General Chat

Two weeks into my collie dog rescue experience and I am one very tired Mum, but very thrilled with my new 'daughter'. She is enjoying long walks across the field daily, is pretty well housetrained, sleeps quietly all night with no barking, doesn't jump on the sofas and apart from a little lapse when a packet of brie proved irresistable, doesn't steal! She is very affectionate and seems to love her new home. I have no history apart from her Irish ancestory!

However, having rolled daily in pats of every description she is most in need of a shower. I have taken her into the bathroom on the lead on two occasions but as soon as she spots the shower she stubbornly refuses to budge, I think she would prefer to be sick than step onto the showertray, it is open at one end and is very roomy. Short of carrying her in which I would be unable to do as she is very heavy, I am at a loss as to how to proceed. I am rather unwilling at this early stage to start taking her to be bathed at the store since it is very expensive and hopefully she will enjoy a long life (preferably a clean one!) I enquired as to the cost and was told it would be approx £35 for a bath and dry.

Other farming friends have told me to hose her down, I did try her paws which she didn't enjoy, and I wouldn't consider bathing her in cold water anyway, especially in the cold weather. Even if my husband were to carry her into the shower, I am wondering how on earth I would restrain her for sufficient time to make a good enough job of lathering and rinsing.

Any useful tips would be so appreciated. Many thanks. :-) :-) :-)

Coooooeeee~~~~~~~ Hi Lavender

Well that's a tricky one! :-0

I have only ever bathed my dog's and they were small enough to pop in the kitchen sink for a quck bath if need be.

So in other words....i have no useful tips to offer whatsoever!! :-(

I wonder if you pop her in for a few quick sprays of the shower once a day might help........in the hope that she will begin to enjoy it?

Nothing nicer that a sweet smelling dog...........even if they don't appreciate it!!!

Good luck! ;-)

Thank you Prickly, trouble is that she sits squarely a metre from the shower and there is absolutely no pulling her anywhere near as yet!

However, I'm hopefully going to overcome since my purse is remaining tightly shut on this one! Thinking I'll be needing it over the years for vets etc.

x :-)

hi on the few occasions i have had to wash my retriever i got in the shower with her and just shut the door on us, she doesn't like it but she doesn't try to escape either, i am lucky we live near the beach and she loves the sea, (but hates the shower/hose pipe), but i am sure she would be fine just hoseing her in the cold water just rub her down after and let her warm but the radiator, also you can buy rub down wipes bit like large wet wipes
hope you get on ok

I think Holly has the best idea and you could rub her with an old damp face cloth while she's in there gradually she will accept it. Meanwhile give her a good brush every day. Good luck

Thank you both for your kind advice. I normally bathe my daughters small dog like that, he's not keen but I am strong enough to cope with him.

Am doing a daily brush which is enjoyable for us both, will try again with the shower tomorrow. There isn't actually a door on it, just a glass panel to half of the base. x :-)

perhaps your hubby could help hold her. Also If there is a boarding kennels nearby, they often have facilities to bath large dogs so you could ring up and ask what they would charge rather than the store.I wonder if anyone has an old tin bath you could use.............

I think everytime you go to the Loo........take the dog with you and put a few treats in the shower to encourage her in there.

It's such a shame we have to trick them............but at the end of the day, it's for their own good.

Try telling them that though!!

:-D

l'm so lucky as Madoc loves the shower...he would get in gladly anytime:) He also has a hose down on the odd occassion .... does'nt like that much but has to be done,,,cold or not, it won't hurt her, just dry her down quickly keep her indoors, she'll be fine. But getting her into the shower....l spose the idea PH came up with is a good one:))

Good luck

jude ;-) :-D

All good helpful ideas, ladies, thank yous! :-)

I think PH's idea is probably the best to try. I would once in there to actually try the shower out go in with her making it a game. Also let her go in the bathroom with you when you shower. Mind you never get to go to the loo in peace as I have found out :-D
The other idea if you can find a baby bath she if she will go in it with water in it and then cup water over her, messy but might help.

Good luck with your daughter she sounds a dream :-)

I have a frog shaped sandpit come paddling pool which I fill with warm water and shampoo. It's reasonably easy to get a dog in and then you empty it with the dog tied to something and refill with warm clear water, by the way I do them outside and then take them for a run ( preferably where there are no more smellies). Or if she likes water to paddle in, take a ball and throw it in the water, have a bottle of shampoo to do her with when she comes out and then keep throwing the ball until she is rinsed clear. Elaine.

my dog a long haired akita started to growl
at us when we tried to bath him upstairs
he used to like his baths but has changed his mind now
so i bought a builders palster bath for £27.00 at the builders yard
and £11.00 for an adapter for my mixer taps from b&q
and bathe my dog in the garden in warm water
it saves all the mess in the bathroom
and him shaking himself all the way down the stairs
i also use johnsons baby shampoo and rinse him in lenor
he gest the five day freshness

then stinks like a dog again after that

As my boy weights 37 kilos, getting him in the shower (which is over a high edged bath) was never going to happen, he gets bathed outside with buckets of warm water and the same sandpit/paddling pool thing that Elaine has. George doesn't like it much but stands still these days giving me dagger looks, first couple of times I bathed him after bringing him home from the pound he screamed for the duration of the bath. Once he is bathed and towelled down, George makes a beeline for the couch to rub himself all over it.

Maybe if you put an old towel on the shower tray so she wont slip and slide she she might feel more secure than claws on a slippery tray,this worked for for me in the past but found letting pooch be in the bathroom while taking a shower helped bulid up confidence,,,,,,,,,the reason dogs dislike hoses and showers is that its very much like rain on their coat...

You can get a spray type shampoo which cleans and deodorises, from pet shops which you brush in, leave then brush out leaves a lovely sheen and nice smelling dog.....

So many wonderful suggestions, thank you all! I tried coaxing her into the bathroom this evening by placing her food bowl with titbits nearer and nearer until she put her two front paws onto the shower tray. A success of sorts!

I am wondering whether the outside idea might be good idea but my h said that if I tied her to the bench she would take it with her. I'm still thinking, probably needing to finish her eyedrops before I progress. x :-)

I have just come up with the bestest idea ever Lavender!! :-)

Now what you do is...........massage doggie shampoo all over dog.

Then you pop down to your local "Swimming Pool Sales Centre"

You walk aroung a few times........making it look as if you are interested in purchasing a swimming pool.

And then (When nobodys looking) you accidently on purpose shove the dog in!!

And then............you jump in after her, desperately looking as if you are trying to save her life, but what you are actually doing is giving her a good scrub all over!!

Once she is free of all soap suds..........you can drag her out swearing and cursing that there was not a sign to say............"No Dogs Allowed"

Give her a good rub down..............and thats it!! Home you go with one sweet smelling dog! :-D

I'm not just a perdy face you know! ;-)

Personally I would not put any dog in shower - it is a confined space and slippery - they will panic. Get large wipes, lots of brushing. Should do it.

You've made me laugh, Prickly. I can just imagine the scene!

Chris, wouldn't the doggie still smell if I only used wipes? :-) :-D

Its not ideal to tie her up and then hose her down as if shes timid anyway and settling in after a very short time shes not had time to really gain your trust and build her confidence up,,,,,you'll scare the living daylights lights out of her and set her back,,,,,,,,she may not previously been allowed upstairs or into any other rooms bar a couple so till she feels she can go about freeely without a scolding then try a cleaning mit from a good pet shop........plus its too cold and cruel to be turing a hose on a house pet.