[amyg]

What's the best way to bathe & doodle & actually get them clean?
I can put Wrigley in the shower & hose him off w/the showerhead attachment, or I can stick him in the bathtub too. Should the tub be filled w/water before sticking the dog in, or is that a waste since if they're tall it would be only getting their legs wet? It's been hard to get Wrigley wet enough all over before lathering him up. Any tips would be very helpful.
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Amy
Columbus, OH

[sdrudge]

I use the tub. But I don't fill it. I don't have a attachment. So I use a big Cup. It takes some time but it works. I get them all wet. Then I get in the tub with the dog and get them all lathered up and then rise off.
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Samantha, Cacao and Beau

[doodleallday]

i use a detachable showerhead in the shower too, and I have the same problem feeling like she isn't getting "lathered up" enough - especially her belly. If you come up with anything, let me know. I'm in the same boat you are!

[hmz819]

I put Maya in the tub and use the detachable shower head thing. I don't fill the tub. It takes me a good 10 min to get her wet enough. I just lather a part at a time and then add more shampoo lather another part and keep going. I am pretty sure Maya isn't crystal clean but she is just going to go roll in dirt as soon as she can so I don't really worry to much about it. She was cleaner than when she went in the tub and that's all I care about!!!
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Heather, Morgan, Maya, and Sadie
He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion-Unknown

[Natalie]

We bathe Puddles the same way, in the tub with a large cup. It does take awhile and some days it's a quick one because he's a squirmer. Usually when he's sopping wet, for whatever reason, it triggers the zoomies. So I don't get too concerned if he's not spotless clean because I know he'll be racing around the yard like a loon!

I noticed that Petco here offers a "do it yourself" time in their facility to wash dogs and I know that this concept is spreading. My neighbor will only take her dog to a "do it yourself" dog wash in Boise and swears by it. We haven't tried it yet, but it may be something to consider because the bathtub can be a pain.

[MaxandMe]

I either put them in the tub and use the Hand Held sprayer but while wetting them down i close the drain so i can also use a small pot to use the clean water to wet them down while getting a good lather going w/the shampoo

AND I shut off the sprayer while giving them a good scrubbing and turn back on when ready to rinse.

HOWEVER I find it easier now to wash them with hand held sprayer in our shower , easier on my back and not as much room for them to move around.
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Annmarie, Max,& Peanut
Forum BLOG ARTICLE LINK http://blog.labradoodle-dogs.net/

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." Anatole France

[Linn]

If you live near a pet store with self-serve baths, give that a try. I think it's totally worth the $10 - $15 to get Davy really clean in a safe environment (no slipping on the tub / tile for either of us). And best of all -- I don't have to clean the bathroom later!

[Cinsmom]

I bathe Cinnamon either with a hose outside or in the shower with the hand held thing. I got that just for her, and I have no trouble getting her wet enough. She's a dream bathing her, she just stands there and takes it.

[blueteal]

[gene]

Miko and Rumor are a breeze to bath, either with the hand held shower attachment, or the dreaded hose. Jonah dries so quick, it's hard to get him wet enough to lather! I do him in stages....
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gene , jonah , miko and rumor

http://s125.photobucket.com/albums/p46/jonahfus
"A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down." - Robert Benchley

[Calliedoodle]

I use the handheld shower head in the bathtub too. One thing that I have found (and I know there are some who will not agree!) is that Callie does better with a good baby/toddler 2-in-1 (I am using L'Oreal Kids Kangaroo Mangoroo right now, and would not use an 'adult' shampoo, 2-in-1 or otherwise) than she does with 'dog' shampoos. Her coat is shinier, less itchy, and I like the smell better, too (they are also about a third the price!). We live on the ocean, so the salt water and sea slimies need to be shampooed out fairly regularly!

Shampooing/lathering seems to go more easily if you dilute the shampoo in a decent amount of warm water first - I use a couple of ounces of shampoo in about a quart of water. Callie is 55 lbs, and seems to need about 2 ounces of shampoo per bath.

Soak 'er down (it takes longer than you'd think), start at the head, and work your way back. Then rinse, rinse, rinse - and when you think you've got every speck of soap out, RINSE AGAIN! A friend of mine is a dog groomer, and that is the best advice she has given me. FYI she also uses plain old Johnson's Baby Shampoo in her shop!
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My dogs are not my whole life, but they make my life whole!

[Cinsmom]

I also use baby shampoo. It rinses out much better than dog shampoo and it doesn't cause the itchies!

[sdrudge]

Baby Shampoo....i may have to try that when cacao's hair grows back in.
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Samantha, Cacao and Beau

[my Boo]

[dreamer728]