How to relieve dog bath stress- Dog grooming
Many dogs don’t like or don’t like the bath. Some dogs say that showering and bathing is only stressful.
Why do dogs hate bathing? And how can they alleviate their stress?
Why do dogs hate bathing?
・Reason 1: Inexperience
No matter how cheerful and bold a dog is, be cautious on your first challenge. If you’re still a puppy and have only taken a few baths, you may be inexperienced rather than disliked. At this stage, try to make sure that you remember that “the bath is a fun place”.
・ Reason 2: Bathing traumatic stress disorder
Dogs may dislike bathing because of their past experience, which can be damaging and frightening, “BTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)” (not the official name of the disease). Past experience may be trailing, such as throwing it into the bath or hating a dog like a nail clipper in the bathroom.
・ Reason 3: I’m not good at sound and feeling
Your dog’s hearing is so good that you may find the sound in the bathroom “too loud” or “unpleasant.” There are various sounds in the bath, such as the sound of a crackling shower, the sound of water in a bathtub, and the sound of being sucked into a drain. Of course, some people may not like the sound of a hair dryer. Some people may not like the feeling that their hair is sticky.
・ Reason 4: Anyway unpleasant
Shower water is too hot or cold, water pressure is too strong, soap gets into eyes and ears, bathroom is too hot or cold, face is suddenly watered, scaffolding slips, etc. Is full of “things I don’t like”. From a dog’s point of view, it may be like “I can’t relax with this!”
・ Reason 5: I hate being able to smell strange things!
You may find that you have spent many days creating your own scent, but you don’t like the strange scent you get when you take a bath.
How to reduce bath stress
Just because a dog doesn’t like the bath doesn’t mean it can’t be left for months. It will have a negative effect on your dog’s health and will make your relationship with the owner squeaky.
You may not be able to make your dog a bath lover, but you can reduce stress. I’ve collected a few ideas, so please enjoy and work on it so that your dog will think that “the bath is delicious and fun”.
・ Measure 1: Increase the chances of getting in and out of the bath
Even when your dog isn’t bathing, take the opportunity to play in the bathroom (without running water) or hear the sound of running water. The trick is to connect positive events with the bathroom and water. It’s also a good idea to give him a man in a bathtub that isn’t filled with water.
・ Countermeasure 2: Exercise before taking a bath
Instead of letting the dog’s power fully open when taking a bath, let’s get the power out by the exercise before that. Exercise generally reduces stress in dogs.
・ Countermeasure 3: Play after taking a bath
Putting a bath between exercise and play is a good idea to make “bath time” positive. Even after drying with a hair dryer, the dog’s joy and enjoyment will continue if you spend time together with a simple play or massage at home.
・ Countermeasure 4: Distraction during bath time
Ask the owner, who is always on your side, to help you while you are taking a bath. Bringing in a guy that your dog loves and giving it while calling out will improve the impression of the bath. Another technique is to apply a paste-like oyster (such as peanut butter) to the walls of the bathtub and shampoo while the dog is distracted.
・ Countermeasure 5: Find a water temperature that is neither too hot nor too cold
No matter how much you prepare, if the shower temperature is extreme, the dog will be surprised and will say “I hate taking a bath!”. The ideal temperature will vary from dog to dog, but in general it should be high enough for a human adult to feel lukewarm. Also, be careful not to raise the water pressure too much.
・ Countermeasure 6: Use products for dogs
Dogs and humans have different pH levels, and using human shampoo on dogs can cause skin discomfort. Also, the strong odor of human products may be too irritating to the dog’s nose.