CHENNAI: If your dog is strictly an anti-bath pooch, getting him into the bathroom and cleaning him up can turn into a nightmare. Being in a situation that they cannot get out of while continuing to get wet, being scrubbed around with slippery soap, often in confined areas, can be awful for your dog. This is why even dogs that like to swim do not really appreciate being bathed.
Your dog’s first experience with bathing often defines his future acceptance level of baths. If he has had a bad experience, including being forced into the water or being roughly-handled while bathing, he is going to associate a bath with all these unpleasant memories. Some dogs are even unsure of water sounds. Sometimes it could just be simple issues like giving a hot water bath on a hot day or cold water bath on a cold day, being tethered too tightly or being bathed in a bathroom where the floor is too slippery, which causes insecurity. These are minor issues that we often tend to overlook, but it leaves a negative and lasting memory in your dog’s mind. Over a period of time, we pet owners begin to anticipate the drama that is about to unfold on bath-day. There are families that even strategically work out a battle plan to ambush the dog.The stress and nervous energy that we exhibit often triggers further protests from the dog.
Their attempts to run out of the bathroom adds to our annoyance, adding fuel to fire. Both the dog and the owner let out a big sigh of relief when the process is done, thereby further reinforcing the negativity. Even dogs that actually don’t mind being bathed, love the whole ‘catch me if you can experience’, and decide to have some fun at your expense!All it takes is to step back and see what the real trigger is, and doing what it takes to make bathing fun and tolerable.