Washing Dogs

I worked in a grooming shop for several years. I became really good at washing dogs. I really liked clean dogs. But I also never wanted to wash my dogs at home without the convenience of a tub and a warm force dryer (goes faster than my cold one!).

Yesterday Blaze and Luna got washed, Griffin lucked out due to poor weather. At one point it was sprinkling and I kept drying dogs thinking "I'm taking off more water than is going on them." When I next turned around, Luna who was NOT under a tree was DRENCHED .... "torrential downpour" would be the right wording.

Tips for bathing:
* Mix your shampoo with some water in a water bottle. This makes it way easier to dispense and you waste less.
* After scrubbing your dog once and rinsing....scrub and rinse again. The second wash makes a HUGE difference.
* Have the right tools for the job. The right combs/brushes will let you groom faster and more efficiently.
* Brush until no more hair comes out. Literally. This seems like an impossible task at times, but if you're getting your dog clean, you might as well do it right.
* Teach your dog to enjoy the process. This saves you so much time in the long run. A dog who likes grooming is going to get brushed more often and stay cleaner/healthier. I don't follow this advice well. I avoid brushing Griffin. But I found out he's really great about standing for combing and brushing and feet trimming. I forgot that I'd trained him.
* Know where your dog is likely to have problems and do regular grooming in that area. My dogs get super hairy feet. We're on a weekly feet trimming schedule to keep things neat. My dogs (goldens!) get mats behind ears very easily, so, we comb out a few times a week.

Horray for clean dogs! If I can find my camera I want pictures, though clean and dirty dogs aren't too different in photos...they sure feel different and look different!