How to bathe your puppy

When you bring your new puppy home, you’re not only responsible for feeding, exercising, and grooming but for bathing them too. We all know that happy pups means mucky pups, so here at Animal Friends we focus on the top 10 dog breeds who had the most claims being made against them in 2019, and how often they should be bathed in the first few months of their life at home.

Why do you need to bathe your puppy?

In 2019, we identified these top 10 dog breeds who had received a high number of claims against them, with skin and allergy health problems being one of the top conditions:

• Labrador
• Staffordshire Bull Terrier
• French Bulldog
• Cocker Spaniel
• German Shepherd
• Shih Tzu
• Boxer
• Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
• Jack Russel Terrier
• Springer Spaniel

From long muddy walks to bringing them home on the first day, it’s important to keep your puppy’s coat clean and healthy. Follow our tips on how often you should bathe your new pooch.

What to use on your puppy?

First things first, knowing what to use on your puppy. There are plenty of shampoos and conditioners out there but knowing what to wash your puppy in often depends on your dog’s individual circumstances. So, it’s important to get to grips with their breed and coat type before you pick out which products to use. Speak to Joii Pet Care if you are unsure on what products to bathe your puppy in.

When to wash your puppy?

As long as your puppy isn’t any younger than 7-8 weeks old, you should aim to give them their first bath as early as possible to get them used to being washed.

As a general rule, you should aim to bathe your puppy at least once a month unless they’ve had a bit of fun rolling around in mud and debris. In which case, wash them at that moment in time to avoid any build-up of muck in their fur. Keeping on top of their muddy schedule could also avoid any future skin irritations occurring.

How often to wash your puppy can also depend on several other factors. Such as:

• The season: Summer vs. Winter
• Type of coat: Long hair vs. Short hair
• Outdoor pet vs. Indoor pet

Your puppy’s coat could become more prone to a build-up of dirt in the colder months when the season is typically wet and rolling around in the mud can be a messy, yet attractive business for your naughty pup.

Long-haired puppies can get mud and debris hidden in their coats so they may need to be checked and bathed more thoroughly to combat this.

A puppy who loves the outdoors will pick up more dirt in their coats than those pooches who love to be indoors. So, make sure to keep on top of this if you have a puppy who prefers to play outdoors.

Remember, what products to use and how often to bathe your pet depends on your puppy so it’s best to check with your vet before you give them their first wash.