# Baths and brushing!



## cjrey87 (Nov 4, 2012)

As I've mentioned in a few other posts, I am used to ankle biters. Ones that you can easily bath in the tub yourself....

Maverick is obviously a *little* too big to put in the bath. And, from the little bit I've seen, doesn't much care for water. In you guys experience, is it easier to just take them to a groomer for baths? If so, have you had any good experiences at Petsmart centers? I had a trusted groomer back home that I took my poodle to but just do her myself now. I've heard so many horror stories that it makes me leery to trust just anyone with my babies!

Also, brush recommendations for the inbetween touch ups at home?


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I just had my oldest dog(non GSD) groomed at Petsmart. They did a very nice job. As far as my GSD, she is 14 months and when she was small I gave her a bath in the tub twice and when she was 9 months I took her to a do it yourself place. She walked the ramp and in she went I'm lucky because mine doesn't require lots of baths, she is never dirty and she doesn't smell. As far as brushing, honestly I think I have brushed her only a handful of times, she doesn't require much more then that.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

in the summer i hose him down in the yard. i mix the
shampoo in a bucket of water and pour it all over him
and then i rub it in and hose it off. i taught him to "shake"
on command. if he needs a bath during the cold months
he hets bathed in the tub. i wet towels and lay them in the tub.
i tell him "get in". he steps and i support him when he jumps
to get his rear legs in the tub. when he's in the tub i normally
squirt the shampoo directly from the bottle. the hose connected
to the shower head is long so i don't have a problem risining him off.
place towels all over the bathroom floor and then tell him to "shake".

i think there's plenty of good groomers available. are there any
of those places near you that you bathe your own dog?

i brush my dog 3 to 4 times a week. i use an under coat
on his chest, sides, back and tail. i comb him in all
directions then i comb him in one direction to smooth him out.
i use a pin brush on his head, legs and underneath him.


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## breyer08 (Jul 4, 2012)

Ever since Ava was a baby, I have bathed her in the bathtub, maybe about once a month or a little less. In order to get her to like it and not fuss (since I knew she would eventually get big!), every single time I have bathed her I cook some chicken first on the stove, and then cut it into tiny bite-sized pieces. I put towels down on the floor, get the water ready in the tub, and then call her in. The first couple of times I had to lift her into the tub, since she was too small to get in by herself, but now all I have to do is tell her to get in, and she walks right in, turns around, and waits for me to bathe her. As I'm doing that, my husband dispenses the chicken to her little by little.  She loves bath time because of that routine, and I highly recommend trying it!


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## pyratemom (Jan 10, 2011)

I'm lucky enough to be able to bathe Raina outside all year long. I use the hose water which never really gets cold since it runs down a pipe for a 100 or so miles and has plenty of time to warm up. I also use the Zoom Groom to suds her up. It helps get the soap into all that long hair. It comes in handy when rinsing also. She then gets conditioner to keep her hair shiny and an antiseptic on her skin where she gets itchy spots. Then we do the blow dryer. She loves being wet so the bath is never a problem. It is almost impossible to get the hose out around her without her noticing it and running over. She will even drink out of the hose even though she has a drinking fountain and water bowls.


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## Capone22 (Sep 16, 2012)

We still bathe our 95 pound pit/mastiff mix in the tub during winter. So it's possible, if that's what you prefer. 


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

We either go to a self service dog washing place, or we bathe them in the tub. I've never taken my dogs to a groomer and I've never bathed them outside. Why can't you put him in the tub?

My favorite brush is an undercoat rake.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Honestly--and I'm saying this as someone who bathes dogs for a living--it's going to be much better if you let someone else do it.  Trying to bathe a large, shedding dog in your bathroom is back-breaking and messy; dog water and hair goes flying all over the place and it's really hard to clean up. It's also really hard to get your dog dry, especially in cooler weather--if your dog has a very thick coat, it can take days, and it's not good for their skin to be wet for that long.

A groomer has equipment set up to bathe and throughly dry that dog within a couple of hours. You pick up the dog, it's done, there is no cleanup on your end, and the result will be worlds better than what you can do at home. Your dog will look like a million bucks, and you only spent $50 or whatever. Well worth it, IMO.

If I didn't have access to a grooming shop, there's no way I would try to bathe my GSD at home. As a matter of fact, there was about a year where I didn't have a grooming shop and I *did* take my GSD to a groomer. She was great, my dog looked amazing, and I didn't have to get wet and hairy.


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## Mikelia (Aug 29, 2012)

I have a stand up shower and I bather my two male gsds in there. They do have to kind of stand on an angle but it works. They were trained in a full sized tub so know to stand still for a bath so it is possible in the shower. Just have lots of towels on hand. When it is warm enough outside I always bathe them with the hose. Much easier and no mess to clean up. 
I use a comb and a slicker brush for the most part. I recently found the worlds more effective pin brush and it actually works so I like it now too. And when I cannot stand the hair any longer - I use the furminator. Usually by that point I don't care if they're bald - I am sick of the hair lol.


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## SummerwoodSoaps (Feb 3, 2011)

Sooo true!!


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

Yesterday was bath day at my house. They all go in the tub of thier own free will, even Lakota who used to struggle a bit when she was a pup. Apache & Kiya are about 115lbs, Lakota 70lbs. I have to get in the tub with them so it's easier on my back. We have shower doors so I only have 1/2 of the tub open which is good for keeping anyone from escaping. Even the cats got a bath, they are so much easier on my back.


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## cjrey87 (Nov 4, 2012)

Sorry I've been away this week! It's been crazy at work and such....

Our bathtub is rather small. It's honestly a bit smaller than what you would consider a "standard" size and has no detachable shower head. I checked into one of those dog washing contraptions that you can even hook on to the tub connector and it wouldn't work. Those two factors along with his general distaste for water just makes me think that it wouldn't work out. Soooo that's why I can't bathe his booty in the tub.

I did manage to find a "do it yourself" shop here. I never knew such a thing existed and I'm pretty excited about it in all honesty lol! And thank you for the brush recommendations everyone


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

Suka, that second picture is HUGE! The maximum picture size is 800 x 600 - can you resize it and repost?

*thanks for reposting!*


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## Suka (Apr 9, 2004)

I go to a "self doggy wash" twice a year with Cowboy. Even with his bad legs, he is able to step from lowest bench to high bench then down into the tub. Here he is waiting for his bath:











I swear the only way I can get his undercoat fully out is to blow it out with their high powered dryers, but we end up covered in a floof of dog fur ourself, so then we have to turn the blowers on each other to get their fur off our faces:


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## tsfarling (Oct 13, 2012)

we have a car wash that turned one of their bays into a four station self dog washing room. It's fantastic! I'm glad we have one because I can't afford $50 for a dog bath. Anybody recommend a dog perfume spray to use in between baths? GSD's stink! I never realized that about them. My boxer didn't smell that bad but my GSD takes about 4 or 5 days to start stinking it up again. $5 a wash, i'll take it!


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

I used to bathe my GSD's in the tub, then we bought a new house and had a kid (soon to be two) and I just can't bathe my dirty dogs in the tub my son plays in. Nor do I want them in our tub. And I was so over the mess years ago, as well as also realizing years ago that the shampoo and water is only half the battle. The best part of a washing place is the force dryer and that they clean up the mess. 

My dogs are good bathers, they don't get the option honestly. From puppyhood baths are just a part of life for them and they learn to accept it. Most of mine actually seem to enjoy it (the scrubbing, attention, and drying). 

I use one of several self wash places nearby, and the average price is $12 per wash. One place I can do two for $20 if I take them both in at the same time. We wash them in the backyard and just brush out when dry during the summer, but otherwise I take them to the wash place and it's SO much better. The place I use right now provides a great tub area, towels, a good quality natural shampoo, brushes, and a decent force dryer.


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## pyratemom (Jan 10, 2011)

Wow, I forgot how lucky I am to live where it's warm enough all year round to wash my dog outside. She gets a bath every other weekend due to allergies. I also blow dry her. It's a lot faster with the dryer - takes only an hour to bathe, condition, and blow dry. I couldn't imagine using the dryer indoors. What a mess that would be. I usually just rinse off with the hose when I'm done drying Raina and then towel off. Maybe the OP could try a different shampoo to keep the smell down. I don't have any problem with Raina smelling and she has lots of hair.


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## Kyleigh (Oct 16, 2012)

> Anybody recommend a dog perfume spray to use in between baths? GSD's stink! I never realized that about them. My boxer didn't smell that bad but my GSD takes about 4 or 5 days to start stinking it up again. $5 a wash, i'll take it!


What is your dog eating? A GSD shouldn't stink ... I'd be looking into something medical with your dog ... instead of bathing it all the time ... unless it's rolling in dead animals somewhere?


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## tsfarling (Oct 13, 2012)

She just smells like dog but she gets worse after playing with her friends and getting their saliva all over her. This last wash is taking hold better than our previous bat tub washes. I think we were able to wash her better with the walk up tub and hot spray water









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## Mooch (May 23, 2012)

I gave in and bought a 2nd hand Hydrobath - I absolutely love it, between the bath and the force dryer I get bot my long coats dry and clean much easier, and it worked out cheaper to buy the same bath the groomers use than to take both dogs to the groomers 5 times


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## GrammaD (Jan 1, 2012)

Have you seen this?
Photo 51 Samoyeds & Supplies: The Best Bathing Set Up Ever. Seriously.


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