Does your dog love bathing? Trust us, we’d totally understand if you say the answer is complicated! Sometimes you wonder whether it’s the same dog that loves to swim with you but gives you a full-on opera session when it comes to bathing. Yes, dogs take bathing seriously, and they do everything they can to avoid it, be it showing you their beautiful puppy eyes, or crying, hiding, etc. But why do they do that? What is it about bathing that is so stressful? It is not the water. Then why do dogs hate baths?Here are the answers.
A Bad Experience
The first impression is the last. If your dog’s first bathing experience was not good, it makes them averse to bathing. It can be water in ears, soap in eyes, touchy feel as you clean them, or some other small irritant. These may look like minor issues, but for a dog, those experiences could traumatize them forever, and they make all the excuses in the world to avoid the cleaning exercise.
Loss Of Control
Your dog may always be the first to dive headfirst into the pool but always last in the bathing queue. Why? As we said earlier it is not the water. No. It is the loss of control. When dogs swim, they do it for fun. They do it on their own. Bathing is different. You use a special smelling shampoo thing, a conditioner, hair gel, or other products you think would be good for them. But instead, those very products might be making your dog run away from the bathing routine. Plus, you touch them everywhere and try to clean them. Dogs lose their control while bathing; that’s why they do not like it.
It Seems Stressful
If your dog is fearful of bathing, it may be because of the way you have unknowingly instilled fear in them. You prepare a tub for them, get their towels ready, bring out all the bathing tools, and ask them to accompany you. It doesn’t sound fun to them. Dogs don’t understand what they get from bathing, but you do. Bathing should come as quickly as eating or going for a walk. If you ever bathe your dog under stress or handle them roughly, they will consider washing a stressful exercise and not a fun thing, as they can sense your mood.
Unfamiliarity
It is a common problem with adopted dogs. They have never been bathed, or their experience was not so great. When you introduce them to bathing, it is unfamiliar, which increases anxiety, and makes bathing a no-no.
Common Mistakes Which Make Dogs Hate Bath
There are some common mistakes that most pet owners make. They skip your eye but matter for your dog and make them averse to bathing.
Touch-Ups Between Bath
Your dog has some points like their toes, private areas, or tail where they don’t like to be touched. While bathing, many pet owners usually handle these areas, which irks the dogs. To resolve this, you can use pet wipes to clean these areas before bathing them. Make it a habit to clean them after they return from walking and doing their business. While bathing, simply rinse these areas, and you are good.
Not Instilling Habit Of Grooming
Most pet owners choose a day when they bathe their dog, brush the coat, brush their teeth, clip their nails, and groom them entirely. It tires your dogs out. Instead, make it an everyday experience. Brush their teeth, and comb their hair regularly.
Not Giving Them a Choice
Pushing your dog to the bathtub and asking them to take a bath isn’t right when they are not ready. This is not the right approach. How will your dog learn that it is fun? Instead, could you give them a choice? Tell them that you are going to take them to bathe. Create a positive experience and help them get to the tub. Don’t initiate anything. Let them choose. You can use treats to encourage them. If they get a treat for getting into the tub, they will learn that they are rewarded. Also, you can give them occasional treats while bathing for good behaviour.
If your dog is whining, talk to it in a soothing tone. Caress them and slowly take bathing further.
Not Being Careful
Dogs are the same as kids. But most pet owners forget that. As a result, scalding hot water or shampoo in their eyes freaks out the dogs and makes them averse to bathing. Like you test the water temperature for kids, ensure that the water is neither too hot nor cold. While shampoos include chemicals, be careful while washing their eyes. It should not enter their eyes. Also, buy an irritation-free shampoo. Massage their head and talk to your dog. If they like it, they will not hesitate to bathe next time.
Bathing a dog should not be a headache. To ensure so, you need to create a positive experience for your dogs. Small things irk them, and even small things make them fall in love with water. So, take care of these little things and enjoy bathing your furry friend while they enjoy getting groomed and cleaned.
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