Right through the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen and learned a lot about self-care. Taking a bath has been one recommendation that experts across the board have prescribed. Dogs shouldn’t be left out either, but which dog bath water temperature is best?
It is easy, accessible for most people and it is a very calming activity too. But when it comes to giving your dog a bath, cards on the table, it can get nasty and be an unpleasant experience for your dog.
A bath is an important activity. It keeps your dog’s coat and skin clean and healthy. It also keeps a check on allergies and gets rid of germs and dirt.
And, if you’ve done this before, you know that dogs can run away when they hear the sound of water. Some even try to run away during the bath and that can be a taxing experience for you.
Now, take the temperature of the water into consideration. If you mess that up, it is going to be a messy experience for you and your canine buddy.
But grooming is not a choice. You can make many mistakes while giving your dog a bath. But the worst of them all is probably getting the temperature wrong. But don’t worry. We’re here to give you some tips on that and maybe a couple of other bonus tricks so that your furry friend and you can get out of this alive and well.
Mood Basics
One of the key things when giving your dog a bath is to keep them calm and relaxed before athey get in the water. You can do that by giving them a bath right after playtime. Make sure you have some toys that are made of plastic so that they don’t get soaking wet in the water.
That way, you can keep your canine distracted with the toys while you take care of the grooming. That is also a way of signalling to the dog that the bathroom is not a scary place.
If you can manage to place a treat inside the toy, even better. And find something that will clean their teeth and sweeten their breath too because this isn’t an excuse to neglect oral hygiene.
If you are giving your young pup a bath for the first time, you might also want to get a non-slip mat so that they don’t slide into the tub. That is uncomfortable to them and makes your job a lot harder too.
Temperature Basics
The bathing usually happens in a tub but if you have a small dog, you can do this in the sink too. You will even find some dog washing tubs on the market that can make the clean-up afterwards easy on you.
These are cheaper than taking your little one to the groomers and the exercise of bathing gives the two of you a chance to spend some quality time together.
Now, if the water is too hot or cold, your pup will fight you tooth and nail. Ideally, it should be lukewarm so that there is no negative stimulus. They are already prone to resisting the bath, so make it easy for them.
Take the handheld nozzle and check the temperature on your own skin before you get the dog into the picture. Keep it as close to room temperature as possible and make it hotter or colder depending on the weather where you live so that there are no rude shocks.
Typically, when the water is over 38 degrees Celsius, it can feel hot on your body. That means your dog is going to find it too hot. That will guarantee a runaway bride in your bathroom. If you’re dealing with a puppy, remember that their skin is more sensitive to temperature when compared to older dogs that know the drill.
So, you might want to adjust it a couple of degrees up or down depending on the weather. This also holds true for puppies and grown dogs that are unwell.
When you’re giving your dog a bath, it is also important to consider the nozzle’s pressure and its distance from their skin. This also affects the temperature of the water.
If the water is even a tad bit too hot or cold, keeping the handheld nozzle really close is going to irritate their skin. And if you’re dealing with a puppy, remember that their skin is slightly more sensitive and a water burn is a real possibility. The pressure of the water coming out of the nozzle also causes some amount of noise and that can be scary or upsetting to your dog.
Remember that they don’t take a shower every day as humans do. So, every time you get them in the bathroom, you need to get the temperature, pressure and noise levels right. You want to move the nozzle slowly across the back of their body slowly till they calm down.
A bath with lukewarm water is always a good idea. But you’ve got to get it right. After checking the temperature on yourself, start by soaking your dog in the warm water whether it is with a handheld sprayer or pouring water from a bucket.
You must keep the nozzle away from their eyes and ears. You can do that by placing your hand on top of their head while you wash the rest of their body. If you fail to do that, your dog will run right out of the loo.
What Dog Bath Water Temperature Is Best? Parting Thoughts
And finally, you might think that dogs with a thick coat might be able to handle higher temperatures but that is not really true.
They are in water which might not come naturally to them, depending on the breed’s history. So you have to make it easy for them by keeping the temperature around 37 degrees Celsius.
If your dog has a water-resistant coat, you might need to soak the coat for longer than usual. If the water is too hot or cold, this adds to your canine’s agony of being in the water.
While you’re at it, remember to move gently across their body so as to keep them calm. Some pet parents like to keep talking to their dog in the process to assure them that they are safe. These are all good ideas.
While the question, what dog bath water temperature is best might seem like a complex question, it really is quite simple and just takes a bit of common sense to make sure it isn’t too hot or cold that it will shock or scald your dog. Use your best judgement and keep an eye on you pooch’s reactions and adjust accordingly.