Bathing your new puppy is something that is often very different in reality than people imagine it will be.  Many people think that a puppy’s first bath is going to be a fun filled experience, but any dog lover will tell you that that is not the reality.  In fact, it is often far from the reality.  Giving your puppy their first bath is most likely going to turn into a struggle between the two of you.  Dogs love to be dirty, and some will put up a big struggle in order to avoid being cleaned.  But bathing your puppy is a must, so here are some tips to bathe your puppy as easily as possible.
First you will want introduce your new puppy to a bath by tying the bath to something positive.  The best and easiest way to do this is to offer treats, toys, and affection to get your puppy to enter the bath and then every time they continue to behave in the bath.  If they really do not like the bath, then it is best to just get your puppy to enter the tub without actually giving them a bath.
The second tip is to protect your puppy’s ears. Getting water in yours ears is very uncomfortable and that is true for puppies and dogs as well.  Also, getting water in their ears can potentially lead to health problems down the road such as yeast infections that take advantage of the nice warm and moist environment that the inside of your dogs’ ears provide. Left over water in a puppy’s ears is the most common cause of yeast infections of the ear in young puppies.
The third tip is to work from the neck down.  This will protect their ears, eyes, and mouths, which are all areas that can get irritated easily.  If you do want to wash your puppy’s face then just use a damp wash cloth.  You also might want to look into getting a sprayer that is designed for bathing dogs.  This will help to make the experience more comfortable for them.
The fourth step is to use the right shampoo. Picking the wrong shampoo can lead to irritating their skin which would just make bathing more unpleasant as well as removing their natural oils that actually protect your pups’ skin. The best shampoos to use to bathe your puppy are mild puppy shampoos and soaps that will clean and remove unwanted odors, without removing the essential oils that your puppy’s skin and fur needs. Many of the designer dog breeds with a Poodle background such as Moodles, Groodles and Labradoodles can have a little bit of dry skin that is akin to cradle cap in human babies that they will grow out of as they mature. Using a puppy shampoo with some emu oil in it will help your puppy reduce the dryness of their skin.
The final step is to make sure you are drying your new puppy correctly.  While many people use dog blow dryers, the noise and feel could be irritating to your puppy.  This would be another thing that you would have to slowly get your puppy used to, and you would have to be very careful to not burn their skin. Start by using a towel to gently rub over your dog’s back and legs before moving to their head and face. If you do use a blow dryer, start it off on a cooler and quieter setting with a low fan speed from a distance and slowly move in closer as your puppy gets comfortable with the noise.
Taking a few simple steps will help make bath time something you can both look forward to and enjoy!