Puppies are adorable, cuddly, and brimming with personality; they may hold the secret to happiness. But achieving that happiness requires some effort, particularly when it comes to bathing. Fortunately, there is a way to make taking your dog for a bath fun for both of you. Owner of Love Fur Dogs in Glencoe, Illinois, and international certified master groomer Jennifer Bishop-Jenkins offers her advice on how to bathe a puppy.
What Do You Need to Bathe a Puppy?
All you really need to bathe a puppy is a shampoo designed for puppies, a bathtub, and some water. To avoid giving the puppy a full bath before he is eight weeks old, keep that in mind. Instead, you can simply wet a washcloth and gently wipe him down.
However, if your puppy is older than eight weeks old and is able to take a full bath, you’ll need to wash him in the indoor sink or bathtub. You can also buy a kiddie pool or doggie bathtub so that you can wash your puppy outside.
Finally, it’s imperative to only wash puppies with puppy shampoo. This is true because puppy shampoos are created to be kinder and less drying to the skin. Some of them are hypoallergenic and won’t irritate a puppy’s eyes if the shampoo gets in them. If the shampoo is applied too frequently, it may nonetheless cause your puppy’s skin to become dry.
How Often Should You Bathe a Puppy?
Giving your puppy a bath when he is younger than 8 weeks old is not advised. You should bathe puppies once a month if they are older than 8 weeks but under 6 months old. You might need to bathe your puppy more frequently once he turns 6 months old. But why are these deadlines necessary, and what does it have to do with your puppy’s skin and fur?
When puppies are younger than 6 months old, they haven’t developed their full coat yet. They have what is known as a puppy coat. A puppy coat is a soft coat that essentially helps to regulate the puppy’s body temperature.
However, puppies shouldn’t be bathed until they are 8 weeks old because they don’t develop a puppy coat until they are a few months old. As a result, bathing them could result in them becoming too hot or cold because they are unable to control their body temperature on their own.
A puppy will have developed a lovely, soft puppy coat by the time he is a couple of months old. It’s crucial to keep in mind, though, that this coat is still not as thick and full as an adult dog’s coat. This means the skin is more exposed. It is more sensitive to a variety of things, such as the shampoo used when bathing.
When puppies are bathed, shampoo not only cleans their fur but can also strip away some of the moisture and oils from their skin. Bathing a puppy too frequently can cause their skin to dry out. If a dog’s skin becomes too dry, it can become flaky, itchy, and can even lead to infections.
This is why it’s advised to take a bath once a month. It happens frequently enough to keep their fur tidy while also introducing the idea of bathing to them.
Of course, even if you’ve already given your puppy a bath this month, you should still give him a bath if he rolls in mud or gets dirty in another way. Simply put, you shouldn’t bathe him every day or even just once a week because that won’t give his skin enough time to produce the oils and moisture that keep it healthy.
Your puppy’s soft coat will develop into its adult coat between the ages of 6 and 12 months. You’ll now have a clearer understanding of what the fur will look like. As the dog grows older, you may need to bathe him more frequently than once per month, depending on the type of coat and his level of activity.
Can You Bathe a Puppy at 8 Weeks Old?
There is no minimum puppy bath age. If a puppy needs a bath, you can bathe him when he is 8 weeks old. Most puppies will at some point. Despite the fact that they are prone to stepping in puddles and stepping in feces, your puppy won’t necessarily require a full bath every day.
In a moment, we’ll examine how to bathe a puppy step-by-step. However, cleaning up a puppy without bathing them is also an option. Small puppies don’t require daily shampoo baths to care for their fur. And small stains, like a little food spill, are easily removed from a short-coated puppy with a damp sponge.
FAQ
Can you bathe a 2 month old puppy?
If he needs one, your 2-month-old puppy is prepared for a bath. You can still clean him off with a warm, damp cloth at this age, or you can fill a bathtub or sink with water and give him a warm bath from head to tail.
Can I bathe my 2 month old puppy with Dawn?
Dawn dish soap can occasionally be a secure option for bathing your dog, but it is not advised to use it as a regular shampoo. “This strong soap can be very irritating to your dog’s skin because their skin may be more sensitive to allergies, have different coat conditions, or even have a different pH level than human skin.”
What happens if I bathe my puppy twice a week?
According to Reader’s Digest, over-bathing your dog can remove the natural oils that are necessary for a healthy coat and skin. This might cause a dry, lifeless coat and itchy skin.
How often should you bathe your indoor puppy?
How frequently you should bathe your puppy is a topic of debate among experts and even veterinarians, but the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals suggests starting with once every three months as a baseline. The most effective response to this query depends on your dog’s needs.