Okay let’s be honest… bath time isn’t that fun for us pets. The water, the noise, the scrubbing… not very relaxing if you ask us. Our hoomans have found a way to pawfect bath time so that it’s not our least favorite part about the month.

Should the water be hot or cold?

It’s important that the water isn’t too hot or too cold. If it’s too cold or hot it will shock us and turns us off to bath time. Try to make the water lukewarm for us and always test the water before you put it on us!

What water pressure should I do? 

If the water is coming out too fast or too loudly this turns us off to bath time! Let the water hit the back of your hand before it hits your pet or use a bowl to collect the water and pour it slowly on your pet.

What shampoo should I use? 

Us pets can’t always use your hooman shampoo. We have a different pH balance than you hoomans. Choose a nice pet shampoo that is specifically made for us (whether your pet is a cat or a dog).

How should I apply the soap? 

Massage the soap into your pet’s fur. Start with the legs and work your way up to the face. We really don’t like getting our faces wet with soap because it’s our most sensitive area. Mom normally doesn’t wash our face at bath time and avoids our ears (if water goes down our ear canal this can cause ear infections). She uses a separate washcloth to do our ears and face afterwards.

When should I brush my pet and how often? 

Brush your pet before and after bath time! Also make sure to brush them at least two times a week because that makes us more used to brushing. If your pet has knots in their fur it might be better to take them to a professional groomer.

How do I dry my pet? 

Our hoomans always have towels ready before the bath. Sometimes we try to jump out and so it’s not a bad idea to also put a towel on the floor. After our bath, the hoomans use a towel and gently press on our fur and pull out as much water as they can. Afterwards they use a blow dryer on low to dry our skin. The noise frightens Luna so so the hoomans skip that step with her and just use two towels on her.

How often should I bathe my pet? 

You shouldn’t bathe your pet too often. We groom ourselves a lot! Too many baths can deplete the natural oils our coats and result in skin irritation. Our hoomans give us baths about twice a month.

Extra tip from the hoomans:

Brush your pet’s teeth while they’re in the bath. It’s easier to do all our grooming at once. Mom always keeps a toothbrush with some doggie toothpaste next to the sink she bathes us in. Mom uses the Arm & Hammer Enzymatic Dog Toothpaste and Brush Set that she bought at PetSmart. The curve of this toothbrush makes it easier for the hoomans to brush our teeth.

Lots of love,

The Little Aussies

Luna, Casper , Porkchop, and Poppy