dog and its hair, and such a bathing process can be performed as often as needed.
Another benefit of using conditioner in the process of bathing is that the hair dries 50% faster, because in the process of drying evaporates only water that is found on the hair, not the one that is in the hair and makes its structure and humidity, because the hair cuticle is closed.
In case that the hair cuticle remains open, which occurs after shampooing, drying will last until the hair is completely dried, and with its inner side. This contributes to the dryness of the hair, its short life expectancy and more frequent shedding, precisely much stronger shedding. The skin that is without oil is dry, flaking and subject to the creation of so-called "hot spot” changes, and moist eczema can easily become further infected with bacteria or fungi.
Conditiooner - an unavoidable point of every bath!! ... Keep that in mind... ;)
I hope you have enjoyed and learned something new here. Please, feel free to post your comments, so I can direct my work and subjects towards those which interest you.... ;)
Talk soon,
Xxx
Sasha