bath?
 

just a quick question ..

how did you introduce your yorkie to his/her fist bath without scaring him/her?

just asking cuz the last puppy i remember having was scared of water and i dont remember what my mom did to scare him :S

I didn't even think about an introduction. Never occurred to me, & maybe this helped. If you are fearful or whatever, he may sense it, & react accordingly.

I do remember singing, to distract Gus, as I lowered him into a sink with knee high warm water. I don't remember the name of the song, but Squirt howled as I sang.

I never give Squirt a bath. He gets a shower once a month.

haha singing :) thats so cute..hehe ill need to try that ....would giving him a treat after be a good thing too?

I used lotts of treats to associate bath time with good things. When a puppy comes in the shelter they ussually have never had a bath, so i start them off in ver litt;e water, just enough to get there feet wet and give them a treat, them i take them out and add a bit more water and give them another treat. You have to be careful and not give a treat when he/she is crying alot or shaking. Also remember dont have the water too cold. And not to hot either because a puppies skin is alot more sensative then ours. On the first bath i never washthe head (Unless its a special condition) Because that is the scariest part is when you try to make their head wet wnough to shamppoo. If her head is greasy or stinky or whatever just ue a damp facecloth and gently rub her fur wiiht it. Thats just my way, but im no expert..llol and its worked for me..

I think most pups will be scared the first time...I usually run the water the whole time that my yorkies get a bath but I wonder if you just set them in a warm bath like you would a child if the transition would be easier...Mine hate the blow dryer more than the bath. I have to start the dryer while they are wrapped in a towel so they get use to the sound before I use it. Also I think the more baths they get the more comfortable they become.

what happens if he always cries or shake?

just wondering what i should do in that case :P

then just wait for her to stop. then reward with a treat.. but if the dogs chewing on a treat while being placed in the bath tub/ sink im sure she wont cry or shake ..lol.. the world of distraction is wonderful

Don't worry about the first bath. Subsequent baths will be more of a problem. Gus senses when it's bath time, & hides.

good point :P....i hope he doesnt get scared of water....dogs are more easyer to wash when they're not jumping around in the bath to get out :P...lol

thats what the dog we have at my dad's do...lol...you'd think after ten years that he would find a different place to hide than behind the couch when we call him for a bath...lol

Tinkerbell absolutely loves the water! She often falls asleep during a bath:p
For her first bath I remember filling up an old dishwashing tub enough to cover her up to the knees or so with warm water and just putting her in it and letting her play a bit, I used a cup to pour water over her body. My other yorkie Gizmo hates the water, especially the running water is very scary for him. I would suggest not putting the water on her head the first time and don't have the water running. I think some just like it and some don't, no matter what you do.

I'm not sure about the significance of the 116 in your User Name, but your last post was 116. Had to happen at least once.

its because i wanted to put 16(birthday) but it didnt work so i added a 1 to it ....if it answers? :S :p

I never thought of introducing Bella to the bath. I think we started out by bathing her in the sink, but it was such a struggle, b/c she would try to climb out. So, my husband actually has to sit in the bathtub with her now. It's so funny, any time she hears the shower go on in our guest bathroom, she comes running to me and hides between my legs. Poor thing!

And we can't even use the blow dryer on her. She hates it!

She's exhausted after her bath. :aimeeyork

poor puppy :( we can only wash our puppy in the bath because my mom is not a fan of washing a dog in the same place we wash our dishes...lol

My DW is the same way, so I wash Gus in the kitchen sink when my DW goes out. If she ever catches me my life will never be the same again. I don't even want to think about ----. The sink is so convenient due to the sprayer for rinsing.

Nikko had (has?) giardia, so since like day 3 after we first got him, he has been in the bath getting his butt washed off with baby shampoo at least 2 - 3 times a day. I talk to him like a little kid while he's in the knee-deep water in the bathtub - "oh, you're so patient with me, thank you, thank you. yes, i know i know this isn't fun, but we're going to make you better, and all clean too.... so pretty, so handsome. you're so good at this, such a good boy" and so on. (i'm pretty sure that's like an exact transcript, lmao).

Point of the story is, we've washed his butt SO often ever since we got him, he's actually totally OK with it. He just stands there, right where I want him, in the bathwater. I think it's all about frequency - he knows very well now that if he puts up with the butt bath, we play with him like crazy afterwards and love him to death (freedom after a bowel and bladder empty-ing, that's what we're suppossed to do in housetraining, eh?). Every time i've tried to pour water farther up on his back though, or wash his face with a warm washcloth, he gets really unhappy and tries to crawl out of the tub. But even still, he's not actually all that bad. I think he's resigned himself to what bathtime means, and that it's inevitable - at least for now. We'll see as he gets older and we stop needing to bathe his bum so often...

Lauren & Nikko

bath
 

just gave our little kayden her first bath. i took keely momma's advice and gave her a few treats. one right after she got in...two during the bath...and one right after she got out. she did just fine! whew! the realy joy was watching her run around after i took her out of the towel. haha she even let me brush her...but when i put her brush down, she attacked it! i don't plan to bathe her often...maybe once a month or so.

I've taken Roxie into the shower with me before. It's a bit of a challenge but it works. If you disinfect the kitchen sink afterwards it should be ok. Roxie also hides when she sees me getting things ready for a bath. She doesn't mind the bath but hates the water in her face so I do that last. Make sure she/he can't slip and slide because they can hurt herself and even dislocate something. I always put down a dish towel in the sink to make it less slippery.

Another thing to add is as much as she acts like she doesn't want it, you can tell that when it's over she feels soooo good. She runs all over and rubs all over everything. Jumping and playing and saying how much better she feels!! :)

Space Heater
 

For those doggies afraid of noisy hair dryers, try using a (safe) space heater. London sits on a towel in my lap in front of a space heater while I brush her coat and give lots of treats.

She smells so yummy after a bath I just wanna eat her up! :animal36

It has to get done weither they like it or not.
Just make sure you have rubber sticky thing or a towel at the bottom it makes them feel safe & they won't slip.

When i first brought Suzi home i'd bathe her in the sink, then the bathroom sink. But, it was hart to get all the shampoo off her, so I tried the bathtub. The bathtub worked the best for Suzi . In fact, I caught her jumping inside the tub a day later , lol .
i try to be very careful on the Temp. of the water. Not too cold, not too hot. I really feel that is the key to making it a nice experience for your dog. I do not use the dryer on Suzi though. I wrap her up in a nice big towel and hold her for a while. She calms right down , then while she is still semi wet I'll brush her out real good. Brushing while wet makes it easier to get any tangles or knots out. I try to make it is nice time for Suzi.
Just remember if your dog is too anxious he/she will not accept a treat. Not until they feel better. :aimeeyork

I tried to associate treats=good=bath..She still doesnt care for it much but she if she gets through it there will be treats.