If I had to pick my favorite animal, it would be a dog! Their young ones, the puppies, are the cutest and the sweetest animals you’ll ever get to see.
People who own puppies as their pets are often confused about their baths. Do these people wonder how many times they should bathe their puppy?
The answer to this question would be that you should bathe your puppy at least once a month. But, if your puppy rolls in the mud or gets dirty then you can give him a little bath.
When Can a Puppy Have Its First Bath?
The most important factor one must look at before bathing their puppy is the little one’s age. If the puppy ages between 7-8 weeks, you should avoid bathing him/her.
The puppy’s body is not ready for self-regulation of the temperature of his/her body. But if you so wish to clean your puppy, you can adopt one way that I used to embrace.
I used to clean up my puppy using a warm cloth, this way it became easy and it did not harm my puppy in any way.
So, the puppy can have its first bath only after it has turned 9-12 weeks. At this age, the puppy will be able to regulate his/her body’s temperature.
Hence, this way no harm will be caused to the puppy’s immunity level or its body and he will remain healthy.
How to Bathe a Puppy?
First of all, here’s a thumb rule that you should follow while bathing your puppy: Only do it once a month.
But, if you wish to cleanse your puppy on a daily basis then you can use a warm cloth to clean your puppy.
There are some steps that you can follow to carry out a smooth bath of your puppy. These steps are listed below:
- Start Quick and Early
You should try to convince your puppy to bathe as early as you can. Now, you can reinforce this behavior by praising your puppy. The earlier your puppy gets used to bathing the better.
- Pick a Fixed Spot
Sinks are believed to be the best spots for a puppy’s bath. You should provide your puppy with a mat, which can be used as a grip.
Opt for lukewarm water to wash your puppy. You should wash the puppy’s head at the very end.
- Make it a Fun Process
Your puppy is most likely to run away at the time of a bath. You should surround your puppy with a handful of toys so that he enjoys the bath.
Moreover, you should even pet him and love him a lot while you bathe him, this way he will not try to escape.
- Rinse Him Well
Once you are through with scrubbing a shampoo to the puppy’s hair, you should ensure that you rinse him well.
If you leave some shampoo on the puppy’s hair, the puppy’s skin is likely to turn itchy or dry too. Ensure that you don’t pour water into the puppy’s ears or eyes, not even by mistake. It might harm the puppy.
- Steer Clear of the Shaking Process
After a puppy has had a bath, he/she likes to shake dry. This way they can even dirty your house.
To avoid this you can carry a dry towel with you and dry them with the help of the towel or you can use a hairdryer. You should make sure that you don’t let your wet puppy out in the winters until he/she is all dry.
Hence, these are the steps that should be followed systematically for a smooth and efficient bath of a puppy.
Skipping any one of the above-mentioned steps can turn out to be harmful to a puppy’s health and fitness.
How Many Baths Are Too Many for a Puppy?
You should bathe your puppy based on the season. If it’s in the winter you should bathe your puppy less frequently. Also, it is recommended that you should bathe your puppy once a month at maximum.
Be careful that you do not bathe your puppy too often, as it can cause irritation to the puppy’s skin and can even hurt his skin.
Unless there is a medical reason behind bathing your pet frequently, avoid bathing him.
Bathing your pet frequently can cause the puppy’s skin to dry out. I did that for a while and the skin of my pet turned dry and itchy.
Since then, I have taken good care of him and ensured that I don’t bathe him too often.
You can bathe your puppy once a month. This will ensure his good health and he will remain fit and active.
Can I Bathe My Puppy After Vaccination?
After a puppy has got a vaccination, he/she is less likely to go for a bath. Some puppies might enjoy the bath while for some puppies this might be a stressful process.
For this reason, you should consider showering your puppy. Instead of giving your puppy a rigorous bath, you can just give him a light shower.
After a puppy gets a vaccination, he/she is likely to be in a state of discomfort for some days. Hence, it is not advisable to bathe them after vaccination.
The vaccination works towards making the puppy better, in terms of health and immunity but if you bathe the puppy and don’t dry it fully, he/she is most likely to get ill.
To avoid this, you should avoid bathing him right after getting him vaccinated. You should at least wait for 3-4 days before you bathe him.
If you think that he looks dirty or looks unhygienic to you then you can consider using a warm cloth to clean him.
Hence, the answer to this question will be no, you shouldn’t bathe your puppy after he has got a vaccine shot.
I do not recommend you bathe your puppy after the vaccination as it can harm your puppy even more and can cause him even more discomfort.
Conclusion
Puppies have sensitive skin and they should be taken care of as bathing them daily can be harmful to them. You should bathe your puppy once a month.
A puppy should be rinsed in a good manner so that no shampoo is left in his fur, as leftovers can harm his hair and make them dry and itchy.
Puppies should be adapted to the habit of bathing from their early days to prevent them from getting dirty and avoiding baths at a later stage.
In the end, puppies need a lot of love and care. While you bathe a puppy, you should pet him, this way he will not try to escape.