Need Help With My Doggie!!

whenever i wash my dog he will sit still if i hold his collar gently, but as soon as i let go he will just walk away and refuse to come back.. he really doesnt like water and the treat system just doesnt work for him.. need URGENT help its almost wash time again..

This time of year, in my area of the world, i have to use indoor tub with a hand held showerhead to bathe my dog. He puts up with it okay. It's important to remember that dogs do not need Very warm water, just lightly warm water, not like the kind of warm/hot water that humans use.

To avoid getting water in his eyes, ears, or nose, I never ever wash his head or face, unless he has been skunked, and i use a washcloth for his face when i do wash it. It's mostly a neck down bath.

when he is outdoors, IF IT IS WARM ENOUGH to wash him outdoors,
i put him on leash, and step on leash, freeing both of my hands. It's loose, not taut.
My dog does wayyyyyyy better if i continuously praise him, as well, like nonstop praise, telling him what a good boy he is, etc etc just all the time. If i forget, and stop praising Buddy, he tends to seem like he'd like to leave.

Use tearfree puppy shampoo, too.
GOOD LUCK!!

oh, he does mean indoor bathing? When he said "he just walks away" i figured outdoor bathing, lol.
You could also use leash indoors in tub, and have it under your knee, or tied to the faucet. (lol, not sure how big of a dog we are talking about though!!)

I can get my dog to hop in tub, and be very happy about this! I could probably get him to nap in the tub if i tried.
Getting him in the tub was never the hard part, it was keeping him in the tub. (it's not now, he's resigned to it now, after learning he does live, even if bathed, )

but, it's a whole other thing when the water is turned on, Buddy, like Raider, would probably prefer to leave then, if he had the option to/if the choice ws left up to him.

I just do it, get it over with, it doesn't take that long. If my dog did walk away (mine can't, since we have actual bathtub with sides, and i can sort of block him from jumping out, but he doesn't even try anymore, but he did the first few baths, but not now)
if he did that, then i'd leash him, and kneel on the leash. I just praise him the whole time.

I myself found it very difficult to give food rewards when bathing, i just skipped it. I do rub peanut butter on the wall of tub. My dog has gotten used to baths, but, it's not his favorite thing.

//" Now after he is reliably staying for a couple of seconds, take a cup of luke-warm water and let a couple of drops fall onto the back.
Reward and let out of the tub."// <---take care you aren't rewarding pulling, attempts to get out, signs the dog IS freaking out, shake-offs, etc,
or dog might think, "Geez, last time i freaked out or pulled away, or shook my fur around---- mom gave me prizes and let me out, wonder why it isn't working now?"

but if your dog has really severe thing about tubs, i would def follow CWolf's plan, is good plan.

also, Raider's dog won't come back to her at that point, which is her complaint. I can picture, if i let Buddy out, halfway through a bath, as we progressed along these steps,
i might also have trouble luring him back over to the tub
for 2nd half of the bath.
not sure, never tried it, but, i can picture Buddy doing that, too, ha ha.

my dog just had the normal, typical dog aversion to getting baths, not anything like a panic attack, etc, Buddy just would have voted to end the bath. but if your dog IS having the severe form of a bath-phobia, i'd follow CWolf's steps.

maybe you could reward AS you are wetting the dog, if you have an extra hand to do so.

Thank you guys for all the feedback.. I wash my dog outdoors he doesn't like small spaces, he is a german shepherd mix so he is the bigger than my last shepherd and a big stronger liking to throw his weight around.

Oh and in reply to wolf he loves anything to chew or eat as a reward

Well, like most ppl on DTA,
your page does not say where you live,
but wow, where i live, it'd be cruel to wash my dog outdoors in the winter.

My dog doesn't "like" the tub if the water is running,
but it seems less cruel than washing him outdoors
in the winters we get here where i live.
Lol, nor could i bear the wet hands or feet of being the one washing him out there! shiver!! brrrrrr!!!

Either choice, tub or outdoors, you can use a leash, and either step on it, or tie to something, even your own belt,
so you have 2 free hands to wash dog. and praise that dog, praise that dog.
It's not that difficult to get a dog accustomed to tub baths. The first one or two are the worst, then dog surrenders, gets the hang of it all.


and it doens't sound like your dog much likes outdoor baths that much, anyway!

again, if someone has a dog with SEVERE phobia about a tub, they'd have to do some work like Cwolf describes, to help dog not lose his mind during a bath.

But many many dogs are like yours and mine, and if given the choice, the dog would much prefer to skip a bath.
My dog has gotten used to it, but, it's not on his list of "10 most fun things to do"

if you do decide to ever wash your dog in the tub,
be sure to get one of those "hair catcher" lil tub plug screen thingies (is full of holes for water to go through)
to catch all the hair that gets knocked off from going down into your pipes.

Our weather is very nice here.. Only winter time I will take him to the parlour because I dare not put the blowdryer on.. I will try the tub though.. Just to see if it is the outdoors that is freaking him out abit

OH, that is good that you don't have cold winters where you live. but, i am kind of chuckling, cuz i bet your dog---like many dogs----- just doesn't love baths...indoors, or outdoors, most dogs dislike having baths.

but, unless he is having severe reaction to it, (as opposed to just doens't like it) you can go on and bathe him, he will get accustomed to it, especially if you praise him calmly during entire bath.
good luck! Use tear-free puppy shampoo, so if he shakes around YOUR eyes won't sting, either, lol.

so i have got good news!! my dog is doing much better on "bath day", i can tell he still hates it but atleast he stays calm and still. he doesnt even shake that much anymore. i still feel sorry for him though.. the warm water doesnt help he has the same reaction.

however if i do take long with the bath, like when i do the flee dip after the bath he walks behind me which means i am soaked when im done with him

None of my dogs like baths but generally stand there and take it, although they do try creeping to get out of it lol I'm like nice try but no. They love river water though lol. Warm water doesn't make a difference to mine either. I always end up soaked lol. Zara likes shaking as I wet her coat. hehe. Infact you have reminded me its bath day soon *looks at dogs**sees three pairs of eyes watching her suspiciously* lol

yeah, my dog dislikes icey cold hose water, he does. cold rivers or lakes, great! But icey cold water from a hose, nope.

Maybe "all at once" into a lake
is less discomfort than a cold hose...
oh, he'll tolerate it, just barely, but, it's obvious he dislikes it.
And i feel bad, as i USED TO bathe him in the about the same temperature i use on myself, which is way too HOT for dogs to use, i just didnt' know any better at the time. (cringe...cringe...) Now i know tepid is best, lightly warm, not superwarm like i once used.

Yeah, i think most dogs DO get used to baths, sooner or later. Hard to a find a dog who is enthusiastic about getting a bath,
but, the more baths the dogs 'survives', the more most dogs seem to surrender and just put up with those "dreadful" baths!!


I still calmly praise my dog almost nonstop, in slow calm voice the whole time. and yawn now and then, and a deep slow sigh now and then, too. (calming signals) If i stop telling Buddy what a good boy he is for getting a bath, he seems less calm about the whole matter. My dog lives for praise. It's like air to him!

Talking about Baths - guess who needed one when they came back from their walk.



Didn't realise as we tried a new place but it was really boggies there. Good thing I had my wellies. Although somehow I always end up as dirty as the dogs lol.

Oka doesn't like baths but loves the hose. What do you wash him with? We did Oka in the bath, with a jug (sounds like Cluedo!!) and she hated it, took one of us to hold her, the other to wash.

Then we bought one of those shower heads that go on the taps . and she will happily stand there. she is bathed very infrequently as she doesn't smell and we wash her feet if they are filthy.

Ditto here. Actually I don't think I've bathed Zac in 6 years . Occasionally I tip some water over him where he's rolled, or I get him to lie down in the river so I can sluice him off. Any mud just gets brushed out and muddy feet get dipped. I guess I just have to be thankful Britain has no skunks!

Do you think Zac is feeling deprived of having the opportunity of demonstrating a bath phobia?

Hi!! you've been busy? Nice christmas?

Zac and Oka can join the "no bath phobia" club! Oka wasn't bathed last year at all.

Yes I've been busy on and off and yes thank you, fairly nice . I don't seem to have seen you as much either? Foster dogs keeping you busy?

I wonder if it is a cultural thing about bathing dogs. I don't think I know many people who regularly bath their dogs (excluding specialised dog breeds) in Britain. Maybe it is the absence of skunks etc?

I live in Britain - I usually bath them only when they need it really - like today.
I got as soked as the dogs today when I gave them the bath, Bella jumped out twice, Zara wasn't too bad although she has this thing about licking soap if its in reach. Jenny is all "whos jenny theres nooooo jenny here" looks left and right whenever we say bath time jenny she even knows it if we spell it out.

I think it depends on the coat aswell Zara is short coated so generally needs less bathing than the other two. Good thing to as shes the one that loveeees mud.