# How do you give a bath to a reluctant big dog? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 8, 2009, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-give-a-bath-to-a-reluctant-big-dog/488739 "2009-03-08T17:27:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-give-a-bath-to-a-reluctant-big-dog/488739/21 "2009-03-09T02:25:20Z")
I don’t even understand why you would bother with trying to get him into the bathroom unless you have no hose. We bathed our two large greyhounds outside with the hose. Wet them down, scrub with shampoo, rinse. Of course they were very docile and never tried to escape the bath. They would just do the “Oh my god, I’m wet! My legs can no longer support me!” thing that I’ve seen so many greyhounds do when they get a bath. If your dog is a runner, you should have one person for the leash and one person be the bather. Or just tie or chain the dog to a sturdy object. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-give-a-bath-to-a-reluctant-big-dog/488739/22 "2009-03-09T03:35:41Z")
I’ll say it again- wear the dog out beforehand. Take him for a long run or get a friend’s dog to help tire him out. Tired dogs are a million times easier to bathe. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-give-a-bath-to-a-reluctant-big-dog/488739/23 "2009-03-09T06:48:36Z")
Offer to wash a friend’s pickup truck if you can borrow it to go only to the coin-op car wash and back. Get dog in back with treat, tie dog to various cleats/tie-downs. Go to coin-op car wash, wash dog and truck at same time. Return with clean doggie. Give doggie another treat. Doggie associates pickup with treats, fun getting wet with you, all are happy. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-give-a-bath-to-a-reluctant-big-dog/488739/24 "2009-03-09T07:21:21Z")
> [@starwarsfreek42](#): > > I have two dogs so large they can stand up and put their paws on my shoulders. How do I bathe them? Brute force. If I, a 110 lb girl can wrangle them into the tub, so can anybody Some advice though–have all your stuff laid out beforehand. LOTS OF TOWELS, shampoo, brush, whatever else you’re using, etc. Clear out any hampers, rugs, portable heaters, cabinets, etc. Anything that can be re-homed for an hour needs to go. Don’t fill the tub. Get the dog into the bathroom and into the tub while it is dry. Run the water about high enough to cover his paws, and use a hand shower or wand to spray him down. Lather rinse repeat. If he jumps out, put him back in. Yes, it will wreck your bathroom. Yes, you will be soaking wet and smell like dirty dog. But he has to learn that baths are inevitable and you won’t budge. This. We used to have 2 weimaraners, one was 80 lbs, the other 120. Big dogs, and I’m not particularly large myself. However, I could pick them up long enough to get them in a bath if I had to, and if I had to they knew the process was going to be more uncomfortable for them than if they just got into the tub as ordered. You really should get a hand shower attachment, though. Bathing dogs by putting them in a tub of water is a pain. Also, don’t bother with fancy dog shampoos. Standard human shampoo, the cheap kind, has always worked fine for every dog we’ve ever had. ---
**Author:** ![JaneSaintClair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JaneSaintClair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneSaintClair)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-give-a-bath-to-a-reluctant-big-dog/488739/25 "2009-03-09T11:01:30Z")
Just a quick note about the human shampoo… exercise some caution here. I thought the same thing, that I could use human shampoo on my dog. Three days later, she had a rash all over her body, and was keeping us up at night “thumping” as she scratched herself raw. It took two vet visits, two rounds of steroids and and antibiotic to resolve it. She’d had an allergic reaction to something in the shampoo… So, after almost $300 in vet bills, the gentle dog shampoo seems a lot more worth it. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-give-a-bath-to-a-reluctant-big-dog/488739/26 "2009-03-09T12:13:03Z")
> [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#): > > Does he look like [this](http://images.google.com/images?gbv=2&hl=en&safe=off&ei=32G0SdOhHoOoM-6s0eYE&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=catahoula+leopard+dog&spell=1)? > > They’re [reportedly](http://www.lesanimaux.ca/C/catahoula_info.htm) livestock dogs, and said to need a very traditional alpha human. Any insufferable douchebags in your household? 😃 I think you guys have a very good point about taking him to the groomer for Bath One (although I like the truck idea - the thing is, I have a cold, which is also why I didn’t want to hose him down outside.) Would you believe he likes my boyfriend better than me after I’ve been the one convincing _him_ to get a dog? “I don’t want a dog!” “That’s what you said about cats one, two, and three, and they’re the apple of your eyes!” “Yeah, but I don’t want a dog.” One day after dog has moved in: “I think you might have accidentally bought me a dog. Who’s a good boy?” ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-give-a-bath-to-a-reluctant-big-dog/488739/27 "2009-03-09T13:55:39Z")
Joy dishsoap _allegedly_ has the proper ph balance for shampooing dogs… ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-give-a-bath-to-a-reluctant-big-dog/488739/28 "2009-03-09T14:21:49Z")
When we get a new doggie, they go to the groomer for bath #1. After that, it’s the hose outside. We cannot seem to bathe a dog inside without getting the entire bathroom, including the ceiling, wet. Cleanup’s a breeze outside, and they seem to dislike it less - maybe because they’re not sealed up in a small space. ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-give-a-bath-to-a-reluctant-big-dog/488739/29 "2009-03-09T14:41:43Z")
My dogs (pit bulls, not huge but very strong) love the bath. What’s not to love? Undivided human attention, lots of treats, not one but two good rub-downs, followed by a mighty fine treat. I get a nice meaty bone from the pet store and put it on a shelf in the tub, fill the tub up a bit, and lure them in. (ETA - one at a time!) Lots and lots and lots of praise and treats. I wear shorts and climb in, I only get wet if they manage to shake. They don’t love running water so I scoop it over them with a bowl. They get the bone as soon as I finish towelling them off. The hardest part is getting the 70lb one OUT of the tub, he loves it in there so much - I had to use the bone to lure him back out again. The newer dog has only experienced this once, but she has taken a great interest in the bathtub ever since. They both try to get back in the tub when finished their bones, and sometimes at non-bath-time they sniff around in there, just in case. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-give-a-bath-to-a-reluctant-big-dog/488739/30 "2009-03-09T14:46:39Z")
I’ve done the hose outside, and I’ve done the brute-force method. But luckily, my dog(s)\* is/were so good, I could order them into the tub and they’d go, while giving me that pitiful puppy-dog face. 😃 \*the current dog, Jasmine–64 lb. black-mouth curr mix, and the former dog, Ladybug (75 lb. lab mix), RIP (God, she was the best dog.) ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-give-a-bath-to-a-reluctant-big-dog/488739/31 "2009-03-09T14:48:51Z")
> [@cowgirl](#): > > The hardest part is getting the 70lb one OUT of the tub, he loves it in there so much - I had to use the bone to lure him back out again. Cowgirl, years ago, I had a chow mix and a spitz mix, and I’d bathe the spitz first, then the chow. The spitz would cower and shiver and act like I was killing her. Then I’d let her out of the tub and put the chow in, and she’d run around chasing the water spray and trying to bite it.:rolleyes:😃 ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-give-a-bath-to-a-reluctant-big-dog/488739/32 "2009-03-09T15:54:52Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Offer to wash a friend’s pickup truck if you can borrow it to go only to the coin-op car wash and back. Get dog in back with treat, tie dog to various cleats/tie-downs. Go to coin-op car wash, wash dog and truck at same time. Return with clean doggie. Give doggie another treat. Doggie associates pickup with treats, fun getting wet with you, all are happy. Please do not, under any circumstances, use a high pressure sprayer on your dog (or any other flesh bearing thing). The backyard garden hose is fine, but the kind of psi you get from a coin op wash (at least the kind we have around here) can seriously injure or kill your dog. ---
**Author:** ![maladroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@maladroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maladroit)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-give-a-bath-to-a-reluctant-big-dog/488739/33 "2009-03-09T18:05:08Z")
There may be a mobile groomer in your area, there used to be one in mine. She had a van that somehow had all the gear incl water/power for shampoo and blowdry. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-give-a-bath-to-a-reluctant-big-dog/488739/34 "2009-03-09T18:42:14Z")
> [@appleciders](#): > > I’ll say it again- wear the dog out beforehand. Take him for a long run or get a friend’s dog to help tire him out. Tired dogs are a million times easier to bathe. There it is. Get him good and tired. Then brush him out, and take him for \*another \*walk, just to be safe. My Catahoula mix (she tops out at 45 lbs., so not \*that \*big of a dog) loves the bath. She was pretty reluctant the first few times, but her last bath a few months ago had her leaping into the tub to get going. She pretty much resigned herself to her fate, and probably remembered how much fun she had running around the house showing off her shiny coat to everyone. Aside: Doesn’t the catahoula seem to be the new catch-all when trying to pin down a breed? Anything unexplained that has brindle or patches seems to get classified as a catahoula. All I know is that Tilly has a brindle coat, webbed feet, and loves trying to climb trees. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-give-a-bath-to-a-reluctant-big-dog/488739/35 "2009-03-09T19:17:34Z")
Yeah, if I saw Captain on the street I’d think maybe he was a pit bull/shepherd cross, although on his “shepherd” parts he does have big darker spots. He certainly doesn’t seem to have the temperament characteristics of a Catahoula, although of course individuals would vary - he’s not territorial or dominant or any of that. He just wants to be liked. He gets his feelings hurt when the cats hiss at him. ---
**Author:** ![Amfet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@Amfet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amfet)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-give-a-bath-to-a-reluctant-big-dog/488739/36 "2009-03-09T19:33:03Z")
Why not ask the shelter for help? I bet they’d be happy to help you however they can. ---
**Author:** ![Sunrazor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sunrazor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunrazor)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-give-a-bath-to-a-reluctant-big-dog/488739/37 "2009-03-09T22:41:49Z")
Speaking from personal experience: You give a big dog a bath (a) outdoors (b) with a hose. Period. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-give-a-bath-to-a-reluctant-big-dog/488739/38 "2009-03-09T23:33:07Z")
Wait - how big is he? I saw the pics in the other thread, but there wasn’t much in comparison, and some dogs tend to hide their weight. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-give-a-bath-to-a-reluctant-big-dog/488739/39 "2009-03-10T03:13:08Z")
He’s pretty big - his paw fills my whole hand up. He’s very _dense_ (in every possible way, heh) - very heavy and strong for his size. I’d say he’s, um, maybe German Shepherd size? But much more solid. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelQReilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@MichaelQReilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelQReilly)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-give-a-bath-to-a-reluctant-big-dog/488739/40 "2009-03-10T04:52:50Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > We have a big dog who doesn’t like the bath, but who we can now bathe simply because he’s learned that we will always block his escape route if we can and haul him back into the tub if we can’t, so he just stands there and looks pitiful. Haha. That is my situation. The funny part is, my 90 pound lab loves to swim, but hates baths. He’s only had about 4 or 5 ever, but he can somehow sense that they are coming. I have to pick him up and carry him up the stairs and put him in the tub. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-give-a-bath-to-a-reluctant-big-dog/488739.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-give-a-bath-to-a-reluctant-big-dog/488739.md?page=3)