Wash My Dog: Why is it important?

Many family’s agonize over the washing the dog job inside their households. Is it Dads job? Should the kids have to do it? How about we pay someone to do it?

Washing our dogs on a regular basis has some very valid reasons behind it.

• Washed dogs tend to smell good when your around them even if their not inside dogs.
• Washing Dog tends to create a bond between you and your dog. As a lesson in dominance and control of your dog if you can get a 70 pound dog to stand still long enough to wash him you know you have a measure of control.

• In terms of hygiene a clean dog has less flea and skin problems than unwashed dogs. Additionally should problems occur regular grooming allows you to find and treat them before an expensive trip to the vet becomes necessary. I know here at Online Dog Blog  I use a particular dog wash on my Labrador to treat minor skin irritations.
• Nothing is worse for your guests they pat that adoring dog of yours and then realize their hands smell. Additionally if your dog is an inside one do you really want your visitors noses to detect the smell of your dirty dog that your nose has become immune to?

Washing the dog and having Fun.

For those with Kids and larger dogs a fun couple of hours in the yard as a family can be had. Kids wielding the hose while your trying to hold your dog still and rub in the shampoo at the same time. The dogs certainly enjoy the attention from your family. The kids enjoy spraying water everywhere and despite the wet and dirty condition your likely to end up in deep down your probably having fun renewing that bond between your dog and yourself as well. I am yet to find a dog that doesn’t enjoy that towel rub down when your finished. I know my dog is continually trying to grab the towel and run away with it!.

At the very least it helps keep your house neat and tidy as the inevitable hair loss your dog has (unless you have one of the non shedding breeds) is kept to a minimum inside and maximum outside in the yard. This means you save time not having to vacuum, mop and sweep the house every two days.

Dog Washers: Outsource it!

Lets face it some northern climates simply aren’t very conducive to washing our dogs inside or outside. Its cold, miserable, snowing, muddy or even all of the above depending on where you live.

This is where dog groomers can come into their own. I know I regularly use the mobile dog groomers Hydrodog to visit my house with their trailer attached to the car. During winter they use heated warm water and even blow dry my Labrador so even if its a little cold he is mostly dry before re-entering the house.

Alternatively you can pack the dog up in the car and travel to a dog groomer and let them do all the work while you sit and enjoy a coffee. Only disadvantage to this is having to pack the dog up in the car and install the cover to protect your front / back seat.

I know I like to participate when I outsource the wash. I am helping scrub and shampoo my big Labrador and talking Broni our dogwash lady as she is doing the job.

Remember half the idea of why I Wash my Dog is to keep the bond between me and my dog and to groom him so I am well aware of any problems before they crop up. This could be skin problems, Ticks, Fleas or even lumps and bumps on my dog that I need to be aware of.

Enjoy Washing your Dogs!

Odog Guy at your Online Dog Blog