Want to avoid washing your dog?
Keeping your dog clean is very hard to do. They love everything dirty – mud, poop, dirt, you name it! When they look so cute rolling around in a huge puddle of mud, you don’t know whether to laugh or to cry. While some dogs love to be bathed, many dogs don’t enjoy it. Don’t you just want a clean dog? No worries, we’re here to help! Here’s 5 tips to keeping your pet clean without having to bathe them:
1. Get some pet wipes!
Pet wipes are very similar to baby wipes. They’re easy to use, incredibly effective, cheap, smell great, and you can take them anywhere with you! Your dog won’t mind being rubbed by one of these, as they are made to be pet safe!
When your dog gets some dirt on them, simply take out a pet wipe and rub them off! It’s best to rub the dirt off when it’s still fresh. Just make sure you don’t use the pet wipes on your dog’s eyes or any irritated spots on their skin!
We have had great success with Nature’s Miracle Pet Wipes. They’re all-natural, safe, and very inexpensive! They work on all animals, so you’ll have no problem keeping your pet clean!
2. Clean your dog’s crate and bed!
You wouldn’t believe how quickly dirt can accumulate in your dog’s crate and bed! Or what about the smell? You know what I’m talking about. That “my dog hasn’t been bathed in weeks” smell. It’s amazing how quickly that smell goes away when you simply wash your dog’s bedding!
I mean, it makes sense, right? That’s where your dog spends an enormous amount of their time. Make it a habit to regularly clean your dog crate and your dog bed.
When doing so, make sure to only use pet safe products, such as Nature’s Miracle or Earthbath.
3. Baking soda gives that clean dog smell!
Baking soda is EXCELLENT at removing foul odors! You probably already have an open box in your refrigerator! Did you know that you can also use it on your dog? Well, you can! And it works great!
Take a dry towel and sprinkle a little baking soda on it. Gently rub the towel on your dog. Focus on your dog’s neck. This is where dog’s mainly try and get dirty in order to mask their scent. Also make sure to get their ‘armpits / legpits’. If your dog scoots their butt on the ground, then give their butt a bit of a scrub!
If you don’t have baking soda, corn starch also works. I have found that I prefer baking soda a bit better, though. My dog’s seem to prefer it, as well!
4. Brush your dog clean!
Brushing your dog’s hair removes all of their loose hair and helps exfoliate their skin. Similar to how brushing your hair is good for you, it’s the same with your dog.
Brushing your dog is a really great bonding activity. Grooming is what dogs do when they do in packs when they’re in the wild. This helps them become comfortable with one another. Usually the alpha dog is the one who does the grooming. You grooming your dog will help certify you as the alpha dog!
When you’re buying your dog brush, get one that has a wire brush. This will really help in getting knots out. I really love the DakPets Pet Grooming Tool & Pet Grooming Brush, but really any metal dog brush will work.
Fun fact: Grooming your pet is a great way to keep any pet clean. Use this tip on your cats too!
5. Defense is the best offense!
Preventing your dog from getting dirty is the easiest way to keep your dog clean! I bet you’re wondering how the heck you’re supposed to do that. Well, it’s easy!
You’re going to use a similar technique to what you did when you used our crate training tips: you’re going to only give positive reinforcement when the dog is doing the action that you want! This tells them that it is okay for them to inspect the mud, but not go in it.
Next time your dog is about to roll around in mud, stop them before they get to the mud pile by giving them positive reinforcement. Since they really love mud, high quality dog treats work wonders here.
If your dog rolls in the mud, ignore him. Yelling at your dog to stop is a reinforcement behavior. You do not want to reinforce the dog, regardless of whether the action is positive or negative!
Conclusion
Now you know how to keep your dog clean without giving them a bath! Having a clean dog means you have a happy dog, a happy owner, and a clean home!
Hopefully you enjoyed our tips. At Best Dog Crates and Beds, we work hard to provide you with the very best dog training tips.
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