Lhasa Apsos and Bathing as part of Grooming

Whilst grooming must be done on a daily basis for long haired dogs [see previous post on grooming] to help eliminate tangles... bathing is another matter. And when you do bath your dog do make sure any tangles are out FIRST - getting tangles wet will only make them significantly worse!

Just a couple of tips - do teach your pet to enjoy a bath right from early on in their training.

And don't bath your dog too often!

How often is too often?

That is a question which experts tend to disagree about, but there are two variables for you to take into account - one is where and upon what type of surfaces you walk your dog. The other is temperature and time of year. If it is cold and you tend to bath your dog outside it should be done less frequently in colder temperatures.

[Obviously if it behaves like a Springer Spaniel playing and rolling in everything, and you take it out in all weathers in parks and fields, it will get filthy on a daily basis!]

Striping your dogs skin and coat of natural oils is something which experts do not agree about... some will say that it is best therefore to only give a dog 2 to 4 baths per year. Other experts advise once a month. Whichever belief you subscribe to there are some constants.

Do use a proper dog shampoo - choose a good quality shampoo.

Do wash your dogs face last, preferably with just plain water to avoid getting shampoo in eyes, ears, etcetera.

Do rinse well... very thoroughly.

I would advise using plain water only [no shampoo, or only using shampoo if your pet is particularly grubby] if you are washing your pet on a frequent basis... and/or you could try adding vinegar to the water to help clean the coat.

Towel dry, preferably by patting only, for long coated dogs - short haired dogs can be rubbed. If you have somewhere clean to walk them... that is a very good way of drying them off, especially if it is sunny.

And you might as well resign yourself to getting rather wet in this process... as well as your dog!