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Making Bath Time Fun?

Vantage

Well-Known Member
Does anyone have any suggestions on making Bath time a fun/ exiting thing?

Does it just depend on the dog and if they like water? Or are there things you can do to make it even more enjoyable, and to actually make the dog volunteer/ willingly want to get wet? And I guess I don't necessarily mean exciting as super hopped up and jumpy, relaxed and chilling would be just as fine.
 

Bailey's Mom

Super Moderator
Super Moderator
I've never had a dog that liked taking a bath or willingly would get into one, though I did have one that liked biting at the water coming out of the tap, so as long as the tap was running, he was grudgingly willing to stay in the wet stuff.

I've given up on it ever being a pleasant event for the dog and I have resigned myself to the misery that is a wet and abused Mastiff. At least she doesn't make the mess that the Beagle used to...he'd have water three feet up every wall and the bathroom flooded. So, unless she is stinky...no bath. Sorry!
 

Hector

Well-Known Member
Hector never liked baths. He would be so stressed with baths, he'd relieve his stress by growling at the other dog when I let him go. When it's bath time, I slip leash him and lead him to the shower stall. He knows it and doesn't fight it. There is no winning if I tried to carry or convince him. Just be direct and calm. I did this with the foster gsd also, just slip leashed and led to stall and bathed.
 

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
Ella, the EM, doesn't do the bathtub. The tub scares her. I run a hose from the laundry tub (so she can have warm water) to the garage in winter or out to the patio in summer and she's just fine with a bath that way. The boxer boys don't love the bath itself, but they tolerate it fine. We made a clicker game of it with Al. He loves jumping into the tub so much that he jumps in when other dogs are getting their bath. It's ridiculous. Everything in the world causes Al anxiety except the bathtub. Go figure.

My daughter's 6 month boxer boy, Otis, is being trained to be a service dog. She started from 8 weeks old getting him in the tub with clicker games. She turned the water on and then slowly started turning the shower on. He loves it. She had to heavily train a place command so that he'd stop jumping in the shower with her uninvited. He still jumps in, but now it's only when he's given a signal to do so. I'll probably use clicker games and heavily reward bath activities with my next puppy after seeing how well it worked with Otis. Of course he also likes water, so that helps.
 

Jakesmum

Well-Known Member
Jake doesn't like bath's either, he will begrudgingly get into the bathtub (well his front paws anyways and then I have to lift his back end in), he stands there with his tail between his legs while I scrub him down and then I have to help him out of the tub and try to get him dry enough and outside quick enough to shake off before he soaks the bathroom. He runs around the yard like a maniac shaking the water off and rubbing himself on our cedar tree when he's done.
 

Bailey's Mom

Super Moderator
Super Moderator
Oh, a nice cedar smelling dog....a smell he can tolerate. Well, cedar's not bad, better than stinky-butt-dog-smell in your house. Way to go, Jake!
 

scorning

Well-Known Member
Neither of my dogs is thrilled about bathing, but it helps that we have a walk-in tile shower so they don't have to climb into the tub. We have a handheld shower attachment so we can be more careful about where the water sprays, and we customize the water temperature to the dog. My dane like room temperature or colder water, my Doberman prefers warmer water.

The big thing for me is having them voluntarily enter the bathroom. I do nosework with my dogs, and they love it, so I routinely put hides in the bathroom so that they have some positive associations with the bathroom. I also invite the dogs in the bathroom area, make a big fuss with praise and treats, and release them without bathing. Anytime they voluntarily enter the bathroom with the shower I also praise and treat. I think maybe 1 in 10 times they go in the bathroom do they get baths, and I bathe them about every 2 weeks.
 

DennasMom

Well-Known Member
We have "bath treats"... freeze dried lamb liver chunks. Bath time is the ONLY time she gets these treats, and she LOVES them.
She'll sulk as I prepare the room with towels, but when the treat bucket comes out and I tell her to "get in the tub"... she goes in under her own power.
We do wrestle a little bit in the tub - she leans on the walls and backs up or turns around before I'm ready... She gets treats while in the tub after a rinse or after turning around so I can get the other side.
And when the curtain opens and I let her out she's SOOOOOO happy!!!!

I'm not sure if she knows how good it feels to be clean that she's willing to put up with the bath process, or she just humors me for treats... but we get 'er done. :)