March 13, 2025 • 9 mins
General Bath Care Tips for Dogs
Ever struggled with a squirming, unhappy pup during bath time? Professional groomers Shannon and Tanya reveal game-changing secrets that transform this dreaded chore into a positive experience for both you and your furry friend.
The most surprising revelation? The critical mistake happens before water even touches fur. Shannon explains, "If you wash your dog with mats or tangles already on them, you're compacting that hair more, tightening it around the skin, and potentially causing hot spots." This simple oversight can lead to painful skin conditions requiring complete coat shaving. Their advice: always brush thoroughly before bathing.
But how often should you bathe your dog? While it depends on coat type and lifestyle, Shannon recommends a schedule ranging from bi-weekly to monthly, with "conditioner baths" in between for high-maintenance coats. For quick clean-ups, pet wipes or chamois towels work wonders. And while professional grooming products offer excellent results, household items like Dawn dish soap can effectively cut through grease when needed.
Ready to revolutionize your pet's bathing routine? Implement these expert techniques and watch your dog's coat transform!
To learn more about Hound Therapy visit:
https://www.HoundTherapy.com
Hound Therapy
3509 E Park Blvd.
Plano, TX
469-367-0009
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to Tail Talk Grooming Chronicles with Hound
Therapy, the podcast where wetalk all things pet grooming,
daycare academy and more.
Hosted by Shannon and Tanya ofHound Therapy serving pet owners
across North Texas, we're hereto share expert tips, hilarious
pet stories and the inside scoopon keeping your furry friends
(00:25):
happy and healthy.
Our motto humanity over vanity.
And don't worry, we don't bite.
Let's get started.
Who let the dogs out?
Who let the dogs out?
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Bathtime can be a splashy disaster or a spa-like
experience, depending on how youdo it.
Shannon and Tanya shared theirtop tips for making dog baths
stress-free for both you andyour pup.
Welcome back everyone.
I'm Sofia Yvette, co-host slashproducer, back in the studio
(01:01):
with Shannon and Tanya.
Shannon and Tanya, how's itgoing?
It's good.
We're having a great day, great.
So, shannon and Tanya, what aresome general bath care tips for
dogs?
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Number one would be wet your dog first.
We have a hydration systemthat's in here so it mixes our
shampoo with the water.
So a lot of people will takesome shampoo and you'll put it
on your dog and try to scrub itin.
Most dogs have an extra layeror a water barrier of some sort
and definitely some oil andgrease You're not able to get to
the skin.
The most important thing toremember is getting to the skin
(01:38):
is 100% the key.
It's kind of like washing yourhair.
You know you don't want to justwash the ends of your hair, you
want to get to the scalp.
That's where all of the dirtlies.
So then when you're rinsing it,that rinses through the hair
and kind of cleans it.
So, using the proper shampoos,making sure that your shampoos,
if they're a concentrate, makesure that they are diluted, make
(01:58):
sure you get to the skin andmake sure you rinse them
thoroughly.
Cleaning out the ears you don'twant any water left inside.
So, on an alcohol-based orsomething that the vet has given
you, we clean our ears with analcohol-based ear infection
prevention cleaner so it driesup any water that may have
gotten down into the ears.
Face tail butts obviously youwant to make sure you get the
(02:19):
private areas really clean.
Yeah, the stinky parts Analglands is something that we do
in here.
If you're able to do this athome or take them to your vet,
sometimes your dog will justsmell, so they get an odor in
there.
We don't want that.
We also brush our teeth in hereas well Hot pads, but those are
the things that we do.
Make sure you use propershampoo, make sure it's diluted
(02:40):
properly, make sure that youdon't leave any water left in
the ears and 100% make surethey're rinsed completely.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
So how often should dog owners be bathing their pets
?
Speaker 3 (02:54):
For me.
I have a Bichla that has shorthair Doodles.
We offer a two-week maintenanceprogram in here and a monthly
maintenance program, so I havedogs that come in every two
weeks and have very long hair.
Keep in mind, your dogs areoftentimes two or three inches
off the ground and they're inyour beds or on your couch, so
they are doing nothing butcollecting the dust off your
(03:14):
floor and in your yard and it'sall coming inside your house.
Me personally, I don't likethat.
I want a clean dog.
But if you do wash your dog toooften, you can cause dry coat,
dry skin.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
You can run into skin problems.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
So I do a conditioner bath in between.
So on our two-week program theyget a bath and brush
conditioner nails.
So there are some things youcan do, which is either an
all-over haircut or batheregularly.
If you have a German Shepherdor a Doodle, you may not want to
bathe them as often, but youstill need to get that extra
hair out and the dirt off.
So I use a conditioner bath forthat, even with my dog.
(03:53):
I also have a Vizsla and welive out in the country.
He gets absolutely disgustedand I'll take baby wipes and
actually just wipe him offreally quick when he comes in
just because I don't want all ofthose gross things that are
outside in the country in myhouse, the towel chamois work as
well.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
What are the best shampoos and conditioners for
different skin types?
Speaker 3 (04:17):
for the dogs?
Another trick question Ifyou're looking for a specialty
shampoo, your vet will prescribesomething.
So there are so many differenttypes of skin conditions out
there that need specialtyshampoos and us as dog groomers.
They're very expensive.
They're upwards of $75 a gallon.
It's kind of like going intothe store buying shampoo for
(04:38):
humans.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
There's thousands Do you have curly hair?
Do you have straight hair?
Speaker 3 (04:42):
All in all, shampoos are a disinfectant.
You can use regular old,everyday Dawn.
If you've got a really greasyear or an ear infection You've
been helping that ear in thereyou can go ahead and get some
Dawn shampoo.
It's good for baby ducks.
It's good for dogs.
It will cut through the grease.
It'll help in those areas thatmaybe for a first bath you just
(05:06):
want to make sure it's kind of alighter.
I like Johnson Johnson shampoo.
If you need to get somethingout of their head or face, cure
free and use secure cradle caps.
Esprit makes some greatproducts Trop out of their head
or face, cure-free and usesecured cradle caps Esprit makes
some great products.
Tropiclean is really good.
There are some really goodproducts that you can use out
there that are really pricey.
We use those in here.
We're more professionals andwe're charging for that.
There are some things thatwe'll use in here.
(05:28):
I mean, I have Dawn.
I use Dawn as part of my skunkfor de-skunking.
Dawn skunking it's Dundon,hydrogen peroxide and a little
bit of baking soda and anythingthat smells good.
We mix that together, pour iton, let it sit.
So there's something to be saidfor just you know, over the
counter.
I'll mention too, if you havemats and you're washing your dog
(05:50):
.
You're washing your dog withmats or tangles that are already
on them.
What that does is compact thathair more.
You're not really bathing thedog's skin, you're bathing the
hair and you're tightening it uparound the skin, and what that
can do in many cases is causehot spots or to get those mats
so tight to the skin thatthey'll have to be shaved that
they can't be brushed out.
So that's a fun pro tip to notdo fun pro tip to not do.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Yeah, what is the biggest mistake pet owners make
when bathing their dogs at home?
Not getting the mats out firstor tangles out first.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
It creates a whole slew of problems Sweaters on
long hairs, dogs.
It will create matting with thestatic electricity People that
wash their dog every week in theshower with them.
If you do not comb through orbrush through the first, you are
going to create a much biggerproblem.
A hot spot usually is due tomoisture.
So imagine you're hair in aponytail and you get it wet and
(06:48):
you leave your hair in aponytail, you don't take it down
and every time your hair getsdirty you're just going to wet
it a little bit.
If you do that every time andthat's sitting there wet, your
scalp is going to itch at somepoint.
And if you're a dog, you itchwith your feet or you itch with
your mouth and your mouth hasgot more saliva.
So now you're adding moremoisture to a mat that's
(07:11):
underneath.
It's already itching and whatit's going to do?
It's going to cause aninfection and you can't get to
that.
So that's how a hotspot iscreated.
So that is the number one thingI see from people that are
bathing their dogs at home, orthey come in and we literally
will shave off the entire coatof a dog in its whole entirety
just because the dog is somatted.
(07:31):
It takes what could have been areally loose tangle and when
you wet it it it locks it in andit just gets tighter and
tighter and tighter.
That hair shrinks and expandsand if you're not brushing
through it before, after a bath,it's going to create major
problems for you and your petfor sure wow, my goodness, any
(07:54):
final words when it comes togeneral bath care tips for dogs.
Be very careful not to getshampoo in their eyes.
I don't like shampoo in my eyeseither, but in a dog they can't
tell you.
So watch for that eye twidge.
If you've accidentally gottensome in there, make sure that
those ears are clean with thebath and after your dog has gone
swimming or in a lake at a dogpark you want to hose them down
(08:15):
after.
Make sure that you've gottenall of the little parts off.
Check the insides of the ears,check the nose, check the eyes,
eyelids, all those littlecrevices.
Make sure you've got thoseclean and rinsed off thoroughly.
No mats and tangles.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Love it.
Shannon and Tanya, We'll catchyou in the next episode.
Have a fantastic rest of yourday.
We do the same episode.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Have a fantastic rest of your day.
We do the same.
That's a wrap for this episodeof Tail Talk with Hound Therapy.
Ready to book your pet's nextgroom daycare stay or grooming
academy tour?
Call us at 469-367-0009.
That's 469-367-0009 to schedulean appointment, or visit us
(09:00):
online at wwwhoundtherapycom.
Serving North Texas with expertpet care.
Until next time, keep thosetails wagging.
Welcome to Tail Talk Grooming Chronicles with Hound
Therapy, the podcast where wetalk all things pet grooming,
daycare academy and more.
Hosted by Shannon and Tanya ofHound Therapy serving pet owners
across North Texas, we're hereto share expert tips, hilarious
pet stories and the inside scoopon keeping your furry friends
(00:25):
happy and healthy.
Our motto humanity over vanity.
And don't worry, we don't bite.
Let's get started.
Who let the dogs out?
Who let the dogs out?
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Bathtime can be a splashy disaster or a spa-like
experience, depending on how youdo it.
Shannon and Tanya shared theirtop tips for making dog baths
stress-free for both you andyour pup.
Welcome back everyone.
I'm Sofia Yvette, co-host slashproducer, back in the studio
(01:01):
with Shannon and Tanya.
Shannon and Tanya, how's itgoing?
It's good.
We're having a great day, great.
So, shannon and Tanya, what aresome general bath care tips for
dogs?
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Number one would be wet your dog first.
We have a hydration systemthat's in here so it mixes our
shampoo with the water.
So a lot of people will takesome shampoo and you'll put it
on your dog and try to scrub itin.
Most dogs have an extra layeror a water barrier of some sort
and definitely some oil andgrease You're not able to get to
the skin.
The most important thing toremember is getting to the skin
(01:38):
is 100% the key.
It's kind of like washing yourhair.
You know you don't want to justwash the ends of your hair, you
want to get to the scalp.
That's where all of the dirtlies.
So then when you're rinsing it,that rinses through the hair
and kind of cleans it.
So, using the proper shampoos,making sure that your shampoos,
if they're a concentrate, makesure that they are diluted, make
(01:58):
sure you get to the skin andmake sure you rinse them
thoroughly.
Cleaning out the ears you don'twant any water left inside.
So, on an alcohol-based orsomething that the vet has given
you, we clean our ears with analcohol-based ear infection
prevention cleaner so it driesup any water that may have
gotten down into the ears.
Face tail butts obviously youwant to make sure you get the
(02:19):
private areas really clean.
Yeah, the stinky parts Analglands is something that we do
in here.
If you're able to do this athome or take them to your vet,
sometimes your dog will justsmell, so they get an odor in
there.
We don't want that.
We also brush our teeth in hereas well Hot pads, but those are
the things that we do.
Make sure you use propershampoo, make sure it's diluted
(02:40):
properly, make sure that youdon't leave any water left in
the ears and 100% make surethey're rinsed completely.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
So how often should dog owners be bathing their pets
?
Speaker 3 (02:54):
For me.
I have a Bichla that has shorthair Doodles.
We offer a two-week maintenanceprogram in here and a monthly
maintenance program, so I havedogs that come in every two
weeks and have very long hair.
Keep in mind, your dogs areoftentimes two or three inches
off the ground and they're inyour beds or on your couch, so
they are doing nothing butcollecting the dust off your
(03:14):
floor and in your yard and it'sall coming inside your house.
Me personally, I don't likethat.
I want a clean dog.
But if you do wash your dog toooften, you can cause dry coat,
dry skin.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
You can run into skin problems.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
So I do a conditioner bath in between.
So on our two-week program theyget a bath and brush
conditioner nails.
So there are some things youcan do, which is either an
all-over haircut or batheregularly.
If you have a German Shepherdor a Doodle, you may not want to
bathe them as often, but youstill need to get that extra
hair out and the dirt off.
So I use a conditioner bath forthat, even with my dog.
(03:53):
I also have a Vizsla and welive out in the country.
He gets absolutely disgustedand I'll take baby wipes and
actually just wipe him offreally quick when he comes in
just because I don't want all ofthose gross things that are
outside in the country in myhouse, the towel chamois work as
well.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
What are the best shampoos and conditioners for
different skin types?
Speaker 3 (04:17):
for the dogs?
Another trick question Ifyou're looking for a specialty
shampoo, your vet will prescribesomething.
So there are so many differenttypes of skin conditions out
there that need specialtyshampoos and us as dog groomers.
They're very expensive.
They're upwards of $75 a gallon.
It's kind of like going intothe store buying shampoo for
(04:38):
humans.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
There's thousands Do you have curly hair?
Do you have straight hair?
Speaker 3 (04:42):
All in all, shampoos are a disinfectant.
You can use regular old,everyday Dawn.
If you've got a really greasyear or an ear infection You've
been helping that ear in thereyou can go ahead and get some
Dawn shampoo.
It's good for baby ducks.
It's good for dogs.
It will cut through the grease.
It'll help in those areas thatmaybe for a first bath you just
(05:06):
want to make sure it's kind of alighter.
I like Johnson Johnson shampoo.
If you need to get somethingout of their head or face, cure
free and use secure cradle caps.
Esprit makes some greatproducts Trop out of their head
or face, cure-free and usesecured cradle caps Esprit makes
some great products.
Tropiclean is really good.
There are some really goodproducts that you can use out
there that are really pricey.
We use those in here.
We're more professionals andwe're charging for that.
There are some things thatwe'll use in here.
(05:28):
I mean, I have Dawn.
I use Dawn as part of my skunkfor de-skunking.
Dawn skunking it's Dundon,hydrogen peroxide and a little
bit of baking soda and anythingthat smells good.
We mix that together, pour iton, let it sit.
So there's something to be saidfor just you know, over the
counter.
I'll mention too, if you havemats and you're washing your dog
(05:50):
.
You're washing your dog withmats or tangles that are already
on them.
What that does is compact thathair more.
You're not really bathing thedog's skin, you're bathing the
hair and you're tightening it uparound the skin, and what that
can do in many cases is causehot spots or to get those mats
so tight to the skin thatthey'll have to be shaved that
they can't be brushed out.
So that's a fun pro tip to notdo fun pro tip to not do.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Yeah, what is the biggest mistake pet owners make
when bathing their dogs at home?
Not getting the mats out firstor tangles out first.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
It creates a whole slew of problems Sweaters on
long hairs, dogs.
It will create matting with thestatic electricity People that
wash their dog every week in theshower with them.
If you do not comb through orbrush through the first, you are
going to create a much biggerproblem.
A hot spot usually is due tomoisture.
So imagine you're hair in aponytail and you get it wet and
(06:48):
you leave your hair in aponytail, you don't take it down
and every time your hair getsdirty you're just going to wet
it a little bit.
If you do that every time andthat's sitting there wet, your
scalp is going to itch at somepoint.
And if you're a dog, you itchwith your feet or you itch with
your mouth and your mouth hasgot more saliva.
So now you're adding moremoisture to a mat that's
(07:11):
underneath.
It's already itching and whatit's going to do?
It's going to cause aninfection and you can't get to
that.
So that's how a hotspot iscreated.
So that is the number one thingI see from people that are
bathing their dogs at home, orthey come in and we literally
will shave off the entire coatof a dog in its whole entirety
just because the dog is somatted.
(07:31):
It takes what could have been areally loose tangle and when
you wet it it it locks it in andit just gets tighter and
tighter and tighter.
That hair shrinks and expandsand if you're not brushing
through it before, after a bath,it's going to create major
problems for you and your petfor sure wow, my goodness, any
(07:54):
final words when it comes togeneral bath care tips for dogs.
Be very careful not to getshampoo in their eyes.
I don't like shampoo in my eyeseither, but in a dog they can't
tell you.
So watch for that eye twidge.
If you've accidentally gottensome in there, make sure that
those ears are clean with thebath and after your dog has gone
swimming or in a lake at a dogpark you want to hose them down
(08:15):
after.
Make sure that you've gottenall of the little parts off.
Check the insides of the ears,check the nose, check the eyes,
eyelids, all those littlecrevices.
Make sure you've got thoseclean and rinsed off thoroughly.
No mats and tangles.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Love it.
Shannon and Tanya, We'll catchyou in the next episode.
Have a fantastic rest of yourday.
We do the same episode.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Have a fantastic rest of your day.
We do the same.
That's a wrap for this episodeof Tail Talk with Hound Therapy.
Ready to book your pet's nextgroom daycare stay or grooming
academy tour?
Call us at 469-367-0009.
That's 469-367-0009 to schedulean appointment, or visit us
(09:00):
online at wwwhoundtherapycom.
Serving North Texas with expertpet care.
Until next time, keep thosetails wagging.
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