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Ewww! So i was out for my daily walk with Winnie today. She started to roll around in the usual spot that she does it in then all of a sudden i hear a "crunch" sound. I look down, and apparently there was a birds egg on the ground there, OLD i'm assuming, but still in tact. At least it was until she rolled on it, anyways she ended up covered in rotten egg goop and as i had no wipes with me i had to pick the egg shells off her by hand. Ohh the smell was horrific. So i let her do her business and off we went back home to give little miss nasty a bath. While i'm talking about baths... Does anyone have ANY tips on how to make bathtime easier. I've done everything i can think of, i put a little matt on the bottom of the tub so she doesnt slip, the water is at a nice room temperature, and she FREAKS out. Today she was crying, and breathing so fast, her little heart was going a mile a minute, and she wont let go of my arm, If i do she attempts to jump out and hurt herself. I need another arm to hold her in place.. any ideas??? I can still smell the stench off my hands!! YUCK |
Try singing to distract her :D Dexter hated shower time. Now he knows it's happening whether he likes it or not! Be firm x |
Oh my! What an adventure! This may be odd but it works for us. When it's bath time I put on my swimsuit and get in the tub with her. It's the only thing that I have found that makes bath time completely stress free. I also use a massaging pet shower head thing I got at petco and she loves it. It's like massage time when I cut it on. After she is done, I hand her to my husband who bundles her up in a towel why I strip down and shower myself. It's an unusual method, but it works for us. Lol Here is the shower thingie I got: Bamboo Shower Massager Pet Bathing System at PETCO |
I found that giving baths more often actually helped to make it easier for Gracie. She hated baths and I didn't like to put her through it too often when she was a puppy but I remembered that dogs are creatures of habit. When we went on a once a week schedule she started getting less fretful about it. Putting a mat under the feet is very important. I do Gracie in the kitchen sink. It is easier on my back and I think it is less scary for her. I also bought the Rinse Ace for sinks. It makes the whole process so much quicker and so much easier to get fully rinsed. It cut bath time in half. It comes with the parts to add an attachment to the faucet of your sink so you can pop it on when ever you need to use it. They also make them for bath tubs and showers. They sell them at PetCo and Amazon. I got mine from PetCo online when they were having one of their sales. Rinse Ace 3-Way Pet Faucet Sprayer at PETCO Sorry about they egg thing. They just love that stinky stuff!:) |
I found that the simple routine of rinsing Tibbe with water only from my cupped hand & not a glass or vetetable spray helped calm him down tremendously. It takes longer but he just lost all his fear once I started doing that. Plus, I don't feed his insecurity by any human talking throughout the bath. I just let my hands gently calm him as I wash & rinse. Occasionally, I will place my face against his if something spooks him, such as getting a bit of water in his nose. Now, he just quietly stands during his bath, breathing normally & actually comes to me when I say "bath time!" to him. He went from figting & freaking out to actually enjoying his bath. My Scotty and my Jilly both hated baths but using my new calming methods & rinsing with only water in my cupped hands, Tibbe learned to relax & enjoy. And that makes it a breeze for me now. I used to stress at bathtime too, as my dogs seemed to hate it so. |
I learned a long time ago that since Yorkies have higher body temperatures than we humans, the bath water should be a little cooler than what we humans find comfortable....... Helps tremendously with mine. |
Are you putting her in a tub/sink filled with water? If yes, try lowering the water level, or start out with no water, just her standing in the sink/tub, then let it fill gradually. Or you can try just using a sprayer, adjust the water volume so the spray feels gentle, and watch the water temperature. |
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I use a baby bathtub in the regular bathub. I put foam pipe insulation on the rim of the baby tub so they can get a grip and stand on it. I use a cup to pour the water over them. During the bath I also give them a massage, it seems to help calm them down a little. |
Hmmm, didn't know that about body temp. Tatum has never had issues taking a bath but now I wonder if I've had it a little too warm. I have always bathed Tatum in the kitchen sink with a rubber mat thingy on the bottom. I think a tub is maybe just a little too overwhelming for a little one like that. Maybe your's would be more comfortable in a smaller place. |
I do mine similar to what was stated above. I bathe Jaeger in the kitchen sink. I use a plastic mat on the bottom, I put him in the dry sink while the water runs to a lukewarm temp in the other sink. I keep a firm, reassuring hand on him the entire time. I wet him down with the sink sprayer (it is a gentle pressure,) massage him quickly but gently, lather my hands, then his coat, massage, then rinse really well. I then put his towel on my chest and scoop him up, wrapping him really snugly and keeping even pressure on him in a hug-the pressure seems to help keep him calm. I massage through the towel while sitting on the bed, then let him shake off and retowel. He gets little pieces of high value treats the whole time. He used to hate bath time but he's calmed down a lot since we got him. He gets bathed every 2-4 weeks or so. |
Both of mine are rather cold natured, not sure if that's common among all Yorkies or not. They don't specially like being bathed, nor being out in the rain for some reason, but they don't mind jumping into the Bayou after a Frog or Snake... anyway... When I bathe them, I use a Hand Held hose, with the Nozzle removed. Just a gentle flow of water. I've found that they do a LOT better when the water is warmer, I'd say about 90-95 degrees. That's pretty close to their normal body temp. You might try that. |
I agree that the water temp is really important. We are usually accustomed to using much warmer water than they can tolerate although if it is cool enough to make them shiver then you have gone too far the other way. I try to get my water all regulated before I put her in the sink. When I first got the Rinse Ace I only used it on the lighter pressure spray. Now that she is used to it she is fine with the higher pressure. Having the three pressure settings is great for doing the various parts of the body. |
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