Have You Ever Bathed Your Dog Outside?

[lizbud]

Smokey & Maggie both need a bath & I can't get them into
the tub anymore. They both weight to much for me to lift. I know
some people taked about bathing their pups out before. Sounds
simple enough but, both mine dislike having water sprayed on
them. I thought I'd have to tie each to a fence post to spray
them down & shampoo. Do you think that'll work?I'm reluctant to
do this, cause I know they will hate it.

Any suggestions on how to make this as quick & painlesss as
possible?

[sammy101]

i just posted a thread about my dogs having a bath outside. I just tie them up because they run away. All i can say is just give them a really quick bath,and rinse them quick i guess. Mine got used to the hose after a few times.

[k9krazee]

We used to give Shadow baths outside with the hose but she absolutely hated it!! We had to have one person holding her, one person with the hose and one to quickly shampoo her. We have given up on the whole outside thing because she seems to do a lot better in the tub.

[wolflady]

I haven't bathed my dog outside (because she can still fit in the sink LOL), but when I worked at the vet hospital, there were a few dogs I had to wash outside simply because they were way too big for the tub! I remember washing one of our client's neopolotin mastiff puppies who was only 8 months old and already over 150 pounds!

We had a tie out, and a concrete area in the sun so the dogs wouldn't get cold. If your dogs are afraid of being sprayed, perhaps you could use a bucket and spray the water into a bucket and use that to wash with? Be sure to wash during the warmth of the day, and I'm sure everything will go alright.

**hugs**

[cali]

only after the dogs have been swimming in the creek, as the creek smells awful, then I bathe then ouutside, but otherwise I always do it in the house.

[KYS]

I have a hot and cold water spicket outside.
I attach the hose and use warm water
and step on their leash with my foot.
I do not spray them, I gently rub them with my
hands as I let the water from the hose flow on the spot
I am working on. Almost like a rub down with
water flowing.
My dogs dislike having a bath but they tolerate it.
(rocky really dislikes it.)

(they do not like being sprayed with a hose, so
I just put the hose up to them and let if flow
with-out spraying .)

[Kater]

I used to bathe my dog outside because we didn't have a bathtub in our old house, only showers.

I would get a big bucket and fill it halfway with warm water from inside. Then I'd bring the bucket outside and fill the rest with colder water from the hose. This would make nice lukewarm water, but I wouldn't have to carry a full bucket through the house. My dog was also frightened by the spray from the hose, so I felt that pouring the water over him and using a sponge and washcloth was a better way to wet and lather him.

I would hook up the end of his leash to a hook we had installed outside. However, he was on a 20-30 ft. line so that gave him a lot of room to maneuver, which was good when I told him to go shake, but not so good when he wanted to run from me. So I would bear hug him while washing him, talk to him soothingly the whole time and just go very slowly, telling him what I was doing as I did it. Since the water was fairly warm and I did everything rather slowly, he could be restrained with just the one arm over him as I used the other to wash. Sometimes I would need both hands and at those times I'd just put a section of the leash under my knee or foot.

Those are my main suggestions. One more tip, before you get started stick a towel (or two) in the dryer and heat it up. They looove a nice warm towel after a bath outside.

Best of luck!!

[LexieLove]

well no.. lexie still take her baths in the sink but my grandparents have a huge mastiff named Haley, and shes abviously way too big for the tub or sink so i gave her one outside for them.. she was a little scared of the hose at first but she got used to it and seemed to like it i didnt even have to tie her to something .. if she moved some i would just put one leg over on the other side of her.. lol it looked like i was gonna ride her.. haha good times.. i can only imagine what the neighbors thought.. well i hope you have good luck with your pups

[new mom to a veiled]

Originally posted by KYS
I have a hot and cold water spicket outside.
I attach the hose and use warm water
and step on their leash with my foot.
I do not spray them, I gently rub them with my
hands as I let the water from the hose flow on the spot
I am working on. Almost like a rub down with
water flowing.
My dogs dislike having a bath but they tolerate it.
(rocky really dislikes it.)

(they do not like being sprayed with a hose, so
I just put the hose up to them and let if flow
with-out spraying .)

I have a boxer it can be a bit of a chore to get him in the tub by myself, so I do take advantage of the warm weather. I also use warm water and keep the hose in my hand using my thumb. I scratch him with my fingers, while the hose is running in my hand. He doesn't seem to notice the water so much and enjoys the rub he's getting...........

[cyber-sibes]

I bathe mine outside when it is warm and sunny. But I hook the hose up to the utility tub in the laundry room so the water is warm. I do use the hose, they don't seem to mind. And with such thick fur, I need the pressure just to get them wet! I tie them on a short leash around a fence post so they can't take off. I also let them lean against me because it seems to keep them calmer (yes, I get a bath too!) They don't like getting baths, but they tolerate it ok. I try to do it when my husband or son are around so they can help hold a dry towel over their eyes and hold their muzzels pointing up while I rinse their faces, it helps. If I'm by myself, I just wash their faces with a wet washcloth. By contrast, my RB dog Rosie loved getting baths outside - just stood there, loved being rubbed down, liked the water running all over her - but then, she was a bit goofy! )

[Desert Arabian]

Had to bathe the boyfriend's dog (GSP), Guenther, outside because he is too big and will not fit in the tub. I have never bathed a dog outside before that, I think I prefer doing it outside compared to doing it in the house- much less of a mess.

[K9karen]

Join the crowd, Liz. I started a thread yesterday about sweet Klo rolling in stink and my dilemna on washing her, esp. cause it was almost dusk. She'll only accept water on her if i use a sponge or paper towel (from a bucket) and praise her and let her "smell" the water. When I tried dumping the rinse water on her, she went maniac. I had taken her collar off to get to her neck, so had to coax her back to me. She needs a bath too. And it looks like I'll have to enlist the army to help me. I know she'll freak in the shower stall or tub so I don't want to traumatize her. I sometimes use doggy wipes from a pet store, but since they have an aromatic odor, she's not too happy. Yep, she still has funny issues.
Luckily, Cody, being 1/2 lab 1/2 GR, loved the water, especially the hose. Rinsing was the problem because that was "play time" so I had to enlist my mom or a friend to hold him while we squirted him sudsless.
Needless to say, it was a 3 way bath!
I agree, you'll have to tie them. And maybe give a special treat every once in a while? Put the hose on low pressure when you wash and rinse them? I wish you lots of luck from one GSD mommy to another. I know where you're coming from.

[Suki Wingy]

My dad is a jerk and won't let Niño take a bath in the shower so unless he's gone for the day I have to dso it outside. I use a cheap practice show lead and try to use buckets of room temperature water because the cold water is really what he hates.

[lizbud]

Thanks for all the stories & suggestions. It's raining now
(supposed to rain all day) so I'll wait for the next sunny day
then re-read this thread to psych myself up for it.

Smokey just freaks out so bad when hit with the water, I
really dread the whole thing.I tried to remove the spray attachment from the hose but it seems to be stuck on. I'll
have to work on it because I think it might go a little easier
on him if it weren't a hard spray.Maggie just follows Smokey's
lead, so if I can get him done, she'll be easier to do.

ps. I read your thread Sammy & loved the pictures. The dogs
might not enjoy their baths, but they don't look too scared.

[elizabethann]

Fenway's only 19lbs so he gets bathed in the sink.

I like the idea of tying the dogs up so they don't run away. I also like the idea "new mom" had of scratching them so they're all happy about that and don't realize their having a bath. Everybody had good ideas.

Just wear your crappy clothes...cuz you're gonna get wet and dirty!

Have fun!