Bathtime!

[Guest Jacks_Human]

I have been considering bathing Jack-- he has had some on-and-off problems with dry skin (tea tree lotion helps a lot) and from my past experience I know a bath can help as well.

However, Jack is not a fan of water. Even a light drizzle makes him squirm and try to run home if we're outside, so I'm looking for some tips for bathing a greyhound.

[HoundHeavenAZ]

Not sure if this will work for you, but I wait for a warm day and fill a couple of gallon jugs with nice warm water. I add a couple of drops of gentle doggie shampoo to one and then apply, then rinse with the other. Then I towel them off and get out of the way! I only do this a couple of times yearly as I never smell them and they really do stay pretty clean. Besides, I hear that bathing more often might dry their skin.

I avoid giving them indoor baths for many reasons - fear of slippage being the foremost, the mess being the next. Good luck

[Fruitycake]

I've done Monty both in our huge walk-in shower (he's the only one that's used our new shower!) and in the backyard on a cement slab on a summer's day. I also used buckets of water, but instead of pouring it over him to wash him I went with the spongebath approach and used a washcloth on him (a running-with-water one, with the bucket under him to catch some of the runoff). Very little soap in it, and the rinse started with a new wet washcloth to try wiping down most of the soap and then at the end using a cup to pour as my husband rubbed and made sure to get all soap off. He stood there and looked disgruntled, but was a really good boy and didn't even try to move, though he hates rain with a passion.

 

His head just got a squeezed-out washcloth with water only wiped over it. Always with the lay of the hair.

[Guest DragonflyDM]

I take boomer to a doggie self wash. Lots of Petco’s have them.

[Beachbum1]

I had bathed Taylor twice in the backyard (when it was 80 and sunny), but used the garden hose. He didn't like that cold water at all!!! It was a struggle to hold his leash and him and bathe him.

 

Last week, I remembered I have a set-tub in the laundry room, so I connected a hose to that set-tub faucet and ran warm water through the hose. I didn't even have to hold the leash (or him)!!!

 

By the time I was rinsing him off from the second shampooing, his eyes were half closed and his mouth was hanging open a little, LOL.

[cleptogrey]

most greys are used to being hosed off at the track. it's the rain that's another story. just take him in the shower w/ you, have either a rubber bathtub mat or a thin towel to line the bottom of the tub and a plastic container and go to it. if the water is pretty warm some of them melt away, it's really funny watching them lie down. i get mine into the tub the first time w/ a chunk of meat, may as well make it a positive experience getting in. someone else grabs them when i'm finished and towel dries the pup. i don't like using a hair dryer on a grey,their skin burns really easily. they dry in 20 minutes anyway. double wash thier paws, you can put some cotton(be genereous, it will shrink if it gets wet) in their ears and hold your hand over their eyes when you wash the head and rinse. i usually do the head last and always do a triple rinse. i installed an extra long hose for the hand held shower and our new tub has glass doors, what a pleasure.

[Guest Scouts_mom]

In my opinion, self-wash dog washes are the greatest invention of our times. They save your back, have no clean-up, and make it easy to get the dog into the tub.

[Guest Jacks_Human]

Thanks for the tips, all! And he's a food-motivated fellow, so a tasty reward may do the trick.

[MaryJane]

Just a note that the water shouldn't be too warm -- some people have had problems with their greyhounds passing out.

[Beachbum1]

Just a note that the water shouldn't be too warm -- some people have had problems with their greyhounds passing out.

Tepid worked.....and I kept an eye on him to make sure he wasn't wobbling

[buddibear]

Yes forget the nice warm bath in the tub. Nobody told me about that. 85 pounds of soapey slippery passed out dog is scarey. Shoot I thought he had a stroke

[Guest june]

We have a self-wash dog wash about 10 miles from home. I haven't bathed any of mine in the tub since I first tried it. Amazing how much easier it is!

[Guest SusanP]

I put a rubber mat in the bath tub, put a few inches of barely lukewarm water in it, set up dog shampoo, cup or bowl for pouring water, a wash cloth. I put towels across the bathroom floor and have some set up on the toilet. I put on a swim suit and go to catch the heaviest dog first (because once they realize baths are in progress, they will all run and hide, and I don't want to have to carry the heaviest guy up from the basement. I pick up the dog, sit on the side of the tub with my feet in the water and my knees under the dog, wet, wash, rinse the dog (I use the water in the tub to wet the dog but then have to run tap water into the container for the final rinse--don't let the water get too deep, or the dog will begin to collapse (your knees under the dog will help support him), let him out and dry him off, then go get the next victim. I can wash four dogs in just over half an hour.

 

But I confess, nothing makes them like it. We do this very sparingly, maybe once or twice a year or if they come in the house very muddy.

 

I had to give Spinner a bath the other day when he came in the house covered in mud. Dr. Doug ran and hid in the basement, but when I came down to see him dressed in jeans instead of "The Swimsuit of Doom", he perked right up and ran to me!

[Guest Giselle]

Smear peanut butter on the sides of the tub. Problem solved. Never failed w/ any dog thus far *knock on wood*

[Busderpuddle]

I turn the shower on tepid, drag Ruby in there with me and scrub her from head to toe with an aloe and oatmeal shampoo. Then I rinse and rinse and rinse some more with a hand held shower head, yell for my husband to come get her to dry her off, and then scrub down the shower and continue on with my shower. Works for all of us. She doesn't like it but stands there and doesn't try to escape. We do this once a month about 5 days before her heartworm medicine is due and wash all the bedding the same day. Haven't had any problem with dry skin.

[Guest saabqueen7]

Has anyone used the groomers at Petco or Petsmart? I just heard recently from a friend who grooms my collie that she occasionally gets greyhounds to do. Never thought about sending a grey into a groomer!

[tbhounds]

I am currently receiving full wrath stink eye- just gave my girl a tubbie!! I have a hand held shower head in my bathtub- works super-- however, pretty sure my hound doesn't agree with me right now :-)

[Guest Wasserbuffel]

I do like Busterpuddle, I get right in the shower with the dog. It's a whole lot easier than leaning over the sides, especially on the knees!

 

I like to have a baggie of treats sitting on the shower rack. As long as I remember to occasionally feed her a treat, Jayne will not even try to get out of the tub.

[Guest Snazzy_Chloe]

Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh but they do like it after the bath is over, first they get a treat. Then they get to lie down after being rubbed, and rubbed all over with several towels - they love the skin massage. Then as their fur tries they always drift off into doggie dream land and you can tell that they really sleep a sound sleep so you know that they feel fully relaxed afterwards. I think they are part cat and it is just so undignified to be wet or to be seen wet.

[lukasmom]

In my opinion, self-wash dog washes are the greatest invention of our times. They save your back, have no clean-up, and make it easy to get the dog into the tub.

Aren't they the best thing!!! I take mine to a local Pet Supplies Plus for $10 do it yourself baths. This time I have two coupons for free baths!

[DaisyDoodle]

Do the head last. If you get the head wet and soapy, the dog will shake, and you will be a wet, cold, soapy mess.

 

Rinse well. Make sure to lift each foot and get soap out from between toes.

 

"Squeegie." After final rinse, throw towel over dog's head and run you hand(s) over the dog to get as much water as possible out of coat before you towel dry. It saves a couple of towels.

 

DON'T open bathroom door until dog is towel dry! Otherwise, they do the shakey-dance and self-wipe all over the furniture. Then, open door and stand back!

 

Ditto what others said about water not being too hot.