# How To Bathe a Large Young GSD?



## rod5591 (May 16, 2011)

Our male pup is now 11 months and almost 80 lbs. He is being trained but he is a handful in the house and is mostly crated or tethered because he crashes around and knocks things over.

Question: He needs a bath. How do the owners of GSD bath their big dogs? Outside with a hose? How do we apply soap, etc.??

Please offer your suggestions. Thank you.


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## Shaolin (Jun 16, 2012)

The way that I started introducing baths (don't know if it's your first one or not, so apologies for the assumptions) was to play with him outside, good and hard. As he started getting tired, I leashed him up and got him in the tub with treats. I then just used a carabeaner to hook his leash onto the handicap bar. Still, tons and tons of treats and praise. I run a bit of luke warm water in the tub, about two or three inches, or until it covers over the tops of his paws. I wet him down with a cup, starting from his hindquarters and working my way up.

I apply a good line of soap down his spine and I work it in well, then I'll apply it to my hands and get his belly and legs. To do his face, I just wet a wash cloth, put a bit of soap on it, and gently do his head and muzzle, staying well away from his eyes and ears. To rinse, I do the same thing that I did to wet him down; use a cup and just pour the already collected water from the tub over him. As I do, I run my hand in the direction that his coat naturally lays, then I can run my fingers through it in the opposite direction to see if there's any soap left. The entire time, just give him lots of praise and treats. My dog likes music, so I always have some playing for him.

You can use conditioner if you want. I generally don't because it makes mine look puffy, but I'd try it once and see if you like it. The pattern I follow is: Wet, shampoo, rinse, shampoo, rinse, dry. 

As for the inside/outside debate, it's up to you and what's easier. If my dog is absolutely filthy, then I'll wash him outside, but generally I'll bathe him in the house just because it's just easier for me to do by myself. If I'm outside, I usually need a second person to either hold the dog or hold the hose so that I can get the shampoo in or rinse him off with both hands instead of just using one, but as I said, personal preference. 

All I know is that it's much easier to give him a bath wherever I'm doing it once he's exhausted, so a good fetch/tug session might make your life much easier for bath time.

I don't know a good shampoo; I have a white GSD and I asked a groomer for their advice, now I just get my shampoo through them, but I'd recommend going to a groomer (not the Petco/PetSmart ones, they only recommend what is on the shelves at the stores and I don't particularly like their soaps...takes too much soap to get the dog clean, IMO.) and asking them their opinion.

Hope this helps. Good luck and have fun!


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I bathed Karlo when he was about 8 weeks...that was it. Then around 10 months/80# he needed a bath. He freaked a bit when I tried to put him in the tub.

I have a hand held water attachment so that was not the issue.
I ended up bringing in a high value ball on a string and ramped him up. He went into the tub fine, loved his bath and stood calmly for all of it. He's had several baths since, and will jump in the tub with no coaxing.
I use a fursaver on the dogs for baths and that hand held shower attachment with a massage feature is relaxing to them.
I have mane and tail shampoo/conditioner, but it is too fragrant. I'd rather use an oatmeal based shampoo.
I only bathe my dogs every few months to get the dust out of their coats or to get out the old undercoat when they're blowing it. 
Hose in summer is fun/fine to play in, but I don't bathe them outside as mud starts getting mixed in with the water.


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

I have the old style laundry tubs and that's where I bathe my dogs.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Tie him to something sturdy so he can't get away from you, and use warm water if available. When you wet him down, start at the base of the tail and work your way forward. Do the same when shampooing and rinsing. Be sure you get his coat wet all the way down to the skin (not an easy task on thick double coats), and when you shampoo, be sure you work it down to the skin as well. If you dilute your shampoo with water, it will be easier to work with and easier to rinse when you're done.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

being mostly crated and tethered isn't helping with
house training your dog. when did you get your dog?
keep things out of your dogs reach.

when i give my dog a bath i spray him with the hose.
i have a bucket of water and shampoo mixed up. i spray
him, pour the shampoo mix on him and scrub/rub him down.
then i rinse him off. i taught him to shake his body on
command.

when he gets a bath in the tub my GF lays wet towels
on the bottom of the tub. she says "get in" and our dog
will step into the tub. she supports his rear end. he steps
in with his front legs but he does a little jump with his hind
legs. once he's in the tub she uses the shower hose to
wet him. then she squirts the shampoo on him and rubs
it in. rinse with the shower hose. she covers the bathroom
floor with towels. she closes the shower curtain and tells
him to "shake". she towels him off and takes him outside to 
air dry.



rod5591 said:


> Our male pup is now 11 months and almost 80 lbs. He is being trained but he is a handful in the house and is mostly crated or tethered because he crashes around and knocks things over.
> 
> Question: He needs a bath. How do the owners of GSD bath their big dogs? Outside with a hose? How do we apply soap, etc.??
> 
> Please offer your suggestions. Thank you.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

why do you start at the base of the tail and work forward?



Freestep said:


> Tie him to something sturdy so he can't get away from you, and use warm water if available. When you wet him down,
> 
> >>> start at the base of the tail and work your way forward. <<<
> 
> Do the same when shampooing and rinsing. Be sure you get his coat wet all the way down to the skin (not an easy task on thick double coats), and when you shampoo, be sure you work it down to the skin as well. If you dilute your shampoo with water, it will be easier to work with and easier to rinse when you're done.


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## robk (Jun 16, 2011)

Yeah, He is not so tough looking when he is getting a bath!


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## paulag1955 (Jun 29, 2010)

We take our dogs to the self-service dog wash. Do you have one in your area?


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

rod5591 said:


> Our male pup is now 11 months and almost 80 lbs. He is being trained but he is a handful in the house and is mostly crated or tethered because he crashes around and knocks things over.
> 
> Question: He needs a bath. How do the owners of GSD bath their big dogs? Outside with a hose? How do we apply soap, etc.??
> 
> Please offer your suggestions. Thank you.


 
I have an almost 90lb male GSD and we use the hose outside - wet him, soap him up, and rinse off with the hose and then attempt to dry him with a couple of big towels. it is a job as he now trys very hard to bite the end of the hose /faucet.

The better trained your boy is, the easier it will go. try treats while wetting him. And definetly I would use a collar and a leash or tab leash so you have something to hang on to other than just wet dog hair.

not a fun thing but at least he shouldn't need a bath very often. our vet said a MAX of once a month for our guy.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I bathe outside with a hose until it's literally freezing. If I need a forced air dry then I suck it up and pay the $10 to use the self-wash at the pet store.


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

Liesje said:


> I bathe outside with a hose until it's literally freezing. If I need a forced air dry then I suck it up and pay the $10 to use the self-wash at the pet store.


 
*How about for your dog?*


Heh! Heh!


Sorry, couldn't resist!


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

codmaster said:


> *How about for your dog?*
> 
> 
> Heh! Heh!
> ...


:spittingcoffee:

I bathe THE DOGS outside as well. I have a shower attachment for the hose. I use a fabric slip lead and just stand on the end to keep them from wandering off to get toys while I am working on them:laugh:. They all have this need to have a toy in mouth.

Process is pretty simple, wet thoughly soap, work it in and then rinse well. You want all the soap off or it will cause them to itch. 

I use Earthbath products on my dogs and I have a rubber zoom groom that I use to work the shampoo in. The zoom groom massges their skin and they actually like it. I use a wash clothe to wash around the face.

It would have been easier to start bathing when pup ws younger but you can use 2 peopple. One to restrain and offer treats, hte other to bathe.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

doggiedad said:


> why do you start at the base of the tail and work forward?


For a dog that hasn't been bathed before, it's less of a shock (especially with cold water) if you start there. For one thing, they don't see the water coming right at them, so less for them to freak out over. Secondly, dogs generally like to be touched on that spot. Third, it allows them to acclimate to the process in a gradual way. Rather than just dumping water down the back. If the dog seems very nervous, sometimes I'll start scratching that spot at the base of the tail, then add water to the same spot.

You could also start at the point of the chest, as dogs like to be touched on that spot as well. But they do see the water coming when you do it that way.

You don't have to do it my way, this is just a way I've found, after 20+ years of grooming, that works for me.

The exception to this rule is a flea-ridden dog. In that case, you want to start at the head and work backward, so that the fleas will run away from the head. If you start at the back or the chest, fleas have a tendency to run to the face and hide in the ears, eyes, nose.


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

FWIW, I like the start at base of tail method as well. 

When it is cold out we use a groomer. When Max was still alive he was shaky on his feet his last year so I used to go to the groomer and help steady him. This is the method the groomer used too.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

We either use the self service tubs at the park (Earthbath shampoos and towels provided), or we do it in our own bathtub at home with warm water. I start out when mine are puppies by bathing them in the kitchen sink!


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

For most of Titan's life I bathed him in the bath tub because I didn't have a hose attachment in my yard in Germany. I made sure to have a hose shower head. Titan is huge (95 lbs, about 32 in. at the Withers) So it was a little difficult but he fit perfectly in the tub with no room to turn around if he wasn't happy which helped me out since it is/was just me. I just be sure to soak the fur with water completely. In the beginning I had a tendency to THINK I soaked it only to realize I only wet the top layer.. keep in ming they are typically double coated, I only say that because I was the brilliant one who didn't think about that, lol. Anywho, I started right under the head in the chest area and worked back and around that way, though the tail to head methos actually might work better.. you'd be going against hair growth which actually may help soak better. After I soak him I just pour a line of shampoo on his back and lather up his back and sides. After I do the paws with handfuls of shampoo and rub my hands together and lather. I do his tail last, the same way as the paws. I wipe down his face and ears with a cloth. Then it's rinse time!! Haha which I start from the top of his back and work down.. Again, I'm the one that has gone to towel dry and realized there was still soap on his legs or something silly.. so just be sure to check everything. I always Towel dry Titan, lay a dry towel in his kennel and make him go to bed for about 20 or so minutes under the fan to dry him a little. 

Oh and now that I live in a larger house in America, I have the hose, so when weather permits, I bathe him outside on the patio. He's got a great "sit/stand stay" now after TONS of training so I never leash or collar him during baths. Just tell him to stay or wait and he will. If he wasn't, I would use a leash and stand on the end so he didn't run away. I also still put him in his kennel to dry.. my back yard is a lot of dirt and he likes to roll... no thank you after a nice bath  

Sorry if that was idiot proof.. not meant to insult I just didn't know how often you have bathed your dog or a dog and I know I had issues with bathing my first large dog, granted I had him since puppyhood but when he got huge, it was an entirely different story. 

Hope you find some help here!


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## Packen (Sep 14, 2008)

Backyard and a hose works well for my boys. They swim quite regularly so formal baths are pretty occasional.


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

I only use the outside hose for baths when its really hot out. I had a Dobbie actually go into shock from the cold water years ago, he fell right over, scared me.
Normally baths are done in the tub with the hand held attachment. I have shower doors so only half of the tub is open. I find it much easier to climb in the tub and squat down instead of bending over them. All of my dogs just stand there.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

I just got in the tub with our dog, stood behind him and used the handheld shower attachment to wet, then shampoo'ed him (a stripe down his back) lather and rinse.
Like others mentioned, he rarely needed bathed, 2x a year at most.


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## x0emiroxy0x (Nov 29, 2010)

I get in with him lol We go on a 45 minute walk and sprint the last 100 yards so he is dead tired then I get in with him and I sing the ENTIRE time and kiss and pet him.

He used to hate baths but he likes taking them with me lol

We shower instead of bath, he likes to bite the water.


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## SewSleepy (Sep 4, 2012)

At about 8 weeks we started bathing her in the tub. We did that a couple times, then moved to the kitchen sink because the tub was just too deep. 

Around 14 weeks started tying her to the trampoline outside and using the hose to shower her. At 5 months, she's now used to is and stands nicely. 




Sent from my iPhone using PG Free


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i know i don't have to do it your way. i was asking because you're
a groomer an i'm not. with or without your experience my dog is
well groomed.



doggiedad said:


> why do you start at the base of the tail and work forward?





Freestep said:


> For a dog that hasn't been bathed before, it's less of a shock (especially with cold water) if you start there. For one thing, they don't see the water coming right at them, so less for them to freak out over. Secondly, dogs generally like to be touched on that spot. Third, it allows them to acclimate to the process in a gradual way. Rather than just dumping water down the back. If the dog seems very nervous, sometimes I'll start scratching that spot at the base of the tail, then add water to the same spot.
> 
> You could also start at the point of the chest, as dogs like to be touched on that spot as well. But they do see the water coming when you do it that way.
> 
> ...


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## rod5591 (May 16, 2011)

doggiedad said:


> being mostly crated and tethered isn't helping with
> house training your dog. when did you get your dog?
> keep things out of your dogs reach.
> 
> .


Thanks for your advice and to the others as well.

Our guy is a big guy and when he jumps up on two legs he can reach 5 ft at least. How do you keep things out of your dogs reach? I would love to see pics of how you do that.


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## KatsMuse (Jun 5, 2012)

There are self-service tubs at some pet stores, as someone else mentioned.
Check into that. You can walk around the whole tub.
Might be better than fighting him in the yard or in the house bathtub?

(My dog doesn't like baths either...I'll have to send you pics of our experience :wild

Just a suggestion . Kat


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## m1953 (May 7, 2012)

Fortunately , my six month old loves the water and hoses, so outside on the back patio with a hose.. The dog beach we take her to also has a wash station so she got a good bath today after being on the beach and in the ocean for a couple of hours.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

that's funny, you got in the tub with him.



msvette2u said:


> I just got in the tub with our dog, stood behind him and used the handheld shower attachment to wet, then shampoo'ed him (a stripe down his back) lather and rinse.
> Like others mentioned, he rarely needed bathed, 2x a year at most.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i keep the lamps towards the back of the tables, small things i keep shevled. i have a lived in house. there's stuff everywhere. my dog
is an inside dog. we taught/trained him how to behave. teach your dog not to jump at things in the house. house training
is more than potty training.



rod5591 said:


> Thanks for your advice and to the others as well.
> 
> Our guy is a big guy and when he jumps up on two legs he can reach 5 ft at least. How do you keep things out of your dogs reach? I would love to see pics of how you do that.


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## Typhoon (Aug 16, 2012)

A couple things I didn't see mentioned here that might help:

Dogs will usually shake when their heads get wet. So if you avoid wetting their heads as you bathe them, they'll be less tempted to shake. And, if they do start to shake, if you grab them by the scruff of the neck, they'll stop.

If you grab them by the scruff of the neck and say no when they start, eventually they'll learn not to shake until you tell them to.

Harley had allergies and I had to bathe him at least every other week. Typically lather, rinse and repeat with medicated shampoo, then lather rinse and repeat with oatmeal shampoo. I'd start with his back, then have him lay on one side and do it, then the other.

He started out not liking baths, and I think he never did enjoy them all that much, but I also think somewhere along the line it dawned on him how much better they made him feel, because in the end, he wound up jumping into the tub as soon as I got the soap out of the cabinet.


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## Gharrissc (May 19, 2012)

Like many of the other people here,I use shower head attachment. To keep them still I usually tether them.


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## Murphalope (Nov 26, 2014)

I usually take him for a ride in the pickup and run through a drive thru car wash while he's tethered in the bed. It's a little chaotic, but I turn up the radio and make a couple of high speed runs down the adjacent freeway to dry him off. Easy peasy!


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## Pax8 (Apr 8, 2014)

Murphalope said:


> I usually take him for a ride in the pickup and run through a drive thru car wash while he's tethered in the bed. It's a little chaotic, but I turn up the radio and make a couple of high speed runs down the adjacent freeway to dry him off. Easy peasy!


Wouldn't that be dangerous? At least in my area, all the car washes use the jet propelled car soap. I wouldn't think that would be very healthy for a dog to get sprayed down with. As well as traumatizing getting sprayed with all those highpowered jets....I don't like the sound of that...

For mine, I usually just eat the ten bucks and visit a self wash. I use Earthbath shampoo and the force dryer to get out extra hair and make sure he dries without that musty dog smell. Plus, someone else cleans up. It's a win in my book.


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## Lobo dog (Sep 19, 2014)

Pax8 said:


> Murphalope said:
> 
> 
> > I usually take him for a ride in the pickup and run through a drive thru car wash while he's tethered in the bed. It's a little chaotic, but I turn up the radio and make a couple of high speed runs down the adjacent freeway to dry him off. Easy peasy!
> ...


Lol I am pretty sure he was joking  but it's so hard to get sarcastic humor from a typed message. I think a winky face would have helped changed the tone of his reply. I am sure he will chime in and put your fears to rest  

For me, I bathed Lobo outside with the hose until it got to cold for him to dry off in the great outdoors (I am going to invest in a dog blow dryer next year). And then once it got to cold I started taking him either to the groomers or a self wash once every 4 to 5 weeks. 

I wish I could bath him in the tub (it would save me lots of $$$) but with the design and size, it won't work.


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## McCoy (Sep 23, 2013)

Luckily I have a shower with a door.


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## d4mmo (Mar 27, 2013)

Iv bathed my dog once. His 12 months old. He likes water more than I'd like him to


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