How to Wash a Little Dog
Medium
15 - 30 Minutes
4 Weeks
Need regular grooming services?
Introduction
Your little dog can be carried in your purse or in your arms. He snuggles on your lap because he’s the perfect size lap dog. Bathing him can be pretty simple because of his size. His baths still take some time, but he can fit inside a large bowl or bin or even in your sink. He's not going to need to be washed very often, but he will need to be cleaned every now and then, especially when he's become extremely dirty.
Dog's Perspective
Some little guys hate baths, and some don't mind them at all. Little dogs may use their immense energy to get dirty and may not want to slow down long enough to bathe, so yours may be reluctant to get in the water.
The In the Sink Method
Effective
0 Votes
Slicker Brush
Shampoo
Towel
Step
1
Set up
Whether you are using a kitchen sink or bathroom sink, try to prepare as much as you can in advance before bringing your little guy in for his bath. If you are bathing him in a bathroom sink you can warm up the room by running hot water first and leaving the door closed. While the room warms up, gather your supplies such as your dog shampoo, two towels, and a brush.
Step
2
Water
Once your sink area is prepared and ready for your dog, bring your little guy in for a bath. You will want to fill up the sink with warm water but only deep enough for your dog to be wet to his belly. Lining your sink with a towel will help your little guy from slipping and sliding.
Step
3
Bring dog in
Once the sink is ready for your dog with warm water, bring him in and set him inside the sink. You can ask him to sit in the water or he can stand. Either way, you want him to be comfortable.
Step
4
Wash
Rinse your little guy from head to toe. Avoid getting shampoo in his eyes and water in his ears. Scrub down using small circular motions with your fingers. Be sure to get his potty areas and his paws.
Step
5
Rinse
Once he’s nice and clean using dog shampoo, you'll want to rinse him with clean water. You can get this water straight from your faucet or even use your kitchen spray nozzle for a nice soothing shower. Be sure to get all the shampoo out of his fur and off the skin so he doesn’t suffer dry skin after his bath.
Step
6
Drain and dry
When your little dog is rinsed, drain the water. Take him out of the sink and wrap him up in a big fluffy towel to dry. Your little guy may want to shake excess water out of his fur before you gather him up in the towel. He can remove more excess water by shaking. When he does this wet dog shake, hold a towel over him so water doesn’t fly around your room.
Step
7
Treat and brush
Once your puppy is nice and dry, he may need to be brushed. Focus on getting any tangles out of his fur. This is also a great time to reward him for a great behavior during his sink wash. Give him a nice tasty treat while you are brushing him to reward positive behaviors.
Recommend grooming method?
The Wet Wash Method
Effective
0 Votes
Shampoo
Towel
Step
1
On a towel
Your pup is so small you don’t have to put him in a bathtub for a thorough washing. You can set him on a nice dry towel and wet wash him with a washcloth and shampoo. This is great for times he needs to be washed but a bath is too much to do.
Step
2
Prepare
Prepare all the supplies you will need for his wet wash on a dry towel. You will need two towels, one for him to stand on and want to dry him later. You will also need a small amount of dog shampoo to work through his fur, and be prepared with a washcloth and a bowl full of warm water for washing and rinsing.
Step
3
On towel
Set your little guy on the towel and wet down the washcloth. Squeeze out excess water and get your little guy nice and wet. If your small dog has long fur, you can leave the washcloth dripping and squeeze some of the excess water into his fur to get him wet. You don’t want your pup to be dripping wet, but he needs to be wet enough to take the shampoo.
Step
4
Shampoo
Use a small amount of shampoo to wash your dog. Pour a dime to quarter size amount in your palm and add a bit of water to create lather. Scrub your little guy from head to toe with the shampoo to get him nice and clean and smelling sweet.
Step
5
Rinse
Using your washcloth and your bowl full of warm water, rinse the shampoo out of your dog's fur. Because you didn’t use a whole lot of shampoo, there should not be much lather left. Get the washcloth wet and wring a small amount of warm water into his fur for rinsing.
Step
6
Dry
When your little guy is washed and rinsed, use a clean towel to dry his fur and skin. Be sure you are drying him to watch for any excess shampoo left in his fur.
Step
7
Treat
Always reward your little guy with a nice tasty treat.
Recommend grooming method?
Caution & Considerations
- Your little dog might be feisty. If he doesn't like baths, he could get away quickly and fall easily from a high sink like your kitchen or bathroom sink.
- Never leave your little guy unattended near the water.
- Small dogs tend to get chilled faster than larger dogs, so keep your little guy nice and toasty warm.
- Prepare in advance for bath time by filling the sink or the tub with enough warm water to cover your little guy's belly.
- Always test the water temperature to ensure it is not too hot nor too cold.
- If you bathe your little dog in a bathroom, you can heat the bathroom by running hot water with the door closed for several minutes before you fill the tub with his warm bath water.
- Keep the bathroom door closed while you are bathing your little dog to help keep him warm
- Only use dog shampoo on your dog. Your dog's pH is much different than your own, so human shampoo could dry skin and cause itching and redness.
- If your little guy does not enjoy baths, consider using wet wipes every other time he needs a bath.
- Over-bathing your small dog can cause dry, itchy skin and a dry coat.
- If you're skipping a wet bath you can use a dry shampoo in place of a wet wash.
Conclusion
Your little dog might be tiny, but he can create a huge mess. When it's time for washing, keep your little pup looking beautiful and smelling good with a simple bath or a wet wipe down. Even cleaning small areas like his paws can help make him looking fur-tastic.
