[drobbins]

I have a pet Chiwawa dog, named Beth, for about a year now. She is housebroken and a very good dog. Beth interacts with everyone in the household playing tug-of-war, fetch, etc... She loves to be around us. The trouble is when it is time for Beth to get a bath.
She is totally traumatized with the whole thing. We don't bath her much, maybe once every month or so. Tonight was terrible. My wife washer her while I held her down. For a little creature, it was just about all I could do to keep her in the sink. She is struggling and fighting and yelping for her life. Once we dried her off, she hid under the bed and hasn't come out yet.
I hate putting her through this, but she needs baths now and again. Each bath we have given her has been a worse experience than the last time. What can we do to help this go better?

[Carl Miller]

Could be a lot of things freaking her out...the handling, the water, the sound of the water, the height of the sink, the fact that she's no accustomed to any or all of the above.

Dogs will get used to this kind of thing if it's done enough, but breed that she is, she's not really in need of frequent bathing.

You might consider using multiple basins....one for washing, the other for rinsing and a bucket or watering pot. Do it on the floor.

Give her a treat for going in the water. If she calms down, give her another and lots of verbal and physical praise (petting)

You could also try wrapping her up in a towel as a means to better control her. If you get their legs wrapped up in a towel for example, they lose their ability to struggle so much. It's not cruel, and is commonly used strategy which is less traumatic to them than being physically held down.

Just some random thoughts.

[Dennis Nicholls]

Practice with a cat first. The dog will seem easier.

[Steve_Tk]

Maybe she doesn't like the sink. Ever tried doing it outside, IE, leashing her to something sturdy where she can move but bathing her there? That way she doesn't feel like she's being trapped in something.

[drobbins]

That's a good idea to try outside or in a different setting. I don't know how that will go though. The only time she used to mess in the house was when it was raining. Now she just holds it until the rain stops. We will give it a try next time.

As far as the cat goes - He loved the bath! He kept putting his head under the faucet. He is a typical Garfield and I think it is too much trouble to fight it, so he enjoys the pampering.

[Bryan X]

You may want to try these:

OUT! Bathing Wipes for Dogs with Allergen Reducers 9" x 9" wipes

No water required. They may not completely replace a traditional bath, but may allow you to give the dog a traditional bath a lot less often. You can find them at Wal-Mart.

[Jay H]

Good timing, I may try that on my 2 cats who I've noticed scratching their heads every now and then... Thinking they could use a bath, they are not outdoor cats... They could use their teeth brushed too, yowza, cat breath!

Jay

[Michael_K_Sr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by drobbins

We don't bath her much, maybe once every month or so.

Once a month is not much? Are you sure you should be bathing her that often? Dogs have pretty sensitive skin and it's not good to bathe them too frequently. My Labs usually get bathed twice a year...max.

[drobbins]

Well, my wife says that she stinks. I just think she smells like a dog. We live in the country and she (the dog) gets into the cow pastures. I don't think my wife would care as much if the dog didn't sleep in our bed. I will look into those wipes. Maybe those and a good brush will do the trick.

I previously had a lab - doberman mix for 9 years. We went out in the woods in my 4x4 almost daily. I coulden't keep him out of the water. We would play fetch for hours with me throwing logs into the lake for him to get.