You've gotten lots of great advice; I think the secret is to make them feel safe. We use a plastic tub in the sink, so that he doesn't slip around, and I make sure that the water is not too hot, this is the mistake most people make. Test water on the inside of your arm and error on the cool side, puppies, especially, can't tolerate hot water. All it takes is a few bad experiences to make them anxious at bath time. I too warm the bath towel, and I found a hair dryer that is really quiet. After Joey gets out of the tub I wrap him head to toe in a warm towel and he lies for several minutes on the padded counter without moving a muscle. I'm sure he enjoys that part. Make the first few baths go smoothly, it's more about getting them use to grooming then doing a great job of it at first. I also use to use cheerios during the drying out process, and this helped him get use to the hair dryer. |