Where to bathe your dog

If you are intrepid enough to be prepared to bathe your dog yourself rather than taking them to the grooming salon- or if your dog doesn’t leave you much choice by unexpectedly rolling around in a filthy puddle while you are out on your walk- picking the right place to do this is important.

It might seem sorely tempting to tie your mucky mutt up in the back garden and turn the hose on them, but unless the weather is really warm, this is strongly discouraged! Plonking your dog in your own bath might be the way to go and might even be the only option available to you, but it can also potentially make a huge mess of your bathroom, leading to a clean up time longer than it takes to bathe the dog in the first place!

So, it is certainly fair to say that there is a lot to bear in mind when it comes to picking the perfect spot to bathe and groom your dog, and in this article we will cover some of the factors that you should bear in mind, and make some recommendations.

How big is your dog?

The size of your dog will dictate in large part where you can bathe them, and also if you need to brush them out, where this can be done too. If your dog is too large to fit into a sink or shower you may be restricted to using a hose or your own bath, but if your dog is smaller, you will have more options.

Before you actually get down to the process of bathing your dog, try them out in the location that you are considering using, to make sure that they can fit comfortably, that the water can reach them, and that you have enough room to move around them.

Temperature

When you bathe your dog, they need to be kept warm enough, and this means not only ensuring that you have access to warm water, but that the air temperature is ambient too, and you have provision to dry them off. You can shower or bathe your dog outside if the weather is mild and you have access to hot water, but you should never use cold water or bath your dog outside when the weather is cold.

Bathing your dog outside

Bathing your dog outside is one of the easiest ways to minimise mess, but there are some limitations to this. If the weather is cold or you cannot get warm running water outside this will not be possible, and you should also think about how you are going to secure your dog while bathing them outside, and if your yard or garden has sufficient drainage to deal with the water run-off.

Bathing your dog in the sink

If your dog is small enough to fit into your kitchen or utility room sink, this is potentially one of the best ways to bathe them. Not only will you have access to hot and cold water, but the sink will be at a comfortable level for you to stand up and bathe your dog comfortably without having to bend down. A mixer tap and/or shower attachment for the sink is vital, in order to ensure that the water temperature can be kept constant and that you will not run the risk of scalding your dog.

Bear in mind however that bathing a dog can be a messy process, and you will have to be extremely thorough in your clean up afterwards if bathing your dog in the kitchen or any area where you also prepare food.

Putting your dog in the bath

If your dog is large or bathing in the sink is not an option, you can always bathe your dog in your own bath (although not when you are in it!) This option is unwise if your bathroom is carpeted, however, as the carpet is almost certain to get wet; but then again, carpeted bathrooms are rather a strange idea anyway! It is better to use a shower attachment within the bath than to fill the bath with water and put your dog in it, as this will reduce the amount of water that gets sloshed about and make for easier clean ups.

Putting your dog in the shower

Putting your dog in the shower has some advantages over the bath, one of the main ones being that showers are enclosed on the sides, and less water will be able to migrate into the wider bathroom. However, showers can be restrictive, and will not necessarily give you enough room to move around comfortably and wash your dog properly without actually getting into the shower and getting soaked yourself! Also, you will need to use a shower with an adjustable head on a hose, rather than a shower with a fixed head, in order to direct the water.

Shake it out!

Remember that wherever you bathe your dog, as soon as they get out of the water, they are going to give themselves a thorough shake, regardless of how thorough you are about getting as much water as possible off them! Be prepared for this, and let them do it while it a tiled area, or hold up a towel to minimise the splashing.