Dutch Shepherd Forum

Does anyone else have a dog who shakes during baths? Whenever I give Asha a bath she shakes nonstop, almost like a constant shiver. I use warm water, not too hot, not too cold. She tucks her tail between her legs and pushes herself hard against the edge of the tub. I have to push her away from the side of the tub to wash certain spots and as soon as I'm done she's right back to the edge. She never tries to jump out and waits until I tell her to get out and she doesn't even shake off immediately, she lets me towel dry her right away. During the bath, I pet her and give her kisses and tell her "good girl" constantly, but nothing stops the shaking. She loves to swim and eagerly gets into very cold water. Does anyone know of a way to make bath time less traumatic? I feel so bad for her, but it must be done. Thanks guys

with the ones that truly hate the bathing experience, it takes some time for them to get used to it. in the meantime, one makes it as pleasant an experience as possible, which you are obviously trying to do. i keep a cup of treats by the tub that i offer as frequently or continuously as can be managed. i try to turn the actual process into a very desirable massage, which can be difficult when the dog is pressing against the side of the tub and shaking. so details of your process/technique can make a huge difference from the dog's point of view. you have to think like Asha. [ very much, even violently, against you will, you are being man-handled naked in a big metal tub with water shooting everywhere and someone trying to squirt and smear into you rug-cleaning foam from one of those really bad late-night tv infomercials.] [ Temple Grandin applied to dogs.]

you are using a shower head on a long hand-held hose extension in the tub? a really long flexible hose is the only way i could manage it well for the dog. it also helps to run the water as little as possible or at least have it discreetly running directly into the drain when not needed. when using the water [ or not], be careful where the spray is going; it is too easy when you and the dog are both stressed to have some water spray going near the dog's face [ or from dog's perspective, at risk of being in the face]. i get the dog thoroughly wet first, so i can take running water away from the dog. then start applying soap - usually beginning on the back and neck so that the first part of the bath is really the best-feeling massage experience i can muster for the dog. everything done in a way to gain the dog's confidence that nothing nasty will come from any direction into his face [ or ears ]. i find even the most bath-fearing dog can get into the massage if it persists awhile and one does not try to press other matters at the same time or too soon. as soon as there is any relaxation response to the massage, give treats! you get the idea.

when it comes to rinsing, i keep the spray or hose head very close to the dog [ like up against the dog's coat] to get the most rinsing power but also so there is no impression [ by the dog ] of water spray being out-of-control. do not rush the rinse. do it all at once but make it thorough despite the increasing urgency you feel to bring the process to a close. a complete rinse is essential for 3 reasons: 1] residue can either smell, taste, and/or feel nasty to the dog and thus every bath will indicate to the dog another period of having his body messed up, 2] residue can be irritating to the skin and/or toxic when licked, 3] lots of water necessary for the chemical bonding to take away the soap and the dirt, otherwise you have simply encapsulated the dirt in the soap and left it on the dog. by this time, dog should be ready for the warmest water you will use, which makes the chemical bonding easier, faster, more effective.

in the end, even the most resistant or fearful dogs accept this approach and submit to it freely and calmly, though clearly not with any joy. does take a couple or more experiences to earn their trust.

[quote="Asha"During the bath, I pet her and give her kisses and tell her "good girl" constantly, but nothing stops the shaking. [/quote]

I know this will be hard to do, but you don't want to pet her and tell her good girl, as you are inadvertently reinforcing this behaviour. You will want to ignore it and have a calm, mater of fact energy to help her though it, and that will let her know its ok. Telling her she is a good girl when she is scared will confuse her from what you really want...which is a girl who is not scared.

Sugar does not like the bath either and had done some shaking in the beginning, but now just looks at me with this "is it over yet?" look on her face. I would distract with treats too. It is much easier with 2 people helping too.

exactly right, Sue. treats and praise come with any sign of relaxation or cooperation. just like any other training. be firm, try to make it fun [ and comfortable, in this case ], then be very very quick to praise any good attitude. i find for a while i have to go back and forth between a soft but firm ''no'' and praise every few seconds to help them understand more quickly how to relax and go-with-the-flow, helping them pinpoint what is wanted and not wanted - as an indoor bath experience is pretty weird from the dog's perspective. ''STAY'' command or whatever you use for ''don't move a muscle'' is a good place to start in telling the dog what is expected. any other commands that fit the situation are always good to lessen the confusion for the dog. i will wind up saying ''stay'' many dozens of times - like coaching - for a new dog's bath - and try, probably in vain, to verbally describe other moves i want when washing, rinsing, etc [ ''over here, this way; ok,good boy - now stay'']

Thankfully Hank likes getting a bath, I got him used to it when he was a very small puppy. A few things that have always worked for me: put an old towel or mat down in the tub for the dog to stand on, it seems to help when their paws aren't sliding all over the place. I always use the opportunity to give a nice massage as I'm sudsing him up, it relaxes him plus lets me check him for any lumps, bumps, scratches. I always keep the water spray to a minimum by keeping the sprayer very close to the dogs fur or even running it through the fur with the water pressure turned down. Last is I never wash his face in the tub or during a bath, I use a washcloth with a tiny amount of cleanser on it and wash his face a few times a week, also get the ears at the same time. I have had dogs in past that hated bath time and these things worked well for me. Good luck

Thanks for the tips guys. I never thought about the "good girl" stuff reinforcing the shaking! They are so complex.

How often do you bathe her? DSs don't need many baths and too many can strip the skin of oils, causing dry, itchy skin.

I don't bath her that often, maybe every two weeks. But lately she's been rolling in disgusting dead stuff, which I know is normal but I can't have that stink in the house. It seems like as soon I bathe her she gets into something awful and I have to wash her again. Which I get, she's covering up the smell of the dog shampoo with rotten carcass! Maybe I need to pay extra attention to her when she's outside the first few days after a bath to keep her from going right to the cover up stink.

Sounds like a vicious cycle. You bathe her, she covers it up, so you bathe her....

I only bathe a couple times a year under normal circumstances but brush several times a week. (Occasionally I'll douse with plain water and rub my fingers in a circle through their fur to loosen it.)

Used to work in a zoo; a new exhibit quickly became quite foul-smelling with urine and visitors complained. Staff bumped up the number of times a week the "offenders" got placed in holding in order to do additional thorough cleanings. The smell only got worse that much quicker. So...visitors had no choice except to learn to deal with it--and understand that the feline odor was "situation normal." (Staff knew the extra cleaning would amount to the felines working harder to mark the territory, but by doing it, they proved something to visitors that otherwise might have appeared as neglectful. )

I would bathe in a scent free, clear, hypoallergenic shampoo. She might be finding the smells to be too strong. A good moisturizing hypo shampoo won't be damaging to do frequently.

Asha wrote:I don't bath her that often, maybe every two weeks.

wow, Mine are lucky if they get a bath every two years LOL

Dogs dont like to smell all pretty like we do, the stinkyer the better ! In reality, mine do get a bath a few times a year, unless they ( Thalie) Finds some deer poop. Even when I am out on the trails and Thalie rolls in dirt, she really dosnt smell.

As much as my girls love the water and jump in every stream visible, they still shake in the tub. I have found they shake alot less in the new self serve doggy washes that are popping up around here. Sadie hates tubs because she dosnt like to slip, it hurts her hips, so she is very wary of her footing.

I think it has to do more with our body language and what we are telling them in reference to the god awful tub. I know I am alot calmer at the doggy wash, its a fun place with alot of goodies when they are done, its a nice big area with safe steps into the wash tub and since we are enjoying ourselves, they are happier.