Are you having problems making your pup willingly take dog baths?

Stuck with constantly needing to force your dog to take a bath?

You’re not alone! Several dog parents have a hard time making their dogs willingly take baths.

If you want to learn how to get your dog to like baths, here are a number of things you have to consider.

One of the possible reasons why your dog may hate baths is that they’re unfamiliar with the sensory experience.

Your pup may also recall bad associations with bathing, leaving them traumatized by anything bath-related.

Lastly, bath time may be stressful for dogs, especially if you think of bath time as stressful, too. So, be mindful of your emotions when giving dog baths.

The trick is to stay calm to project a positive attitude to your pup about giving a bath. It will also help make them feel calmer.

Another trick is creating positive associations. For example, you can give praises while bathing them gently. Or you can turn your dog’s fear of bathing by leaving your dog’s food bowl near the tub and gradually into the tub.

Lastly, prevent making any negative associations. Be as cautious as possible to make your dog feel safe in the bathroom.

You can put a nonskid mat to avoid slipping and be mindful of the water’s temperature and noise.

Brush your pup from head to tail to loosen dirt and remove excess fur. You can also remove matted fur and knots from longer coats that may irritate skin and hold water.

Brushing their fur before your pup’s bath will help you and your pup have a smooth bathing session.

A dog’s skin is similar to that of a baby’s, so it is quite sensitive to heat.

Make sure to run your pup’s bath as warm as possible, not too hot nor too cold, like how a mother would run the bath for her baby.

Not all shampoos have the same effect on your pup’s coats. Choosing the right shampoo for dogs with sensitive skin is even more difficult.

It’s vital, therefore, that you use the appropriate shampoo for your dog when bathing them. Focus on areas that tend to be the dirtiest or with thick fur.

Massage it into their coats while avoiding their nose, eyes, and mouth. Remember to use the shampoo sparingly as possible.

Be careful and gentle when rinsing the shampoo and getting your dog wet.

Although pet shower sprayers may be helpful, there are several dogs that don’t like being sprayed.

If you’re in a pinch about how to avoid spraying on them, Rinseroo has the solution for that!

It’s a slip-on shower attachment hose that eliminates the need to install a handheld showerhead and its pet friendly spout allows a single stream of water to flow onto the dog. Its less noisy and easy to keep the water from getting into your pet's eyes.

Just follow the instructions on how to use Rinseroo and your pet baths should be much less stressful for you and your dog.

It’s tempting, but avoid using a blow dryer to finish drying your pooch quickly.

Most dogs don’t like—and are even scared—of blow dryers. There’s also the risk that their skin will get burned.

Just use a nice towel, pat it down on your dog’s skin, and let them air dry wherever they are comfortable.

A great motivation is positive reinforcement. It will be better and more helpful in the future if you use a happy voice and soft tone while bathing your pup.

Once the bathing session is done, don’t forget to praise them a lot. You can also give them little treats for trusting you with an uncomfortable behavior.

But the answer is this: it depends.

Most dogs only need bathing once a month, while others, especially with their skin type, have different times for bathing.

One example is dogs with oily coats, as they need to bathe once a week.

Meanwhile, breeds with water-repellent coats only need to take dog baths less often to preserve the natural oils on their skin.

If your pup has thick, double coats, what they may need is fewer baths and a lot of extra brushing. It helps distribute natural oils and get rid of loose, dead hair so that your pup’s coat and skin remain healthy.

On the other hand, if you also have short-haired dogs with smooth coats, they may need less frequent baths.

After all, most dogs with smooth coats are meticulous when it comes to personal hygiene, so they rarely need a bath.

If you feel like you’re always wrestling with your dog in the bathtub to the point that you end up forcing them to take a bath, it may be time to consider professional groomers.

Not only will professional groomers bathe your dog, but they clip your pup’s nails, trim near the eyes, and dry them.

There are also breeds that will really need professional dog groomers from the get-go. An example of this is dogs that grow long coats.

Although professional dog grooming may be pricey, it will also be physically and mentally good for your pup because these groomers have trained on how to handle them.

They may even be able to help your pups to get to like dog baths with their tried-and-true techniques.

It’s normal for your pup to be scared of or hate dog baths.

So if this is the case with your furbaby, you need to understand what’s happening and look for ways to turn dog baths into a smooth session.

If you’re looking for tips, getting your own dog shower attachments may help.