Dog Question

"bobbe17" (rob-runte) 03/07/2016 at 09:33 • Filed to: None

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We adopted a dog from a rescue this past November when he was about two and a half. He is 99% perfect for us with his only issues being that he hates being picked up and is afraid of bathrooms. Not a huge deal, but they become a bigger problem when he plays in the mud and needs a bath. This past weekend was such a time...

With his fear of bathrooms, we managed to get him to warm up to it by feeding him there for about a month. He would gladly go in and eat, but was still on edge and would immediately sprint out once he was done. We’ve managed to give him two baths by luring him into the bathroom with food, but he doesn’t fall for that anymore.

So back to this past weekend, I tried to pick him up to get him into the bathroom and he went from whining quietly to full out loud yelps. He also peed a little bit out of fear so we gave up on an actual bath. I then wanted to try the hose outside but as soon as I turned it on, he made a run for it. I eventually resorted to the two bucket method over the linoleum floor which he still wasn’t too thrilled with.

Any dog experts that have any advice on how to get him to be ok with baths? My parents’ dog loves playing with the hose so my next move will be to hope he can come around to it by watching. We’re also hoping to have him play in the lake over the summer, but I’m starting to doubt he’ll be much of a water dog. Here’s a picture of him with his favorite ball.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > bobbe17 03/07/2016 at 09:38

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We have a dog who is terrified of baths too, unfortunately nothing has worked (she’s 12 now) and she still resists. Usually we just bath her quickly then comb her after which calms her down.

jariten1781 > bobbe17 03/07/2016 at 09:40

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He may just never be. Ours adores swimming and playing in sprinklers but bathing is always a hassle. For periodic cleaning we gave up and just pay for a bath at groomers so that the traumatic connections aren't really established with us. For clean-up that has to happen now! (muddy to the point she can't come into the house) it usually just ends up with one of us holding her while getting soaked with the hose.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > bobbe17 03/07/2016 at 09:44

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If he’s a rescue, he may have had a bad experience with bathrooms and water in the past. He might not get over it. You can try, but i wouldn’t force him to do anything he doesn’t want.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > bobbe17 03/07/2016 at 09:46

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Had the same issue when we rescued our dog years ago. She would get very very submissive whenever we tried to clean her, even if it was to just wipe dirt off her paws. Eventually we gave up and let the groomers handle it so we don’t have to constantly upset her

Cash Rewards > bobbe17 03/07/2016 at 09:53

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Our best method is the hose outside while the dog is on a leash. That way you can keep her from bolting, but it also calms her down in a “I’m on the leash, he’s in charge” sort of way.

smobgirl > bobbe17 03/07/2016 at 09:56

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Mine is 11, and it wouldn’t be possible for me to give her a bath at home. She hates baths and she would pull down everything in the bathroom if I tried to restrain her in my tub (it’s a clawfoot, so it's nearly impossible to keep her in it). I take her to one of those self-grooming places. She still hates it, but at least she can't get out of the tub and she doesn't destroy my bathroom.

E92M3 > Cash Rewards 03/07/2016 at 10:02

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This is what I do. Put the leash around a tree, or fence post and then I can wash him with the hose. Bonus, no bathtub to clean afterwards.

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > bobbe17 03/07/2016 at 10:39

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We had a similar dog when I was growing up. The hose outside was too scary - we resorted to dumping gallon bottles of water over her head and body.

bobbe17 > Cash Rewards 03/07/2016 at 10:42

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I think this is pretty likely what we'll do in the summer. We've had the outside faucets shut off all winter so we haven't had the chance to try it yet.

bobbe17 > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 03/07/2016 at 10:44

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We're still trying to feel out how much we can push him to do new things and how much he's set in his ways. Something about old dogs and new tricks.

Cash Rewards > bobbe17 03/07/2016 at 10:47

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Depending on the dog, winter baths aren’t as necessary. The oil in their coats keeps their skin from drying out when it’s dry in the winter. That is breed dependent though, I think.

Cash Rewards > E92M3 03/07/2016 at 10:48

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The amount of fur a freaked out 105lb lab can drop in the tub will clog a drain damn near immediately.

190octane > bobbe17 03/07/2016 at 10:52

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You can try these, waterless dog bath...

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss…

bobbe17 > Cash Rewards 03/07/2016 at 11:04

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It's the Wisconsin winter that can cause the need for a bath. 10 inches of snow one week, then 50 degrees for a few days to make some mud, then back to winter.

E92M3 > bobbe17 03/07/2016 at 12:40

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Yeah, I won’t give him a bath outside if it’s below 55 degrees. So he can go 8 weeks without a bath here in the winters.

There’s a car wash here that also has an indoor dog wash. Never been inside to check it out, but sounds interesting.

VincentMalamute-Kim > bobbe17 03/07/2016 at 13:30

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I fostered Rin for over a year (the one in the front) and then finally adopted her when no one showed any interest adopting. The rescue (IAMRA.org) had given her entire pack of 5 Malamutes an initial bath. When I picked her up, they said “She is never to get another bath for the rest of her life”. Which is OK for Malamutes since they are self-cleaning. If they get muddy (I’m in Milwaukee and it’s 64 today and the yard is mud), leave them outside and they auto dry and the mud magically falls off their fur.

Don’t force your dog into something he’s afraid of - you’re reinforcing his fear and making your problem more difficult. Having him since November is not a long time to build trust. You’re his protector. Having him trust that whatever you do will not hurt him is the eventual goal. Forcing him into something he’s afraid of destroys that trust. Don’t tie him up and hose him down.

Rin does need baths since she has a dermatitis on her back and that needs a medicated shampoo. A year to build trust. Hand wetting her back a little bit, working in a bit of shampoo, treats during the procedure is how I started. Did that for a while. Luckily she’s not afraid of the bathroom like yours so eventually I moved to the shower. But I’m still doing the hand wetting her back only after 6 months of this.

It will take a long time. It might never happen that you can give him a full bath - sounds doubtful. Make concessions to his fear and figure out something to manage his mud and/or live with more dirt. Wiping down with lots of wet towels? Use lots of treats.

Rin is a timid dog. Nails is another entire issue. She wouldn’t even let me touch her paws. That took months of treats and touching her paws, then touching her nails, then just touching the clipper to her nails without cutting. Now I’m up to clipping one nail at a time a tiny bit before meals.

tl:dr - don’t force, build trust, start slow, patience like months to years.

bobbe17 > VincentMalamute-Kim 03/07/2016 at 13:48

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Great advice, this is pretty much what I've come to as well. It seemed like there was glimmer of enjoyment while getting his washcloth bath yesterday. His tail started to wag as he recognized he was just being pet but wet. This will likely be where we end up for a while.

VincentMalamute-Kim > bobbe17 03/07/2016 at 14:32

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Fantastic! Good luck and you’re a good person for adopting a rescue!