What not to do when bathing a dog?
Adele Cremin
2025-07-31 23:58:52
Count answers
: 17
Washing your dog too often can strip away the natural oils that help them maintain a healthy coat, leading to dryness and skin irritation. For breeds such as Border Collies, Cocker and Springer Spaniels, Golden Retrievers and Basset Hounds, which produce a lot of these oils, it’s especially important not to harm the natural waterproofing qualities. They shouldn’t be washed with human shampoo, even baby formulas can be too harsh for canine skin. If you don’t have any dog shampoo, it’s best to stick to water alone.
Use lukewarm water for your dog’s bath, as extremes of hot or cold can be a shock to their system. A gentle stream of water is better than a powerful jet, which is too harsh, as well as disconcertingly noisy.
Try not to splash soap into their eyes and ears – using a flannel will help. Rinse and repeat the whole routine, ensuring no soapy suds remain, and taking care not to direct water into their sensitive ear canal.
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