Lower your pooch-grooming bills and eliminate the foul odour Sir Barkley drags through your doggie door

Create a dog spa

Train your dog to accept or even enjoy being washed by establishing 
a bathing routine – same time, same location. Using a bath or sink works best because he can’t easily run away. If he’s fidgety, consider leashing him to the bath tap. Praise him often in order to reinforce good behaviour. And keep dog toys out of the tub – Sir Barkley will confuse bath time with play time.

Wash with care

Unless your veterinarian prescribes a shampoo, use an organic dog soap that has a natural scent – it’s less likely to cause rashes. Apply R5 coin- sized drops one at a time, massaging the shampoo into the skin. Rinse from the roots of the hair outward to break up dirt and bacteria and remove dead fur. Clean the collar too, where ticks and fleas can hide.

Spot-Clean

Wash your pooch’s head from the top down so you don’t clog his ears with water. To clean inside the ears, wrap your finger in a washcloth and use the same kind of gentle pressure you would to dust furniture. For paws, gently lift the leg and use the washcloth’s tip to clean between the toes.

Dry the wet fur coat

Before you let the mutt shake, wrap him in a towel for three minutes. Use another towel to pat him dry. If he’s thick-coated, use a blow dryer after towelling. Hot air is fine as long as the dryer is 15 to 30cm away – you don’t want to burn him.

No time to wash?

Spritz on alcohol-free shampoo, like Bio-
groom Waterless Bath No Rinse Shampoo, R129, petsplace.co.za