Look at the expression on this dog’s face throughout the entire bath. She is in heaven! She just soaks it all in while her dad does all the dirty work. No dog enjoys a bath more. Her friend stands nearby, pacing from time to time, waiting for his turn to be pampered. Wouldn’t it be nice if our dog is this relaxed when we bathe them? No more pleading or bribing with treats. Is it possible?
According to Josh Weiss-Roessler in Cesar’s Way, it can be done. Of course it would help to start when they are puppies because they don’t yet have a negative association with bath time. Help them create positive associations with bathing. Like with anything you want to teach your puppy, link the new behavior to something she likes such as praise, affection, treats if needed. Josh offers some really good tips in this article on the specific steps to create positive association with bathtime.
How to create positive bath time for your dog
First, even before their very first bath, train the puppy to go on her own will inside an empty bathtub, or doggie bathtub. Positively reinforce every desired action. Practice this until your puppy would go inside the bathtub, even without a reward.
After she’s completely comfortable with this step, introduce warm water. Again, lots of praise and affection to show warm water is a happy place. Now, after she’s comfortable with the idea of being in a bathtub with warm water, there are certain things you can do to maintain this positive experience.
Bathe them from the neck down. Working on the face can feel intrusive. Wipe the face with a damp towel. Dogs do not like water in their ears and eyes. (Well, neither do we!) Actually for the ears, if your dog let you put some cottonballs there, do so to prevent water from getting inside. Use a shampoo that cleans and removes odor but does not take away the natural oil that’s important for their skin. If you are not sure which shampoo to use, ask your vet. And towel them off with an absorbent towel. You can read the details in this article.
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Article source: Josh Weiss-Roessler in Cesar’s Way
