How to Bathe a Hyper Puppy

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How to Bathe a Hyper Puppy

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20 - 40 Minutes

1 Month

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Introduction

Bath time can be a fun new experience for a puppy, or it can be a bit intimidating. Lots of noise that includes things like running water, hair dryers, or other new feelings and sensations can make a puppy nervous or jumpy. Alternatively, your puppy may consider bath time to be loads of fun and refuse to stand still for it because he’s so excited! No matter how your puppy views his baths, it can be a bit of a struggle to get him clean if he’s moving around too much.

Dog's Perspective

Your puppy has a lot of energy to spend. There are lots of new things happening all at once! Water can be scary and shampoo might feel cold and slimy. There are any number of reasons why your pup has a hard time staying still while you’re trying to bathe him, so it’s important to be patient and help him understand that bath time can be fun!

The Outdoor Method

Effective

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Shampoo

Towel

Step

Get some exercise

Puppies may sometimes need to burn off a lot of the excess energy they have. Run around outside for a little while or go for a walk. Play a game of fetch or work on obedience. Any of these things can help wear your puppy down so he’s a little less squirmy during his bath.

Step

Use a pool or hose

When bathing outdoors, using a garden hose or a plastic kiddie pool with water are perhaps the best ways to get your puppy clean. Have a little bath set up somewhere away from any areas in your yard or driveway that are too dirty and have a leash on your pup ready if you’re in an unfenced area.

Step

Get used to the water

If your puppy is uncertain about the water, offer some treats or a toy. Start with the hose turned on low so it’s a steady stream and not too loud or frightening. Work him up to having the water poured onto him by giving him gentle little flicks with the water every so often.

Step

Shampoo and rinse

Once you’ve gotten your pup used to the water, then you can use the shampoo to quickly apply it to his fur and scrub him down. Make sure you wash the parts of him that can get dirty fast, such as his belly and underneath the tail. Wash his paws and the top of his head, but be careful around his face, eyes, and the insides of ears as these can get irritated with harsh soaps and shampoos.

Step

Towel down and air dry

Once you’ve shampooed and rinsed your puppy, then you can pull him out of the bath with a towel. Wrap it around him and give him a quick rub down, but make it quick! Puppies are well known to have what is called the ‘zoomies’ after a bath and once you’ve let him go, he can quickly air dry his fur with enough running around.

The Distraction Method

Effective

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Shampoo

Towel

Step

Have your bath ready

Set the bathtub up before you collect your puppy so you’re not struggling to round her up and get the bath started at the same time. Having your space ready will help eliminate stress in both you and her and make it easier to transition into a quick and painless bath.

Step

Use toys to your advantage

Using water-safe chew toys and other interesting things to keep your puppy occupied is a great idea. Squeaky toys, in particular, may help provide some noisy stimulation to keep your puppy busy chewing and playing rather than trying to jump around and escape.

Step

Offer treats

Place some treats somewhere on the edge of the tub or smear a little bit of dog-safe peanut butter on the side of the bathtub for your puppy to lick to keep her still. It has the benefit of rewarding her for a good bath experience while also making sure she stands in one place to make your shampoo and rinse much easier.

Step

Keep it low key

Once you can get the shampoo onto your pup’s fur, use gentle touches and massaging movements to keep her from getting too worked up hyperactive. Treat it like more of a spa day than a quick car wash!

Step

Keep it short

Even if your movements are gentle, try not to spend too much time in the tub. Once you’ve shampooed and rinsed, get a towel ready for drying. Make sure the towel rub down is gentle and comfortable for your puppy so she can be ready to go and release the rest of her energy once she’s clean and dry.

Caution & Considerations

Make sure you avoid getting shampoo or soap into your puppy’s eyes! This can cause irritation, stress, and make bath time much worse later on.
Use puppy-safe shampoos and never try to use shampoo that is made for humans on a dog. The chemicals can be harmful to their skin.
If your puppy seems highly stressed, you may want to put bath time on pause and warm him up to the feeling of the water. You don’t want this experience to be traumatic for him.
If you’re bathing your puppy outside, watch out for any mud puddles in your yard! He may ruin all of your hard work by jumping out of the water and straight into the mud.
Feel free to use treats or toys at any point to help adjust your puppy to the bath and to make it an enjoyable experience. Be careful that you don’t drop any treats into the water. They might dissolve!

Conclusion

Taking a bath is essential for all dogs to keep them happy and healthy, so it’s important to find good ways to handle your puppy’s excitability to make bath time more bearable for both you and him. Do remember that puppies, in general, can be all over the place and are experiencing lots of things for the first time. Try not to get upset when he behaves in the way that comes naturally to him!

How to Bathe a Hyper Puppy

Introduction

Dog's Perspective

The Outdoor Method

The Distraction Method

Caution & Considerations

Conclusion

Success Stories and Grooming Questions

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