bathing nightmare....
 

Ok so Miss Mia is like a cat in the water...I mean it, in every sense of the word...I ended up having to get in with her, agaiiiin, I do baths 2ce a week due to Miss Mini's allergies. Bathing and puppy cuts for both is a must in our house, but it is awful, I've tried everything...soothing petting and talking, no running water, sink instead of tub, treats up the wazoooo, and still like a cat in water...

any ideas?

I wish I could offer you advice. I have never had one do that. They are all different. I would just say keep doing what you're doing and may it get better as time passes. I'm sure it's frustrating, but what else can you do?:confused:

Dry shampoo?:)

They get used to it over time. Some like baths better than others, and some just tolerate it. Good luck!!

Lol, I would actually try it; however, I'm sure Mini would be allergic to it..UGGGH, my arms are all scratched and I am actually sore from trying to keep her still without hurting her and all at the same time saying..."ahhh good girl, shes a good girl, stay baby, etc" I really understand now why her birth family named her SPARKY....eiyieyieyie....

Get her out of the sink & into the big bath tub....and get in there with her :D

I would stop talking to her and reinforcing her nerves with the soothing. She's associating her fighting/resisting actions with your kind talking/soothing and thinking that is good to do. Just calmly and quietly go about putting her in the water, using your calm hands to hold her gently as you apply the water and dipping some over her briefly, remove her, dry her and then talk praise and love to her. Do this once morning and night for a few days so that she gets the idea a bath can be quick in and out and nothing more. If you work, do it a couple of times in the evening - just in and out so that the bath is not seen by her to be a long horrific water all over her face and body experience. Just the quick, repetitious tiny, short baths will begin to inure her to the whole experience and before long, she will come to expect it. Just be quiet and calm, using calm hands as you apply the water with cupped hands and then out and done. I use only my hands when I apply water to Tibbe's head and face area in the bath so that he never gets a huge mass over his nose at once and he is now the calmest dog in the bath you have ever seen, whereas he fought me like a bobcat at first. It takes a lot of repetitions but it is better than scaring the dog and eventually they settle and accept the experience as something that is part of life. You can get a dog to accept almost anything if you gradually work up to it a short little bit at a time.

Wow great perspective, thats why I love this place! Thanks so much for the advice and I am definitely going to try this! It makes sense and duh for me....I was doing it backwards. I have had many, many, dogs and never ever had this problem with any! Thanks again!:):):)

I agree.... but I have also tried the exact opposite....acting as scared as they are, but keeping calm hands at the same time: this would be my dialog:

(in a high pitched voice and as animated as you can be, like the 'Oh no! Mr. Bill!) Ah! Oh my goodness! WHAT was that? Ut oh! Here it comes again! Ewwwww! And what is that cold gooey stuff? Look at all the bubbles! You're going to blow away! Ahhhh! (all lathered up) Where is my little dog? Are you still in here? Oh! There you are! Oh my! Let's get all this stuff washed off you! You poor baby! Oh this is just a horrible mess! We gotta get you cleaned up and outta dis tub!

Put peanut butter on the tub to keep her preoccupied. If she's not allergic to peanuts.

I also wash body first and face last.

In my experience with my dogs or dogs in my care, one that is really fighting-scared is only further excited by a high-pitched, sweet-talk voice, but that is just my experience working with rescues and other scared dogs who were ready to fight and bite they were so terrified. Usually that squeaky little fun voice means excitement to a dog and is used by most humans to communicate with them when the dog has done something good and dogs usually recognize that tone and manner of talking(kind of what we call "baby talk") to it as one of praise or fun-loving and react in kind. Most dogs wiggle all over and jump or wriggle around when you talk like that to them. I don't like to coddle or nurture the fear response in a dog as that type of talking can do but rather offer it quiet and gentle support as it learns the fear is false and nothing painful or life-threatening is really happening to them.

If you watch a mother dog with a scared puppy running squealing from its fear source, she just grabs it with a paw and nuzzles it back out of harm's way and uses no verbal communication or undue fondling. Once I began to handle frightened and fighting dogs in a similar manner - quiet, supporting but not indulging its fear with sweet talk, I noticed they began to respond and calm more quickly. And whatever fearful experience we were having, from toenail clipping, tooth brushing, bathing, whatever, I would just quietly go on about the task, occasionally stopping briefly to just hold it quietly and gently with my hands, but keep the session extremely brief and frequent until the dog became desensitized to the experience.

Still, each person who works with fearful dogs should use what is most healthy and effective for them and their dog(s). If baby talk or sweet talk does it best, use that by all means!

I'm with you 100%, great advice!

Well, hopefully you know your dog and what it takes to calm her.
Gracie hates the bath but does not fight it. I just tell her what a good girl she is and how nice she is going to look and smell. I just use a normal calm tone of voice and talk to her like I usually do. I use the kitchen sink. I don't fill it with water. I can tell you about something that has made the process much quicker and easier.
Rinse Ace 3-Way Pet Faucet Sprayer at PETCO
It has three spray speeds and I love it. It has cut the bathing time in half. It does require attaching the enclosed aerator to your faucet but I'm used to doing small plumbing jobs and it is very easy to do. I also put a cover over the sink and drain so she is steady on her feet. It helps them not to panic. You can use a towel or one of these:
Rinse Ace Pet Sink Bathing Mat at PETCO

Doing it at least once a week is a good idea because it will speed up her ability to learn to cope with the process. Once she finally accepts the fact that it's going to happen despite her objections she will surrender to it. Persistence will win her over. Just don't let her think you are feeling sorry for her. Encourage her but don't pity her.

Chris Christensen has a really nice spray on cleaner called "Show Off" but right now you want to keep bathing her on a regular basis.

I actually did use this method with my scared to death rescue Tinkerbell, after all other attempts failed and a bite or two, she was 2.5 years old. It helped her to relax, bc instead of me trying to force her or ignore her fears, I acknowledged her fears and copied them, which had the effect on her to bond with me (maybe not the right word but close), I guess two being scared, in company, beats being scared all by yourself.

When it was time to blow dry her, she ran around the bathroom in circles around me. As her hair started to dry, it hit me that OMG it was really preety. I started saying that to her, 'OMG your hair is so beautiful' Look at it You're soooo pretty! And finally she calmed down and let me finish... I know it's weird, but it worked for her.

Not saying these techniques will work for you, but just don't be afraid to try things out of the norm... you'll never know what works unless you try it.

been there and done that...
:(

Have you tried putting her in the shower with you? Probably sounds odd, but my Xavier LOVES showers! When he was a puppy, he actually jumped into the shower with me, and it's been showers for him ever since...

Our rescue girl, Sasha, never adjusted to liking baths. We tried everything possible, but it became obvious that whoever previously bathed her must have also been her abuser. In the end, my husband and I worked out a quick routine that lessened her fear but she never learned to like bath time.

Best wishes for you and Miss Mia! Reading all your responses, it looks like you've gotten some great tips! :-)

I've seen some great suggestions posted, and I agree with the others...whatever works. Sometimes it is the excitement in you that distracts them from their fear, others settle with nonchalant, matter-of-fact handling that you give them...but you do have to have that confidence to project it. Sometimes any distraction works, including TV, radio, a window to watch out of, etc.

I also have cats, and I didn't see any mention of trying to wash her like I would attempt to wash a non-willing cat, tho. You might try holding her up with your hand way up under her 2 front legs and supporting her chest so she has to stand on just her 2 back legs (on a non-slippery surface)...even if it's just for a water rinse at first. Make up a shampoo solution you can just squeeze on ahead of time, and use spray conditioner or a solution for that as well. You can use your kitchen sprayer, but use low water so it doesn't spray with a lot of force if she's scared of the spray. It ties up one of your hands having to hold her, but if you are able to get her used to a bit of nice warm water and massage that way, maybe she'll quit minding the bath as much...especially since you will also be working your magic with some of those other fine psychological techniques along with a positional one. Or, if she's big enough and you have a divided sink, drape her over the divide...front paws on one side and rear paws on the other side...and work quickly...use solutions. She would, of course have to be just enough shorter than the top of the divider so that she 'fits' but 'just barely' for this technique, but I have used it and they at first just seem to focus on figuring out how to get one end of the other over that divider because they lack the leverage. By then, the bath is over...and you've worked your magic and loved 'em up, and you may not even need to do it again. :p

I do wish you good luck...and hope the situation resolves quickly.

I sing to Georgie I am sure if someone was looking in they would think I am nuts LOL. He is the same way so ansy and hard to bathe. Good luck!

One of mine will bite me if I try to bathe her. I recently had to take her to the vet for him to mask her so they could wash and trim up her face but I don't want to have to do that again. This last time I took her to a groomer I held her while she tried to do her face and she still tried to bite but I left her to be bathed and the groomer said she did fine. I just hate taking her because I'm afraid if she tries to bite the groomer might be mean to her. This all started after trying a new groomer in town. She only did her face and I was waiting in the lobby but she has acted terrified ever since then. She is a shorkie so can't use a muzzle because her face is so short and I couldn't get to her face. She is on eye drops to keep the pressure down and it just makes her face get so matted and gross. I've tried only doing alittle at a time and that doesn't work. Don't know what to do.

I take my maltese yorkie mix Banksy into the shower with me. I wear an old long sleeved shirt so he can't scratch me if he tries to squirm out of my arms, but mostly he is calm. Anytime I tried giving him a regular bath he hated it and do anything to jump out and was so anxious it broke my heart. If I cuddle him close to my body while quickly washing and rinsing him its so much easier, he even reaches up to try and lick my face. I know its unconventional and I'm sure I'm spoiling him, but think its okay to make a few compromises for ever ones sanity :)

LOL, loved how she was called Sparky, she may be related to Miss Priss, she has all kinds of energy and is into everything BUT, she seems to like her bath, weird I know...just keep at it and she will realize she has no choice in the matter..Btw, I love the sound of Miss Mia...

I have taken both of mine into the shower with me to wash them, and they are fine...and did the kissy thing too. It was a little more back-breaking for me than washing both at the same time in the kitchen sink, and collecting them both in towels after was...err...interesting...:p...but it was a great way to wash all three of us in a very short amount of time...and fun, too. Plus, they have those carriers that their legs stick out of...I forget the brand...but the dog just kind of hangs in front of you. Might be an option.

LOL I'm glad I'm not the only one! Love my baby.

Nope...you're not! LOL I'd do it again, but I'd maybe want DH to collect at least one of them after we're all done....or at least hand me my towel through a tiny crack in the shower door...something! LOL Getting my towel...first...without them fleeing the shower sopping wet was interesting too...but I managed. It was a great idea, though, and worked really well, and they were possibly better (more comfortable ?) in the shower than in the sink. I do have a handheld shower sprayer which made it pretty easy. Glad you mentioned it...I'd thought about it, but didn't put it down at first. :D Take care!