
	Intro: Before you begin Step 1: Wet your dog thoroughly Step 2: Lather your dog Step 3: Rinse your dog Step 4: Dry your dog








	You can wash a puppy as young as eight weeks old. But if you can, avoid giving a puppy a full bath by washing just the paws and tail. Dry the pup well and keep it warm for several hours after the washing. Water in your dog's ears can encourage the growth of fungus. If your dog hates water and you can't get him or her into the tub, you can try a dry cleaning by rubbing baking soda into the fur and brushing it out. Baking soda both cleans and deodorizes.

2torial #0914:
Learn2 Wash Your Dog (continued)

Wet your dog thoroughly

Take your dog's feelings into consideration throughout the bath. If your dog is frightened of the faucet running, fill the tub with several inches of lukewarm water before beginning, just enough water to be able to wet your dog, but not so much that he or she worries about being submerged.

If your dog has tangled hair, comb it out first. (Washing will only make the tangles mat and become worse.) But if your dog is particularly frightened of the tub, brush him or her in a different room before you start the bath.
Gently put cotton balls in his or her ears to protect them from water.
Place the dog in the tub on a rubber mat so that he or she doesn't slide.
Test and adjust the water temperature, then wet the dog thoroughly from head to tail. This is where the hose and nozzle prove useful, but a water container of some sort can do the job too, especially if you're scooping water that's already in the tub.
There's no need to get your dog's face wet (some dogs are particularly sensitive about this). If needed, you can clean its face later with a damp washcloth.

Step 2